The Remp Sawyer Community Fund accepts grant applications from Northern nonprofit organizations

WATERTOWN – Nonprofits serving the residents of Boonville, Constableville and Westernville have until Friday, April 22 to apply for 2022 grant support from the Kenneth V. and Jeannette Remp Sawyer Community Fund at the Northern New York Community Foundation.

The fund was established in 2018 to support programs, projects and initiatives that impact the quality of life in Boonville, Constableville and Westernville. The Northern New York Community Foundation administers this enduring, charitable legacy fund that awards grants annually. Up to $50,000 in grants are available this year.

“What Mr. and Mrs. Sawyer have created is a thoughtful approach to continue their giving to three communities that matter most to them,” said Max DelSignore, associate director of the Northern New York Community Foundation. “Her pride in the community is embedded in the grantmaking achieved through her legacy fund and the significant impact it will have for years to come.”

In 2021, 11 projects received grants totaling $46,400, including:

Constable Hall Association – to assist with essential exterior work and coach house restoration;

Erwin Library and Institute to install new heating for the reading area on the second floor and
purchase of audio and video equipment to support library programs;

Village of Boonville – to help create a safe footpath for residents to access the community
Just a large grocery store, buying technology and equipment needed to continue volunteer income tax
Utility Program (VITA) and the purchase of new American flags for Little Village Park;

Boonville Cemetery Association – supporting continued efforts to update and digitize burial records;

Constableville Volunteer Fire Company – Purchased a heart monitor and trained the company
eight EMTs for use while answering calls;

Dodge Pratt Northam Art and Community Center – Support for the center’s popular robotics and
summer visual arts programs for youth ages 4 to 16;

North Country Community Youth Soccer – to help purchase essential equipment for a youth program
that attracts more than 200 participants in preschool through sixth grade;

Western Town Library to improve technology for library visitors and purchase equipment to strengthen
Resources that support the human and social needs of the guests; and

Adirondack Community Chorus – Support for community music performances in Boonville,
Constableville and Westernville.

Online application

Nonprofit organizations are reminded to apply for funding from the Kenneth V. and Jeannette Remp Sawyer Community Fund through the Community Foundation’s online Grant Lifecycle Manager (GLM) system on their website. If eligible nonprofits already have an existing account in the online system, click the Apply button in the top left corner of your user dashboard and scroll to find the Sawyer Community Fund application to begin.

Nonprofit organizations applying for the first time should create a single user account for the organization. The portal has a simple user interface that guides users step-by-step through the process of signing up and applying.

Resources are available on the foundation’s website, nnycf.org/grants, and on the portal’s login page to learn more about the process.

To be eligible for Community Foundation grants, nonprofit organizations must be classified by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) organization. Other facilities may be eligible depending on request. Additional grant opportunities through the Community Foundation will be available on the GLM platform in the coming months. For questions about the GLM system, contact the Kraig Everard Community Foundation Director of Stewardship and Programs, [email protected] or 315-782-7110.

The deadline for submitting a proposal for consideration is Friday, April 22, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. Scholarships are awarded
announced after the Community Foundation’s quarterly board meeting in June. Contact Max DelSignore
Community Foundation Assistant Director, [email protected], or 315-782-7110, for grant policies or learning
more about the Kenneth V. and Jeannette Remp Sawyer Community Fund.

About the donors

Mr. and Mrs. Sawyer have participated in many community events and activities over the years and have served on local boards and committees. A native of Boonville, Mr. Sawyer served in the US Army and enjoyed a career with the Layng Furniture Company and as a supervisor at Erwin Park in Boonville. Above all, he was a talented musician. He played tenor sax in his high school band and clarinet in the Boonville Village Band. He played frequently with three separate drum and bugle corps in Boonville and Rome. He died in 2008.

Ms. Sawyer had a successful career spanning more than 45 years at Rome Savings Bank and was an avid follower of the stock market. She also served on the finance committee of the Boonville United Methodist Church. She supported organizations such as the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Dodge Pratt Northam Art and Community Center, the Erwin Library, and the Boonville
Graveyard. She died in 2015.

In 2017, the Kenneth V. Sawyer and Jeannette Remp Sawyer Scholarship Fund was established by the Northern New York Community Foundation to help graduate students from the Adirondack Central School. The endowment fund awards two forever scholarships each year and supports the business and music endeavors of district high school graduates.