News & Events

July 6, 2010

Orange Community Foundarion Receives $25K Dyson Foundation Grant

Montgomery, NY - The Community Foundation of Orange County has been awarded a $25,000 grant from the Dyson Foundation that will help the philanthropic organization build an endowment and expand its giving to a broader range of important causes within the community.

Community Foundation Executive Director Karen VanHouten expressed her appreciation to the Dyson Foundation for supporting its ongoing efforts to establish an endowment that would advance the Community Foundation’s goal of providing affordable and convenient access to a range of charitable funds.

“Having a charitable fund at your local community foundation is a simple and cost effective way for people to give back to their community,” said Ms. VanHouten. “This support from the Dyson Foundation will enable us to expand our work with individual donors and charitably minded groups, as well as professional advisors, to establish more charitable funds to benefit our communities.”
  
“The Dyson Foundation supports the efforts of the Community Foundation to encourage local philanthropy through the creation of charitable funds that enhance the quality of life throughout our region,” said Michell Speight, Director of Programs for the Dyson Foundation. “Charitable funds created through a community foundation are the most efficient way to create a permanent charitable legacy.

There is no cost to create a charitable fund and the community foundation handles all administrative complexities including tax compliance and IRS filings.”

The Dyson Foundation is a private grant making foundation headquartered in Dutchess County and directed by the Dyson family under the leadership of Foundation President Robert R. Dyson. The Dyson Foundation's mission is to improve and enhance the quality of life in the region for all of its residents, especially those most vulnerable or economically disadvantaged.

May 26, 2010

Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan appoints new Directors

Montgomery, NY - The Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan is pleased to announce its newest appointees to the Board of Directors:  Jay Anthony and Raymond Heuchling.

Jay Anthony, Vice-President and CIO of QLT Consumer Lease Services was appointed as a new board member.  Anthony also serves on the following Boards of Directors: Pine Bush Central School District Board of Education (President); Soccer Plus Academy and is Co-founder of the Challenger Soccer Program for kids aged 5-18 who have special needs.  Jay and his wife Carol live in Scotchtown with their two sons. 

Raymond Heuchling, President of the Heuchling Group was also appointed to the board.  Heuchling is a member of the Knights of Malta and a Eucharistic Minister.  He is also founder and chairman of the Monroe-Woodbury Foundation, a civic organization dedicated to raising fund and initiating community programs for charitable and educational functions.  Raymond and his wife Margaret live in Monroe.  They have two grown children.

Directors of the Foundation include: Chris Ashman (Orange County Commissioner of Mental Health),  Ann Barber Smith (Ann Barber Consulting), Michael Bonura (Anthony’s Pier 9), William Devitt (Merrill Lynch), Dorothy Fein (Community Volunteer), Joanne Gross (Community Volunteer), Philip Guarnieri (Empire State Bank), Sandy Leonard (Supervisor, Town of Monroe), Dr. Patrick Michel (Superintendent of Schools, Monticello), Anne Palmer Moss (Community Volunteer), Andrew Pavloff (Knack, Pavloff & Company, LLP), Gerald Skoda (Skoda Enterprises, Inc.), RJ Smith (RJ Smith Realty), Tom Sullivan (Smith, Seaman & Quackenbush, Inc. Funeral Homes), Steven L. Tarshis, Esq. (Tarshis, Catania, Liberth, Mahon and Milligram, PLLC) and Joe Vanderhoof (Times Herald-Record).

Officers elected to serve in 2010 are:  President - Gerald N. Jacobowitz, Esq. (Jacobowitz & Gubits LLP), VP-Finance – David T. Cocks (Walden Savings Bank), Treasurer – Derrik Wynkoop (Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union), VP-Development – Josh Sommers (Focus Media), VP-Distribution – William Bratton (Community Volunteer), Secretary – Katharine Fitzgerald (Provident Bank), Assistant Secretary – Jack Berkowitz (Jack Berkowitz CPA). 

The primary goal of the Community Foundation is to connect people who care with causes that matter.   “We achieve this goal with the help of a large volunteer support system of Board members and working committees.  Board members are selected because their professional and volunteer spheres of influence are compatible with the needs of the Foundation,” said Board President Gerald N. Jacobowitz.  “We are extremely fortunate to have many prominent and community-minded citizens lend their talents in cultivating and managing charitable funds that will benefit our communities forever,” added Karen VanHouten, Executive Director.

To learn more about the Community Foundation call 769-9393 or visit www.cfoc-ny.org.

May 6, 2010

Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan’s10th Anniversary Celebration a huge success

Over 400 supporters of the Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan were in attendance to honor Alan and Sandra Gerry, the Gerry Foundation and Sullivan Renaissance on April 29th at the Foundation’s 10th Anniversary Celebration.  Anthony’s Pier 9 in New Windsor was the distinguished host for the event.  The Celebration, chaired by Dottie Fein, netted over $52,000 for the nonprofit organization which helps individuals, organizations, and businesses establish permanent charitable endowment funds through which grants will be awarded to nonprofit organizations and scholarships will be awarded to students throughout the region…forever. 

Senator John J. Bonacic introduced and congratulated Alan Gerry on his many accomplishments including the creation of Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, on the site of the 1969 Woodstock Festival.  He also congratulated Sandra Gerry on the Sullivan Renaissance program which has resulted in the funding of over 325 community beautification projects in all six villages and 15 towns of Sullivan County since its beginning in 2001.   

Gerald N. Jacobowitz, President of the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation thanked the entire community and founding contributors of the Community Foundation for their efforts and continued support.  RJ Smith, founder and immediate past Board President thanked the Gerry Foundation for its support of the Community Foundation and other nonprofit endeavors throughout the region. 

Event Sponsors included: RJ and Lizz Smith, Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP, Hudson Valley Investment Advisors LLC/Provident Bank,  Philip J. DeAngelo – Passante Associates LLC, Jim and Mary Ottaway, Orange Regional Medical Center, The Suehnholz Family, Catskill Regional Medical Center, Church Communities, Crystal Run Healthcare, First Federal Savings of Middletown, Times Herald-Record, Walden Savings Bank, Catskill Hudson Bank, Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation, Construction Contractors Association, Empire State Bank, First National Bank of Jeffersonville, Goldstein, Lieberman & Company LLC, Grimm Construction, Inc., HVFCU Financial Services, Jacobowitz & Gubits LLP, Alan and Mary Lewis, M&T Bank, The Oak Group at Wells Fargo Advisors; Rider, Weiner & Frankel, P.C., Tarshis, Catania, Liberth, Mahon & Milligram, PLLC; Clear Channel Radio of the Hudson Valley, Anthony’s Pier 9, Jim and Eileen Taylor and Steingart Printing. 

April 26, 2010

Walden Federal supports work of Community Foundation

Montgomery, NY - The Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan is pleased to announce its newest President’s Circle member – Walden Federal Savings and Loan Association.  “Walden Federal has been a long time supporter of the Community Foundation’s mission and its programs,” said Karen VanHouten, Executive Director. 

According to Walden Federal’s president Tom Gibney, “Walden Federal’s loyal and committed director, Gerald N. Jacobowitz, Esq., recently assumed the position of President of the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation, further enhancing Walden Federal’s commitment to community.”

The primary goal of the Community Foundation is to connect people who care with causes that matter.   “We achieve this goal with the help of a large volunteer support system of Board members and working committees.  Board members are selected because their professional and volunteer spheres of influence are compatible with the needs of the Foundation,” said Board President Gerald N. Jacobowitz.

The President’s Circle represents a group of 66 community-minded individuals, businesses, and organizations that provide ongoing support of the Community Foundation in growing charitable funds that strengthen local nonprofit organizations and provide scholarships to students.  President’s Circle Members provide an annual commitment of $1,000 or more to support the work of the Foundation.  Membership is open to all.  To join, please call the Community Foundation office at 769-9393.

Through the vision of its founders, the Community Foundation has helped charitable minded individuals, businesses, and organizations create 92 charitable funds.  Those charitable funds have provided over $1.6 million in grants and scholarships, and over $4.5 million in pass-through grants, to worthy community nonprofit initiatives.   For more information about starting a charitable fund or to become a member of The President’s Circle, please call 769-9393, visit www.cfoc-ny.org or e-mail vanhouten@cfoc-ny.org.

February 9, 2010

The Lake Foundation established within Community Foundation to help battered women, abused children and disabled veterans

The Lake Foundation has been established through the Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan by Michael and Christine Lake as a way to provide support to nonprofit organizations that serve battered women, abused children, and disabled veterans.  By bringing The Lake Foundation under the umbrella of the Community Foundation, the Lakes will now be able to focus on fundraising and their desire to award grants to charitable causes that are important to them.  

One of the first fundraising activities The Lake Foundation has embraced is the publication of a book written by Christine Lake entitled Circle of Healing For Women, which can be purchased online at www.thelakefoundation.org.  A portion of all proceeds from the sale of the book will be donated to The Lake Foundation to help support its mission.  

The Community Foundation helps individuals, businesses, and organizations establish permanent charitable funds that award grants and scholarships.  The Community Foundation handles all of the administration and fiscal reporting for each charitable fund within its umbrella, thereby keeping administration costs much lower than a private foundation, and allowing more dollars to flow toward grants.  Over 90 charitable funds have been created since 2001 that have awarded over five million dollars in grants in the areas of land preservation, education, health/human services, youth development, the arts and culture. 

To make a contribution to The Lake Foundation please contact Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan – The Lake Foundation, 30 Scott’s Corners Drive, Suite 202, Montgomery, NY 12549.  The Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.  All gifts are tax deductible under current tax laws.Donations may also be made through the Foundation’s website at www.cfoc-ny.org.