LAKE PLACID — Adirondack Community Foundation has announced it is one of three recipients selected for The F. M. Kirby Foundation’s inaugural Innovation Engine Grant Program. ACF will receive an award of $300,000, distributed over three years, to advance its Safety Net initiative.

The Safety Net initiative is a strategic effort designed to create vital links among fragmented social services across the Adirondack region. Four collaborative projects are underway, demonstrating creative ways to overcome the unique challenges of our rural landscape, including transportation barriers, social isolation, stable employment and housing.

“This generous support from the F.M. Kirby Foundation validates the hard work of our community partners who are striving to close the gaps in our rural social safety net,” President and CEO of Adirondack Community Foundation Cali Brooks said in a statement. “This funding allows us to empower our partners to take bold steps forward and implement sustainable, collaborative solutions that will improve lives across the region.”

The F. M. Kirby Foundation is a family foundation established in 1931. While based in New Jersey, the family has a long history in the Adirondacks and supports a wide array of organizations in both regions and beyond. The Innovation Engine Grant Program represents the foundation’s commitment to supporting strategic growth among its nonprofit partners. Inspired by the “Twin Engines” model developed by researchers Ann Mei Chang and Laura Lanzerotti, the initiative encourages organizations to balance proven solutions with bold innovation to maximize their social impact.

“What excites us most about these projects is how each organization identified unmet needs and developed creative solutions that extend their impact,” F. M. Kirby Foundation President Justin Kiczek said. “Adirondack Community Foundation is tackling service delivery across a challenging geography.”

“Each recipient has developed a thoughtful approach to expanding their reach while staying true to their core mission,” Kiczek added. “They’re not just scaling what works–they’re reimagining how to address persistent challenges in their communities.”

To learn more about Adirondack Community Foundation’s Social Safety Net initiative, visit adkcommunityfoundation.org/safetynet or contact Kim Trombly, Director of Community Impact, at kim@adkcommunityfoundation.org.