Grants

A Foundation Focused on Schenectady County
The Schenectady Foundation invests in projects that benefit people who live or work in Schenectady County, NY. The Foundation's grants committee ensures that funds are well spent - invested in projects that have an impact on those they serve. A variety of projects receive support - human services, education, health and arts & cultural.

While the Foundation seeks to support a broad array of projects, and to serve people and communities through Schenectady County, most grants are focused in three strategic emphasis areas: Child Health & Development, Community Health and Youth Achievement. These emphasis areas may change periodically based on identified community need.

The overarching principles guiding the Foundation's grant program are:

Community Benefit

The Schenectady Foundation's grants are intended to achieve a community benefit or to resolve a community problem.

Promote Change!

Grants are intended to promote change and improvement in the community. The project must demonstrate that it is on a scale sufficient to achieve meaningful change.

Diverse Community Support

Projects need to demonstrate financial support from the community. The Schenectady Foundation may be a significant funder of a project, but rarely the only source.

Serve the Entire County

The Foundation supports projects throughout Schenectady County, as well as those in adjoining areas that benefit people who live or work in Schenectady County.

Benefit People Most in Need

The Schenectady Foundation takes a special interest in those projects that impact the most economically distressed people and neighborhoods in the community.

Leadership

Skilled, passionate leadership is a key to success. Knowing who will lead the charge for the project and drive it to completion is a critical element in the grant process.

Sustainability

The Foundation is unlikely to approve a grant without strong evidence that the program (or facility) can be sustained.

Build Capacity

The Foundation's grants improve the effectiveness of programs, fill a service niche, or develop underutilized assets of the community.

Financial Need

Proposals must establish their financial need for support of the project. Unrestricted funds available to the organization are considered in the grant decisions.

Effective Collaboration

Projects that establish collaborations or partnership in order to increase their potential to achieve change, are of special interest to the Foundation.