Adirondack Foundation Accepting ‘Generous Acts’ Grant Applications

Seeking projects supporting wellbeing, educational opportunity, or community & economic vitality

Generous Acts funding from Adirondack Foundation helped to support Indian Lake Central School’s food backpack program, which provides a weekend supply of food for students in need. (© Due West Photography, courtesy Adirondack Foundation)

Adirondack Foundation today announces that the 2020 Generous Acts grant application is open and available online until 5 p.m., February 3, 2020.

“Generous Acts is a growing resource that positions us to respond to pressing community needs, identify trends, connect disparate programs with each other, and share information about funding opportunities within our network of supporters,” said Foundation President and CEO Cali Brooks. “Simply put, it is one of our most exciting areas of growth and opportunity in granting and giving.”

Application guidelines

Generous Acts grant applications can be submitted through the Foundation’s online grants manager, adirondackfoundation.org/online-grants-manager. Requests up to $20,000 will be considered. The Foundation will fund operations or specific programs/projects, but does not typically fund large capital campaigns, tuition assistance, or re-granting programs, and welcomes applications in these priority areas:

Wellbeing – Providing basic needs for people such as food and housing, creating age-friendly communities, enhancing home and community-based services from early childhood development to elder care
Educational Opportunity – Promoting literacy, improving school-readiness for young children, strengthening post-secondary pathways and support networks for education and employment
Community & Economic Vitality – Supporting workforce initiatives to fill local employment needs, improving access to child care and other support services for working families, investing in local programs that demonstrate clear economic benefits

Eligibility and evaluation

Nonprofit organizations, schools, and municipalities serving the people of the Adirondack region, defined for this purpose as all of Clinton, Essex, Franklin and Hamilton counties as well as the parts of Herkimer, St. Lawrence, Warren, and Washington counties within the Adirondack Park boundary, are eligible to apply.Projects are evaluated for their alignment with Adirondack Foundation’s priority program areas, overall effectiveness, articulation of needs being served, and capacity of the applicant to carry out the work.

More Generous Acts

With thanks to other funding partners, the Foundation anticipates awarding as much as $500,000 in grants through Generous Acts this year. Hudson Headwaters Health Foundation, for instance, will review applications to identify and directly fund community-based projects that address socio-economic issues affecting health. Applications will also be shared with other potential funders to amplify the amount of grant dollars supporting local efforts.

“Hudson Headwaters recognizes that many factors influence a person’s health. That’s why our Foundation is so thrilled to partner with Adirondack Foundation to ‘go upstream’ and learn about Generous Acts funding opportunities that can help build healthier communities,” said Tucker Slingerland, M.D., CEO of Hudson Headwaters Health Network.

Adirondack Foundation enhances the lives of people in the Adirondacks through philanthropy. Generous Acts combines individual generosity for greater impact, supporting an array of important initiatives, such as the following:

Food assistance programs for school children in Elizabethtown, Indian Lake, Keeseville, Malone, Minerva, and Ticonderoga
Community opportunities to promote health and vitality in Brushton-Moira, Piseco, the town of Plattsburgh, and Tupper Lake
Literacy programs in Brant Lake, Lake Placid, Salmon River, and Clinton, Franklin and Essex counties
Workforce development programs in Plattsburgh, Saranac Lake, and Ticonderoga

Visit adirondackfoundation.org/generousacts to learn more. Interested applicants who have questions can contact Adirondack Foundation staff at 518-523-9904.

Adirondack Foundation’s mission is to enhance the lives of people in the Adirondacks through philanthropy. Our vision for a thriving Adirondack Region is where communities are strong, just and inclusive, family wellbeing is supported through quality healthcare and education, environmental resources are protected, and economic and cultural opportunities abound. As the community foundation serving the Adirondack region of northern New York, Adirondack Foundation has awarded more than $37 million in grants since 1997 and works with generous people from all walks of life to support local causes. For more information, visit www.adirondackfoundation.org or call (518) 523-9904.

About Adirondack Community Foundation

Love for the Adirondack region runs deep – and when your heart is captured, it forges a deep connection that can span time, family generations, and distance. It’s because of this love that we are fortunate to live, work, and play in this place, one of the most unique on the planet. It’s this very love that has fostered a spirit of generosity that has become one of the defining characteristics of the Adirondacks.

That generosity was the driving force behind Adirondack Community Foundation’s creation in 1997, when we began building charitable assets to strengthen Adirondack communities. Since then, we’ve worked with thousands of generous individuals, families, businesses, and organizations to channel philanthropy into our communities and ensure everyone who loves this place can thrive in it. Learn more at adkcommunityfoundation.org.