The Community Foundation of Otsego County is pleased to announce the opening of three awards cycles.
Our Spring Cycle will be focused on supporting programs dedicated to food insecurity, with an allocation of $50,000. Otsego County is fortunate to have scores of devoted professionals and volunteers working on food insecurity issues. There are 21 food pantries, 18 year-round and seasonal meal sites, as well as many other programs that focus on, or support, issues of food insecurity.
CFOC understands that the needs are great, and the total award amount is insufficient to solve all the problems related to food insecurity, so this awards cycle is centering on the following types of programs that:
- Collaborate with others in addressing food insecurity;
- Improve delivery of food to Otsego County residents;
- Help transport residents to their nearest food pantry and/or meal site;
- Focus on new healthy eating programs (for example, food prescriptions);
- Educate and/or train administrators working in the food insecurity area to run more efficient operations.
Applications will be accepted starting March 1, with a deadline of April 30, 2024.
The Advocates for Springfield Fund awards cycle is also open. Since it began in the early 2000s, Advocates for Springfield has successfully encouraged the Town to adopt a comprehensive plan, a zoning ordinance, and other land use laws. Working with the Community Foundation of Otsego County, the group created a field of interest fund, the Advocates for Springfield Fund, to support the health and well-being of the Springfield community.
Awards of up to $500 are available, with a total allocation of $1,500. Applications can be submitted now, with a deadline of May 15, 2024.
The Greater Otego Library and Education Fund (GOLEF) is open year-round. Created by Dennis Fowler, a long-time resident of the Town of Otego, the Greater Otego Library and Education Fund (GOLEF) has three purposes: 1) to assist in Phase 1 of planned renovations to the Harris Memorial Library in Otego, 2) to issue grants for maintenance, repairs, and other operating expense of the Harris Memorial library and 3) for enhancement and development of educational and cultural resources of the Town of Otego to include, but not limited to, the Otsego Christian Academy.
The Community Foundation has allocated up to $12,000 for awards for 2024 (other than Phase 1 renovations to the Harris Memorial Library). Awards may be requested up to $2,000.
For further details and application instructions, visit our website at https://cfotsego.org/funds-and-grants/ or email contact@cfotsego.org.
