Statement of Grant Intent

The Schenectady Foundation invests in projects that benefit people who live or work in Schenectady County, NY. The Statement of Grant Intent describes the overarching principles guiding the Foundation's grant program. These are:

Community Benefit

The Schenectady Foundation's grants are intended to achieve a community benefit or to resolve a community problem. The needs of applicant non-profit businesses are not an emphasis of the Foundation's grants.

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 changes, and that the grant request is also adequate to make the project successful.

Diverse Community Support

Projects need to demonstrate financial support from the community, including other private foundations or funders. While The Schenectady Foundation may be a significant funder for a project, it will rarely be the only source of private funds.

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. The Foundation's distribution of grant funds is intended to serve the entire 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.

Self-Sustaining

The Foundation does not support new programs or expansion of existing programs without a valid plan for sustaining them. The Foundation is unlikely to approve a grant without strong evidence that the program (or facility) can be sustained.

Build Capacity

TSF values projects that build or enhance an organization's or the community's capacity to provide service. 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 with other organizations and services in the community, in order to increase their potential to achieve change, are of special interest to the Foundation.