By Dave Cucchiara Communications & Program Associate The Adirondack region’s expansive beauty masks the challenges faced by its residents. While the area encompasses 6 million acres — roughly a quarter of New York State’s landmass — it is home to only 120,000 year-round residents. With an average population density of just 14 people per square mile, residents often drive over an hour to access essential services like healthcare, food, and employment.…
The Community Foundation of New Jersey (CFNJ) and the Morris County Funders Group have announced the launch of the Morris County Nonprofit Capacity Fund, a new philanthropic initiative designed to strengthen the operational capabilities of nonprofit organizations serving Morris County. Seeded by Morris County foundations, the Fund will award up to $100,000 annually in grants to help local nonprofits build stronger, more sustainable…
The F. M. Kirby Foundation is proud to celebrate more than 30 years of partnership with Adirondack Experience, one of the nation’s finest regional museums dedicated to preserving and sharing the history and culture of New York’s Adirondack Park. Nestled on 121 acres overlooking Blue Mountain Lake, the open-air campus features more than 20 historic and contemporary buildings showcasing the…
The F. M. Kirby Foundation is proud to support Book Harvest, a Durham, North Carolina-based nonprofit that is transforming children’s literacy by ensuring that every child grows up with an abundant home library from birth. Since 2011, Book Harvest has provided more than 2.9 million books to children and families, grounded in the belief that literacy starts at birth, in…
By Dave Cucchiara Communications & Program Associate Water is the lifeblood of healthy communities. It sustains vital ecosystems, supports recreation, drives local economies, and, of course, provides the most basic human necessity: clean drinking water. Yet, our water resources face mounting pressures from aging infrastructure, invasive species, pollution, and increasingly severe weather events linked to our changing climate. According to the American…
The F. M. Kirby Foundation Board of Directors announced that 269 grants totaling $17,052,062 were paid in 2025 to nonprofit organizations working to increase the strength and vitality of their communities. A total of 167 grants provided general operating support, while 136 grants were awarded to organizations that have partnered with the Foundation for over 25 years, reflecting the Foundation’s…
By Justin Kiczek President Good stewards protect what is important. Donning kid gloves, they handle with care what has been passed to them, with the knowledge that someone else will, in turn, guard it further into the future. Stewards recognize their temporary responsibility within a larger chain of caretaking and concern. Entrepreneurs, in the parlance of Silicon Valley, are known to “move fast and break things.” As catalyzers and first movers, entrepreneurs spot overlooked…
The F. M. Kirby Foundation has announced the recipients of its inaugural Innovation Engine Grant Program, awarding three organizations $300,000 each, to be distributed over the course of three years. In sum, the Foundation is committing $900,000 to these pioneering new approaches. The recipients — Adirondack Community Foundation, Braver Angels, and Prevention is Key — were selected from a competitive…
By Dave Cucchiara Communications & Program Associate Federal legislation passed this summer significantly restructured the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, with changes taking effect in recent months that have reduced or eliminated benefits for many recipients. Additionally, the ongoing federal government shutdown disrupted SNAP payments in November, leaving approximately 42 million Americans without expected food assistance. These circumstances have created unprecedented…
The F. M. Kirby Foundation is proud to support Summit Speech School, a half-a-century-old institution based in New Providence empowering children with hearing loss to become more confident, effective communicators through listening and spoken language. Founded in the 1960s as one of the country’s first auditory/oral speech schools, Summit Speech combines cutting-edge methodologies, technology, and expert teaching to help every…