$10,000 matching grant will help perpetuate work, history of North Side Improvement League
WATERTOWN — The North Side Legacy Fund of the Northern New York Community Foundation recently presented four members of the Class of 2021 with scholarships totaling $2,000 to support their post-secondary educational goals.
The North Side Legacy Fund was established in 2019 as a permanent fund of the Northern New York Community Foundation to forever honor and perpetuate the history and heritage of the North Side Improvement League.
Graduating high school seniors who live in the City of Watertown as well as students from other areas who have family ties to the League were encouraged to apply.
Scholarship recipients are Watertown-area residents who plan to enroll for the first time this fall as full-time undergraduate freshman students. Recipients of this one-year award each received $500 and were selected based on combined test scores, cumulative high school GPA, rank in class, personal data, essay scores, and applicant appraisals.
“We are grateful to have a permanent home for the heritage, history and service of the North Side Improvement League. It is doing exactly what was envisioned,” said Rande Richardson, Community Foundation executive director. “In this meaningful way, not only do we see the League’s work perpetuated, we are finding that for those for whom the north side has special meaning have joined to help grow this permanent fund. We are hopeful to be able to meet the match by the end of the year.”
Class of 2021 North Side Legacy Scholarship recipients are:
- Dawson DeLine, Watertown High School, Jefferson Community College, engineering science and mathematics; son of Toni and Tim DeLine
- Tadd Ledoux, Immaculate Heart Central, St. Lawrence University, Canton, English and creative writing; son of Tricia and Michael Ledoux
- Maria Netto, Watertown High School, SUNY Geneseo, economics; daughter of Jacqueline and Richard Netto
- Madison White, Watertown High School, SUNY Geneseo, elementary education; daughter of Michele and Jason White
The North Side Legacy Fund also supports nonprofit organizations that serve Watertown residents. In 2020, the fund awarded grant support to four organizations totaling $2,000, including: Community Action Planning Council, Disabled Persons Action Organization, North Watertown Cemetery Association, and Watertown Urban Mission.
The North Side Improvement League’s rich history and legacy of civic involvement and community betterment that spanned more than a century continues through the North Side Legacy Fund. The Community Foundation is pleased to offer a $10,000 matching grant that will double all gifts made to the fund. To help build the fund, gifts can be made to the Northern New York Community Foundation, ATTN: North Side Legacy Fund, 131 Washington St., Watertown, NY 13601, or through secure online giving at nnycf.org.
Members of the North Side Legacy Fund Advisory Committee include Sylvia Buduson, Allison Crossman, Michael Dupee, Jacob Johnson, Laurie Koelmel, Terri Mallette, Bill and Pat Parody, and Terry Williams.
About the Northern New York Community Foundation
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.