Question 1

Who can apply for support?

Accepted Answer

Nonprofit organizations, schools, and municipalities located in or serving the people of the Adirondack Region, defined for this purpose as all of Clinton, Franklin, Essex, and Hamilton counties as well as the parts of St. Lawrence, Warren, Lewis, Fulton, Herkimer, Saratoga and Washington counties within the Adirondack Park boundary as well as the Akwesasne Saint Regis Mohawk Reservation. Nonprofit organizations must pass our due diligence check and be in good standing for their application to be considered.

Question 2

How do I apply?

Accepted Answer

Applications are available through our Online Grants Manager. You can also find a sample budget here.

Question 3

Can I request Generous Acts funding for operational support?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely! Applicants can request funding for capacity building or operations, such as training, tech upgrades, staffing, equipment, etc. For an operational support request, please use the narrative sections to elaborate on how the funding will support your goals for the upcoming year and what community impact you expect to result from your efforts.
If you are requesting funding for a new position in particular, include your plans for sustaining the position in the narrative sections.

Question 4

What is the average grant size?

Accepted Answer

Generous Acts awards both small grants that range from $2,500 - $7,500 and several larger grants that invest in long-term change and range from $10,000 - $30,000.

Question 5

How often are applications accepted?

Accepted Answer

Once a year. The 2026 application will open in December of 2026.

Question 6

Are there programs or projects you do not fund?

Accepted Answer

We typically do not fund capital campaigns, regranting programs, tuition assistance, or one-time events. With limited resources, we are looking for opportunities that will have the greatest impact for the dollars available to award.

Question 7

What is the review process for applications?

Accepted Answer

Committees of trustees, community council members, and advisors work with our program staff to review applications. During the review process, we may call an applicant for additional information or clarification, request a meeting, or reach out to regional experts for guidance.
Applications are evaluated based on four main criteria. In addition to our evaluation criteria below, please
review the specific priority area guidance below for promising approaches that we fund in the basic needs,
educational pathways, and economic vitality.

1. Alignment - The degree to which the request aligns with Adirondack Community Foundation’s priority areas.
2. Need - Articulation of need (e.g., working to address inequality, reaching an underserved
population). The request connects with the larger problem you are trying to solve, need you are
addressing, or change you’d like to affect in the community you serve.
3. Effectiveness - The degree to which the applicant leverages partnerships, community resources,
and outside funding to maximize impact AND The extent to which the expected outcomes and plan
for measuring success are clear and feasible.
4. Capacity - The applicant has the skills, capacity, and knowledge to carry out the work.

Question 8

Do you share my application with other funders?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Our goal with Generous Acts is to amplify giving and granting for the betterment of our region. We share applications with donors, fundholders, and other foundations who are interested in learning about regional granting opportunities.

Our partners with the Hudson Headwaters Upstream Fund review applications – looking for alignment with their goals to support community-based projects that address socioeconomic issues affecting health. For the applications they select, Hudson Headwaters will make payments directly to the recipients through their Upstream Fund, which is separate from Adirondack Community Foundation.

Question 9

If I'm applying on behalf of a town or school, do I need to submit the full town or school budget?

Accepted Answer

No, please just share your project budget in the “budget and timeline” field and upload a summary of the town or school overall expenses in the “financial statements” field.

Question 10

Can I submit more than one application?

Accepted Answer

It depends, here are some things to keep in mind:
If your organization is large, multi-faceted and operates in multiple communities and offers multiple types of programming you can submit more than one request as long as it is serving different audiences or communities. (Example: County-wide agencies such as JCEO, or Adirondack Community Outreach or Cornell Cooperative Extension)

If you are a school or institution, please only submit one request per school building. (Example: Lake Placid Middle High School could submit one request, and Lake Placid Elementary School could submit one request).

You may also ask for support for different programs within the same application. Just be sure to clearly delineate the amount requested for each project in your project budget and in the funding description narrative. (Example: Teachers in the same building can partner up on one application.)

Question 11

When will I find out if my application has been awarded?

Accepted Answer

You should hear about the status of your grant application the end of March.

Basic Needs

Generous Acts Fund

Small Grants for Small Food Pantries Fund

Saranac Lake Education Fund

Lake Placid Education Foundation

Allen Family Career Advancement Fund

Community Fund for the Gore Mountain Region

Special and Urgent Needs (SUN) Fund

Small Grants for Small Children Fund

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