The Rock Charitable Fund of the Northern New York Community Foundation welcomes applications for 2024 grant support from qualified charitable organizations, houses of worship, cemeteries, or governmental entities that serve St. Lawrence County residents.

Grant funding is available to organizations whose missions and efforts align with the fund’s charitable purposes, which are: to benefit or assist veterans of the United States military with their medical or recreational needs who live in St. Lawrence County; for the maintenance and preservation of churches, houses of worship, and cemeteries in St. Lawrence County; and for the preservation and maintenance of places of legitimate historical significance in the county.

While projects that focus on each charitable purpose will be evaluated for funding, those that aid St. Lawrence County U.S. military veterans will receive priority consideration this year.

All organizations applying for funding must do so through the Community Foundation’s online Grant Lifecycle Manager, which may be accessed at bit.ly/grant-portal.

At least $100,000 in grant funding is available, and successful applicants may receive full or partial funding of their requested amount. While one sole project could be funded, it is the committee’s practice to accommodate several grants that are meaningful in nature with the total funding available.

In 2023, eight projects were awarded grant funding totaling $138,000 that include: $26,000 to Zion Episcopal Church, Colton, to repoint stones on three sides of the church; $25,000 to Congregation Beth El, Potsdam, to complete critical maintenance and repairs, including masonry work, facade repair, and exterior painting; $25,000 to First Presbyterian Church, Canton, to rehabilitate the steeple, ensure its structural integrity, and preserve its historical significance; $25,000 to St. John’s Episcopal Church, Massena, to address water infiltration issues on the south side of the church building; A $10,000 funding commitment to Hale Cemetery Association, Norfolk, to help protect and restore the most public facing focal point of the property, a cobblestone arch erected in the 1920s; $10,000 to the Lisbon Cemetery Association to replace two irreparable stones in the White Church Cemetery, which the Association maintains; $10,000 to the Town of Morristown to help restore the Morristown Stone Windmill, a significant historic structure that dates to 1825; and $7,000 to the Edwards Arts Council to help preserve the historical integrity of the building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Organizations that have received a grant award from this charitable fund must wait three years before applying for new funding. Awards to support veterans may only be made to qualified veteran organizations and cannot be made directly to individuals. Grants are not, however, restricted to Veterans Service Organizations and can be awarded to any nonprofit to help with programs or initiatives that directly support veterans.

The Rock Charitable Fund was established at the Community Foundation in 2019 through a bequest from St. Lawrence County resident and retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Marjorie J. Rock, who passed away in February 2017 at the age of 96.

“The Rock Charitable Fund is a powerful tribute to Marjorie’s enduring dedication to her community and its history,” said Kraig Everard, Community Foundation director of stewardship and programs. “We are proud to support projects that honor her legacy and meet the needs of St. Lawrence County and look forward to continuing this important work.”

The Community Foundation administers this permanent charitable legacy fund in collaboration with a seven-member St. Lawrence County-based board of advisors that reviews applications and makes funding recommendations. Advisors include Ruth McWilliams, South Colton; Erik Backus, Potsdam; Fred Hanss, Hannawa Falls; Colin Hostetter, Lisbon; Chris Rediehs, Canton; Mark Thompson, Watertown; and Keith Zimmerman, Canton.

Requests for funding will not be considered for work that begins before Dec. 31, 2024. Successful applicants will have up to three years to complete their project or program. Applications and guidelines for the Rock Charitable Fund may be accessed through the Foundation’s Grant Lifecycle Manager portal. However, applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the Community Foundation to discuss requested amounts and project details before submitting grant proposals.

Complete grant proposals must be submitted online by 5 p.m., Friday, Sept. 6, 2024. Grant decisions will be made in December 2024. The Community Foundation will notify all applicants of the status of their proposal by Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. Contact Kraig Everard, Community Foundation director of stewardship and programs, with any application or grant questions at kraig@nnycf.org or 315-782-7110.

Second Lieutenant Marjorie J. Rock, U.S. Army Nurse Corps, 1942. Ms. Rock retired from the Army as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1970 and made St. Lawrence County her home.

Ms. Rock grew up in St. Lawrence County and graduated from Heuvelton High School in 1937. In 1941, she graduated from the three-year nursing program at Flower Fifth Avenue School in New York City. The following year, she joined the U.S. Army Nurse Corps, serving in North Africa and Italy during World War II. After the war, she attended Teachers College at Columbia University where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1948 and a Master of Arts in 1950.

She spent six years teaching in nursing programs, first as an instructor for Hartford Hospital in Connecticut and later at New York City’s Lennox Hill Hospital. She returned to active Army service in 1954 to assist with medical courses for enlisted personnel and helped to establish a medical education system, particularly in the United States, Japan, and Germany. She served as a supervisor, chief nurse, instructor and director of an advance medical technician school. Her last overseas duty was in Vietnam.

In 1970, she retired from the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant Colonel and returned to St. Lawrence County, joining her mother in Ogdensburg to help with her care. She earned many honors during her Army service, including the Bronze Star and Army Commendation Medal. Her only sibling, a brother, was killed in 1944 while piloting a P-47 Thunderbolt plane over Normandy. For the rest of her life, Ms. Rock made St. Lawrence County her home while traveling with friends, caring for others, and assisting her church and other organizations, including the Army Nurse Corps Association and other veterans’ groups. She maintained a keen interest in documenting local history and furthering the education of others in the county.