CANTON -- The Canton Community Fund (CCF) Board of Directors began its 20th year with an organizational meeting on Sept. 3.

According to Board president Neal Burdick, the CCF exists to award grants of up to $2,000 to nonprofits in the Town and Village of Canton that are in need of funding for projects or initiatives that enhance the quality of life for Canton residents.

“Our job is to give money away,” Burdick says. “We encourage and welcome grant applications from Canton-based nonprofits.”

Recent recipients of grants have included the Banford Elementary School Special Education Class, for rehabilitation of the school garden; the Church & Community Program, for a freezer for its food bank; the Canton Day Care Center, for classroom furnishings; the Canton and Morley public libraries; and the Help Sami Kick Cancer Foundation, for commercial-class appliances at its Lodge at Dreaming Tree Ranch near Canton.

In addition to Burdick, the nine-member CCF Board consists of Louis Tremaine, secretary; Brett Thacher, treasurer; and Mary Ann Ashley, Barbara Beekman, John Casserly, Elizabeth Larrabee, Christopher Rediehs and Lenore VanderZee.

Grant application guidelines, as well as tips for making a gift and other information about the CCF, can be found at www.cantoncommunityfund.org.

The Fund is a subsidiary of the Northern New York Community Foundation, Watertown, which manages its finances.