News
February 13th, 2012
Celebrating the 2011 Our Rural Community Grant Awardees
Alcohol and Drug Council's Erin Monroe receiving a grant from the Erin Schlather Memorial Fund presented by donor advisor Kathy Schlather
On December 12, 2011, the Community Foundation celebrated the accomplishments and optimism of rural residents in Tompkins County by awarding 19 grants to 15 organizations and municipalities totaling over $58,000. These grants will build and strengthen programs to support community in Caroline, Danby, Dryden, Enfield, Groton, Lansing, Newfield and Ulysses.
The majority of grants are from the Tompkins Today and Tomorrow Fund with additional support from donor advised and field of interest funds of the Community Foundation. Our staff is skilled at sharing grant requests with you to assist you in achieving you donor advisor philanthropic goals.
This grant cycle is in response to the Foundation’s “Listening and Learning” Sessions that were carried out in 2010-11 in select rural townships of Tompkins County. These meetings invited local rural leaders to explore needs and assets in their localities.
We look forward to seeing you at our 2012 grant award ceremonies in June and December. Invitations to follow later this year.
Grants were awarded in the following categories
• Improvement of rural access to needed services
1. Town of Ulysses for an enhanced youth employment program
2. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County for the Caroline Great Race public transit for youth project
3. Trumansburg Conservatory of Fine Arts for ceiling repair and sound system purchase
4. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County to support skill development for expectant parents and parents of young children in rural towns
5. Friendship Donations Network for transportation of food to rural pantries
6. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County for van transportation of Groton youth field trips and Cornell mentoring services
• Improvement of rural access to information by way of technology and outreach
1. Hangar Theatre for extending the “My Brother Martin” stage production to Lansing, Dryden, Groton, Trumansburg and Newfield schools
2. SPCA of Tompkins County for spay/neuter assistance in rural communities
3. Women’s Opportunities Center for employment readiness supplies for rural women
4. Catholic Charities for personal care product expansion to Groton food pantries
5. Alternatives Venture Fund for an expansion of the entrepreneurship workshops to a rural community
6. Alternatives Venture Fund to expand volunteer income tax assistance program to rural communities
• Enhancement of volunteerism and/or leadership development
1. Town of Lansing for at-risk youth employment training
2. Habitat for Humanity of Tompkins and Cortland counties for a mobile training and tools unit
3. Alcohol and Drug Council of Tompkins County for a peer educator leadership retreat