COMMUNITY FOUNDATION HONORS SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS, DONORS
DURING JULY 13TH CELEBRATION

More than $77,000 awarded to 32 students

ALBANY, NY – The Community Foundation for the Capital Region will honor its 2006 scholarship recipients – and the donors who made those scholarships possible – during a celebration Thursday, July 13, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the foundation office at Six Tower Place.

The foundation awarded more than $77,000 in scholarships this year, helping 32 students realize their dreams for education. Thursday’s reception acknowledges the accomplishments of these students and the generosity of those who established and support the Community Foundation’s scholarship funds.

“This event provides an opportunity for donors to see the impact of their generosity, firsthand,” says Robert G. Dollar, Foundation board member and liaison for scholarships. “Since many of our scholarship funds pay tribute to a loved one, it gives our donors great satisfaction to meet and encourage a student who shares that loved one’s talents or interests. At the same time, scholarship recipients welcome the chance to say ‘thank you’ in person.”

The Community Foundation manages 46 scholarship funds and distributes awards ranging from $300 to $20,000, in accordance with donors’ wishes. As such, the Foundation plays a role in preparing students to take their place in virtually every profession, from business, journalism and education to construction, engineering, art, music and medicine.

Among this year’s recipients are the following local students:

Sarah Allen of Clifton Park, recipient of The Tina A. Dailey Memorial Scholarship; $1,000 to study childhood education at SUNY Oneonta.

Jonathan Barker of Troy, recipient of The Cora A. Hare Scholarship; $1,400 to study pre-med at UAlbany.

Kalyn Bechle of Rensselaerville, recipient of The Clarissa and Harry Mark Ketcham Award; $100 to pursue studies in agriculture.

Kayla Berenger of Delmar, recipient of The Jeanette Pace Memorial Art Scholarship; $1,000 to pursue studies in studio art.

Steven Berry of Delmar, recipient of The Will Raub September 11th Bethlehem Central Scholarship; $500 to study finance at Pace University.

Amanda Blond of Scotia, recipient of The Glenville Grange John L. Conde Memorial Scholarship; $750 to study at SUNY Morrisville.

Erin Conley of Troy, recipient of The Lela B. Capron Scholarship; $860 to attend a college of her choice.

Virginia Ann Cook of Ashland, recipient of The Donna B. McKean Memorial Scholarship; $1,000 to study at Cazenovia College.

Tayler DiBiase of Albany, recipient of The Joseph Patanian Scholarship; $1,850 to study business management at Siena College.

Karina Ernest of Altamont, recipient of The Gifford Grange Scholarship-Guilderland; $330 to study nursing at Maria College.

Shawn Fleming of Averill Park, recipient of The Dunham Hollow-West Stephentown Scholarship; $1,425 for the auto body program at Baran Institute of Technology.

Sara Germano of Albany, recipient of The Tom Nattell Peace Poetry Prize; $200 toward a college of her choice.

Danielle Gilligan of Watervliet, recipient of The Coach Dan Reinfurt Scholarship; $700 to attend Russell Sage College.

Steven Hannigan of Delmar, recipient of The Russell Ellers Memorial Scholarship; $1,000 toward his studies in pre-med at Siena/Albany Medical College.

Steven Husak of Troy, recipient of The Michele E. Brunette Scholarship; $2,200 to attend Albany College of Pharmacy.

Julie A. Johnson of Rensselaer, recipient of The Shirley Kelly Scholarship; $10,000 to study middle childhood education/early childhood at Cedarville University.

Amy E. LaGrange of Feura Bush, recipient of The Down Syndrome Aim High Scholarship; $2,000 to attend the College of St. Rose.

Tracie Lawson of Schenectady, recipient of The Gifford Grange Scholarship-Schalmont; $330 to study nursing.

Claire R. Luke of Delmar, recipient of The Michael Hurewitz Scholarship; $2,840 to study journalism at the College of St. Rose.

Kristen Meister of Albany, recipient of The Ruth Goldstein Memorial Music Scholarship; $300 to study at the College of Saint Rose.

Ryan Menrath of Glenmont, recipient of The Eagle Award from the Ken Neff Scholarship Fund; $4,000 over four years to study aerospace engineering at the University of Maryland-College Park.

Jolana Nicotin of Albany, recipient of The Christopher Ryan Scholarship; $650 to study art at UAlbany.

Chris Offner of Freehold, recipient of The Clarissa and Harry Mark Ketcham Award; $100 to pursuer studies in agriculture.

Victoria Pallozzi of Troy, recipient of The Allison E. Bodnar Memorial Scholarship; $750 to attend Hudson Valley Community College.

Brian Reidy of Frewsburg, recipient of The Herbert K. and Isabel C. Liebich Two-Year Scholarship; $8,500 over two years to attend Jamestown Community College.

Heather Ringler of Delmar, recipient of The Ad Club Scholarship; $3,000 to study graphic design at Sage College of Albany.

Kaitlyn Smith of Rensselaer, recipient of The Gene Robb Journalism Scholarship; $1,000 to study journalism at Marist College.

Details about specific scholarships, including applications, can be found at the Community Foundation web site, www.cfcr.org, under Grants and Scholarships. Applications also are available at local high school guidance offices.

The Community Foundation for the Capital Region is the Regional Center for Philanthropy and our community’s permanent charitable endowment. Founded in 1968 to improve the quality of life in our community, the foundation administers hundreds of charitable funds established by individuals and organizations from throughout the Capital Region. The funds are invested and income earned is used to make grants that meet the needs of our community today, tomorrow, and for all time. For more information about the Community Foundation, call (518) 446-9638 or visit www.cfcr.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 2, 2006

COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES NEW SCHOLARSHIP

The Dunham Hollow-West Stephentown Scholarship The Community Association of the Dunham Hollow-West Stephentown has established a scholarship fund with the Community Foundation for the Capital Region in memory of Frank Johnson.

The scholarship will enable local residents from the Dunham Hollow-West Stephentown area to attend and complete a vocational or trade program. The scope of the award will include a graduating high school student, a returning student, or a community member at large who wishes to pursue a trade through a vocational/trade school.

The Community Foundation administers over $2 million in scholarship funds, and since 1989, when the scholarship program was established; the Community Foundation has made over 200 grants totaling more than half-a-million dollars.

The application deadline is May 30th. Applications are available by contacting the Community Foundation for the Capital Region. For more information about these scholarships and others that are offered through the Community Foundation, please contact Becky Burgos, scholarship coordinator, at (518) 446-9638 or send an email to rburgos@cfcr.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 31, 2006

FUNDERS TO MEET WITH LOCAL NOT FOR PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

March 31, 2006 - Albany, NY – Five area foundations who provide funding to local not for profits will present their funding priorities and guidelines at a “Meet the Funders” forum sponsored by the Grantmakers Alliance of Northeastern New York, a program of The Community Foundation for the Capital Region.

Representatives from the Bank of America Foundation, the Maternity and Early Childhood Foundation, Ronald McDonald House Charities and Key Bank will be on hand to provide grant seekers with current information about their programs and the types of projects that they are looking to support.  Joe Guastella from the SEFA and CFC campaigns will also be on hand to discuss those campaigns and how they support not for profit organizations.

The “Meet the Funders” program will be held on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 at 9:00 at The Italian American Community Center on Washington Ave. Extension in Albany.  Registration begins at 8:45 and there is a pre-registration fee of $22.00 to attend.  The cost will be $25.00 if paid at the door.  For more information please call 446-9638.

The Grantmakers Alliance of Northeastern New York is a member organization of over 25 charitable foundations who are committed to supporting not for profit organizations in the Capital Region.   The mission of the Grantmakers Alliance of Northeastern New York is to increase effective philanthropy throughout northeastern New York.  The Community Foundation for the Capital Region is our community’s permanent endowment. It was founded in 1968 to improve the quality of life in our area through philanthropy. The Foundation is comprised of hundreds of individual funds, established by individuals and organizations throughout the Capital Region. Income from these funds is used to make grants that meet the changing needs of our community today, tomorrow, and for all time. For more information about the Community Foundation, call (518) 446-9638 or visit www.cfcr.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 21, 2006

THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR THE CAPITAL REGION WINS NATIONAL AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING COMMUNICATIONS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 9, 2006

SERGEANT RETURNS TO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FROM IRAQ  

Rebecca Jeffers Burgos earns Bronze Star for Meritorious Service

ALBANY , NY – During her nine months in Iraq, Sgt. 1 st Class Rebecca Jeffers Burgos was immersed in awards, supervising the 42 nd Infantry Division’s program to acknowledge the combat achievements of more than 23,000 of her fellow soldiers.

These days, Burgos has returned home to her job as scholarship coordinator and executive assistant at the Community Foundation for the Capital Region. As such, she oversees awards of a different sort: the scholarships that Community Foundation donors have established to help area students realize their dreams for higher education.

Her time in Tikrit with the New York Army National Guard 42 nd Infantry “Rainbow” Division earned Burgos The Bronze Star Medal for “meritorious service.” It also provided a powerful reminder of why she joined the service in 1989, just eight years after moving to the United States from Trinidad.

“I wanted to find a way to give something back to the country that has been so good to me and my family,” Burgos says. “Dreams are attainable in America in ways that are not possible anywhere else. Sometimes, we lose sight of that.”

As soldier and civilian, Burgos considers it important to make a difference in the lives of those around her. That’s precisely what she does each day at the Community Foundation. In addition to managing Foundation scholarships, Burgos oversees the new Capital Region Common Cents Penny Harvest program, which involves schoolchildren in philanthropy. She also assists with several other community initiatives.

“We are thrilled to have Becky back with us, safe and sound,” says Community Foundation President E. Kristen Frederick. “Along with her skills and enthusiasm, she brings a different perspective, born of her experience not just in Iraq, but also at Ground Zero after 9-11.”

In fact, Burgos says that her time in Iraq and post-9-11 New York City taught her the same lessons: “Don’t take even the simplest thing for granted. And don’t sweat the small stuff – and it’s all small stuff.”

Although hers was not a combat assignment, Burgos experienced her share of danger and discomfort while stationed in Iraq, from improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and blinding sandstorms to power outages, and having to share her living quarters with rats and snakes.

Hardest of all was the time away from her husband and children. Her unit was called up in April 2004 and spent eight months training at Fort Drum before being deployed to Iraq. All told, she was gone 20 months – an eternity when you’re raising two teenagers.

Now, however, Burgos is making up for lost time. In addition to working full-time at the Community Foundation, she is finishing up her degree at Siena College, touring colleges with her 17-year-old son, and helping her 16-year-old daughter navigate the tricky terrain of high school.

“It’s wonderful to have a normal schedule,” Burgos says, “and to be able to play an active role in their lives once again.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 9, 2006

Community Foundation to Expand Donor Services

Albany , NY – February 9, 2006 – Nancie Northup Williams has joined the Community Foundation for the Capital Region in the newly created position of Director of Donor Services at the not-for-profit Foundation. She will also serve as the Director of the Grantmakers Alliance of Northeastern NY, a subsidiary organization of the Community Foundation. Ms. Williams will divide her time between the two programs.

As the Director of Donor Services, Ms. Williams will create opportunities to enhance donor awareness of the value and importance of their investment in the community. In addition to arranging site visits at local organizations, she will organize informational updates for donors on regional concerns and emerging issues.

The Grantmakers Alliance of Northeastern NY is an association of grantmakers committed to increasing effective philanthropy in northeastern NY. Membership is comprised of private, community, public, and corporate foundations and giving programs that make grants to not-for-profit organizations throughout the Capital Region and Upstate NY. Ms. Williams will help to coordinate professional development programs, meetings and networking sessions for members, as well as provide coordination for a number of organizational initiatives that are designed to increase collaboration among local funders.

Before joining the Community Foundation, Ms. Williams was a Senior Foundation Services Officer for the Ayco Charitable Foundation, a donor advised fund based in Clifton Park, NY. Prior to that, she was the Community Relations and Foundation Services Manager for Fleet Bank and later for Bank of America – Capital Region. Her experience in the not-for-profit sector includes work in affordable housing development, work on behalf of and with persons living with HIV/AIDS and in civil legal services. She holds a Masters Degree in Education from Cambridge College, with a specialization in the education of adult learners.

The Community Foundation of the Capital Region, one of nearly 700 community foundations in the United States, is a Section 501(c)(3), public charity that receives its funds from individuals, families, foundations, corporations and civic organizations in the community. The Foundation currently manages more than 220 permanent charitable funds for individuals, families, businesses, and organizations who choose to make charitable gifts in Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga and Schenectady counties. The Community Foundation also makes grants with discretionary funds that strengthen important programs and services in local communities and provides leadership for local nonprofits.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE : February 3, 2006

Community Foundation Announces Fellowship for British Universities Summer School

Award funded by Foundation’s Lessels Scholarship of the Albany Branch
of the English Speaking Union

ALBANY , NY - The Community Foundation for the Capital Region is accepting applications for a fellowship that will enable a Troy-Albany area resident to attend the British Universities Summer School (BUSS). The fellowship is funded by the Foundation’s Lessels Scholarship of the Albany Branch of the English Speaking Union, which provides $ 4,325 to help cover tuition and other expenses.

The applicant must be a Troy-Albany area resident between the ages of 25 and 40, must pursue a course of study and travel in England, and must apply and be accepted into the BUSS Fellowships at www.esuus.org/programs_British_Universities_Summer_Program.htm .

Applications are available on the Community Foundation web site, www.cfcr.org, and must be submitted to the Foundation by March 15, 2006. Due to the complicated applications forms, please contact CFCR at 446-9638. Applicants will be notified of the Foundation’s decision by May 1.

The Community Foundation for the Capital Region is our community’s permanent endowment. It was founded in 1968 to improve the quality of life in our area through philanthropy. The Foundation is comprised of hundreds of individual funds, established by individuals and organizations throughout the Capital Region. Income from these funds is used to make grants that meet the changing needs of our community today, tomorrow, and for all time. For more information about the Community Foundation, call (518) 446-9638 or visit www.cfcr.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 30, 2006

Community Foundation Offers Michael J. Campbell Scholarship
to Study Construction/Carpentry

ALBANY , NY - The Community Foundation for the Capital Region is accepting applications for its Michael J. Campbell Memorial Scholarship, which provides $1,175 to help a Capital Region student earn an associate’s degree in construction technology or a closely related field.

The scholarship is available to high school seniors enrolled in a vocational education program in Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, or Washington counties. Applicants must plan to earn an associate’s degree in construction technology (with a minor in carpentry), building construction/building trades, carpentry, or construction technology/building construction.

Applications are available from the Community Foundation web site, www.cfcr.org, and must be submitted to the Foundation by May 15, 2006.

The Community Foundation for the Capital Region is our community’s permanent endowment. It was founded in 1968 to improve the quality of life in our area through philanthropy. The Foundation is comprised of hundreds of individual funds, established by individuals and organizations throughout the Capital Region. Income from these funds is used to make grants that meet the changing needs of our community today, tomorrow, and for all time. For more information about the Community Foundation, call (518) 446-9638 or visit www.cfcr.org.