Adirondack Foundation grants more than $1M to community organizations

The community foundation has stepped up support of local nonprofits during challenging time

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

AdkAction received a Generous Acts grant to combat food insecurity in the Adirondacks by investing in rural grocers to enhance infrastructure and expand access to fresh, local food.

LAKE PLACID — As local nonprofits navigate a time of uncertainty and change, Adirondack Foundation has joined with partners and community members to strengthen the region’s response—supporting shared efforts through increased grantmaking, expanded capacity-building, and spaces for connection. The Foundation awarded more than $1 million through the Generous Acts program to meet pressing needs across the Adirondack region, alongside a new $100,000 initiative to promote civic engagement in rural areas. In collaboration with the Cloudsplitter Foundation and the United Way of the Adirondack Region, the Foundation also hosted a six-week webinar series that brought together over 250 staff and board members from 50 organizations to explore ways to build resilience through stronger nonprofit boards.

“This is a difficult time for many nonprofits,” said Stephanie Pianka, Adirondack Foundation Chief Financial Officer. “Policy shifts, federal funding cuts and other uncertainties are placing strain on nonprofits across our region. Many are worried about how financial unpredictability will affect their ability to continue to provide vital services. The Foundation and our generous partners and donors are committed to the people and communities of the Adirondacks. Philanthropy can’t replace federal funding but we, our partners and donors are taking steps to help.”

Generous Acts

Through an open call application, Generous Acts annually invests in nonprofit organizations, schools and municipalities. These grants aim to strengthen communities by addressing three strategic focus areas: basic needs, educational pathways and economic vitality.

Adirondack Foundation’s Generous Acts program is fueled by unrestricted donations of all sizes from thousands of generous individuals; its service area consists of the Adirondack Park, all of Clinton and Franklin counties and the Akwesasne Mohawk Territory.

A total of 129 organizations have received $1,040,000 to date in 2025. More grants will be announced in the coming weeks as co-funders—donors who have a charitable fund with Adirondack Foundation and award grants in conjunction with Generous Acts—make their decisions. Key funding partners include Hudson Headwaters Health Network’s Upstream Fund, the Stewart’s Shops/Dake Family Foundation and the WaterWheel Foundation Fund of the Vermont Community Foundation.

Bill and Lisa Powers, of Queensbury and Colton, have used their donor advised fund at Adirondack Foundation to support Generous Acts applications that inspire them. “Supporting the Social Safety Net has always been important to us, and we are informed of co-giving opportunities by the Foundation staff each year during the Generous Acts grant making cycle,” Bill Powers said. “They have been helpful guides as we decide about supporting, via our fund with the Foundation, nonprofit projects that not only help neighbors meet basic needs, but also educational pathways and economic vitality efforts for communities throughout the region.”

Nearly half of Generous Acts grants went toward programs that address basic needs, such as food pantries, homelessness prevention and emergency services. The Rotary Club of Chestertown received a grant to help stock its Community Share Shop.

“For families who can’t afford basic household and hygiene items, this support is a lifeline,” said Debra Eves, past president of the Rotary Club of Chestertown. “When children can go to school clean and in fresh clothes, when seniors who can’t get to the store have what they need, and when rising prices outpace stagnant incomes—this kind of help fosters not just dignity, but real emotional relief. It means so much to the people we serve.”

To view a complete list of 2025 Generous Acts recipients, visit bit.ly/2025GAF.

Civic Entrepreneur Grants

Adirondack Foundation is partnering with the Trust for Civic Life to support 10 innovative local groups and projects in the Adirondack region, as part of the Trust’s Civic Entrepreneur small grant program. With the Civic Entrepreneur grant, the foundation is directing $10,000 each for civic experiments that bring people together to shape a shared community vision, address local challenges, and work boldly toward solutions. 

“We are excited to partner with the Trust for Civic Life to spark local civic participation and get more people involved in working together to tackle the community issues they care about,” said Jennifer Russell, Adirondack Foundation’s VP of Grants and Program. “Last year, the Trust helped us fund the Kindling Awards, a celebration of social events that bring people together during the winter months. This new program builds on that energy by encouraging meaningful community conversations, whether in person or online.”

Recipients include the Common Ground Alliance, for connecting community stakeholders to build on our strengths as a region; the Adirondack Explorer, for enhancing the use of the Adirondack Almanack website as a community forum; and the Adirondack Climate Outreach and Resilience Network (ACORN), for fostering regional climate conversations and community-level leadership. 

Sunita Halasz, ACORN Project Coordinator and Climate Strategy Advisor for the Adirondack Research Consortium, said, “With this support, we are able to expand our work to stimulate shared climate resilience initiatives across the North Country, which helps to make our region a safer, healthier, and yet more neighborly place in which to live, work, and thrive.”

Launched in 2024, The Trust for Civic Life is a national grantmaker bringing together 16 funders to strengthen civic culture in rural communities. Through its small grants program and Civic Hub initiative, the Trust aims to invest $50 million into 500 communities by 2028, supporting local projects that foster trust, belonging, and civic participation. Learn more at trustforciviclife.org.

To learn more about Generous Acts at Adirondack Foundation, or to make a gift in support of future grants, visit adirondackfoundation.org or contact Jennifer Russell at [email protected].