Adirondack Foundation awards more than $900K
Generous Acts benefits local communities across the region
Wednesday, May 11, 2022
LAKE PLACID — Adirondack Foundation this year awarded a record $900,000 in Generous Acts grants to meet pressing needs and drive positive change in local communities across the Adirondack region. This represents an eightfold increase in Generous Acts grant dollars from five years ago.
Of the 110 grant recipients, 60 percent are serving people who are living at or below the federal poverty level. Three-quarters of the successful applicants indicate that receiving a Generous Acts grant will help them leverage additional funds for their work.
Committees made up of Adirondack Foundation board members, community members and staff reviewed and evaluated the applications.
“It is clear that our local communities are still addressing fallout from the pandemic,” said Nancy Monette, Adirondack Foundation trustee and grants committee chair. “We saw lots of applications related to mental health counseling, food assistance, summer programs for teens to reconnect with their peers, as well as heightened emphasis on vital community connections and hubs.”
“Literacy, early childhood education, college and career pathways, and workforce development initiatives are as important as ever — we are heartened by the compelling work happening in these areas,” said Cali Brooks, Adirondack Foundation President and CEO. “Additionally, with increased capacity to support the central Adirondacks through Generous Acts, we are proud to be funding a wide range of initiatives in that part of our region — from housing to food security to community revitalization and more.”
Since 2014, Generous Acts has awarded $2.5 million in grants. The community force behind these grants is made up of many generous individuals supporting Generous Acts, along with Foundation fundholders and external funding partners, including the Hudson Headwaters Health Foundation, Cloudsplitter Foundation and Stewart’s Foundation, who selected applications to fund directly.
Geographic reach
Adirondack Foundation’s service area encompasses all communities within the Adirondack Park boundary, all of Clinton and Franklin counties, as well as the Akwesasne Mohawk Territory. This year’s grants are hitting all corners of our region — from Old Forge to Clifton-Fine, Malone to Piseco, Champlain to Lake George and communities in between.
What the grants are supporting
Generous Acts grants support organizations, schools, and communities working to address basic needs, improve educational pathways, or strengthen community vitality and civic engagement. Three grant recipients are highlighted below and a full list of recipients is posted here on Adirondack Foundation’s website.
The Alliance for Positive Health, which covers 17 counties in northeastern New York, received a grant for its “Housing is Healthcare” program. The grant will help this nonprofit provide stable housing for their clients who have limited financial resources and are living with chronic health conditions such as diabetes, substance abuse disorders, or mental illness.
Indian Lake Community Development Corporation received a grant toward its “Sowing the Main Street America ‘Seed’ to Help Indian Lake’s Downtown Thrive.” This initiative involves a wide range of community stakeholders working to identify issues affecting the town’s economic vitality and collectively forge a path forward to overcome them.
Grant funding toward SUNY Plattsburgh’s “I've Been Admitted to College” program inspires eighth graders to see themselves as potential college students and strive for college-readiness. In addition to visiting the SUNY campus, these middle school students can ask questions about campus life and participate in activities led by college students.
For more information about Generous Acts at Adirondack Foundation, visit www.adirondackfoundation.org or call (518) 523-9904.