Special and Urgent Needs Fund Grant

The Special and Urgent Needs Fund Grant by the Adirondack Foundation provides critical financial support to local communities and nonprofits facing unexpected challenges. This fund is designed to address immediate needs such as emergency repairs, unbudgeted resources, and recovery efforts following disasters. Eligible organizations must be located in the Adirondack region of New York and meet specific criteria, ensuring assistance is directed to those most in need during times of crisis.

Adirondack Foundation’s Special and Urgent Needs Fund (SUN) is a responsive granting resource that can be deployed to assist Adirondack communities and nonprofits during times of crisis. The fund can help an organization address short-term needs where a relatively small grant can assist with unanticipated, unbudgeted gaps in funding.
We will consider proposals that will allow an organization to address these types of short-term needs:
Emergency building or mechanical repairs whose sudden and unexpected failure interferes with provision of services and is not covered by insuranceExample: repairs to damaged roof due to unexpected weather event, or backup generator failure during power outage.Unanticipated or unbudgeted resources without which the work of your organization is severely hinderedExample: training on post-traumatic stress disorder for school guidance counselors supporting children in towns severely impacted by disaster.Recovery needs in response to an emergency or disaster Example: replacement of materials lost or damaged by an extreme weather event.
Criteria
The SUN Fund can also be used to support local businesses and families in future disaster circumstances if one of the following criteria is established
aiding individual business owners who are financially needy or distressed; orcombating community deterioration.

Eligibility

Grant applications will be accepted from organizations that are located in or serve the people of the Adirondack region of New York, defined for this purpose as all of Clinton, Essex, Franklin, and Hamilton counties as well as the parts of Herkimer, St. Lawrence, Warren, and Washington counties within the Adirondack Park boundary and the Saint Regis Mohawk Reservation. Organizations must be tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or be a public agency or municipality in the Adirondack region. Applicants must provide services without discrimination on the basis of race, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, or sexual orientation.

Ineligibility

We do not make grants from SUN Fund for:Individuals, ongoing capital expenses, endowments, capital campaigns, religious activities, or debts.Budget deficits, funding shortfalls, strategic planning or organizational development.Projects that arise or equipment that fails due to deferred maintenance.Recent recipients of SUN fund grants (within the past year). As this is a crisis response fund, it is not intended as a source of annual support for an organization.NOTE: We cannot earmark donations to specifically benefit an individual or business. We can accept donations to the SUN Fund to benefit a broad charitable class.