POTSDAM — Four nonprofit organizations serving greater Potsdam residents will share $16,000 in grant funding thanks to the generosity of the late John S. and Dorotha T. VanNess who continue to strengthen the community they loved. 

Through a series of new grant awards that impact the Potsdam area, John and Dorotha’s commitment to the community endures. The John and Dorotha VanNess Family Fund of the Northern New York Community Foundation recently approved $16,000 in support for four nonprofits that deliver arts, culture, history, and wellness-based programs. 

The family legacy fund is a permanent grantmaking fund that supports programs, activities, and initiatives that improve the quality of life in the Potsdam area. Mr. and Mrs. VanNess’s daughter, Susan J. Sewall established the fund at the Community Foundation in 2018 as a lasting tribute to her parents’ service.

“The enduring gift from the VanNess Family Fund continues to impact residents of all ages,” said Max DelSignore, Community Foundation assistant director. “By supporting children and families, and through promotion of community wellness and beautification, these programs and projects will give the greater Potsdam area another meaningful boost in a lasting way.”     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 interpretive 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 percent. 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 Potsdam area through $56,000 in grant awards.

Mrs. 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. Mrs. Sewall believed that strong and healthy communities help provide the backdrop from which many other aspects of community vibrancy and development can occur.

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 kraig@nnycf.org, to learn more.

John S. VanNess was active in Potsdam government and served as village mayor from 1955 to 1961. He also held leadership positions with the Potsdam Chamber of Commerce, Potsdam Rotary Club and was a trustee at Paul Smith’s College.

Dorotha (Ticknor) VanNess began teaching at Potsdam High School in 1939 and later joined her husband in the management of Sunshine Stores. She served as president of the Canton-Potsdam Hospital Guild and was an active member of Potsdam United Methodist Church.

Their daughter, Susan J. Sewall, admired her parents’ public service and commitment to improving the place they loved. Before her untimely passing in 2017, she made plans to establish this fund to forever honor them.