|
Community Foundation Announces Two Efforts to Support
Nonprofit Strength
Published: February 11, 2026
at 05:30 p.m.
By: Press Release
from NNY Community Foundation
Community Foundation Announces Two Efforts to Support
Nonprofit Strength
$250,000 Endowment Match Challenge, New Grant
Opportunity Offered
WATERTOWN — The Northern New
York Community Foundation is excited to announce a pair of strategic
initiatives to support the longevity and capacity of local nonprofits.
First, the
Community Foundation is launching a $250,000 matching commitment to build
existing nonprofit endowment funds the Foundation stewards. The Foundation
will award ten individual matching grants of $25,000 for each participating
organization. Eligible nonprofits must already have an endowment fund at
the Community Foundation to participate.
This initiative
is driven by the Foundation’s mission and purpose to build lasting
charitable support for the future of local nonprofits and strengthen the
region overall. In addition to providing reliable, lasting charitable
impact, these funds also offer a variety of benefits to donors who want to
perpetuate their support for the causes that matter most to them. There are
also additional ways the endowment partnership can benefit charitable
organizations, including greater planned giving options, heightened
visibility, support for a wider variety of gifts, and maximum
diversification of investments.
“We view this as
another way to partner with local charitable organizations to provide
greater awareness of the importance of strengthening them reliably, over
time, for generations. They are a powerful tool for enduring stability and
resiliency and make a strong statement of sustainability,” said Rande
Richardson, Community Foundation executive director. “We are
continually working with donors who are exploring the best way to benefit
the things that matter most to them, both now and in the future. These
funds provide an additional option of stewardship in those conversations.”
The ten matching
grants are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and the Community
Foundation will confirm each commitment with the organization. Qualified
nonprofits with an endowment fund at the Foundation may declare their
interest by email to Kraig Everard, director of philanthropy, at kraig@nnycf.org.
For the purposes of this initiative, only organizations with a current,
active 501(c)(3) IRS determination letter will be considered. The
Foundation is home to endowment funds for more than 100 tri-county
nonprofit organizations.
“This initiative
is an enduring investment in our partners and their work and missions,” Mr.
Everard said. “We believe now is an opportune time to build upon all the
efforts of the past decade while making a significant investment in
endowment as a tool to support financial stability of our nonprofit
partners and long-term capacity building.”
Nonprofit
organizations will have three years to raise each $25,000 match. If an
organization has an open endowment match from a previous Community
Foundation commitment, that match must be fulfilled first before being
eligible for the new matching opportunity.
Selected
organizations should encourage new gifts to their endowment funds from
individuals, couples, families, and businesses. Existing funds transferred
by an organization will not count toward the match, only donor gifts made
on or after February 9, 2026.
Improving
nonprofit effectiveness
The Community
Foundation is also introducing the Nonprofit Capacity Building
Initiative — a new grant program to help strengthen the effectiveness
of local nonprofit organizations.
This grant
program encourages nonprofits to assess their present operational model and
identify an area of the organization that needs improvement. Grants up to
$5,000 may be awarded to nonprofits seeking outside expertise and resources
to develop and grow their internal structure and practices.
“The needs of our
region’s nonprofit community are diverse,” said Max DelSignore,
Community Foundation vice president. “The Community Foundation wants to
connect nonprofits with qualified resources and responsibly deploy grants
that will position them to become more efficient, grow properly, and serve
the community at the highest level.”
Examples of
capacity building requests may include, but are not limited to: Strategic
planning, executive and leadership coaching, grant writing and seeking
support, fundraising and development strategy, governance and board
development, organization assessments, nonprofit collaboration plans and
joint ventures, and more.
Applications are
reviewed on a rolling basis, and nonprofits must be
located in and serving residents of Jefferson, Lewis and St.
Lawrence counties.
Applicants are
required to articulate a strong case with a clear focus and supporting
rationale for funding consideration. A conversation with Community
Foundation staff is encouraged before starting an application. Visit bit.ly/NPOCapacity to learn more about this grant
opportunity.
About the
Northern New York Community Foundation
Since 1929, the
Northern New York Community Foundation has invested in improving and
enriching the quality of life for all in communities across Jefferson,
Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties.
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.
|
