A new, endowed fund, the income from which will be used to make gifts or grants to organizations and agencies servicing the Town of Kirkland and the Village of Clinton, has been established at Hamilton College by anonymous donors.
"Hamilton was approached about a year ago by two long-time local residents who wanted to foster goodwill and better communication between the college and the community," said President Eugene M. Tobin. "They subsequently donated $100,000 to create The Hamilton College Town-Gown Fund, which will formalize and perpetuate the College's support for the town and the village."
Tobin said the college has already received additional gifts to the fund, bringing the current total of the endowment to more than $200,000. He said the spendable income from the endowment, which is calculated to be 5 percent of the fund's total value, is expected to be $10,000 when the first gifts are disbursed later this year.
"We anticipate this fund will grow significantly over time," Tobin said. "I am delighted that these civic-minded residents, who also care deeply about Hamilton, have found a creative way to formalize the vitally important relationship between the college and the community."
Tobin said the money being disbursed from this new fund will not replace the contributions the college makes on a regular basis directly to local civic organizations.
The primary, but not exclusive focus of the gifts made by the Hamilton College Town-Gown Fund will be education, broadly defined. The endowment agreement anticipates that a significant portion of the fund's income will benefit the public school district(s) serving the Town of Kirkland and the Village of Clinton. However, other cultural and educational organizations - as well as public fire, emergency and safety agencies - may also benefit.
Beneficiaries of the Hamilton College Town-Gown Fund might include, but need not be limited to the Clinton Fire Department, Barton Hose Company, Clark Mills Fire Department, Lairdsville Fire Department, Kirkland Town Police, Oneida County Sheriff's Office and Central Oneida County Volunteer Ambulance Corps, as well as St. Mary's School, local pre-school programs, the Clinton ABC Program, Kirkland Art Center, Kirkland Town Library, Clinton Arena and Clinton Historical Society.
Tobin is currently recruiting trustees and employees from the college and education and civic leaders from the community to join him on a committee that will be charged with making annual gifts and grants from the Hamilton College Town-Gown Fund. Members of the committee will be announced shortly.
