Adirondack Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Adirondack Foundation supports basic needs, education, economic development, civic engagement, arts and culture and the environment in the Adirondack region of New York.
IP TAKE: This community funder supports a wide variety of local interests and has numerous accessible grant opportunities at any given time. It also awards more than 30 scholarships annually for students from the region. While this is an accessible and responsive funder, its programs and grants change frequently; grantseekers should check the foundation’s application page periodically to keep abreast of open programs. This is a great funder to know if you work with one or more communities in the region. Funding for outdoor recreation and educational programs is on the uptick.
PROFILE: Established in 1997 originally as the Adirondack Community Trust, the Adirondack Foundation is a community foundation based in Lake Placid, New York. Fred Brown and Meredith Prime identified the need for this foundation after serving on the Lake Placid Education Foundation’s board of directors. The funder “inspires donors, builds partnerships, and mobilizes resources to strengthen community through philanthropy.” Its stated grantmaking areas are basic needs, educational pathways, economic vitality and civic engagement, arts and culture and the environment. In addition to foundation grantmaking, the Adirondack Foundation is home to a collection of donor-advised funds. Grantmaking is limited to nonprofits working in the “Adirondack region” of New York, with more specific geographic targets within the region for some specific grantmaking opportunities. It is worth mentioning that grant opportunities change yearly with this funder.
Grants for Education
The Adirondack Foundation names education as one of its five major giving areas, and it awards grants and scholarships for early childhood, K-12 and higher education. The foundation gives broadly across all areas of education, serving public and private educational organizations, as well as out-of-school learning, teacher development and special education programs. Early childhood grantees include the Small Tales Early Learning Center in Warrensburg, Tendercare Tot Center in Ray Brook and the Child Care Coordinating Council of the North Country. In the K-12 arena, the foundation has supported a health education program at Ausable Valley Central School District and multiple enrichment programs at the Lake Placid School District. Higher education support has gone to Paul Smith’s College, the Plattsburgh College Foundation, North Country Community College and more than 30 college scholarships for students from the Adirondack area.
Grants for Housing, Food Systems and Public Health
The Adirondack Foundation’s giving for basic needs aims to ensure that “residents of all ages have equitable access to affordable and nutritious food, stable housing, and opportunities for healthy living.” The foundation does not articulate specific goals within these broad areas. Grants supporting equitable food systems have gone to Acton Against Hunger, a farm share program conducted by the Adirondack North Country Association and the Craigardan Community Farm Program in Elizabethtown, New York. Grantmaking for housing has supported organizations including the Lake Champlain-Lake George Regional Planning Board, the Housing Assistance Program of Essex County and Mercy Care for the Adirondacks, which provides housing for elderly people. Recent health grants have gone to the Adirondack Health Foundation, Hudson Headwaters Health’s Mobile Health Van, the Substance Abuse Prevention Council of Essex County and the Wilderness Health Care Foundation of Star Lake, New York.
Grants for Economic Opportunity, Civic Engagement and Democracy
The goals of the Adirondack Foundation’s economic vitality and civic engagement giving are to “provide equitable and just economic opportunity, attract residents and businesses, and inspire civic engagement.” A majority of grantmaking from this focus area has gone to economic development and revitalization projects. Recent grantees include the Adirondack Economic Development Corporation, the Clifton Fine Economic Development Corporation, the Indian Lake Community Development Corporation and the Ticonderoga Revitalization Alliance.
Grants for the Environment
The Adirondack Foundation makes grants to regional and local organizations involved in land conservation and the preservation and maintenance of outdoor recreational spaces. The foundation also names “bolstering climate change resilience” and “inspiring stewardship” as priorities for its environmental grantmaking. The foundation provides ongoing support to the Adirondack Land Trust and the Adirondack chapter of the Nature Conservancy. Other recent recipients include the Adirondack Trail Improvement Society, the Adirondack Watershed Institute at Paul Smith’s College, the Environmental Defense Fund, the Lake George Land Conservancy and the Adirondack Mountain Club.
Grants for Arts and Culture
Arts and culture grantmaking is one of the Adirondack Foundation’s smaller areas of giving. Grantees include the Pendragon Theatre, the Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts, the Lake Placid Sinfonetta and the Lake Placid Center for the Arts.
Important Grant Detials
This funder made over $13 million in grants in a recent year, with grants ranging from about $5,000 to $50,000. Grantmaking is mainly limited to organizations operating in and serving communities of the Adirondack region of New York. For additional information about past grants, see the foundation’s recent tax filings and financial statements on its financials page.
This foundation accepts applications for some of its grantmaking programs. A list of current opportunities and links to individual program guidelines are available at the foundation’s application page. This page is updated frequently with new opportunities, so grantseekers working in the Adirondack region are advised to check back periodically for updates. Direct general questions to the staff at info@adkfoundation.org or 518-523-9904.
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