LAKE PLACID — Adirondack Foundation has changed its name to Adirondack Community Foundation, a move officials say highlights the organization’s long-standing mission to strengthen communities through donor generosity, partnerships and strategic investment.
“Adding the word community to our name is about clarity and purpose,” William Creighton, board chair of Adirondack Community Foundation, said. “It reflects who we’ve always been — a community foundation, not a private foundation. It’s philanthropy that’s of, for, and about the people of the Adirondack region — and it signals our continued commitment to bringing donors together to meet urgent needs and build a stronger future.”
Since its founding in 1997, Adirondack Community Foundation has grown to steward more than 300 charitable funds created by individuals, families, businesses and nonprofits. The foundation says it is the largest grantmaker in the Adirondack region, awarding more than $10 million annually to support local nonprofits, schools and municipalities, often in partnership with fundholders who make grants with community foundation guidance.
“My husband Jim Herman and I opened a donor advised fund at Adirondack Community Foundation, because its network of both donors and nonprofits meant we could join with others to have a greater impact than we could make on our own,” Dave Mason, of Keene, said.
The Adirondack Community Foundation says it supports solutions to various issues including food insecurity, affordable housing, child care access, educational opportunity and economic development. Recent initiatives include:
– Reweaving the Adirondack Social Safety Net through partnerships with the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation and the John Rugge Center for Community Impact.
– Advancing early childhood outcomes through the Adirondack Birth to Three Alliance.
– Supporting local job creation through the Adirondack Innovation Initiative.
– Fostering civic engagement via the Trust for Civic Life.
– Making local impact investments in workforce housing and small business development.
“Adirondack Community Foundation is a lasting, trusted source of support in the good times and the bad,” Cali Brooks, president and CEO, said. “We are here during economic downturns, climate emergencies and pandemics. In these uncertain times, we’re equipped for the long haul, ready to provide stability when our neighbors need it the most.”
To learn more about Adirondack Community Foundation, visit www.adkcommunityfoundation.org