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Northern New York Community Foundation

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Northern New York Community Foundation

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Working with donors to benefit the community through grants and scholarships since 1929.

Through partnerships with businesses and organizations, charitable foundations, and generous families and individual donors, the Community Foundation awards grants and scholarships from an endowment and collection of funds that benefit the region. Its commitment to donors helps individuals achieve their charitable objectives now and for generations to come by preserving and honoring legacies of community philanthropy while inspiring others. The Community Foundation is a resource for local charitable organizations, donors, professional advisors and nonprofit organizations. It also works to bring people together at its permanent home in the Northern New York Philanthropy Center to discuss challenges our communities face and find creative solutions that strengthen the region and make it a great place to live, work, and play.

10/23/2026

Tomorrow marks the first week of our 97th year. The Community Foundation was incorporated on October 24, 1929.

Through more than nine decades since, thousands of generous donors have helped build a permanent endowment that continues strengthen the quality of life in communities across Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties.

Thank you to all who are a part of our story. We look forward to continuing our work together in the years ahead. Because of you, Northern New York is a better place, now and forever!

Learn more about our work and impact across the region and years at nnycf.org.

10/20/2026

We are proud to introduce the Youth Philanthropy Council of the Northern New York Community Foundation Class of 2027! This year’s class welcomes 12 new and eight returning student delegates and includes sophomores, juniors, and seniors from Carthage, General Brown, Immaculate Heart Central, South Jefferson, and Watertown High School.

During the last meeting of the school year in June, students elected members to the Council’s 2026-27 Executive Committee. Watertown High School senior Trey Urf will serve as the Council Chair; South Jefferson High School senior Annabelle Renzi will serve as Vice Chair; and General Brown High School senior Isabel Mendez was elected to serve as Council Secretary.

The Council also named committee chairs. Caitlin Daugherty will chair the Grants Committee; Frances Weir will chair the Communications Committee; and Julia Tontarski will chair the Service Committee.

The Youth Philanthropy Council and its grant program are made possible by gifts from donors who make contributions to the Friends of the Foundation Community Betterment Annual Fund and generous support from Watertown Savings Bank, RBC Wealth Management Watertown, the Renzi Family Charitable Foundation, the Mart Liinve Fund, and the Timerman Family Fund.

Pictured, Back row, from left: James Glynn-Shelmidine, Immaculate Heart Central, junior; Mya Brown, Watertown High, junior; Lucy Johnson, Watertown High, junior; Annabelle Renzi, South Jefferson Central, senior; and Aariz Khan, Watertown High, senior. Third row, from left: Isabel Mendez, General Brown Central, senior; Aiden O’Shaughnessy, Watertown High, junior; Valerie Akins, Carthage Central, senior; Christian Attisha, Watertown High, sophomore; and Gaige Doroha, Watertown High, senior. Second row, from left: Jolene He, General Brown Central, sophomore; Devyn Pleskach, South Jefferson, junior; Trey Urf, Watertown High, senior; Alexandra Knapp, Watertown High, junior; Carter Pistner, Watertown High, senior; and Caitlin Daugherty, Watertown High, senior. Front row, from left: Rohan Bolla, South Jefferson Central, sophomore; Annia Carbajal, Watertown High, sophomore; Frances Weir, Watertown High, senior; and Julia Tontarski, Immaculate Heart Central, senior. (Kara Dry Photography)

Complete details: www.nnycf.org/2026-27-ypc-class

10/14/2026

We are proud to partner with The Orchestra of Northern New York to present the season opener “America Lit 101” this Saturday, Oct. 17, at 7:30 p.m. at Helen M. Hosmer Concert Hall, Suny Potsdam and Sunday, Oct. 18, at 3 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church, Watertown.

Conductor and ONNY music director Michael Colburn will lead the orchestra in a concert inspired by the written word and the power of ideas. Experience works drawn from Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and William Faulkner’s “The Reivers,” and more!

Don’t miss this chance to see a wonderful live music event. The Community Foundation, with the support of loyal donors like you, is a major underwriter of the entire ONNY season. We hope to see you there!

10/13/2026

We are honored to announce the fifth round of grant awards from the Maxine Quigg Women in Business Fund of the Northern New York Community Foundation.

Grant funding will help support professional development for nine North Country women.

Maxine Quigg was a successful real estate broker and a community and business leader in Jefferson County who passed away unexpectedly in April 2021. At the time of her passing she was serving on the Community Foundation’s Board of Directors.

The fund was established at the Community Foundation in July 2021 with a goal to increase local mentorship, volunteerism, civic and community engagement, and investment. Its mission is to perpetuate Maxine’s life and legacy by supporting and empowering women entrepreneurs in Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties to succeed in their pursuits and realize their full potential.

Since it began awarding grant funding in 2022, twenty-five tri-county women have received support totaling nearly $25,000 from the fund.

Complete details, including grant awardees:
http://www.nnycf.org/quigg-wib-2026/

10/08/2026

We are pleased to announce a $10,000 grant to the The Hawn Memorial Library in Clayton to help purchase seven new desktop computers and computer furniture.

The project will enable the library to enhance digital inclusivity. When complete, library officials plan to partner with Thousand Islands High School to offer job resources and online learning platforms at its new computer lab.

Grant funding was made possible with support from the CAR-FRESHNER Corporation Charitable Fund at the Community Foundation and the Library Impact Grant Program of the Northern New York Community Foundation.

Pictured, from left, Community Foundation Philanthropy Associate Emily Pfeil and Hawn Memorial Library Director Laura Orvis.

The Library Impact Grant Program of the Community Foundation is accepting applications for fourth-quarter funding through Friday, October 23. Visit bit.ly/grant-portal to begin an application or learn more.

The advancement of public libraries is a vital component of improving the quality of life in communities across our region as libraries evolve to serve residents in ways that extend beyond the traditional lending of books and media.

10/02/2026

Meet Thousand Islands Central High School student Clarissa Nevala.

For Clarissa, her hometown of Clayton is “a place where the meaning of community truly comes to life every day. Here, neighbors don’t just recognize each other; they genuinely care for one another.”

“Last year, when my father was diagnosed with cancer, my family saw the incredible compassion of this community. Friends, neighbors, and even those we barely knew reached out, offered to lend a hand, and simply be there for us,” she wrote in her winning essay. “Their support made an overwhelming time feel less awful and reminded us we weren't alone.”

Clarissa is a Northern New York Community Foundation Community Spirit Youth Giving Challenge winner. She chose the Compassionate Care Foundation to receive a $1,000 grant to support its work and mission.

“The Compassionate Care Foundation makes everyday life for some so much more meaningful by helping people who have been diagnosed with cancer access holistic and alternative therapies to support them during their cancer treatment and recovery,” she wrote. “The Foundation has personally impacted my family so positively by supporting my father and family through a very hard time. My dad has felt like this has made a significant impact on how he feels every day and is increasing his odds for beating cancer.”

Clarissa recently met with representatives from the Compassionate Care Foundation and presented a $1,000 Youth Giving Challenge grant that will help it continue its work. The grant is made possible by gifts to the Friends of the Foundation Community Betterment Annual Fund, corporate support from Community Bank, N.A. and a major gift from an individual donor.

Pictured, from left: Compassionate Care Foundation CEO and Founder Monica Behan, Youth Giving Challenge winner Clarissa Nevala, and Community Bank Watertown Arsenal Street branch Retail Service Officer Sandra Burnett.

We are grateful to Clarissa for her thoughtful effort. We are even more impressed that she is one of dozens of tri-county youths who looked inside their communities to recognize an organization that works to improve quality of life. Clarissa is the daughter of Bobbi and Mark Nevala, Clayton.

The 2025-2026 Youth Giving Challenge asked seventh, eighth, and ninth-grade students from Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties to explain in an essay what community means to them and to choose a nonprofit that embodies their definition of community. Clarissa’s essay is one of 20 chosen from nearly 80 submissions that came from 26 different tri-county schools.

Look for more photos and stories behind the Community Spirit Youth Giving Challenge in the coming weeks.

10/01/2026

We are pleased to announce the 2026-2027 class of Jefferson-Can Community Scholars, who were recently recognized during a fall luncheon at Jefferson Community College.

The Northern New York Community Foundation administers the Jefferson-Can Community Scholars program in collaboration with Mr. Stephen H. Can, a JCC alumnus, and the Jefferson Community College Foundation.

The Jefferson-Can Community Scholars Program awards Jefferson and Lewis county high school seniors who are in the top 15 percent of their graduating class a merit-based scholarship of at least $1,500 for the first year of study at Jefferson Community College.

Since its inception in 2007, the program has provided scholarships totaling approximately $1.93 million, supporting 879 students.

Mr. Can, New Hope, Pa., and Florida, is a former executive chairman and founder of Strategic Partners, a Blackstone Group private equity business in Manhattan. Mr. Can earned an Associate of Science in business administration from Jefferson Community College in 1980 before continuing his education.

We are honored to continue to partner with Mr. Can and the Jefferson Foundation to provide this unique opportunity to Jefferson and Lewis county students. This investment in local students is made possible through Mr. Can’s generous commitment to the future of our community, our region, and our country.

Complete details: www.nnycf.org/jeff-can-2026

09/29/2026

Congratulations to Jerrica Jean Gamble, the first recipient of the Northern New York Community Foundation Leila Harper Heagle Memorial Scholarship for Nursing.

Jerrica is a 2007 Carthage High School graduate who is returning to school to earn a nursing degree at Jefferson Community College.

Established by her son, Terry Heagle, in 2026, the Leila Harper Heagle Memorial Scholarship for Nursing supports nontraditional students who live in Jefferson, Lewis, or St. Lawrence counties and attend Jefferson Community College for nursing.

Jerrica recently met Terry who presented her with a $2,000 scholarship to help her on her path to become a Registered Nurse.

Lelia Harper Heagle understood the value of hard work and the importance of continuing to learn. She devoted much of her life to caring for others, building a nursing career through determination, continued education, and a deep commitment to those who needed her.

In 1946, she began a 32-year career at the St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center. Starting as a ward attendant, she steadily advanced to become a senior staff licensed practical nurse. But Lelia wasn’t content to simply build on what she already knew. At age 48, she returned to school and earned an Associate of Science degree in registered nursing from Canton Agricultural and Technical College in 1970.

Her decision to continue her education later in life speaks to a quality that defined Lelia: a willingness to keep moving forward.

09/22/2026

🎄🎄🎄 We are pleased to partner with generous donors and the City of Watertown to help continue a cherished holiday tradition: the 2026 City of Watertown Christmas Parade.

Through charitable support, our community can help bring the magic of the holiday season to Watertown families. ❤️

Gifts that exceed costs associated with the 2026 Christmas Parade may be used to support any other future parades the City of Watertown approves.

To join others in helping to support this year’s Christmas parade, visit our online giving hub: https://nnycf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=15553

You may also mail gifts to: Northern New York Community Foundation, 131 Washington St., Watertown, NY 13601

09/21/2026

Meet Beaver River High School student Ellie Herzig.

For Ellie, “Community means a place where people feel safe, cared for, and have others willing to listen.”

“There are so many kind people in Croghan to help you when you need it most. The compassion people in my community share with others makes my community so special,” she wrote in her winning essay.

Ellie is a Northern New York Community Foundation Community Spirit Youth Giving Challenge winner. She chose Friends of Lewis County Hospice, Inc. to receive a $1,000 grant for its work and mission.

“Lewis County Hospice is a very important nonprofit organization to me and our community. When I was younger, my grandpa was diagnosed with cancer and his health declined very quickly,” she wrote. “The Hospice nurse who came treated my family with kindness and compassion and took great care of my grandpa. Knowing that your loved one is being properly taken care of makes a big difference and helps you feel just a little better about them passing away.”

Ellie recently met with representatives from Friends of Lewis County Hospice and presented a $1,000 Youth Giving Challenge grant that will help the Hospice continue its work. The grant is made possible by gifts to the Friends of the Foundation Community Betterment Annual Fund, corporate support from Community Bank, N.A. and a major gift from an individual donor.

Pictured, from left: Janine Mattimore, Friends of Lewis County Hospice treasurer, Leanne Moser, board member, Tina Paczkowski, president, Ellie Herzig, Mandy Putman, Community Bank district manager, Janet Andre, board member, and Michael Brooks, board member.

We are grateful to Ellie for her thoughtful effort. We are even more impressed that she is one of dozens of tri-county youths who looked inside their communities to recognize an organization that works to improve quality of life.

The 2025-2026 Youth Giving Challenge asked seventh, eighth, and ninth-grade students from Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties to explain in an essay what community means to them and to choose a nonprofit that embodies their definition of community. Ellie’s essay is one of 20 chosen from nearly 80 submissions that came from 26 different tri-county schools.

Look for more photos and stories behind the Community Spirit Youth Giving Challenge in the coming weeks.

Address

131 Washington Street
Watertown, NY
13601

Opening Hours

Monday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday	8:30am - 4:30pm

Website

http://www.nnycf.org/

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