Adirondack Foundation Community Grant Program

Adirondack Foundation Community Grant Program is sponsored by Adirondack Foundation. Supports nonprofit organizations serving the Adirondack region of northeastern New York with funding for various community needs.

Apply for a Grant | Adirondack Community Foundation Explore available grants below. Ready to submit your application? Head to our Online Grants Manager.

Fueling Positive Impact Together Behind the more than $79 million dollars we have granted back into Adirondack communities, there are dedicated professionals, spirited volunteers, and generous donors – all working hard to help Adirondack communities thrive, with quiet compassion and selfless commitment.

If your organization is working to build stronger communities across the region and falls into those categories, we may be able to support you in your work. Check out the grant opportunities below. While each funding opportunity has a specific focus, taken as a whole, we fund across our five key interest areas : basic needs, educational pathways, community vitality, arts + culture, and environment.

Scroll down to our Frequently Asked Questions for additional information about your eligibility and the application process. Important notes on eligibility: Applicants must be tax-exempt organizations, public agencies, schools, or municipalities in the Adirondack region, or identify an organization to act as fiscal sponsor on their behalf.

Applicants must also provide services and employ staff without discrimination on the basis of race, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Adirondack Foreign Language Enhancement Fund | Deadline: January 15, 2026 Description: For initiatives that enrich and increase capacity for foreign language instruction in Adirondack schools (K-12).

Generous Acts | Deadline: February 4, 2026 Description: Supports nonprofit organizations, schools, or municipalities whose work contributes to a strong community framework by supporting one or more of these areas: basic needs, educational pathways, or community + economic vitality. Description: Supports the charitable needs of the town of Essex.

Community Fund for the Gore Mountain Region Description: Supports the charitable needs of the towns of Chester, Horicon, Johnsburg, Minerva, and Schroon. Lake Placid Education Foundation | Deadline: June 1 annually Description: The Lake Placid Education Foundation makes grants to qualified organizations on an annual basis. Grants range from $500 to as much as $50,000 in special circumstances.

Total annual grants in recent years have amounted to $280,000. Uihlein-Ironman Sports Fund Description: Provides financial support for promising young competitors and program support to nonprofits that introduce area youth to sports. Christopher Emmett Hallowell Fund | Rolling Application Description: Supports families caring for severely ill children and young adults.

Saranac Lake Public School Education Fund | Rolling Application Description: To enhance the education of Saranac Lake public school students and to recognize the role public education plays in preserving our open society and our freedoms. Small Grants for Small Children | Rolling Application Description: A funding program for child care providers in Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton and north Warren counties.

Special + Urgent Needs (SUN) Fund | Rolling Application Description: Provides short-term assistance to area nonprofits experiencing unforeseen crises or responding to urgent needs from weather related disasters.

Small Grants for Small Food Pantries | Rolling Application Description: Provides capacity building grants to regional food pantries We seek applications that are mindful of underserved populations, help address racial, economic, or other disparities, and demonstrate collaboration and community buy-in. We seek to work together toward a brighter, more inclusive future.

Generous Acts grants are single-year competitive awards focused on meeting pressing needs in basic needs, educational pathways, and economic vitality. Frequently Asked Questions Below are some of our most asked questions regarding grant applications. If you have more specific questions regarding a specific fund application, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at any point in the application process.

How and when do I submit a grant application? Unless otherwise specified, you can submit your grant application using our Online Grants Manager . If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

When using our Online Grants Manager, applications must be received by 5:00 pm on the indicated deadline date to be considered eligible. For all other applications, they must be postmarked by the deadline date. How can I be sure I am sending everything required for a grant application?

If you read all instructions and follow the guidelines for each grant application carefully, you’ll be in great shape. If you run into an issue, we’re always here to help answer any questions. The 501(c)(3) is a section of the tax code which indicates that the IRS has determined an organization to be a charitable not-for-profit entity.

When applying through our Online Grants Manager, you must include your EIN Number (Federal Tax ID) upon registering for an account. Nonprofit organizations must pass our due diligence check and be in good standing for their application to be considered. If you are in the process of obtaining 501(c)(3) status, please contact us for guidance.

An award check will not be issued until the IRS has determined your 501(c)(3) status. We make grants to registered nonprofits, public agencies, schools, and municipalities in the Adirondack region of New York. A small portion of our grantmaking goes to registered organizations outside the region when directed by our fundholders.

Entities who do not have 501(c)(3) status may apply for grant awards to help further work with a clear charitable purpose if they can identify an eligible organization to act as a fiscal sponsor. What is a fiscal sponsor? Adirondack Community Foundation only makes grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofits, schools, and municipalities.

If your organization does not have 501(c)(3) status, you might be able to use a fiscal sponsor, which is an organization with 501(c)(3) status and a mission that is supported by your project. They must be willing to accept money on your behalf, and they would be ultimately responsible for making sure the project is completed and that all grant reports are filed as required. Some organizations charge a fee to be a sponsor.

If you need to use a fiscal sponsor, we require the EIN Number from the sponsor's 501(c)(3) determination letter and a copy of the sponsor's financial statements with your application. What is a W-9 form, and why do I need to complete one? IRS Form W-9 is the Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification form.

We require a completed W-9 for individuals receiving grants over $600 from certain funds. If you are an individual who has received a grant for over $600 and need to complete one of these forms, download one here and return to the Adirondack Community Foundation office via mail or by email to [email protected] . How do I submit a project budget?

Many of our grant applications require a program or project budget. You can view a sample budget here . How do I submit a grant report?

The advisors of funds at Adirondack Community Foundation and the Adirondack Community Foundation Board of Trustees want to know the impact that our grantmaking is having on individuals and communities served. Was the program a success? How did it affect the community?

What were the challenges faced? What could be done differently next time? We generally require follow up reports for all grantees.

Unless otherwise specified, you can submit all grant reports via our Online Grants Manager . If you are an individual who has received a grant from Adirondack Foundation – via the Uihlein-Ironman Sports Fund or Christopher Emmett Hallowell Fund – of $600 or more, you are required to complete an IRS Form W-9. (Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification).

Please return your completed W-9 via email to i [email protected] , or send via mail. If I send a letter describing my project, can you suggest a fund or funds that may be a good fit for me to apply to? No. But if you have read the fund descriptions and guidelines provided on our website and still have questions about eligibility, you can certainly call or email us for guidance.

If I send in my application ahead of the deadline, will someone read it and give me feedback? No. Out of fairness to all applicants, we review applications only after the deadline has passed. But if you have specific questions about a grant’s guidelines, you can reach out to us.

If I received a grant last year, can I apply again? Yes. If you received a grant last year, you will need to submit a final report for that year’s grant before we will consider a new grant application.

How do I find out about, or contact, your advised funds? The vast majority of Adirondack Community Foundation’s funds do not accept applications for support, as the grantmaking is either advised by a living donor to meet his or her charitable objectives or is predetermined by a specific fund purpose, such as an annual scholarship award or a permanently designated annual grant to a specific nonprofit organization.

While applicants cannot directly apply to or contact these funds, please know that we do our best to keep our family of funds connected with emerging needs in our communities. If we see an opportunity to share a project or application with a fundholder, we may sometimes do so.

The Essex Community Fund and the Community Fund for Gore Mountain Region are geographically focused funds that help to strengthen Adirondack communities through collaborative philanthropy. Each fund has an active committee of locally connected individuals working to grow their funds to increase their grantmaking capacity.

These committees review and recommend grants through a competitive process annually and expand our network of community ambassadors. If you’d like to support their work, make a gift now. The Essex Community Fund at Adirondack Community Foundation offers grants to support the activities of nonprofits, schools, church programs, and local government agencies that serve residents of the town of Essex.

The fund awards grants in support of community services, beautification, historic preservation, culture, the arts, education, and programs for youth and senior citizens.

Community Fund for the Gore Mountain Region The Community Fund for the Gore Mountain Region (CFGMR) at Adirondack Community Foundation works to ensure that the communities of Chestertown, Horicon, Johnsburg, Minerva, and Schroon continue to benefit from charitable resources raised and allocated by local people to address local needs. Access Grantee Resource Portal Here