Mission and goals of our awards
The Community Foundation of Otsego County partners with other nonprofit agencies to deliver services to the Otsego County region. Our mission is to improve the quality of life and the prosperity for all people in our area. We value respect, collaboration, inclusion, imagination, accountability, integrity and stewardship. View our Vision, Mission, Values Statement and Strategic Plan.
Our discretionary awards are to programs that meet our mission and acknowledge our values. As a young organization, we do not yet have the resources to address all worthy causes and must set priorities. These priorities are established by our Board of Directors, with input from many members of our community.
In addition to our program awards, we also assist donors in issuing grants under Donor Advised Funds and Field of Interest Funds. Unless noted under Current Programs, there is no application process for these grants.
The 2023 Award Cycle, with an allocation of $150,000, continues to accept applications. Go to 2023 Awards Cycle for further information.
The process for awards that require applications
Our applicants must be qualified nonprofit organizations (501c3). Other special entities may qualify for awards. If you are interested in applying for an award, we ask you read the materials posted on our website and if there are any questions, contact us at contact@cfotsego.org. We are very glad to answer your questions. Please note that we do not issue awards to individuals or private enterprises.
All award applicants must complete the online application (including submitting all attachments). Once your application is complete, our review begins. Our Initiatives Committee reviews the application and recommends action to our Board (or to its designated Executive Committee) which makes a final determination. We send you an award letter that contains the conditions under which you agree to accept our award. Upon your acceptance, we issue a check.
We request you provide us with a final report once the purpose for which the award was issued has been met. We may also request interim progress reports for certain awards that may take a long time to complete.
We strive to make it easy to apply for an award. If you have suggestions for how we can further improve our process, please let us know.
Active Programs
Otsego Lake Watershed Sustainability Fund
Greater Otego Library and Education Fund (GOLEF)
Advocates for Springfield Fund
