FINE — Nonprofit organizations that serve residents of the Clifton-Fine region in St. Lawrence County may now apply online for 2021 grant funding from the Clifton-Fine Community Fund of the Northern New York Community Foundation.

The fund supports projects, activities, and initiatives that enhance the quality of life for residents of Cranberry Lake, Fine, Oswegatchie, Star Lake, Newton Falls and Wanakena. Successful projects or programs should advance community programs, projects, and initiatives that will have yearlong, meaningful impact across the region.

All organizations applying for funding must do so by Friday, Aug. 27, through the Community Foundation’s online Grant Lifecycle Manager, which may be accessed at nnycf.org/grants. Nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organizations are eligible and encouraged to apply.

This year, the geographic-specific fund will award up to $6,000.

Five projects were awarded grants totaling $6,000 from the Clifton-Fine Community Fund last year. Grant awards also included support from the Lester Allen and Stephen Moyer Fund. The recipients were:

•       Clifton-Fine Central School Backpack Program — $1,972 to support an angel tree to build school spirit.

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

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

•        Clifton-Fine Lions Club — $828 to 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 Community Foundation collaborates with the Clifton-Fine region’s Smart Growth Committee and the Clifton-Fine Economic Development Fund on the stewardship of applications and grants. Multiple funding requests are likely to receive grant support. Contact Clifton-Fine Smart Growth Committee members Malinda Riquelme, malindariquelme@gmail.com, or Halsey Bagg, halseybagg@gmail.com, with questions about a specific project or program.

Applicants should contact Max DelSignore, Community Foundation assistant director, at max@nnycf.org, or 315-782-7110, to discuss amounts being requested prior to submission or to learn more about this funding opportunity. Requests will not be considered for work commencing prior to September 28, 2021. Grant recipients will have up to one year from the date of award to complete the project.

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 six 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.

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.

Since 2014, the Community Fund has awarded more than two-dozen organizations nearly $50,000 to support 45 projects and initiatives.