Adirondack Community Foundation

09/05/2026

Congrats to 2026 Kindling Awardee, Dorothy Williams Rodgers 👏👏👏

Dorothy transformed the Trinity Episcopal Church’s community meal program in Plattsburgh into a joyful weekly gathering. Serving over 200 meals a week, she has ably blended volunteers from the local college, the church, and the recovery community into a cohesive team. By adding informational community tables and a winter clothing drive, she turned a simple downtown kitchen into a welcoming social hub where everyone belongs.

Dorothy is directing a $1,000 grant from ACF to the Community Meal of Trinity Church.

See all of the 2026 Kindling Awardees at adkcommunityfoundation.org/kindling-awards

09/03/2026

We are proud to highlight 2025 Generous Acts grantee Literacy Volunteers of Clinton, Essex & Franklin Counties and celebrate their Administrative Assistant, Courtney.

A former adult learner, Courtney was nominated by CV-TEC as a NYACCE Student of the Year, served as the 2025 CV-TEC graduation speaker, and now works directly with learners. She also serves as a COABE NYS Student Ambassador and represents adult education students during legislative visits and meetings with the NYS Board of Regents.

As Literacy Volunteers' Executive Director Karen Dispo-De Boos shared, "Courtney’s journey from student to advocate has made a powerful impact across the region."

Thank you to Literacy Volunteers for empowering learners and creating pathways for lasting success.

08/29/2026

ACF/BT3 and partners were excited to share how our unique partnerships across business, economic development, and child care sectors are tackling child care the Adirondacks, as the critical rural economic infrastructure it is.

Pictured: Raahi Reddy (Estolano Advisors), Liza Ochsendorf (Warren County Workforce Development), Jim Siplon (Warren County Economic Development Corporation), Anna Bowers (Johnsburg Town Councilmember)

08/27/2026

We are proud to highlight 2025 Generous Acts grantee The Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts (ALCA).

With support from Generous Acts, their Tuesdays@ALCA series brought neighbors together on Tuesday evenings to celebrate and showcase local Adirondack performers.

We are honored to support ALCA in keeping the arts accessible and thriving across our rural region.

08/26/2026

Congratulations to Andy Buchanan and Mary-Nell Bockman on receiving the Francisca "Frisky" Paine Irwin Award from the Essex Community Fund in honor of their extraordinary leadership, vision, and dedication to the Essex community.

08/24/2026

Earlier this month, ACF held a Social Safety Net leadership convening in the beautiful new visitor center in Newcomb.

Launched by ACF to address the root causes of family instability, our Social Safety Net initiative provides multiyear funding to innovative, cross-agency partnerships.

Thank you to the participants who joined us to share insights, lessons learned, and progress from year one.

08/21/2026

"We know that rural populations are underserved by philanthropy. At the same time, they tend to have some of the highest concentrations of persistent poverty.”
- Charlie Brown, executive director of the Trust for Civic Life

Thank you to North Country Public Radio and Emily Russell for highlighting how local philanthropy strengthens and sustains the Adirondack region.

The story showcases the unique impact of giving in rural communities, featuring recent investments in Tupper Lake school supplies, teen programming in Elizabethtown, and ACF’s ongoing partnership with the Trust for Civic Life.

Listen or read the full story:

The Adirondack Community Foundation awards about $10 million in grants each year to address everything from workforce housing to childcare needs.

08/20/2026

Our partners at WAMC want your feedback. They are running a community survey to better understand the region’s news habits and interests.

Your feedback can help us as we make improvements to our programming and news coverage.

Let us know what we could do better. Plus, you could win a WAMC swag bag!

Take the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/H7QPRVS

08/20/2026

Congrats to 2026 Kindling Awardees, the Minerva SnowTravelers 👏👏👏

Minerva SnowTravelers, led by President David LaBar, are dedicated to making Minerva a welcoming and active place for all. Known for putting in countless hours grooming snowmobile trails and maintaining two local sledding hills, the group ensures that families can enjoy hours of outdoor fun throughout the winter months. One nominator, a new resident, shared how the group’s members made them feel like a long-time part of the community from day one.

They are directing a $1,000 grant from ACF to the Minerva Service Organization (split between the Minerva Sleeping Giants and the backpack program).

See all of the 2026 Kindling Awardees at adkcommunityfoundation.org/kindling-awards

08/19/2026

When government funding cuts created widespread uncertainty late last year, Keeseville Hope Kitchen stepped up.

Supported by their 2025 Generous Acts grant and in partnership with the Essex Food Hub, The Hope Kitchen distributed 60 emergency food boxes packed with fresh, local essentials over two months. They also prepared ready-to-heat meals for busy families and neighbors without full kitchen access.

As Lead Pastor Noelle R. Eichenberger shared:
"Our goal is to help provide healthy, local meals to local families and this grant helped us do this over and over again."