Search Through Columbia County Grants for Nonprofits in New York

Mid-Hudson Valley Grantmaking Program

The Dyson Foundation makes grants to nonprofit organizations in the Mid-Hudson Valley (Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, and Ulster counties) that are addressing basic human needs including housing, family stability, youth development, health care access including behavioral health, food access, and other human services, with a special focus on organizations working with those who are economically disadvantaged or otherwise marginalized.

After-School and Summer Programming for Children and Youth

The Dyson Foundation considers grants for out-of-school time programs including after-school, summer, and year-round activities. Applications for programs located in the Mid-Hudson Valley counties of Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, and Ulster will be considered, with a focus on enabling the participation of economically disadvantaged children. Funding priority will be given to programs operated by organizations whose mission and expertise is focused on youth development, and that conduct targeted outreach to low-income families and children, offer program schedules that support working families, and those that give consideration to and make efforts toward providing transportation assistance and meals.

Mini-Grant Program

The Dyson Foundation’s mini-grant program funds Mid-Hudson Valley organizations interested in capacity building projects to improve administrative, governance, and/or programmatic functions. Mini-grants enable nonprofit board, staff, and volunteer leaders to develop new skills through consultant-led capacity-building activities, or through conferences, seminars, and other training opportunities.

Mini-grants are available for:

• Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)
  • Assessment, consulting, and policy development
• Operational enhancements
  • Fiscal systems
  • Human resources
  • Organizational assessments
  • Policies and procedures
  • Program development and evaluation
• Planning
  • Communications
  • Resource development
  • Strategic
  • Succession
  • Technology
• Professional development
  • Executive coaching
  • Conferences, seminars, and training

Mini-implementation Grants

Following the completion of a mini-grant funded consultancy or training, grantees may apply for a follow-up mini-implementation grant of up to $3,000 to cover the costs of enacting the results or recommendations of the project (including continued consulting, marketing materials, web design, etc.).

Fund for Columbia County - Grants for New Nonprofits

The Fund for Columbia County welcomes applications for funding from community groups that are in the process of becoming a nonprofit organization or that have recently received nonprofit status. A nonprofit organization is defined as being recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a charitable 501(c)(3) entity.

Examples of funded items include but are not limited to:

• Legal fees
• Programming costs
• Equipment and software
• Website development and hosting
• Initial costs of program space
• Outreach/marketing costs
• Consultancies

Once legal charitable status is obtained, organizations are invited to apply to the annual Fund for Columbia County grant cycles: Grants for Community Impact and Grants for Aging with Dignity.

Mission

The mission of the Hearst Foundations is to identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States can build healthy, productive and satisfying lives. Through its grantmaking, the Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that address significant issues within their major areas of focus—culture, education, health and social service—and that primarily serve large demographic and/or geographic constituencies. In each area of funding, the Foundations seek to identify those organizations achieving truly differentiated results relative to other organizations making similar efforts for similar populations. The Foundations also look for evidence of sustainability beyond their support.

Whether providing a scholarship to a deserving student, supporting a rural health clinic or bringing artists into schools so children can see firsthand the beauty of the arts, the Foundations’ focus is consistent: to help those in need, those underserved and those underrepresented in society. Since the Foundations were formed in the 1940s, the scale and capabilities of the grant making have changed, but the mission has not.

Culture Grant

The Hearst Foundations fund cultural institutions that offer meaningful programs in the arts and sciences, prioritizing those that enable engagement by young people and create a lasting and measurable impact. The Foundations also fund select programs nurturing and developing artistic talent. Supported organizations include arts schools, ballets, museums, operas, performing arts centers, symphonies and theaters.

Funding Priorities in Culture

In the recent past, 25% of total funding has been allocated to Culture. Organizations with budgets over $10 million have received 60% of the funding in Culture.

The Hearst Foundations are only able to fund approximately 25% of all grant requests, of which about 80% is directed to prior grantees and about 20% is targeted toward new grantees.

Types of Support

Program, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

Mid-Hudson Valley Grantmaking Program

The Dyson Foundation makes grants to nonprofit organizations in the Mid-Hudson Valley (Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, and Ulster counties) that are addressing basic human needs including housing, family stability, youth development, health care access including behavioral health, food access, and other human services, with a special focus on organizations working with those who are economically disadvantaged or otherwise marginalized.

Designated Grants

Designated Grants are grants made for a specific purpose or program. These grants are available towards:

• Activities that align with our priority funding areas but operate within an organization with a broader mission
• Youth after-school and summer programs (see our specific guidelines)
• Economic development with a clear charitable purpose, public benefit, and a direct link with our priority funding areas
• On a very limited basis, arts councils and/or arts organizations that have demonstrated significant job creation and local economic impact

Mid-Hudson Valley Grantmaking Program

The Dyson Foundation makes grants to nonprofit organizations in the Mid-Hudson Valley (Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, and Ulster counties) that are addressing basic human needs including housing, family stability, youth development, health care access including behavioral health, food access, and other human services, with a special focus on organizations working with those who are economically disadvantaged or otherwise marginalized.

General Operating Support Grants

General operating support, or “unrestricted” grants, are flexible funds that can be used by organizations at their discretion. These grants are available to organizations working on priority funding issues if they:

• Meet our principles of best practice for nonprofit governance, finance, public disclosure, and programming
• have at least three years of stable executive leadership
• have received a designated Dyson Foundation grant within the last three years.

Unrestricted grants are aligned with the grantee’s fiscal year; submit an initial letter of inquiry no later than six months prior to the start of the fiscal year. Organizations with annual budgets in excess of $20 million are generally not eligible for unrestricted grants.

The Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region (CFGCR)

Our mission is to strengthen our community through philanthropy.

Since 1968, The Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region (CFGCR) has been dedicated to improving the quality of life in the Greater Capital Region. We work with — and for —all our neighbors across the community because together, we are stronger.

Nonprofit Training and Advancement Fund

One-time $1,000 grants for leadership development, succession planning, performance management, and frontline training support.

About

The Audacious Project is a collaborative funding initiative catalyzing social impact on a grand scale. Every year we select and nurture a group of big, bold solutions to the world’s most urgent challenges, and with the support of an inspiring group of donors and supporters, come together to get them launched.

Housed at TED, the nonprofit with a long track record of surfacing ideas worth spreading, and with support from leading social impact advisor The Bridgespan Group, the funding collective is comprised of several respected organizations and individuals in philanthropy.

Our goal is to match bold ideas with catalytic resources.

• We encourage the world’s inspirational changemakers to dream bigger than ever before.
• Help shape their best ideas into viable multi-year plans.
• Present those solutions in a compelling way to potential supporters.

The Process

Every year, The Audacious Project works with proven change-makers to surface their best, boldest ideas for tackling global problems.

Sourcing & review

Projects are sourced from public applications and a global network of partners and donors. They are narrowed down to a group of finalists whose ideas are representative of a broad range of geographies and issue areas while elevating leaders with proximity to the communities they serve.

Idea shaping & investment support

Each finalist project goes through a rigorous ideation, due diligence, and investment support process, to ensure their proposal is achievable and compelling.

Funding & launch

Finalist projects are presented privately to groups of donors and are then publicly unveiled at TED. Funded projects then pursue their plans and share regular updates on key milestones reached with donors and the public.

Is Your Idea Audacious?

• Are you a changemaker with a bold vision?
• Are you a non-profit with an experienced team equipped to receive large scale philanthropic support?
• Is your idea a proven concept that aspires to create a better world?
• We look for ideas that cover a wide range of issues, from global health and climate change, to social justice and education.

What Makes An Idea Audacious?

Inspire

• Transformative vision
  • Your idea should capture a bold vision for tackling one of the world's most urgent topics.
• Creating a better world
  • It is your opportunity to take a giant leap forward; you may be tempted to think incrementally, but remember for it to be bold, your idea should offer significant, enduring impact.
  • This vision should bring us much closer to your version of an ideal world in a matter of years rather than generations.
• Innovative and original
  • There should be a unique aspect or creative element to your approach that challenges convention or status quo or changes the narrative for the greater good.

Convince

• Proven concept
  • There should be evidence that the idea will have impact based on a track record of past success, a demand from those that would be affected, and justified confidence that results can be sustained in the future.
• A bold vision that has clear outcomes
  • There should be a sense of where you will be at the end of a multi-year funding term and the strategy, resources and timeline required to achieve it. We want to hear about the changes that would take place because of your idea, not just the components that go into implementing it.

• Established support
  • You and your capable and confident team have the backing of a nonprofit, NGO, or institution (or is part of a collaboration between multiple such entities). This organization should be able to receive philanthropic funds and have the core infrastructure necessary to support the work. (Note: Past projects have had an annual operating budget of $1 million or more.)

Please refer to FAQ for additional guidelines.

The Impact Fund awards recoverable grants to legal services nonprofits, private attorneys, and small law firms who seek to confront economic, environmental, racial, and social injustice. Since our founding in 1992, the Impact Fund has made more than 800 recoverable grants totaling more than $10 million for impact litigation. We award grants four times per year, most within the range of US$10,000 to US$50,000.

Social Justice

The Impact Fund provides grants and legal support to assist in human and civil rights cases. We have helped to change dozens of laws and win cases to improve the rights of thousands. The cases we are funding allege that:

• In Texas and North Carolina, incarcerated people with mental health disabilities are forced to remain in jail despite being found not guilty and unable to proceed with a criminal trial.
• In Orange County, California there are currently 13 gang injunctions under effect, which disproportionately affect young men of color.
• In Chicago, Illinois, the city’s homeless shelter program is inaccessible to people with disabilities.
• In Springfield, Oregon, the city and its police department used excessive force against Black Lives Matter protesters.
• In West Virginia, the state fails to protect children in foster care from abuse and neglect. 
• In Montana, voter suppression laws disadvantage young adults and give priority to gun owners.
• In Gary, Indiana, a gun manufacturer negligently marketed and distributed its guns, leading to an epidemic of gun violence in the city. 
• In Vancouver, British Columbia, the police perpetuate systemic discrimination against Indigenous people through bureaucratic measures.

Environmental Justice

The Impact Fund provides grants to support local litigation for environmental justice. These grants are for cases aiming to help people or communities who are affected by environmental harm or who lack access to basic environmental needs, such as clean water, clean air, adequate waste treatment, and green spaces. The cases we are funding allege that:

• In Centreville, Illinois, the city’s failure to maintain its sewer system has caused raw sewage to flood peoples’ homes, endangering the property and health of a predominantly Black community.
• In Fresno County, California, the California Department of Transportation approved a highway expansion project that would increase air pollution and traffic in one of the state’s most environmentally burdened communities.
• In downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the proposed expansion of a highway would divide the region's Black, Asian, and Latine neighborhoods and cause pollution and ill health.
• In North Dakota, the five-month closure of a highway in response to the Dakota Access Pipeline protests disproportionately affected the livelihoods and health of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe members.
• In Ontario, Canada, mercury contamination of the English-Wabigoon river system causes catastrophic environmental and health impacts for the Grassy Narrows First Nation.
• In Sacramento, California, the county government and Sacramento Area Sewer District violated the Clean Water Act by discharging raw sewage into nearby rivers.
• In the Eastern Coachella Valley in California, 1,900 residents of the Oasis Mobile Home Park suffer from arsenic-laced drinking water, wastewater contamination, and overcharging for utilities.

Economic Justice

The Impact Fund provides financial and other forms of support to cases fighting for economic justice. From workers' rights to consumer protection for vulnerable populations, impact litigation is a powerful tool to hold corporationss and the government accountable. The cases we are funding allege that:

• In Brooklyn, New York, a prominent mortgage lender engaged in predatory practices, leaving homeowners of color at risk of losing their homes. 
• In Washington, live-in caregivers are unconstitutionally excluded from the state’s wage-and-hour protections.
• In Ravalli County, Montana, the county has created a “modern-day debtors’ prison” by incarcerating people unable to afford pre-trial fees. 
• In San Diego, California, vehicle ordinances target unhoused vehicle owners even when no adequate housing alternative exists.
• In New York, a federal immigration detention facility is violating minimum wage and forced labor laws by forcing detainees to work for just a dollar a day. 
• In Minneapolis, Minnesota, the city and county destroy the property of unhoused individuals and conduct forced evictions from public spaces. 
• In Miami, Florida, insurance companies discriminate against a nonprofit community development corporation renting to tenants with Section 8 rental subsidies.

Background

The Community Foundations exist to enhance the quality of life for all citizens in the Greater Hudson Valley, now and for generations to come. Created by community leaders as the Area Fund, the Community Foundation is a public nonprofit charitable organization established as a permanent resource to make our region a better place for all of us to live and grow…today, tomorrow and always.

Cleopatra Fund - Funding Focus

The focus of the Cleopatra Fund is to support organizations involved in providing programs or services that promote animal welfare. When awarding grants, the following priorities will be followed:

• Programs or services that benefit cats;
• Programs or services that benefit dogs;
• Programs or services that benefit retired circus animals; and
• Programs or services that benefit retired farm animals.

Funding Amount

Grants made through this program will not exceed $3,000.  Awards range from $500-$2,000.

Calling to Serve

Since its inception in 2016, the Robinson Foundation has sought to demonstrate God’s love through sharing the gifts we have received. We understand the often unspoken hardships and struggles that people in and outside of our community face everyday. As such, our contributions are focused on relieving these hardships for the betterment of our world.

As a family-operated foundation, we pray that our small efforts will not only create immediate change in the lives of our neighbors, but will help set those lives on a course for success in the future. We are thankful for each and every day we have on this earth to use what God has granted us to make a difference.

Areas of Interest

• Animal Welfare
• Children & Families
• Disaster Relief
• Education
• Medical Assistance
• Nature & Wildlife Conservation
• Poverty Relief
• Religious & Spiritual Endeavors
• Veterans' Issues

Grant Considerations

We take many different aspects of applications into account when making grant issuing decisions, however these are some of the high-level questions we ask ourselves during the process:

• How does the organization serve their key audience goals?
• Is the organization fiscally responsible?
• Will a grant have a tangible, meaningful impact?
• Will we see direct results from this grant?
• Does the organization have other financial contributors?

Grant Information

Artist’s Resource Trust was established in 1996 to provide support to the creative work of mid-career (aged 35 and older) visual artists who have demonstrated substantial commitment, development who have demonstrated substantial commitment, development and quality in their work. ART’s focus is on visual artists who live in New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) and in the towns in NY that are part of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation’s catchment area as of 2015.

A.R.T. provides funds annually for New England, and Columbia and Northeast Dutchess Counties, NY nonprofit organizations for the commission, purchase or engagement of mid-career artists meeting the above geographic criteria.

Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Grant

The Foundation will consider requests to support museums, cultural and performing arts programs; schools and hospitals; educational, skills-training and other programs for youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities; environmental and wildlife protection activities; and other community-based organizations and programs.

Centene Charitable Foundation

Successful corporate citizenship happens when companies invest in the local organizations that know their communities best. The Centene Foundation works with our local partners on initiatives that focus on inclusion, the whole person and community development.

Vision

Centene’s purpose is transforming the health of the community, one person at a time. The Centene Foundation is an essential part of how we pursue this purpose. We achieve measurable impact for the communities we serve through partnerships and philanthropy efforts that invest in initiatives with holistic approaches to dismantling barriers to health.

Areas of Focus

Reflecting Centene’s commitment to the needs of those who rely on government-sponsored health care and to addressing social determinants of health and health equity, preference will be given to initiatives in three distinct areas of focus.

• Healthcare Access
• Social Services
• Education

Ameriprise Financial Grantmaking

At Ameriprise Financial, giving back is deeply rooted in our culture. We’ve initiated positive change in the communities where we live and work for more than 120 years. We believe our community involvement enables us to actively live our values. Through grant making, volunteerism and employee and financial advisor gift matching programs, we support a diverse group of over 6,000 nonprofits across the country.

Focus Areas

Awarding grant dollars to nonprofits is one way we strengthen our communities and help individuals on a path to financial independence. To ensure we're meeting the needs of our communities and making an even greater collective impact, we focus on three key giving areas when awarding grants.

Volunteer engagement is a priority across all focus areas:

The engagement of Ameriprise employees and financial advisors is a critical component of our philanthropy. Whether it’s serving on a nonprofit board, engaging friends, clients and community members in volunteering or providing skills-based support, our relationships with nonprofits go deep. For this reason, we give priority across all focus areas to applications where there is active volunteer engagement of Ameriprise advisors and employees. 

Meeting Basic Needs

At Ameriprise Financial, we help clients achieve financial security and peace of mind. That’s satisfying, meaningful work. We also help the people in our neighborhoods who struggle to meet basic needs such as where their next meal comes from, where they’ll sleep tonight or how they’ll find a higher wage job. We’re here to help them through the three platforms of our Meeting Basic Needs focus area.

Consideration is given to applications addressing the following: 

• Hunger
• Food banks, food shelves and food pantries, daily meal programs or meal services for the homebound
• Hunger-relief programs targeted to meet the special needs of children, ethnic populations or veterans
• Food programs run by nonprofits where hunger is not their sole focus, for example a youth meal program at the YWCA or a backpack program run by a Boys & Girls Club
• Shelter
• Emergency shelter, including youth homelessness
• Transitional housing, permanent supportive housing and efforts to end chronic homelessness
• Housing-first models (programs quickly providing housing and then addressing needed services)
• Achieving and maintaining home ownership, repair and maintenance efforts helping keep seniors, veterans and other populations in their homes 
• Adult Self-Sufficiency: Programs serving adults age 21 and older that help address the following areas:
• Basic hard and soft skills that help adults achieve economic and family stability
• Basic financial and budgeting skills
• Increase employability and wages, including work readiness and job transitions
• Employment of disabled adults

Supporting Community Vitality

We believe communities should be strong, healthy and resilient. We want livable places for all, where neighbors look out for one another, cultural events are well-attended and people pull together in times of crisis and joy. We work to create economic vitality and cultural enrichment through the following areas of focus.

Consideration is given to applications addressing the following: 

• Community Development
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Economic development
• Strengthening and supporting small businesses and nonprofits through technical expertise
• Cultural Enrichment
• Arts education
• Access for underserved populations
• Diverse artists and performances that spark topical community conversations 

Volunteer Driven Causes: Ameriprise employees and financial advisors are outstanding volunteers who serve in teams and also as individuals bringing personal skill-sets to nonprofits. Volunteering is part of the culture at Ameriprise and we are proud to support communities through contributions of both service and financial resources. 

Funding for Volunteer-Driven Causes is determined by current Ameriprise volunteerism. In general, funding is in proportion to the size of the Ameriprise volunteer team supporting a nonprofit. A team may include employees, financial advisors and/or staff or a combination of any Ameriprise volunteers. 

Hortense and Louis Rubin Community Health Fund

Since 2018, the Hortense and Louis Rubin Community Health Fund has invested more than $2.9 million in health initiatives across our region.

The fund continues to support projects and organizations dedicated to improving kidney health and overall community well-being. Through strategic investments and partnerships, we aim to create a healthier future for all.

Our Mission and Origins

The Hortense and Louis Rubin Community Health Fund was established using proceeds from the operation and sale of the Rubin Dialysis Centers. The fund’s goal is to support programs focused on the prevention, management, and treatment of kidney disease and related health conditions. Managed by the Community Foundation staff and guided by a committee of healthcare experts, the fund is committed to improving public health outcomes.

Our Vision

We envision healthier individuals, families, and communities in the Greater Capital Region with a reduced incidence of chronic kidney disease and related risk factors, including obesity, diabetes, and hypertension.

Meeting People Where They Are

Our grantmaking efforts focus on organizations providing services to individuals in our community who are affected by chronic kidney disease.

Promoting Healthy Habits and Lifestyles

Encouraging:

• Better nutrition
• Regular physical activity
• Tobacco cessation
• More sleep
• Less stress

Strengthening Health Equity

Focusing on the most vulnerable communities, including Black and Latino/x populations, as well as urban and rural areas, by:

• Supporting sustainable food systems
• Increasing access to quality healthcare for all
• Securing essential community needs such as housing, transportation, and food

Grantmaking Priorities

The Rubin Community Health Fund considers projects in the Greater Capital Region that align with the following priorities:

Treatment – Improving Individual Care and Access

• Maximizing individual care outside of dialysis centers through technology and innovation
• Expanding or improving access to home dialysis options

Primary Prevention – Increasing Access to Preventive Services

• Promoting nutrition and healthy food access
• Encouraging physical activity
• Expanding primary care and supportive services
• Enhancing provider training to improve screening and referrals for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and related conditions

Secondary Prevention and Management Services

• Improving health literacy to empower individuals
• Managing and mitigating CKD, End Stage Renal Disease, diabetes, hypertension, and other related conditions
• Providing universal access to essential support services, such as:
  • Transportation
  • Daycare
  • Case management
  • Technology aimed at preventing dialysis dependency
• Enhancing management of associated medical conditions

Miles of Hope Breast Cancer Foundation Grants

The Miles of Hope Breast Cancer Foundation is a not for profit organization established in 2004. The Fund provides programs and support services for women and families in the Hudson Valley, New York, affected by breast cancer. All funds raised for the Foundation are used in the Hudson Valley.

The Miles of Hope Breast Cancer Foundation is currently offering grants for projects in the areas of breast health and breast cancer education, outreach, screening, treatment and support projects in the counties of Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Westchester and Ulster.

Projects Will Be Funded in The Following Areas:

• Breast cancer education
• Educational outreach to special populations
• Support programs (including complementary medicine programs)
• Financial aid for social support and ancillary services

Statewide Community Regrant Program

Part of CREATE’s growing legacy has been administering grants through the SCR (Statewide Community Regrant) program since 1986. Funding is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) through the Decentralization Program and with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and New York Legislature.

These are intended to foster the continued development of local cultural resources and increase access to the Arts. We aim to assist individual artists, artist collectives and organizations in growing professionally and encourage enhancing the local cultural climates particularly in areas that are geographically isolated, economically disadvantaged or ethnically diverse.

Arts Education

In-School / After School and Community-Based Learning for All Ages

Awarding grants of $1,500 and $3,000. The applicant of record for this program must be an individual teaching artist, collective, or a nonprofit organization in Greene, Columbia, and Schoharie Counties. Funds support arts education projects for closed-groups of learners and there are two types of closed-groups defined for this opportunity: public schools and community-based groups. 

All AE projects must be carried out in partnership with a public school or in partnership with an existing community-based group of learners including but not limited to a club, residents of a senior living facility, individuals receiving social services, or a camp. 

In all AE projects, emphasis is placed on the depth and quality of the process through which participants learn over a series (minimum of 3 sessions) focused on the exploration of an artistic discipline and process. 

See more guidelines on pages 13-16 here  

Fresh and Healthy Food for All in Columbia County

This grant program is developed as a part of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation’s initiative to ensure all people in Columbia County, especially households with limited resources, have access to fresh and healthy food. This includes providing immediate access to healthy food for the food insecure while simultaneously transforming the food system to increase long-term access for everyone in Columbia County.  

This initiative aims to address three areas of impact: 

• People in Columbia County have the knowledge, tools and capital necessary to want and demand healthy food
• An adequate supply of healthy food is available for people in Columbia County, particularly especially households with limited resources, at a reasonable price point 
• Community members, organizations and businesses within targeted communities are communicating and developing co-created food solutions

For the purpose of this initiative, key terms are defined as follows: 

• Fresh and healthy food: Fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, milk, cheese, poultry, eggs, meat and fish that travel as few food miles as possible from producer or retailer to consumer; along with healthy essential staples and shelf-stable food items. 
• Food insecure: Lacking reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food.

This grant program encourages applicants from a wide range of organizations with ideas and passion for how to increase access to fresh and healthy food in Columbia County. 

A portion of available funds are specifically set aside for the development or expansion of community refrigerator projects in Columbia County. Additionally, examples of eligible projects could include market match/double up programs at farmers markets; healthy “corner store” type initiatives; needs at food pantries; gleaning programs; subsidized CSA shares; and other innovative ideas focused on increasing access to fresh and healthy food among Columbia County residents with limited resources.

Program Information

To help our region’s nonprofit staff, board members, and volunteers better achieve their missions, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation regularly offers grant funding, workshops, learning opportunities and leadership development.

In addition to this support, we also recognize that from time to time nonprofits have a need or an opportunity to engage in a capacity building project that requires immediate additional resources. These projects can range from strategic planning assistance, board development, organizational assessments, evaluating business models and fundraising strategies, to website and database enhancements.

In response to this need, the foundation is offering a Strategic Planning and Technical Assistance grant program with approximately $60,000 available funding. In addition, through funding from our Arts Build Community initiative, $45,000 is available for Berkshire County based arts and culture organizations.

We seek to provide flexible funding to allow an organization to seize an opportunity to refine their strategy, invest in board development, and evaluate and refine program delivery at a time when their missions are needed most by the communities they serve. We particularly seek projects that strengthen the governance and diversity of smaller nonprofit boards.

Organizations with defined projects approved by their boards are encouraged to apply. Project proposals should be able to illustrate how investing in this capacity building strategy now will result in enhanced organizational strength, resiliency, or effectiveness and how this hoped for outcome will result in the ability to advance their mission.

Project Examples

For information purposes only (similar projects are not guaranteed funding):

• Hire a consultant to assist your organization in strategic planning
• Hire an outside facilitator to conduct board listening sessions on roles and responsibilities
• Pay for technical assistance training in building organizational capacity (finance, HR, fundraising)
• Hire a consultant to do an organizational assessment
• Training for current staff to implement new technology (CRM, website, database, etc.)

Program Information

To help our region’s nonprofit staff, board members, and volunteers better achieve their missions, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation regularly offers grant funding, workshops, learning opportunities and leadership development. 

In addition to this support, we also recognize that from time to time nonprofits have a need or an opportunity to engage in a capacity building project that requires immediate additional resources. These projects can range from strategic planning assistance, board development, organizational assessments, evaluating business models and fundraising strategies, to website and database enhancements. 

In response to this need, the foundation is piloting a Planning and Technical Assistance grant program with a rolling deadline that will remain open until approximately $60,000 in funding is expended.

We seek to provide flexible funding to allow an organization to seize an opportunity to refine their strategy, invest in board development, and evaluate and refine program delivery at a time when their missions are needed most by the communities they serve.   

Organizations with defined projects approved by their boards are encouraged to apply. Project proposals should be able to illustrate how investing in this capacity building strategy now will result in enhanced organizational strength, resiliency, or effectiveness and how this hoped for outcome will result in the ability to advance their mission.  

Priority will be given to organizations with operating budgets under $1 million annually. Foundation staff in making decisions will also seek to ensure there is proportional funding across the foundation’s region.

Project Examples

For information purposes only (similar projects are not guaranteed funding):

• Hire a consultant to assist your organization in strategic planning
• Hire an outside facilitator to conduct board listening sessions on roles and responsibilities
• Pay for technical assistance training in building organizational capacity (finance, HR, fundraising)
• Hire a consultant to do an organizational assessment
• Training for current staff to implement new technology (CRM, website, database, etc.)

Review Criteria

Applications will be reviewed fairly and competitively on a rolling basis using the following criteria:

• Impact of the organization on the residents of the Berkshire Taconic region.
• Potential impact of the proposed capacity building project on the longer-term effectiveness of the organization.
• Demonstrated need for BTCF funding at this point in time.
• Readiness of the organization to implement proposed project, as communicated by the applicant (e.g., organization history, organization health and/or capacity goals, or significant changes to the organization).

Awards

Grants range up to $10,000 for a single year.

Introduction

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation established the Fund for Columbia County in 1999 to help strengthen communities and improve the quality of life for everyone in Columbia County. The fund serves as a resource to help organizations create and implement programs that make life safer, healthier, and more equitable for all residents of the county.

Through its Grants for Community Impact, the fund supports projects that further youth development, economic equity, civic and community engagement, the arts, education, the environment, and health and social services that directly impact the people of Columbia County. 

Grants for Community Impact

The Fund for Columbia County invites applications for innovative projects and services that have a deep, lasting and positive impact on the residents of Columbia County, with particular emphasis on low-income and/or underserved adults and children.

We welcome applications from a single organization or collaborative partnerships. We believe that organizations can achieve more working together than they can alone and that collaborations can save resources and make organizations more powerful in their collective focus. 

Organizations providing services for elders should apply for the Fund for Columbia County's Grants for Aging with Dignity.

Organizations providing services in Red Rock should apply to the Quailwood Fund.

Funding

Grants are for one year and range from $2,500 to $7,500. Requests for larger amounts and/or multi-year grants will be considered for projects that show exceptional potential for impact.

Grant Information

Jonathan Schor (1946-2004), a resident of Red Rock for thirty years, established the Quailwood Fund before he died to create an endowment to generate annual grants “to provide community support in the Red Rock, Columbia County, New York area for public services and improvement of the quality of life, for conservation work, public recreation facilities, fire and rescue facilities and educational scholarships.”

According to Jon’s wishes, the Quailwood Fund has an advisory committee that consists of the presidents of the Red Rock Volunteer Fire Company, the Red Rock Historical Society, the Canaan Conservation Club, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation and the executive director of the Columbia Land Conservancy.

The Quailwood Fund and its Advisory Committee looks to the long term needs of the Red Rock community. It remains open to new ideas and possibilities to improve and enrich the quality of life for the residents of Red Rock.

Through its grantmaking programs, the Quailwood Fund works to help retain a strong sense of community in Red Rock by bolstering community gatherings, encouraging a diversity of participation in the life of the community and supporting a wide range of social and economic opportunities for residents.

Funding

Awards will generally range between $500 and $10,000. There may be a larger amount allocated (up to $20,000) for a project of particular significance or urgency for the community.

All Quailwood General Fund grants will require a 1:1 match. For grants of $7,500 and under, a minimum of 50% of the match must be in cash. For grants over $7,500, a minimum of 25% of the match must be in cash. In both cases, the balance may be in donated goods and/or services.

Funding Priorities

The Foundation manages several funds that allow discretion to make grants that fund projects and programs that are responsive to changing community needs. These funds, our “Community Impact Funds,” are either Discretionary Funds, which allow the Foundation the flexibility to use its extensive knowledge of community issues and organizations to make grants that address emerging issues; or Field-of-Interest Funds, which give the Foundation grantmaking discretion within given areas of interest. With these funds, the Foundation utilizes the expertise of its staff and Board of Directors to identify opportunities to make grants that will have the most impact in the community.

Due to restrictions placed on some of our funds by our donors, preference may be given to organizations and/or programs that address the following issues:

• Homelessness: Organizations/programs that serve the needs of a homeless population;
• Disabilities: Organizations/programs that serve the needs of the intellectually and/or physically disabled, including the hearing and sight impaired;
• Land Conservation and Preservation: Organizations/programs that focus on the preservation/conservation of land for the protection of wildlife;
• New Americans: Organizations/programs that focus on supporting new Americans;
• Programs that benefit the residents of Amsterdam, NY: Organizations/programs that focus on the provision of services to the residents of Amsterdam, NY.

Funding Amount

Community Foundation Impact Grants usually range from $1,000 to $15,000. Grant period will not exceed one year.

Mission

The Bender Scientific Fund was established for the exclusive purpose of making grants to support and promote discovery and development in medicine, science and technology in the Capital Region.

Grants may be made to fund:

• Research in medicine and biotechnology and in life sciences.
• Educational and information-sciences projects related to medicine, biotechnology and life sciences.

The Fund is especially interested in research that addresses beginning research studies and in educational projects that would promote continuing discovery and learning. To this end, we encourage smaller nonprofit organizations and schools to apply for funding for projects that promote further exploration of medicine, biotechnology and life sciences by young people. 

• The Fund will not support institutional overhead, nor will it fund conferences or meetings;
• Projects involving human subjects, use of vertebrate animals, hazardous materials or recombinant DNA require special consideration;
• Funding is not routinely designated for salaries or per diems but will be considered when justified.

Community Partnership Award

The Mutual of America Foundation Community Partnership Award recognizes outstanding nonprofit organizations in the United States that have shown exemplary leadership by facilitating partnerships with public, private or social sector leaders who are working together as equal partners, not as donors and recipients, to build a cohesive community that serves as a model for collaborating with others for the greater good.

Each year, the Mutual of America Foundation sponsors a national competition in which hundreds of organizations demonstrate the value of their partnership to the communities they serve, their ability to be replicated by others and their capacity to stimulate new approaches to addressing significant social issues.

Six organizations are selected by an independent committee to receive the Community Partnership Award.

• The Thomas J. Moran Award is given to the national award-winning program and includes $100,000 and a documentary video about the program.
• The Frances R. Hesselbein Award is given to a partnership that is addressing social challenges in more than one community, or which demonstrates the potential to be replicated in other communities. This recipient receives $75,000.
• Four other organizations are named Honorable Mention recipients for their programs, and each receives $50,000.

Since its inception in 1996, the Community Partnership Award has recognized 262 partnerships from cities and towns across America. Like so many of our clients working in the nonprofit community, Mutual of America is dedicated to having a direct, positive impact on society.

Our Mission

The Hansen Family Foundation provides opportunities to domestic, international, secular, and non-secular organizations that support the American way of life, which is defined by the principles of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” 

Causes

Children

The Hansen Family Foundation supports causes dedicated to helping children both home as well as abroad. Learn More

Education

The Hansen Family Foundation believes that a decent education should be made available to everyone, young or old, the world over. Learn More

Animals

The Hansen Family Foundation believes in helping those who cannot speak on their own behalf. Learn More

Environmental

The Hansen Family Foundation is dedicated to preserving the world we all share. Learn More

Humanitarian

The Hansen Family Foundation views the plight of our fellow man as an opportunity to actively engage and effect change. Learn More

Arts & Culture

The Hansen Family Foundation supports all forms of artistic and cultural endeavors. Learn More