The Community Support Fund is a grant initiative operated by the Northern New York Community Foundation, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for residents in Northern New York. This fund is specifically designed to support nonprofit and charitable organizations that address essential community needs in Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties. The primary aim of the fund is to bolster food pantries and school-based programs, particularly those not supported by government funding, by enabling them to access critical food supplies.
Organizations eligible to apply include food pantries, soup kitchens, and school backpack programs that are affiliated with the Food Bank of Central New York. The funding awarded through this grant must be used strictly to purchase food from this food bank. This ensures that the resources are channeled efficiently toward addressing food insecurity through a centralized and trusted source.
Only organizations that qualify as 501(c)(3) nonprofits, have a fiscal sponsor, or fall into other categories eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions—such as schools, faith-based institutions, and public entities—are allowed to apply. Grants are not available to individuals. Furthermore, organizations may only receive one award per year, although additional funding requests may be considered at the discretion of the foundation.
The application process is rolling, meaning there is no set deadline, and proposals can be submitted at any time. The submission form requires detailed information about the applicant’s mission, project specifics, geographic focus, community collaborators, funding sources, budget breakdowns, expected outcomes, and how the organization will acknowledge the grantor's support. Applications must be completed through the provided online form, and all awarded funding must go directly toward purchasing food items from the Food Bank of Central New York.
Applicants are expected to provide several attachments including personnel qualifications, a current operating budget, a list of the Board of Directors, and any relevant supporting materials. The contact person for this grant is Emily Pfeil, Philanthropy Associate, who can be reached via email at emily@nnycf.org for any questions or additional information.
