THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF
HERKIMER & ONEIDA COUNTIES SURPASSES
PREVIOUS RECORDS IN 2008
UTICA, NY – During 2008, The Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties, Inc. awarded 385 grants totaling a record of more than $2.6 million to 216 not-for-profit organizations that serve the residents of Herkimer and Oneida counties. Grants were made from a variety of funds such as unrestricted, family, corporate, donor-advised, field of interest and agency funds. The Foundation also received 1,449 gifts totaling $8,374,852, which also marks an all-time high, and 15 new funds were created.
“We continue to be encouraged by the great accomplishments of our community partners. Their dedication to making life better – through health care, education, the arts and numerous other areas – is inspiring to us and our supporters, and we are proud to work with them,” said Peggy O’Shea, foundation president and CEO.
Grants were awarded in the following program areas:
- Investing in the Arts: 34 grants at $132,689, including awards to the Rome Art & Community Center, Kirkland Art Center, Sculpture Space and the YMCA of the Greater Tri-Valley, Inc.
- Enhancing Education: 143 grants at $455,987 to organizations including Herkimer County Community College Foundation, Institute of Technology Foundation at Utica/Rome, Inc., Colgate University and Utica Safe School Healthy Students Partnership, Inc.
- Supporting Older Adults: $44,824 through four grants to not-for-profits including Community Transportation Services, Parkway Senior Center and Senior Network Health, LLC.
- Protecting Our Environment: Ten grants at more than $22,200, including a grant for conservation easement in Camden to Tug Hill Tomorrow, Inc.
- Ensuring Public Health: $359,416 from 31 grants to such organizations as Faxton-St. Luke’s Healthcare Foundation, Hospice and Palliative Care, Inc., Masonic Medical Research Laboratory and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central New York.
- Strengthening Human Services: 55 grants at more than $498,800 that include funding to the Arc, Oneida-Lewis Chapter NYSARC, Catholic Charities of Herkimer County, Herkimer Area Resource Center, Hope House, Johnson Park Center and St. Joseph and St. Patrick’s Church for Mother Marianne’s Soup Kitchen.
- Improving the Quality of Life: 83 grants at $991,193 to such not-for-profit entities as the City of Rome’s Kennedy Arena, Boonville Black River Canal Museum, Frank J. Basloe Library, Frankfort Hill Historical Society, Helping Animals Live Organization, Town of Webb Historical Association, WCNY TV/24 and The Wild Center/Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks.
- Nurturing Youth and Families: $135,996 from 25 grants to organizations including Children’s Corner at Rome, Inc., Northern Community Pop Warner Association and the Rome Baseball Association.
O’Shea added, “We are pleased to be able to assist such a variety of deserving organizations and will continue to so in 2009 and in the coming years. We wholeheartedly embrace our mission of improving the lives of the residents of Herkimer and Oneida counties.”
In 2008, The Community Foundation was named a silver award winner for excellence in communications by the 2008 Wilmer Shields Rich Awards Program for its special historical report, Keeping the Promise. This awards program is sponsored by national organization Council on Foundations and recognizes effective communications efforts to increase public awareness of foundations and public giving programs.
The Legacy Society, which is comprised of individuals who will leave a planned gift such as a bequest to The Foundation, added four new members.
