Adirondack Community Foundation President and CEO Cali Brooks poses with board Chair Bill Creighton and Trustee Craig Weatherup on Friday, June 20 at Heaven Hill Farm in Lake Placid. (Provided photo — Naj Wikoff)

On Friday, June 20, at Heaven Hill Farm off Bear Cub Lane in Lake Placid, the staff and board of the Adirondack Foundation formally announced its new name, the Adirondack Community Foundation, to a gathering of donors, colleagues and supporters.

In 1997, John Lansing, Meredith Prime and Fred Brown — all trustees of the Lake Placid Foundation and active on nonprofit boards of directors — saw the need for a community foundation that focused on serving the Adirondack region.

They were inspired by the Cleveland Foundation, which in 1914 pioneered the concept of a community trust where donors pooled their contributions to address community needs rather than a specific cause. To achieve that goal, they conducted studies that they updated periodically so they could modify the impact of their resources to meet changing circumstances.

Brown, Lansing and Prime felt that Cali Brooks had the energy and skills to lead and help grow the foundation. Brooks became the founding director and continues to lead the foundation 25 years later. Initially named the Adirondack Trust, then the Adirondack Foundation, it’s now named the Adirondack Community Foundation.

Over the years, the foundation has evolved and demonstrated that it can be nimble in addressing an immediate catastrophic event, such as Tropical Storm Irene in 2011. When Irene slammed the town of Keene with torrential rains that washed away homes and resources such as the Keene Fire Department and closed two out of three roads in and out of the town, a small group of individuals gathered at the Adirondack Land Conservancy during the height of the storm. They knew much money needed to be raised quickly to help people and businesses recover.

Matt Donahue and Jim McKenna are seen Friday, June 20 at Heaven Hill Farm in Lake Placid during the Adirondack Community Foundation celebration. (Provided photo — Naj Wikoff)

Those assembled knew they would have a short window of opportunity when the media focused on Keene to generate widespread attention and raise money and would need a place to direct the donations. The Adirondack Foundation responded immediately, setting up an account and serving as a sounding board as the Keene committee drafted application forms and established committees to conduct all aspects of raising and distributing the funds. The foundation’s partnership, guidance and quick response were crucial for gaining political buy-in and people’s trust.

The foundation also determined early on that it needed to do far more than raise and distribute funds. Key was strengthening the skill sets of community not-for-profits and fostering opportunities for bringing community leaders together so they could identify shared priorities and learn from each other. Two examples are Common Ground and the Adirondack Nonprofit Network.

“The new name is consistent with many other community foundations all across the country as it should be as the Adirondack Community Foundation is one of the premier in the country and one of the very best working in a rural environment,” said Holly Wolff. “What’s special is how they bring people together and take a leadership role, which not many do. They understand the community’s needs and communicate that to fund holders. If I want to know what the priority issues are in the region, I come to them.”

“If you look at twenty years ago, there wasn’t an organization Adirondack-wide that was able to deal with things like the climate impact or housing from Pre-K to three,” said Jim McKenna. “There was no one central organization that could work park-wide helping to support funding and leverage funding; I think that’s the big advantage of the Adirondack Community Foundation.”

Foundation Board Chair Bill Creighton opened the reception, saying the message behind changing the name is to communicate that the foundation’s primary goal is to build strong communities and help donors give to causes within their communities they are passionate about. Creighton said the foundation offers resources that will help mobilize community generosity to address some of the biggest challenges Adirondack communities face, such as food insecurity, affordable childcare and housing, education opportunities and economic growth.

Tonia Ness Ryckman is seen Friday, June 20 at Heaven Hill Farm in Lake Placid during the Adirondack Community Foundation celebration. (Provided photo — Naj Wikoff)

Today, the foundation is the largest grant maker in the region, made possible by managing the invested assets of over 300 funds. Since its founding, the foundation’s invested assets have grown from 2 million to 110 million, and the Generous Act has gone from making 100,000 grants annually to a million. In the past five years, the foundation’s donor-advised funds went from making 4.8 million in grants to 11 million today. In 2001, they supported 84 nonprofits; last year, it was 654.

“I think contributing to the Adirondack Community Foundation is the most efficient and effective way to help Adirondacks,” said Tonia Ness Ryckman. “They know everyone. They make dollars go farther; when something goes wrong, they know who to call to help.”

The foundation doesn’t just give out grants; it also gives loans to support affordable housing and small businesses and has launched a wide range of initiatives to support young children, a regionwide social safety net, new jobs and strengthening relationships between diverse agencies and educational offerings.

“Through coming up here for many years, before deciding to make the Adirondacks our home, we recognized the tremendous needs of the people and communities in the region,” said Craig Weatherup. “After interviewing people at the Daily News, the Salvation Army and others saying we have some money, maybe some time, and a tiny bit of talent, who can we give to benefit the people of the park? Everybody mentioned Cali Brooks. Cali can take whatever you can afford to give and multiply its impact tenfold.”

“I feel inspired, hopeful, nervous, and all of the above,” said Cali. “I am excited by what’s come. The success of the Foundation is an example of how generous and thoughtful so many people are who care about the Adirondacks and those who live here and want to give back. The foundation is the embodiment of that.”

Holly Wolff is seen Friday, June 20 at Heaven Hill Farm in Lake Placid during the Adirondack Community Foundation celebration. (Provided photo — Naj Wikoff)

“I think adding the word community to the foundation’s name goes to the roots of what the organization is and was a very well-thought-out strategic decision,” said McKenna. “I think the results will be very positive for the growth and, more importantly, for the impact of the organization within the Blue Line.”

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(Naj Wikoff lives in Keene Valley and has been writing his column for the Lake Placid News since 2005.)