POTSDAM — A new permanent charitable fund has been established to support community projects and programs in the Potsdam area through the Northern New York Community Foundation.

The Potsdam Community Fund was created with a $250,000 founding gift from Potsdam natives David and Ellen Wagner. The endowed fund will provide grants for local projects aimed at improving quality of life, with support for initiatives that may not qualify for funding through other sources.

The fund will begin awarding grants this year.

"While we have lived in several college towns, we have always felt Potsdam is a very special place to have begun our journey," David Wagner said. "For us, it is a vibrant, unique community where we are pleased to be able to be meaningfully involved. We are always proud to claim Potsdam as our hometown."

David Wagner graduated from Potsdam High School in 1961. He and Ellen Wagner met as sixth-grade students in Potsdam before pursuing careers in higher education, philanthropy and business. After working at several colleges and foundations, the couple founded Evanston Capital in Chicago in 2002.

The Wagners have supported local education through the Northern New York Community Foundation since 2012, when they established the Potsdam Educational Opportunities Fund to provide grants for projects in the Potsdam Central School District.

To help launch the new community fund, the Community Foundation has committed a $100,000 matching grant. New donations to the fund will be matched dollar for dollar.

"It is exciting to be able to launch this new resource, which will have an enduring impact in a broadly specific way on the Potsdam area and those who call it home," Community Foundation President and CEO Rande S. Richardson said. "Other communities where these funds have been established have shown how they can be a valuable tool to further build civic pride and enhance quality of life in deeply meaningful and lasting ways."

The Potsdam Community Fund will support projects in education, arts and culture, history, community development, beautification, health and wellness, recreation and related areas. Eligible nonprofit organizations serving the Potsdam community may apply for grants at https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=nnycf .

Up to $20,000 in competitive grant funding will be awarded during the inaugural grant cycle. Applications are due Aug. 14, and grant recipients are expected to be announced in early October.

The foundation also announced two one-time grants totaling $10,000 to mark the fund's launch and recognize the Wagners' commitment to education. The Sandstoner Foundation will receive $5,000 to support its current matching campaign, while the Potsdam High School Class of 2027 will receive $5,000 for future community grantmaking directed by class leaders.

An advisory committee of Potsdam residents will review applications and recommend grant awards. The committee includes Village Mayor Alexandra Jacobs Wilke and community members Amanda Hitterman, Rose Rivezzi and Mimi Van Deusen.

The Potsdam Community Fund joins the Canton Community Fund, Six Town Community Fund and Clifton-Fine Community Fund as place-based charitable funds administered by the Northern New York Community Foundation.