30 Jul North Elba LEAF accepting applications, second round grant funds available
North Elba, NY – The Town of North Elba is pleased to announce the recently established North Elba Local Enhancement and Advancement Fund (LEAF) is accepting applications for the second round of grant funding. Deadline for submission is September 1.
The North Elba LEAF is a dedicated and ongoing fund available to nonprofits, local governments, and public sector organizations within the Town of North Elba. Monies for the fund are derived from a dedicated 2% Essex County occupancy tax that was implemented by the Essex County Board of Supervisors in June of 2020.
“The funds available from LEAF will improve the quality of life for residents and quality of place for visitors,” North Elba Town Supervisor Jay Rand said. “We are looking forward to the next round of applications that will result in the betterment of the community as a whole.”
First round awards were announced in April 2021. The projects recommended by the LEAF committee and approved by the Town of North Elba were submitted by the following 17 nonprofits, local governments, and public sector organizations: the Rotary Club of Lake Placid, Barkeater Trails Alliance, Zonta Club of the Adirondacks, Ausable River Association, Lake Placid Center for the Arts, Lake Placid Community Day, Lake Placid Community Beautification Association Inc, Lake Placid Elementary School, Lake Placid Land Conservancy, Adirondack Land Trust, Village of Saranac Lake, Lake Placid Volunteer Ambulance, Lake Placid-North Elba Historical Society, Lake Placid Central School District, Village of Lake Placid (North Elba website), Mirror Lake Watershed, and Essex County Industrial Development Agency.
Total funds awarded in the first round was $560,265.25.
LEAF background
The mission of LEAF is to provide funds for programs, activities, and facilities that will have direct benefits to North Elba communities and improve the quality of place for both residents and visitors. Projects eligible must positively impact the community and its visitors by meeting the following criteria:
- Addresses a significant need of the community
- Will be executed by an organization that demonstrates sound administration and financial management
- Entails an initiative that will not depend on ongoing funding from LEAF
- Will be completed within a defined timeline
Grant approvals are a two step process. The North Elba LEAF committee, after due diligence in reviewing all eligible applications, will make recommendations to the North Elba Town Board (NETB) for final approval. The North Elba LEAF committee will not exceed 11 members and members will be approved by the NETB. Committee support, grant administration, and grant compliance will be provided by the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST).
A committee of 11 members will represent a diverse range of business and community sectors within the Town of North Elba. The committee is responsible for accepting and reviewing applications based on the scoring criteria and will make award recommendations, as a committee, to the North Elba Town Board.
“Looking forward, we’re all very excited,” said Mary Jane Lawrence, Chief Operating Officer for ROOST. “Everything approved in the first round will have a positive impact on North Elba, and it will be very exciting to see how the second round of applications will continue to better the community.”
Details on how to apply and the scoring criteria are available at www.RoostADK.com/leaf. Applications for the second round of funding will be accepted until September 1, 2021. The town board approval will be no later than November 1, 2021.
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