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Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties
Founded in 1952, the Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties channels donor capital into Upstate New York's Mohawk Valley. President and CEO Alicia...
Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties
Founded in 1952, the Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties channels donor capital into Upstate New York's Mohawk Valley. President and CEO Alicia Dicks leads the organization, which operates as a community-based social impact investor rather than a pure grantmaker. Its portfolio links philanthropic donations with visible neighborhood-scale projects. The foundation deploys capital across a diversified pool that includes program-related investments (PRIs) and direct ownership of mixed-use real estate. Confirmed assets include the Foundation Headquarters at 2608 Genesee Street and two Impact Centers on James Street and West Street in Utica's Cornhill district. Strategy tags indicate engagement with early-stage ventures and fund-of-funds structures, supplementing core grantmaking in economic development, education, arts, and health. Geographic focus centers on partnership with the City of Utica, Oneida County, and the People First municipal housing authority. The foundation partners with public agencies to execute urban redevelopment. Its Cornhill Revitalization Project, run jointly with the City of Utica and Oneida County, represents a multi-year commitment to neighborhood stabilization. The team operates from a single headquarters in Utica, with no additional offices. Membership in the Council on Foundations and Philanthropy New York connects it to national community-foundation standards. Its structural differentiator is blending 501(c)(3) grantmaking with a direct development arm that builds and operates physical community infrastructure. Rather than outsourcing program delivery, the foundation holds real estate, runs problem-specific coalitions like the Lead-Free & Healthy Homes Mohawk Valley Coalition, and manages its own Community Equity Initiative. That hybrid architecture—donor-advised funds feeding directly into in-house projects—creates a model closer to a mission-driven holding company than a typical community foundation.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
1952
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Utica
Corporate office
2608 Genesee Street, Utica, NY 13502, United States
Principals
Alicia Dicks
President and CEO
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at the Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties?
President and CEO Alicia Dicks leads the foundation's overall strategy, including deployment of its program-related investments and direct real estate projects. The foundation has not disclosed a separate CIO or investment committee structure, which is common for community foundations that pair grantmaking with donor-advised and discretionary portfolios managed internally or by external OCIO providers.
Does the foundation make direct investments or only grants?
It does both. The foundation owns physical real estate directly—including the James Street and West Street Impact Centers in Utica—and operates a Program Related Investments (PRI) pool alongside its traditional grantmaking. Its strategy tags include early-stage venture and fund-of-funds participation, indicating philanthropic capital is deployed in multiple forms.
What is the Cornhill Revitalization Project?
The Cornhill Revitalization Project is a multi-year neighborhood development initiative in Utica, run jointly by the Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties, the City of Utica, and Oneida County. The foundation built and operates mixed-use Impact Centers on James and West Streets as part of that plan, integrating health, education, and economic development services into a single physical footprint.
Does the foundation manage endowed funds for other organizations or only its own?
The foundation holds donor-advised funds and other charitable assets for individuals and families in Herkimer and Oneida Counties, acting as a sponsor and administrator. It also stewards its own discretionary and PRI pools, consistent with an accredited community foundation model under the Council on Foundations' National Standards.
What is the foundation's relationship with public agencies in Utica?
The foundation regularly partners with municipal and county government. The City of Utica, Oneida County, and the People First municipal housing authority are all listed as business partners, primarily through the Cornhill Revitalization Plan and neighborhood Impact Center projects. This operational proximity to public agencies differentiates it from grantmaking-only foundations.
Where does the foundation's capital come from?
Capital originates from donor contributions and bequests by individuals and families in Herkimer and Oneida Counties. The foundation has not publicly disclosed the specific names of its largest benefactors; its wealth origin is therefore better understood as aggregated community philanthropy rather than a single-family or corporate fortune.
Is the Community Foundation involved in health-related initiatives?
Yes, health is one of its core investment and grantmaking areas. The foundation coordinates the Lead-Free & Healthy Homes Mohawk Valley Coalition, a multi-partner effort addressing childhood lead exposure and housing quality. That initiative runs alongside its broader Community Equity Initiative, which targets health disparities in the region.
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