Building Strong Communities Across the Adirondacks
What makes a strong community? How does philanthropy factor into it? At Adirondack Foundation, we ask ourselves these questions every day. There is no single answer, and the components of strong and healthy communities are rarely linear. That’s why, as a community foundation, we take a “whole community” approach to amplify all that is good about the Adirondacks.
Our Strong Community Framework for the Adirondacks reflects our approach to investing in promising opportunities, addressing critical challenges through Generous Acts and hundreds of other funds, and uniting people, institutions, and resources to produce widely shared lasting results through strategic initiatives like our Adirondack Birth to Three Alliance. We do this in partnership with generous donors, capable nonprofits, and dedicated civic leaders – by making grants and devoting social, political, and reputational capital to strengthen our region.
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Our Vision: Residents of all ages have equitable access to services that enable and promote a healthy quality of life.
Recent Story of Good
Child care helps to develop young brains and build a foundation of skills. It is also a fundamental service for working parents, their employers, and our economy. Eighty-five grants from our Small Grants for Small Children Fund helped provide financial assistance for child care providers this year – including Robyn’s Nest Daycare in Plattsburgh (pictured) – with an uptick in grants beginning in March to help these small businesses stay afloat during pandemic-induced uncertainty.
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Our Vision: All children benefit from high-quality early learning and development. All learners have meaningful opportunities to pursue pathways to gainful employment and fulfilling lives.
Recent Story of Good
The Bruce L. Crary Foundation, a supporting organization of Adirondack Foundation, awarded $275,000 in scholarships this year to help 346 students across the Adirondacks pay for college expenses. Past recipient and 2020 college graduate Anna Zibro, from Lake George, (pictured) received funding each of her four years at SUNY Oneonta. She is now working toward a master’s degree in special education and literacy.
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Our Vision: Thriving communities provide equitable and just economic opportunity, build generational wealth, attract residents and businesses, and inspire community participation.
Recent Story of Good
With assistance from the Special and Urgent Needs Fund, the Blue Mountain Center launched “Hamilton Helps” to be of greater service to local communities in response to COVID-19 shutdowns. One of their early efforts, led by Sawyer Cresap (pictured), gave local businesses a boost by getting the word out through advertising and other means about which businesses remained open when most people assumed they were closed.
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Our Vision: Vibrant arts and cultural opportunities underpin community life by promoting social cohesion, expanding perspectives, and helping to drive the economy.
Recent Story of Good
A Generous Acts grant is helping to support an innovative, community-building partnership between the Pendragon Theatre and St. Joseph’s Merkel Veteran Residential Service to engage veterans in improvisation, acting, and playwright workshops. Participants develop empathy, confidence, and other skills, says Allison Studdiford (pictured).
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Our Vision: A healthy environment helps sustain healthy communities by bolstering climate change resilience, inspiring stewardship, and providing opportunities for outdoor recreation.
Recent Story of Good
Donor advised fundholder Bruce McLanahan notes that stewardship is a low profile, yet critically important area that tends to be underfunded in comparison to other conservation initiatives like buying land. That’s why he directed a grant to the Adirondack Land Trust, which cares for 51 conservation easements over 16,000 acres of land, to help the group steward the Eagle Mountain Preserve in partnership with the Northeast Wilderness Trust.
Testimonial Section
THANK YOU... Since we started keeping track, April 1, we have served 2,160 households, for a total of 6,036 people and 9,437 bags of food. Because of your generosity, we have been able to meet the needs of people at their point of need.
Major Robin Holmes Hager
Corps Commanding Officer
The Salvation Army of Plattsburgh
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Apply for a GrantGrant Opportunities
Learn about our currently open grant opportunities, including information about how to apply online via Online Grants Manager, approaching deadlines, requirements, and more.
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Apply for a ScholarshipScholarship Opportunities
Whether you’re a high school student looking to enter a trade or in college and pursuing a specific higher degree, we have opportunities for all levels of students. See current open scholarship applications and see which could be a fit for you.