Pictured Above: Northeastern Association of the Blind at Albany, Inc., the Kidsight Vision Screening Program
“It is our privilege each year to honor the legacy of our donors through our community impact grantmaking,” announced Shelly Connolly, Vice President, Community Grantmaking. “In addition to funding some interesting projects and initiatives in 2020, we were able to provide responsive funding to assist organizations amid the COVID-19 pandemic. We know our donors would be very proud.”
Community Impact Funds, established by generous donors, have been left to the Foundation to respond to the changing needs of our region. These funds provide flexibility and allow the Foundation to utilize the expertise of its staff and Board of Directors to identify opportunities to make grants that will have the greatest impact.
At the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Community Foundation quickly realigned some of this discretionary funding to address the emerging needs in our community. The Community Foundation contributed over $50,000 to the Capital Region Community COVID-19 Response Fund and joined forces with other area funders to tackle the pandemic with a regional response.
In addition, the Community Impact grants supported the following organizations in their COVID-19 response efforts:
- Backstretch Employee Service Team of New York, Inc.
- Better Community Neighborhoods
- Creative Impact Partners Covid-19 Response Fund
- Catholic Charities of Fulton & Montgomery Counties
- Colonie Senior Service Centers
- Comfort Zone Ministry
- Equinox
- Interfaith Alliance of Upstate New York
- Ladies of Charity
- LaSalle School
- Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York
- Saratoga Center for the Family
- Saratoga Senior Service Centers
- Trinity Alliance of the Capital Region, Inc.
- United Way of Montgomery County
- Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood, Inc.
- Young Parents United, Inc.
Each year Community Impact grants support programs and services vital for our community. Donors have identified specific areas of interest, including enhancing services for people with disabilities, classical music programming, youth programming, homelessness, and programs benefitting the residents of Amsterdam, NY. The following organizations received grants this year:
- A Different Way in Reading Center, Inc.
- B’nai Sholom Reform Congregation
- Brightside Up!
- Capital Area Urban League
- Capital Region Classical, Inc.
- CARES, Inc.
- Children’s Museum at Saratoga
- Disability Advocates, Inc.
- Green & Healthy Homes Initiatives of the Capital Region
- Hudson Valley Community College Foundation, Inc.
- Independent Living Center of the Hudson Valley, Inc.
- New York State Network for Youth Success, Inc
- Northeastern Association of the Blind at Albany, Inc.
- Schoharie River Center
- Sunnyview Hospital and Rehabilitation Center Foundation
- Warriors on Wheels, Inc.