Bringing people together and inspiring philanthropy.
Our story
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.
Our Mission
To inspire and celebrate giving, steward resources honorably, and foster vibrant North Country Communities.
Our Values
Inspire Philanthropy — We inspire a spirit of giving across generations, celebrate generosity in many forms, and nurture meaningful legacies.
Develop Relationships — We connect donor interests to the community, build and sustain partnerships, and listen for emerging needs.
Act Respectfully — We honor our heritage; appreciate the diversity of our region; and celebrate the stories, values, and generosity of people of the North Country.
Honor Stewardship — We steward resources responsibly and act with the greatest regard for donor wishes now and for the future.
1,100+
Charitable Funds
$5.3m
Grants and Scholarships
Awarded in 2025
556
Grant Recipients in 2025
742
Scholarship Recipients in 2025
The annual concert in Watertown’s historic Thompson Park is one of many quality of life projects Community Foundation donors make possible.
Recent News
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🎄🎄🎄 We are pleased to partner with generous donors and the City of Watertown to help continue a cherished holiday tradition: the 2026 City of Watertown Christmas Parade.
Through charitable support, our community can help bring the magic of the holiday season to Watertown families. ❤️
Gifts that exceed costs associated with the 2026 Christmas Parade may be used to support any other future parades the City of Watertown approves.
To join others in helping to support this year’s Christmas parade, visit our online giving hub: nnycf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=15553
You may also mail gifts to: Northern New York Community Foundation, 131 Washington St., Watertown, NY 13601
#NNYCF #WatertownNY #ChristmasParade #HolidayTradition #CommunityGiving
Meet Beaver River High School student Ellie Herzig.
For Ellie, “Community means a place where people feel safe, cared for, and have others willing to listen.”
“There are so many kind people in Croghan to help you when you need it most. The compassion people in my community share with others makes my community so special,” she wrote in her winning essay.
Ellie is a Northern New York Community Foundation Community Spirit Youth Giving Challenge winner. She chose Friends of Lewis County Hospice, Inc. to receive a $1,000 grant for its work and mission.
“Lewis County Hospice is a very important nonprofit organization to me and our community. When I was younger, my grandpa was diagnosed with cancer and his health declined very quickly,” she wrote. “The Hospice nurse who came treated my family with kindness and compassion and took great care of my grandpa. Knowing that your loved one is being properly taken care of makes a big difference and helps you feel just a little better about them passing away.”
Ellie recently met with representatives from Friends of Lewis County Hospice and presented a $1,000 Youth Giving Challenge grant that will help the Hospice continue its work. The grant is made possible by gifts to the Friends of the Foundation Community Betterment Annual Fund, corporate support from Community Bank, N.A. and a major gift from an individual donor.
Pictured, from left: Janine Mattimore, Friends of Lewis County Hospice treasurer, Leanne Moser, board member, Tina Paczkowski, president, Ellie Herzig, Mandy Putman, Community Bank district manager, Janet Andre, board member, and Michael Brooks, board member.
We are grateful to Ellie for her thoughtful effort. We are even more impressed that she is one of dozens of tri-county youths who looked inside their communities to recognize an organization that works to improve quality of life.
The 2025-2026 Youth Giving Challenge asked seventh, eighth, and ninth-grade students from Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties to explain in an essay what community means to them and to choose a nonprofit that embodies their definition of community. Ellie’s essay is one of 20 chosen from nearly 80 submissions that came from 26 different tri-county schools.
Look for more photos and stories behind the Community Spirit Youth Giving Challenge in the coming weeks.
#NNYCF #FriendsOfLewisHospice #CommunitySpirit #YouthGivingChallenge
Congratulations to Samuel “Sam” Newton, the first recipient of the Northern New York Community Foundation Jade Stone Engineering Scholarship.
Sam graduated in June from South Jefferson High School and began his freshman year at Jefferson Community College in August where he studies engineering sciences. He aspires to continue his education after Jefferson and earn a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.
Sam hopes to work as an engineer in his hometown region. He is the son of Beth and Steve Newton, Adams.
Sam met with members of the Jade-Stone team at the Community Foundation last month and was presented with a $1,000 scholarship.
Pictured, from left: Jade-Stone Chief Executive Officer Benjamin Walldroff, PE; scholarship recipient Sam Newton; and Jade-Stone Electrical Engineers Mitchell Robinson, PE, and Shane Garrabrant, PE.
The Jade-Stone Engineering Scholarship was established at the Community Foundation earlier this year to support high school seniors pursuing a degree in mechanical or electrical engineering. Preference is given to Jefferson County students with a strong GPA who demonstrate an interest in returning to or staying in the area to work. Students who plan to attend SUNY Canton, Clarkson University, RIT, and Jefferson Community College are of particular interest.
#NNYCF #ClassOf2026 #Scholars #ThoughtfulLegacies
Congratulations to the first recipients of the Northern New York Community Foundation JP North Country Music Scholars.
Carthage High School graduates Madison E. Williams and Emery F. Monnat, Potsdam High School graduate Olivia Ashley, and Lowville Academy and Central School graduate Joshua P. Weiler were each awarded a $750 scholarship during a recent presentation at the Community Foundation with SUNY Potsdam Crane School of Music Professor Emeritus and scholarship founder James “JP” Petercsak.
An acclaimed music educator and percussionist, Professor Emeritus Petercsak touched the lives of countless students throughout a career of more than 50 years as a professor at the Crane School of Music. He joined the faculty in 1968 and served as head of percussion until his retirement in 2023. The JP North Country Music Scholarship extends his life’s work in many facets of music as a performer, teacher, conductor, clinician, consultant, and as a music industry personality and visionary.
Pictured, from left: Class of 2026 Northern New York Community Foundation JP North Country Music Scholarship recipients Madison E. Williams and Emery F. Monnat; SUNY Potsdam Crane School of Music Professor Emeritus and scholarship founder James “JP” Petercsak; scholarship recipients Olivia Ashley and Joshua P. Weiler.
Complete details: nnycf.org/jp-music-scholars
#NNYCF #ClassOf2026 #MusicScholars #ThoughtfulLegacies
