Shineman Foundation awards $329K in grants to 15 area nonprofits

OSWEGO, N.Y. — The Richard S. Shineman Foundation has awarded grants totaling $329,000 to 15 nonprofit organizations.

The funded projects “reach a wide range of people” in Oswego County, the organization said in a news release.

The projects represent a “diverse cross-section of community organizations” in community revitalization, education, arts and culture, and human services, it added.

The Shineman Foundation is located at 116 Sheldon Hall at SUNY Oswego in Oswego.

Grants

Fulton Block Builders secured a $100,000 grant, representing the largest award in this round of funding.

Fulton Block Builders is described as a “grass roots organization.” It initiated a “very successful” healthy neighborhood revitalization program this year modeled after the Oswego Renaissance Association’s program in Oswego.

The $100,000 award is a matching grant payable in the spring of 2018 following completion of fundraising in Fulton.

The foundation allocated a $25,000 community-revitalization grant to the Town of Schroeppel community-services department for resurfacing of the town park’s tennis courts in the spring.

The Shineman Foundation awarded the H. Lee White Maritime Museum a $23,500 grant in support of its long range strategic goal of becoming a nationally recognized museum.

The Red House Arts Center in Syracuse will use a $15,000 grant to help pay for its expansion and move into the old Sibley’s Building in downtown Syracuse.

Symphoria will also use $20,000 for its Dec. 7 performance at St. Mary’s Church in Oswego and its summer 2018 concert at Fort Ontario.

Education/arts grants

The Shineman Foundation also awarded grants to several education/arts and culture organizations “expanding their outreach with and into Oswego County schools.”

The Literacy Coalition of Oswego County will use $31,000 for the launch of the pilot “Read to Them” family-literacy program in the Fulton, Mexico, and Oswego school districts.

The Everson Museum of Art will use a $30,000 award for the expansion of its educational tours and outreach programming to art teachers and their classes.

Merry-Go-Round Playhouse will receive $10,000 for its touring “Sequential Dramatics Program.”

The Museum of Science and Technology has been given a funding award of $40,000 for its “Oswego County on the Go” science program, which will bring a 45-minute classroom-based science demonstration to all 78 sixth-grade classes in 16 school buildings in Oswego County.

In addition, the Research Foundation for SUNY’s “Oswego Kids Tech” programs will use $5,000 for its programs, such as “STEM 4 Kids” for grades K-3 and “Young Inventors” for grades 4-6, taught by pre-service Technology and Engineering Education majors at SUNY Oswego.

Human-service grants

The foundation also awarded human-services grants of $8,000 and $4,000, respectively, to Blessings in a Backpack’s Oswego and Fulton chapters for their work in providing nutritious food on the weekend to any Oswego, Minetto or Fulton school-age child who needs it.

David’s Refuge will use an $8,400 grant for the “continued expansion” of its mission to provide respite/caregiver support to parents and guardians of children with special needs in Oswego County.

Move Along Inc. will use a $5,900 grant award to purchase specialized wheelchairs for use in its newly launched tennis program.

The Oswego County Children’s Fund will use a grant of more than $3,200 to offer a “more efficient and streamlined” online registration process for the 500 families who use its holiday-gift program.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com