LAKE PLACID - Six organizations have been awarded an Adirondack Community Trust Endowment Challenge Grant.

They are Pendragon Theater of Saranac Lake, High Peaks Hospice & Palliative Care, Tri-Lakes Humane Society, Adirondack Tri-County Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in North Creek, The Sagamore Institute in Raquette Lake and The Winter Olympic Museum in Lake Placid.

Last year Adirondack Community Trust, the community foundation serving the region, treated Adirondack nonprofit organizations to a series of four seminars on building an endowment, a permanent source of income that provides stability to a charity that relies on donations to keep it running.

ACT then offered a matching gift challenge. Each of five winning applicants would receive $10,000 to match endowment funds they raised.

In the end six organizations won grants, four of $10,000 and two of $5,000, because of a tie between equally excellent programs.

“The ACT Board sees this as a great way to provide a healthy boost to the nonprofit organizations that do so much to serve our communities,” said ACT Executive Director Cali Brooks. “A strong endowment is absolutely critical to a charity’s ability to carry out its mission in financially good times and tough times.”

PENDRAGON THEATER

Pendragon Theater, founded in 1980, is the only year-round professional theater in the Adirondacks. Now firmly established as a vibrant regional resource, Pendragon seeks to insure its future capacity to take artistic risks, provide educational programs and maintain employee salaries.

Its near-term endowment fund-raising goal is $70,000. Gifts may be made to the Pendragon Fund for the 21st Century at ACT. Contact Managing Director Bob Pettee at pdragon@northnet.org.

HIGH PEAKS HOSPICE

Twenty-five-year-old High Peaks Hospice & Palliative Care provides compassionate care for people at the end of life in Warren, Essex and portions of Franklin and Hamilton counties. Its 50 employees and 220 trained volunteers care for more than 300 people annually.

A $50,000 endowment campaign will provide funding for continuing staff and volunteer training. Gifts may be made to the Ann & C. David Merkel Fund for Hospice Education at ACT. Contact Development Director Darsie Townsend at dtownsend@hphpc.org.

HUMANE SOCIETY

The Tri-Lakes Humane Society, founded in 1942, “speaks for those who cannot. In the past decade, they have rescued and placed 3,500 pets. Their no kill shelter program stretches from North Elba to Long Lake, said Treasurer Melinda Little.

TLHS aims to raise $100,000 for staff salaries. Gifts may be made to the Tri-Lakes Humane Society Fund at ACT. Contact Little at mlittle231@aol.com.

NURSING HOME

Adirondack Tri-County Nursing & Rehabilitation Center serves older and disabled residents of the southern Adirondacks. The complex has 82 beds, an adult day care center and full therapy services for people of all ages.

“That each dollar we raise ... will generate a similar amount from ACT is math that resonates in a primarily rural area,” wrote Administrator Hal G. Payne, planning for its $50,000 endowment campaign.

Gifts may be made to Adirondack Tri-County Nursing Fund at ACT. Contact Payne at halp@adiron-dacknursing.com.

SAGAMORE INSTITUTE

The Sagamore Institute will raise endowment funds for historic interpretation and preservation. Great Camp Sagamore’s 27 National Historic Landmark buildings, once the Adirondack estate of the Vanderbilt family, are open to the public for seasonal tours, overnight stays and retreats.

Gifts may be made to the Sagamore Endowment Fund at ACT. Contact Executive Director Beverly Bridger at bevbridger@yahoo.com or info@greatcampsagamore.org

OLYMPIC MUSEUM

The Winter Olympic Museum is the only official Olympic museum in the United States. Its space at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid receives 25,000 annual visitors.

The museum aims to raise $70,000 for educational programs, interactive media and exhibits at new sites. Gifts may be made to Lake Placid Winter Olympic Museum Fund at ACT. Contact MaryLou Brown, board president, at Marylou@mlbassociates.com

Learn more about ACT by visiting www.Generous-ACT.org. Contact Executive Director Cali Brooks cali@generousact.com.