Neighborhood Mini-Grant Chapter- Seneca and Keuka Watersheds

Since 2008, the Sustainable Finger Lakes (SFLX) Neighborhood Mini-Grant Program has awarded over $100,000 in over 250 grants to support sustainability-related projects in the region.

The Keuka and Seneca Watersheds chapter launched in Fall 2025, expanding the program beyond Tompkins County for the first time, and has awarded over $5,000 in 11 grants to projects in Seneca, Schuyler, and Yates Counties.

The Neighborhood Mini-Grant Program was designed to stimulate resident-based, grassroots initiatives that improve quality of life and long-term health in local communities, promote environmental stewardship and green practices, generate collaboration between differing groups, and create opportunities for leadership and civic engagement.

When you join as a Neighborhood Mini-Grant Sponsor, your contribution qualifies your company for one of four tiers of giving:

Sponsorship Tiers

$500

Profile feature on the Neighborhood Mini-Grant webpage.
Celebratory spotlight on our Instagram and Facebook pages.

$1000

All benefits of the $500 tier.
Expanded story featured on our social media and listserv.

$2000

All benefits of the $1000 tier.
Short video feature on the Neighborhood Mini-Grant webpage.
Feature in the Sustainable Finger Lakes newsletter.
Inclusion in press releases about Neighborhood Mini-Grant projects.

$5000

All benefits of the $2000 tier.
The opportunity to share a brief message or welcome note with grantees.
Recognition of the sponsor of one of our fall or spring cycles.

Program Information

How to Apply

Applications are due May 1 and November 1.

The application form is available on request, and requires the applicant to show how the project will:

Build resilience, equity, and self-sufficiency in local communities
Improve communities’ environmental, social, and economic health in the long term
Promote environmental stewardship and green practices
Create opportunities for leadership and civic engagement

Grants are for small, relatively simple projects that build local equity, self-sufficiency, resilience, and long-term social, economic, and environmental health.

All applicants must use the Sustainable Finger Lakes application form, and all projects must take place in Schuyler, Seneca, or Yates County, New York. All award recipients are required to submit a follow-up report within 12 months of receiving a mini-grant, and must wait those 12 months before applying for another mini-grant.

To request an application form, please contact Sasha at 607-272-1720 or sasha@sustainablefingerlakes.org.

Awardee History

Spring 2026

Dundee Central School: $500 for socks, underwear, and hygiene supplies in a new school-based pantry for students.

Finger Lakes Justice Partnership: $750 for food, supplies, and community garden bed rental supporting monthly People’s Parliament and Community Potluck gatherings in Penn Yan.

Interlaken Grange #160: $750 for postage and packaging used in a Pill Bottle Collection Program sending donated plastic pill bottles to another organization for international reuse.

Lodi Whittier Library: $473.04 toward the costs of a rain barrel system and a community workshop on rain barrels for home use.

The Living Well Mission: $348 to pilot public distribution of durable, environmentally-friendly hygiene and cleaning products at the Needs N’ Things pantry in Penn Yan.

Fall 2025

Dundee Library: $450 for health-monitoring tools to loan out to patrons.

Dutton S. Peterson Memorial Library: $400 to create an on-site pollinator garden.

Interlaken Community Action Group: $650 for materials, Google Voice and volunteer background checks for the Good Neighbors Interlaken program of volunteer residents assisting their neighbors with diverse tasks.

Lodi Food Pantry: $545 for two rolling crate carts for food pantry patrons and a coat rack for volunteers.

Montour Falls Memorial Library: $600 to revitalize an on-site rain garden with native plants for pollinators and public education programming.

Town of Hector Sustainability Committee: $350 for plants and signage to create a pollinator garden in Mecklenburg Park.

Thanks To Our Sponsors

We are grateful for the generosity of our donors, the very reason this program happens. Thanks to their support, the Mini-Grant Program has been able to take root in communities across the Finger Lakes, specifically the Keuka and Seneca Watersheds, where neighbors are bringing bold sustainability ideas to life and building a brighter, more resilient future for our region.

Visions Federal Credit Union believes in people before profits. With a strong commitment to community well-being, financial empowerment, and sustainability, Visions supports initiatives that help neighbors thrive and build a brighter future across the Finger Lakes region.

AES, a next-generation energy company with over 40 years of expertise, is accelerating the global transition to renewable energy. Their commitment to innovation and sustainability is shaping a greener future for communities worldwide.

The Park Foundation is dedicated to creating a more just and sustainable world by investing in people and communities. With a focus on education, the environment, and civic participation, the foundation supports initiatives that strengthen the Finger Lakes region and inspire long-term positive change.

Interested in becoming a sponsor?

Contact gay@sustainablefingerlakes.org

Please Join Us!

Support grassroots innovations to build a more sustainable and resilient community.

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Empowering local change, one grant at a time!