The Dr. D. Susan Badenhausen Legacy Fund of the Northern New York Community Foundation is now accepting grant applications for 2024 funding from charitable organizations whose work improves the quality of life in St. Lawrence County.

Grant funding is available to nonprofit organizations that serve St. Lawrence County and whose efforts align with one or more of the following focus areas: arts and culture; conservation and wildlife preservation; educational programs; and general health and well-being.

The fund benefits causes and organizations that Dr. Badenhausen treasured and valued most and serves as an enduring embodiment of her interests and passions while providing annual grants to organizations that support the same.

All organizations seeking grant support must apply by Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, through the Community Foundation’s online grant portal at at bit.ly/grant-portal.

A total of up to $50,000 in funding is available this year. Successful applicants may receive full or partial funding of their requested amount with a year from the date of the award to complete the project or program. While a single project could be funded, it has been the general practice to accommodate several grants that are meaningful in nature with the total funding available.

“Dr. Badenhausen’s legacy is one of care, commitment, and generosity, and it’s an honor to help steward that forward,” said Kraig Everard, Community Foundation director of stewardship and programs. “We are eager to see what projects local nonprofits will propose this year and how they will continue to improve quality of life for so many in the region.”

Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the Foundation to discuss requests before submission. Requests will not be considered for work commencing prior to Dec. 31, 2024, and requests for reimbursement of any project or program will not qualify.

Last year, 10 St. Lawrence County organizations shared $47,195 in grant support that include: Priority Wellness Campaign, Watertown, to expand mental health services for first responders in St. Lawrence County; Bayside Cemetery Association, Potsdam, to support an arboreal conservation project; Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County to bring the Celebrating Community, Family, and Food Cooking Series to St. Lawrence County residents; Edwards Arts Council to present “The Barb Heller Variety Show;” Fort La Presentation Association, Ogdensburg, to help expand the Abbe’ Picquet Trail onto Van Rensselaer Point; St. Lawrence County Arts Council, Canton, to support the Ives Park Concert Series; Traditional Arts in Upstate New York (TAUNY), Canton, to support the “Fiddling with Traditions” program in five St. Lawrence County K-8 schools; Potsdam Humane Society to help present a zoology summer camp in collaboration with the North Country Children’s Museum and SUNY Potsdam’s biology department; PCS Music Friends, Potsdam, to support a contemporary music education program at Potsdam High School; Brasher Falls Central School District to support the High School Robotics Club, which engages students in the First Tech Challenge Robotics League.

This permanent charitable fund was established at the Community Foundation in 2019 through a bequest from St. Lawrence County resident and retired physician Dr. D. Susan Badenhausen who passed away in September 2018 at the age of 83. The Foundation administers the fund in collaboration with longtime representatives of Dr. Badenhausen’s legacy who review applications and recommend grant funding.

Applications and guidelines for the Dr. D. Susan Badenhausen Legacy Fund may be accessed through the Foundation’s Grant Lifecycle Manager portal.

Complete grant proposals must be submitted online by 5 p.m., Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. Grant decisions will be announced in early 2024. The Community Foundation will notify all applicants of the status of their grant by Friday, Jan. 17, 2024. Contact Kraig Everard with questions or to learn more at kraig@nnycf.org, or 315-782-7110.