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ADIRONDACK FOUNDATION
LAKE PLACID, NY · EIN 161535724 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE T310 · Philanthropy & Grantmaking · Large ($10M-$50M) · adkcommunityfoundation.org
revenue
$21.6M
expenses
$12.8M
net assets
$88.5M
employees
15
volunteers
43
program ratio
91%
mission · from form 990

CONNECTING PEOPLE, IDEAS, AND RESOURCES TO IMPROVE LIVES AND EXPAND OPPORTUNITIES ACROSS THE ADIRONDACK REGION.

profile · synthesized from sources

Adirondack Foundation is a community foundation that connects donors with charitable causes across the Adirondack region of New York. It builds and manages permanent charitable funds, supports donor-advised giving, and distributes grants to strengthen local communities. The foundation focuses on long-term community impact through strategic philanthropy, legacy giving, and responsive grantmaking in areas such as education, environment, health, and economic vitality.

named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

Adirondack Birth to Three Alliance (BT3)
Supports early childhood development and family services for children from birth to age three in the Adirondacks.
Adirondack Innovation Initiative (A2i)
Program focused on fostering innovation and economic development in the region through strategic investments and partnerships.
Generous Acts Fund
Unrestricted fund that responds to pressing community needs and invests in systems change across the Adirondack region.
Special and Urgent Needs Fund
Provides rapid-response grants to address emergent challenges facing communities in the Adirondack region.
activities · 7 groups

What they do

  • Local High School Scholarship Programs 1 activity
    • Awarding college and career training scholarships
      Offers renewable scholarships for postsecondary education, including a $5,000 annual award renewable for up to three additional years (maximum $20,000 total) contingent on academic progress. Also provides grants supporting credentialing, licensure, internships, degrees, or certificate programs for working residents in specific Adirondack communities.
  • Nonprofit Capacity Building Services 1 activity
    • Building regional nonprofit and community capacity
      Connects and mobilizes resources across a network of donors, nonprofits, foundations, businesses, civic leaders, schools, and municipalities to strengthen regional systems. Hosts convenings to build nonprofit capacity and leads initiatives such as the Adirondack Birth to Three Alliance (BT3) and the Strengthening the Adirondack Social Safety Net project.
  • Nonprofit Sector Research & Data Analysis 1 activity
    • Conducting community needs research
      Leads research initiatives to understand community needs and identify strategic opportunities for philanthropic investment in the Adirondack region.
  • Endowment and Gift Fund Management 1 activity
    • Establishing and managing donor-advised and legacy funds
      Works with donors and their advisors to create tax-efficient legacy gifts and establish donor-advised or designated funds. Manages fund agreements that define the purpose of charitable assets and the Foundation’s stewardship responsibilities, activated upon receipt of the first gift.
  • Capital Infrastructure Funding 1 activity
    • Facilitating place-based impact investments
      Allocates up to 2% of its main investment pool to place-based investments that support workforce housing, small business development, and lower-cost transportation loans in Adirondack communities.
  • Community Foundation & United Way Support 1 activity
    • Funding community initiatives through grantmaking
      Administers grant awards across the Adirondack region in partnership with donors, distributing over $83 million in grants and scholarship awards since 1997 to nonprofits, schools, communities, and students. Focus areas are guided by the Strong Community Framework, investing in promising regional opportunities.
  • Flexible Grants to Grassroots Organizations 1 activity
    • Funding infrastructure improvements for small food pantries
      Provides one-time grants of up to $1,500 to support small food pantry infrastructure, including equipment upgrades, technology improvements, volunteer training, and signage promoting healthy food choices.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$21.59M
Contributions & grants$15.41M71%
Program service revenue$1.62M8%
Investment income$4.56M21%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$12.85M
Program expenses91%
Admin / overhead5%
Fundraising4%
Salaries & benefits$1.39M
Grants paid out$9.17M
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$117.80M
Cash$3.12M
Investments$112.82M
Liabilities$29.31M
Net assets$88.49M
Liquid reserves108.3 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +50.5%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 5
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
CALI BROOKS PRESIDENT & CEO 50 $181K
MATT DONAHUE VP PHILANTHROPY 40 $132K
BRANDY HOBSON INTERIM CFO 40 $124K
LORI BELLINGHAM VP COMMUNITY IMPACT 32 $118K
STEPHANIE PIANKA CFO 39 $43K
board members · 20
  • ADAM BOUDREAU — TRUSTEE
  • BARRY NEEDLEMAN — TRUSTEE
  • BILL CREIGHTON — CHAIR
  • BILL POWERS — TRUSTEE
  • CRAIG LEGGETT — TRUSTEE
  • CRAIG WEATHERUP — TRUSTEE
  • DAVID BRUNNER — TRUSTEE
  • DAVID SAND — SECRETARY
  • DEB CLEARY — TRUSTEE
  • ETIENNE BOILLOT — TRUSTEE
  • JAMES IRELAND III — TRUSTEE
  • JAMIE BAXTER — TREASURER
  • JIM ALLISON — TRUSTEE
  • JOAN GRABE — TRUSTEE
  • JULIA RACE — TRUSTEE
  • KATHLEEN COLSON — TRUSTEE
  • LAWSON PRINCE ALLEN — TRUSTEE
  • LEA PAINE HIGHET — TRUSTEE
  • MARGOT ERNST — TRUSTEE
  • NANCY WOLCOTT — TRUSTEE
relationships · 20

Who they work with

  • Adirondack Birth to Three Alliance (BT3) Partner — Fund established to support early childhood development initiatives led by BT3.
  • Allen Family Partner — Established and funds the Allen Family Career Advancement Grant to support career advancement in Adirondack communities.
  • Big Brothers, Big Sisters of the Southern Adirondacks Partner — Recipient of a Special and Urgent Needs Fund grant from Adirondack Foundation.
  • Champlain Area Trails Partner — Supports trail development and stewardship through an endowment fund.
  • Council on Foundations Government — Organization that has verified the foundation's compliance with National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations.
  • Generous Acts Partner — Collaborates with Generous Acts to support basic needs, educational pathways, and economic vitality in the Adirondack region.
  • Generous Acts Partner — Partner fund through which unrestricted gifts are directed to respond to pressing community needs and support systems change.
  • Grants.gov Government — Lists grant opportunities and reporting through federal grants system.
  • Hospice of the North Country Partner — Hosts an endowment fund to support hospice care services in the region.
  • Lake Placid Education Foundation Partner — Provided seed funding and early operational support to establish Adirondack Community Foundation and awarded a $2 million grant to support its operations.
  • Leslee Mounger Partner — Funds and Program Officer who manages the Small Grants for Small Food Pantries program.
  • Mercer Investments Partner — Investment consultant advising on the foundation's portfolio and asset allocation strategy.
  • NCPR (North Country Public Radio) Partner — Receives funding through dedicated service and next-generation funds.
  • NYS Office of the Attorney General Government — Files CHAR 500 financial reports with the state regulator.
  • Planned Parenthood of the North Country New York Partner — Supported through a designated charitable fund.
  • Seagle Music Colony Partner — Receives support through dedicated funds for music education and performance.
  • St. Eustace Partner — Beneficiary of funds supporting religious and community activities.
  • capable nonprofits Partner — Collaborates with nonprofit organizations to address community needs and implement grant-funded initiatives.
  • fellow funders Partner — Collaborates with other funders around shared priorities to amplify impact in the Adirondack region.
  • generous donors Partner — Partners with individual and institutional donors to grow charitable resources and support community initiatives.
strategies · 4

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Community-Led Solutions Empowerment
    methodology: community-led_solutions
    By centering community residents in solution design, the foundation produces more effective and sustainable change because those closest to local challenges have the deepest understanding of context and needs.
  • Connective Community Philanthropy Model
    methodology: community_connector_model
    By connecting people, ideas, and resources across donors, nonprofits, and funders, the foundation amplifies regional impact because collaboration strengthens local philanthropy and enables place-based, coordinated responses to community needs.
  • Sustainable & Adaptive Resourcing via Endowment
    methodology: perpetual_endowment
    By building long-term endowments and using pooled, low-cost investing, the foundation ensures sustained funding for future community needs because financial permanence allows adaptive, intergenerational support aligned with evolving priorities.
  • Whole-Community Systems Investment
    methodology: whole_community_approach
    By using a comprehensive "whole community" framework to guide funding across basic needs, education, and economic vitality, the foundation generates broader systemic impact because interconnected challenges are addressed holistically rather than in isolation.