FINE -- The Clifton-Fine Community Fund of the Northern New York Community Foundation will support five projects with $6,000 in grant funding for initiatives and programs that benefit residents of six southeast St. Lawrence County communities.

A gift from the Stephen Moyer & Lester Allen Fund of the Community Foundation provided additional support for grant-making this year. The Clifton-Fine Community Fund was established at the Community Foundation in 2013 as a geographic- specific fund to support projects and programs that positively impact the quality of life in the southeast

St. Lawrence County region, specifically in the towns and hamlets of Fine, Oswegatchie, Star Lake, Newton Falls, Wanakena and Cranberry Lake. The fund aims to enhance the quality of life for all who live in the region while maximizing the opportunity for residents to give where they live.

“Geographic-specific community funds are very powerful in their ability to support programs and projects that might not otherwise happen. This fund was raised by people who love the Clifton-Fine region and want to invest in its future. It is rewarding to see this permanent charitable resource touch so many different areas of the region in meaningful ways,” said Rande Richardson, Community Foundation executive director.

The Northern New York Community Foundation stewards this charitable fund. To build initial support, the Foundation awarded a $50,000 challenge grant to donors interested in giving to this philanthropic resource. By the end of 2014, people from across the region came together to create a $100,000 community fund that will award grants to support local projects and nonprofit organizations in perpetuity.

The Clifton-Fine Economic Development Corp. and its Smart Growth Committee help manage grant requests and recommend funding annually. Since 2014, the Community Fund has awarded more than two-dozen organizations nearly $44,000 to support 40 projects and initiatives.

This year’s grant recipients are:

• Clifton-Fine Central School Backpack Program, $1,972 — Acquire T-shirts and support an angel tree

• Cranberry Lake North Shore Hub, $1,700 — Fund services to help rebuild a shoreline break wall.

• Cranberry Lake Fire & Rescue Department, $1,400 — Purchase two automated cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) devices.

• Clifton-Fine Lions Club, $828 — Help acquire two adult and two bariatric wheelchairs for patient transport.

• Clifton-Fine Economic Development Corp., $100 — For stewardship and increased awareness of the Clifton-Fine Community Fund.

The Clifton-Fine Community Fund will accept proposals for 2021 grant funding in August. Complete details and an application will be made available early next summer. Meanwhile, to help extend the effort and make a gift to the fund, visit nnycf.org to access secure online giving.