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Maxine Quigg Women in Business Fund Supports North
Country Professionals Seeking Betterment
Published: March 29, 2026 at
02:30 p.m.
By: Press Release
from NNY Community Foundation
Maxine Quigg Women in Business Fund Supports North
Country Professionals Seeking Betterment
Applications for 2026 Grant Funding Now Open to
Tri-County Women
 WATERTOWN — Professional
women across the Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties are invited to
apply by Friday May 1 for 2026 grant support from the Maxine
Quigg Women in Business Fund of the Northern New York Community
Foundation.
The Maxine Quigg
Women in Business Fund aims to perpetuate the life and legacy of Maxine by
supporting and empowering women entrepreneurs in the tri-county region to
succeed in their pursuits and realize their full potential. Maxine’s
sister-in-law, Kimberley Horrill, established the fund at the
Community Foundation in July 2021 with a goal to increase local mentorship,
volunteerism, community and civic engagement, and investment.
“Maxine’s legacy
is rooted in hard work, generosity, and a belief in the potential of
others,” Community Foundation Director of Philanthropy Kraig Everard said.
“Through this fund, opportunities are created for women pursuing their
goals, whether through education, training, or building the skills needed
for personal and professional growth.”
Ms. Horrill said she and Maxine often spoke about the value
of women as role models and mentors in business and leadership and that
those conversations “and the importance of paying our knowledge and
generosity forward were the impetus for this fund.”
“As we enter the
fifth year of providing grants to women, I am inspired by the grantees
applications and their success stories,” Ms. Horrill
said.
Maxine was a
successful real estate broker, 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.
Through access to
grants for education, training, and entrepreneurship, the fund supports the
advancement, development, and betterment of women who are growing or
beginning a business in Northern New York. Support may help to better
position and equip women to realize their full potential for themselves,
their families, and their community.
Since it began
awarding grant funding in 2022, sixteen tri-county women have received
support totaling $16,505 from the fund. Grant funding helped support
professional development for three north country women entrepreneurs last
year, including:
Pictured, from left: Renée
Little, Little House-Keller Williams Realty, Watertown; Evelyne
Verret, Radiant Alchemist, Potsdam;
Kennedy Quigg, Maxine’s
daughter; and Amy St. Croix, Scolastico Educational Consulting Firm,
LLC, Watertown.
Renée Little, Little House-Keller
Williams Realty, Watertown, was awarded grant support to help grow
her real estate practice through a Greater Watertown Chamber of Commerce
Connect-level membership.
Evelyne Verret, Radiant Alchemist, Potsdam, was
awarded funding to enroll in the Mastery Program at the Milan Art
Institute.
Amy St. Croix, Ed. D., Scolastico
Educational Consulting Firm, Watertown, was awarded support to
complete coursework for the Advanced Certified Autism Specialist
credential.
Grant funding
will be awarded to support the following focus areas and extend Maxine’s
legacy of giving back to a community once a business is well established
and thriving:
§ Provide a
strengthened path for an increase in locally generated mentorships,
volunteerism, and civic and community engagement and investment.
§ Expand
opportunities for women through education, training, and entrepreneurship
with the goal of financial independence.
Examples of
funding in these areas include, but are not limited to financial literacy,
workforce development, entrepreneurship, leadership skills, and formal
education and training.
Grants awarded to
individuals are held to a high standard of accountability and must adhere
to the same requirements as any other grants or scholarships to
individuals. Grant awards must support the betterment of the recipient
herself and are not provided as direct support to a specific business
entity or interest.
Applicants may
request any amount of grant support, though awards may range between $500
and $1,000. The deadline to apply is Friday, May 1, 2026.
An advisory
committee of the Community Foundation will select annual awardees through a
defined process on an objective and nondiscriminatory basis within the
fund’s charitable purpose. Contact Community Foundation Philanthropy
Associate Emily Pfeil, emily@nnycf.org, or 315-782-7110,
to obtain an application and learn more.
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.
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