Adirondack Community Foundation announces actions to support region amid new challenges

Adirondack Community Foundation has been tracking the significant changes happening at the federal level and how they will affect the Adirondack region. Some impacts are immediate, such as the drop in Canadian visitors, while others will happen over time, including cuts in Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding scheduled to take effect in 2027.

Though it is difficult to predict exactly how the region will be affected by planned changes, publicly available data provides a snapshot of the extent to which the population currently depends on current federally funded programs.

• Medicaid provides support to 28% of the population of NY-21—either directly or through the New York State of Health Marketplace, according to the Healthcare Coalition for the North Country, a nonpolitical group led by retired Hudson Headwaters Health Network founder Dr. John Rugge.

• 44,082 people in the district would become newly uninsured due to changes in Medicare funding and eligibility, from an analysis projected by New York State of Health.

• 89,000 individuals receive SNAP benefits, 30% of whom are children. Another 18% are elderly, and 14% are disabled.

“We know that philanthropy cannot make up for these shortfalls,” said Cali Brooks, President and CEO of Adirondack Community Foundation. “But together with our partners, we are well-positioned to be responsive and are prepared to support our communities through all the tools at our disposal.”

The community foundation is planning to increase its multiyear and operational funding to trusted organizations, prioritizing emerging needs. This will include deploying its Generous Acts and Special and Urgent Needs Funds to respond effectively. “In times of uncertainty, this kind of funding provides organizations with some stability and the flexibility to change course if necessary, ” Brooks said.

The community foundation will also continue to invest in initiatives that provide powerful frameworks for building community resilience, in areas such as strengthening the social safety net, fostering an innovation economy that creates jobs and ensuring the youngest Adirondackers get the best start in life. Learn more about these strategic initiatives at adkcommunityfoundation.org/community-impact.

Additionally, the community foundation announced it is:

• Collecting and sharing information with fundholders, donors, peers, and stakeholders to communicate regional trends, community needs, and opportunities to give.

• Organizing resources and capacity building efforts to help nonprofits prepare and adapt in partnership with Cloudsplitter Foundation, United Way of the Adirondack Region, Rugge Center for Community Impac,t and many others.

• Exploring ways to mobilize and support volunteer networks to assist residents with navigating new public benefit requirements.

“Adirondack Community Foundation is ready, willing, and able to meet this region’s greatest challenges head-on,” Brooks said. “When we pool our generosity, our local knowledge, and our shared devotion to this region, we can ensure that everyone — full-time or part-time, young or old — thrives.”

For more information about Adirondack Community Foundation, visit adkcommunityfoundation.org or contact Lisa Bramen at lisa@adkcommunityfoundation.orgor 518-523-9904.