POTSDAM — Four nonprofit organizations that deliver arts, culture, history and wellness-based programs to greater Potsdam residents will share $16,000 in grant funding through the John and Dorotha VanNess Family Fund of the Northern New York Community Foundation.
The family legacy fund of John S. and Dorotha T. VanNess is a permanent grantmaking fund that supports programs, activities and initiatives that improve the quality of life in the Potsdam area. The VanNess’s daughter, Susan J. Sewall, established the fund at the Community Foundation in 2018 as a lasting tribute to her parents’ service.
This year’s grant recipients are:
North Country Children’s Museum — $10,000 to support the museum’s continued expansion with a custom-made clear piano exhibit as part of its music and sound lab that promotes playful, interactive, arts-based learning. Visitors will learn about the technology behind music making through interpretative signage, play and exploration. Grant funding will be used for fabrication and installation of the clear piano.
Potsdam Snack Pack Program — $2,500 to help purchase a double-sided refrigerator or freezer unit to enable expansion of offerings to include perishable fruit and vegetable items. The new equipment is anticipated to reduce the weekly cost of food items by 10%. The storage and packing facilities have also recently moved to the school to streamline packing efforts and increase visibility.
Bayside Cemetery Association — $2,500 to support continued efforts to restore the structural integrity of a plaque-bearing tower. The next phase of restoration includes completion of an urn-bearing tower and walls that adjoin the gatehouse.
North Country Center for Yoga and Health — $1,000 to support a “Yoga in the Schools” program that began last year in Potsdam Central Schools with a series of enrichment classes for fourth- and fifth-graders and in high school physical education classes. Grant funding will help with instructor fees to make the program available to additional classes this school year.
Since it began grantmaking in 2019, the John and Dorotha VanNess Family Fund has supported 17 organizations serving the greater Postdam area through $56,000 in grant awards.
Sewall created the family fund as part of her charitable legacy plans. Following her sudden passing in 2017, the VanNess Family Fund was established to recognize the family’s long-standing commitment to improve the quality of life in the greater Potsdam area.
The Community Foundation will announce the next application round in late spring 2025. Contact Kraig Everard, director of stewardship and programs, 315-782-7110, or [email protected], to learn more.
