Rock Charitable Fund Sets Series of Grant Workshops in St. Lawrence County

WATERTOWN — The Rock Charitable Fund of the Northern New York Community Foundation welcomes  representatives from qualified charitable organizations, houses of worship, cemeteries, or governmental entities that serve St. Lawrence County residents to attend one of four grant application workshops scheduled next month.  The Rock Charitable Fund is now accepting applications for 2025 grant support. At least $125,000 in  competitive funding is available this year. Applications are due Friday, September 5, 2025.  Grant application workshops are: 

 ■ Thursday, June 5, 5:30 p.m., at the St. Lawrence Power & Equipment Museum Pavilion Building,   1755 State Route 345, Madrid. 

 ■ Monday, June 9, 5:30 p.m., Crasper Hall (above the Badenhausen Public Library),   897 State Route 11C, Brasher Falls. 

 ■ Tuesday, June 10, 6:30 p.m., Clifton-Fine Community Center, 4208 State Route, Star Lake.  

■ Tuesday, June 17, 5:30 p.m., Hammond Town Hall, 21 South Main Street, Hammond.  

Those interested in attending any workshop should RSVP to Community Foundation Philanthropy  Associate Emily Pfeil, [email protected], or 315-782-7110, at least three days before the workshop.  

“The Rock Charitable Fund is committed to honoring Marjorie’s legacy by supporting projects that preserve  the historical and spiritual fabric of St. Lawrence County or assist our local veterans,” Community Foundation  Director of Philanthropy Kraig Everard said. “These workshops are a great opportunity for applicants to learn  more about the grant process, ask questions, and strengthen their proposals.” 

 Grant support is available to qualified organizations whose missions and efforts align with the fund’s  charitable purposes, which are: for the maintenance and preservation of churches and other houses of worship  and cemeteries in St. Lawrence County; for the preservation and maintenance of places of legitimate historical  significance in the county; and to benefit and/or assist veterans of the United States military who reside in St. Lawrence County for their medical and/or recreational needs. Grants in support of veterans cannot be made  directly to individuals. 

 All organizations applying for funding must do so through the Community Foundation’s online Grant  Lifecycle Manager, which may be accessed at bit.ly/grant-portal. 

 The Community Foundation administers this permanent charitable legacy fund in collaboration with a  seven-member St. Lawrence County-based board of advisors that reviews applications and makes funding  recommendations. Advisors include Ruth McWilliams, South Colton; Erik Backus, Potsdam; Fred Hanss,  Hannawa Falls; Colin Hostetter, Lisbon; Chris Rediehs, Canton; Mark Thompson, Watertown; and  Keith Zimmerman, Canton. 

Since the Rock Charitable Fund began grantmaking efforts in 2019, it has awarded nearly $705,000 in  grant funding to support 43 projects at 39 St. Lawrence County organizations, including churches, cemeteries,  places of historical significance and those supporting veterans of the United States military.  In 2024, 11 projects were awarded grant funding totaling $148,460 that include: $36,500 to Notre Dame  Catholic Church, Ogdensburg, to support the restoration of a highly visible large stained-glass transept  window; $25,040 to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Canton to help replace two heating systems;  $20,000 to the Bayside Cemetery Association to help restore an urn-bearing tower adjacent to the cemetery’s  gatehouse building; $16,133 to the Clark-Robinson American Legion Post 68, Norwood, to complete a floor  replacement project; $20,814 to St. Olympia Orthodox Church, Norwood, to support a restoration project  and complete a facility assessment; $10,587 to the Frederic Remington Art Museum, Ogdensburg, to help  replace a gift shop window, the largest window in the museum; $6,533 to the Pierrepont Hill Cemetery  Association to help plant Green Mountain boxwoods along the north and east border of the property; $5,680  to the Town of Waddington to help conduct a building condition assessment for the old Waddington Town Hall;  $2,900 to the Flackville Cemetery Association, Lisbon, to help update landscaping, improve the driveway, and  complete monument work; $2,600 to the United Methodist Church of Norwood to stop rainwater runoff  from further damaging the church’s historic steeple; and $1,673 to the Purmort Cemetery Corporation,  Heuvelton, to help remove a dying tree and repair a large headstone. 

Organizations that have received a grant award from this charitable fund must wait three years before  applying for new funding. Awards to support veterans may only be made to qualified veteran organizations and cannot be made directly to individuals. Grants are not, however, restricted to Veterans Service Organizations  and can be awarded to any nonprofit to help with programs or initiatives that directly support veterans.  The Rock Charitable Fund was established at the Community Foundation in 2019 through a bequest from  St. Lawrence County resident and retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Marjorie J. Rock, who passed away in February  2017 at the age of 96.  

Requests for funding will not be considered for work that begins before Dec. 31, 2025. Successful applicants  will have up to three years to complete their project or program. Applications and guidelines for the Rock  Charitable Fund may be accessed through the Foundation’s Grant Lifecycle Manager portal. However, applicants  are strongly encouraged to contact the Community Foundation to discuss requested amounts and project details  before submitting grant proposals. 

Complete grant proposals must be submitted online by 5 p.m., Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. Grant decisions will  be made in December. The Community Foundation will notify all applicants of the status of their proposal  by Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. Contact Ms. Pfeil, with any application or grant questions at [email protected] or  315-782-7110. 

About Marjorie J. Rock 

 Ms. Rock grew up in St. Lawrence County and graduated from Heuvelton High School in 1937. In 1941,  she graduated from the three-year nursing program at Flower Fifth Avenue School in New York City. The  following year, she joined the U.S. Army Nurse Corps, serving in North Africa and Italy during World War II.  After the war, she attended Teachers College at Columbia University where she earned a Bachelor of Science  degree in 1948 and a Master of Arts in 1950. 

 She spent six years teaching in nursing programs, first as an instructor for Hartford Hospital in Connecticut  and later at New York City’s Lennox Hill Hospital. She returned to active Army service in 1954 to assist with  medical courses for enlisted personnel and helped to establish a medical education system, particularly in  the United States, Japan, and Germany. She served as a supervisor, chief nurse, instructor and director of an  advance medical technician school. Her last overseas duty was in Vietnam. 

 In 1970, she retired from the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant Colonel and returned to St. Lawrence County,  joining her mother in Ogdensburg to help with her care. She earned many honors during her Army service,  including the Bronze Star and Army Commendation Medal. Her only sibling, a brother, was killed in 1944 while piloting a P-47 Thunderbolt plane over Normandy. For the rest of her life, Ms. Rock made St. Lawrence  County her home while traveling with friends, caring for others, and assisting her church and other organizations, including the Army Nurse Corps Association and other veterans’ groups. She maintained a keen interest in  documenting local history and furthering the education of others in the county. 

About the Northern New York Community Foundation 

 Since 1929, the Northern New York Community Foundation has invested in improving and enriching  the quality of life for all in communities across Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties.  Through partnerships with businesses and organizations, charitable foundations, and generous families  and individual donors, the Community Foundation awards grants and scholarships from an endowment and  collection of funds that benefit the region. Its commitment to donors helps individuals achieve their charitable  objectives now and for generations to come by preserving and honoring legacies of community philanthropy  while inspiring others. 

 The Community Foundation is a resource for local charitable organizations, donors, professional advisors  and nonprofit organizations. It also works to bring people together at its permanent home in the Northern New  York Philanthropy Center to discuss challenges our communities face and find creative solutions that strengthen  the region and make it a great place to live, work, and play.