Allegany County Area Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Allegany County Area Foundation supports college scholarships, as well as grants to support the communities of Allegany County, New York.
IP TAKE: This funder predominately awards college scholarships to students who hail from Allegany County in New York. It also manages some donor-advised and field-of-interest funds that support organizations and schools in Allegany County. While several of these funds are set up to support the same organizations in perpetuity, others are responsive to the needs of the area’s communities, with libraries and health receiving a significant portion of funding.
This funder accepts a single application at any time for all of its grantmaking programs. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis, but grant committee members meet quarterly to discuss recently-received applications. While its grants tend to be on the smaller size, this is an accessible and receptive funder. Reach out with questions or ideas at any time.
PROFILE: Established in 1983, the Allegany County Area Foundation (ACAF) is a community foundation based in Belmont, New York. Judge Peter Sprague is a founding member of the foundation’s board of directors. ACAF aims to “be a focus of concern and commitment to enhance the general quality of life in Allegany County for present and future generations.” It mainly funds scholarships for students from the geographic area it serves, but it also funds grants for the communities of Allegany County via 23 donor-advised and field-of-interest funds. Areas of priority include community development, health, arts and culture and the preservation and maintenance of outdoor and public spaces.
Grants for Higher Education
The Allegany County Area Foundation supports hundreds of students each year via more than 40 specific scholarship programs. The foundation accepts applications for all of its scholarships via the Dollars for Scholars platform. For information about past recipients and the colleges and universities they attend, see the foundation’s recent annual reports.
Grants for Community Development, Public Health and Arts and Culture
Grantmaking for community organizations in Allegany County represents a smaller giving area for this foundation. Some of the foundation’s funds support specific Allegany County organizations on an ongoing basis, while other are designed to support organizations working in specific geographic or thematic areas. Recent grants have supported the Friendship Library, the Remote Area Medical Clinic at the Genesee Valley Central School and Shakespeare programming on WRAQ Angelica Community Radio.
Important Grant Details:
In a recent year, this foundation awarded about $300,000 in scholarships for higher education, and about $60,000 in grants for the Allegany County community organizations. Grants range between about $250 and $1,000, typically. Learn more about this funder’s local giving on the funder’s grants recipient page.
This foundation has a single grant application for all of its funds. While applications may be submitted at any time, deadlines for the foundation’s quarterly meetings are currently posted as September 9, December, 10, March 15 and June 13, although these specific dates change from year to year. Grantseekers may use ACAF’s online form to apply for funding. Direct general questions to the staff at director@alleganycountyareafoundation.org or 585-296-5616.
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