Community Foundation Reports Record Year for Donations, Grantmaking

The Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties announced today that it awarded a record $8.1 million to nonprofit organizations in 2019. Almost 900 grants went to organizations for their work supporting a wide array of community priorities, including education, health, economic development, and arts and culture. Of the total amount granted, $4.1 million came from donor-advised funds, a tenfold increase over the last decade. Helping to support future community investment, donor support set a new record in 2019, with $20.02 million received and 37 charitable funds created.

“In the past year, we have seen extraordinary progress in our community,” said Alicia Dicks, president/CEO. “The continuing generosity of donors and the magnitude of our community investments is enhancing quality of life at a time when the entire region is experiencing transformational change.”

Fourth-quarter competitive grants of more than $640,000 were awarded to the following nonprofit organizations:

• Arc Herkimer– $15,000 to pave the Transportation Center parking lot
• Clayville Library Association – $500 for flooring improvements
• Community Foundation of Otsego County – $25,000 for start-up funding
• Compassion Coalition – $100,000 to support the expansion of Bargain Grocer
• Friends of Historic Herkimer County – $12,250 to support the restoration of the historic Herkimer County jail
• Herkimer Affordable Housing – $100,000 to fund the expansion of Eastern Gardens for the Head Start program
• Mohawk Valley Community College Foundation – $25,000 to support development of a multi-year campaign of programs and software to foster new businesses and investments
• Mohawk Valley EDGE – $5,000 to host a site selectors guild advisory forum
• Parkway Center – $127,110 in start-up funding for a senior community center in Verona
• Stevens-Swan Humane Society – $16,000 to fund a building addition and remodeling
• The House of the Good Shepherd – $14,950 for renovations to two intensive treatment center cottages
• Upstate Cerebral Palsy – $100,000 to complete renovations for a new mental health clinic
• YMCA of the Greater Tri-Valley – $100,000 for its new state-of-the-art facility in Rome

In the fourth quarter, donor-advised funds awarded 245 grants totaling more than $1.3 million to 176 organizations, including:

40 Days for Life

4PetSake Food Pantry

Abraham House

Adirondack Council

Adirondack Foothills Trails Alliance

Alliance Defending Freedom

Alternative Efforts Center of Central New York

American Center for Law and Justice

American Red Cross – Central New York Chapter

Boilermaker Road Race

Boonville Kiwanis Foundation

Boonville Youth Athletic Association

Boy Scouts of America Leatherstocking Council

Building Futures Foundation

Canterbury School

Capitol Civic Center

Care Net

Care Net Pregnancy Center of CNY

Catholic Charities of Oneida & Madison Counties

Cazenovia College

Cazenovia Forum

Center for Family Life and Recovery

Center for Leadership Excellence

Central Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Central New York Conservancy

Charles T. Sitrin Health Care Center

Church of the Annunciation

Clinton ABC Program

Congregation Zvi Jacob

Created Equal

Crown Financial Ministries

Dartmouth College

Delta Lake Bible Conference Center

Dodge Pratt Northam Art & Community Center

Emmaus House

Episcopal Relief & Development

Erwin Library and Institute

Family Research Council

Feed Our Veterans

First Presbyterian Church

Focus on the Family

Freedom Guide Dogs for the Blind

Genesis Group

God’s World Publications

Great Swamp Conservancy

Hartwick College

HealthFriends

Herkimer County College Foundation

Herkimer County Humane Society

Hope House

Humane Society of Rome

ICAN

Independent Baptist Church

Inlet Historical Society

International Thyroid Oncology Group

Ithaca College

Jervis Public Library

Jewish Theology Seminary of America

Jezreel International

Johnson Park Center

Joni and Friends

Judicial Watch

Keys for Kids Ministries

Kindred Spirits Greyhound Adoption

Landmarks Society of Greater Utica

Leadership Institute

Liberty Counsel

LightHawk

Live Action

Living Independently is for Everyone at RCIL

Madison County Children’s Camp

Madison Square Boys & Girls Club

March for Life Education and Defense Fund

Masonic Care Community of New York

Michelle M. Adey Memorial Fund

Midtown Utica Community Center

Mid-York Library System

Mohawk Valley Community College Foundation

Mohawk Valley Frontiers Club

Mohawk Valley Health System Foundation

Mohawk Valley Institute for Learning in Retirement

Montclair State University Foundation

Mt. Markham Central School

Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute

Musicians on Call

Natural Resources Defense Council

New Hartford Citizens Band

New Hartford Little League

New Hartford Presbyterian Church

New Yorker’s Family Research Foundation

North Country Pet Adoption Services

Notre Dame Jr./Sr. High School

On Point For College

Oneida Area Day Care Center

Oneida Community Mansion House

Oneida County History Center

Oneida County Youth Bureau

Oneida First United Methodist Church

Otsego 2000

Our Lady of Poland R.C. Church

Our Lady of the Rosary Church

Parkway Center

Pathfinder Village

Planned Parenthood Mohawk Hudson

Pomfret School

Presbyterian Homes Foundation

Princeton Christian Fellowship

Rescue Mission Alliance of Syracuse

Rescue Mission of Utica

Rome Art & Community Center

Rome Community Foundation

Rome Community Theatre

Rome Dollars for Scholars

Rome Historical Society

Rome Rescue Mission

Rome Sports Hall of Fame

SAFY of America

Sagamore Institute

Saint Agatha Foundation

Salvation Army Utica Citadel Corps

Samaritan’s Purse

Sculpture Space

Second Amendment Foundation

Semper Fi Fund

Sherrill-Kenwood Community Chest

Sherrill-Kenwood Free Library

Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet – Albany Province

St. Joseph & St. Patrick Church

Stevens-Swan Humane Society

Students for Life America

SUNY Polytechnic Institute Foundation

Susquehanna SPCA

Syracuse University

Temple Beth El

The ALS Association

The Center for Medical Progress

The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry

The Heritage Foundation

The House of the Good Shepherd

The Jewish Board of Family & Children Services

The Kelberman Center

The KEYS Corp.

The Nature Conservancy – Central & Western New York Chapter

The Neighborhood Center

The Salvation Army of Rome, NY

The Trustees of Reservations

The Voice of the Martyrs

Thea Bowman House

Town of Inlet Public Library

Town of Webb Historical Association

Town of Webb Union Free School District

Trinity College

Trustees of Princeton University

Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust

United Way of Rome & Western Oneida County

United Way of the Valley & Greater Utica Area

University of Rochester

Upstate Cerebral Palsy

Upstate Foundation

Upstate Medical Alumni Foundation

Uptown Theatre for Creative Arts

Utica Center for Development

Utica College

Utica Dollars For Scholars

Utica Roadrunners

Utica Zoological Society

Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Central School District

Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Education Foundation

View Center for Arts and Culture

Village of New Hartford

Wanderers’ Rest Humane Association

WCNY

Women’s Fund of Herkimer & Oneida Counties

Women’s League of Conservative Judaism

Zola Levitt Ministries

In support of future grantmaking, seven funds were created in the fourth quarter of 2019:

• Adirondack League Club Community Fund for Education – A donor-advised fund established by Adirondack League Club to support the educational endeavors of students in the Central Adirondack region of the Adirondack Park.
• Adirondack League Club Scholarship Fund – A scholarship fund established by Adirondack League Club to award scholarships to students in the Central Adirondack region of the Adirondack Park.
• Christopher and Deborah McGrath Family Fund – A donor-advised fund established by Christopher and Deborah McGrath for general charitable purposes.
• Linda Leogrande Youth Ambassador Scholarship Fund – A scholarship fund established by the Broadway Theater League of Utica to provide academic scholarships to the participants of its Youth Ambassador program in memory of longtime board member Linda Leogrande.
• Michael and Lois Silverman Family Fund – A donor-advised fund established by Michael and Lois Silverman for general charitable purposes.
• Utica Public Library Charitable Fund – An agency fund benefiting the Utica Public Library, a nonprofit organization with a mission to serve as a source of information for the community through various resources.
• Vogel Family Fund – A donor-advised fund established by David and Kathryn Vogel for general charitable purposes.