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Colgate has been awarded a $600,000 challenge grant from the Fred L. Emerson Foundation of Auburn, N.Y., to help endow the university’s Upstate Institute.

According to Institute director Ellen Percy Kraly, the funding will ultimately support the Upstate Field School, which matches Colgate students with community organizations to develop and implement projects that bolster capacity; a visiting scholar in regional studies; and targeted research on upstate New York.

“We hope that in growing the resources of the Upstate Institute we can also grow our contributions to the region — through the work of faculty and students in partnership with the vibrant upstate community,” said Kraly.

“The Emerson Foundation has done so much for our region, so their endorsement of our vision is deeply meaningful. We are pleased that they decided to support the university yet again, and are eager to meet the challenge.”

Under the terms of the grant, Colgate must raise $5.4 million by Nov. 1, 2009 in order to receive the Emerson Foundation’s grant.

“Partnering with the Upstate Institute has made a big difference in the development of the National Abolition Hall of Fame [NAHOF],” said Dot Willsey, chair of the organization.

“It is not just the formality of the institutional cooperation that NAHOF appreciates; it is the spirit of partnership that each Colgate student and faculty member brings to the project that is greatly valued. I hope the Emerson Foundation grant will only make more regional projects — and partnerships — with the Upstate Institute possible in the future.”

Colgate’s relationship with the Emerson Foundation began in 1954, when the university received a grant toward construction of Case Library.

Since then, the foundation has awarded the university several more grants that have supported building projects, the downtown Hamilton Initiative, and an endowed scholarship fund for students from Central New York (this fund is now valued at more than $1.4 million). The $600,000 grant is the school’s sixth.

The Upstate Institute was launched in the fall of 2003 as a way to more closely link Colgate faculty and student research with the needs and interests of the regional community. 

The Institute puts the research and scholarship of Colgate faculty and students into action by partnering with regional organizations on projects that will enhance the economic, social, and cultural capacity of the area and sustain the environment. 

The Fred L. Emerson Foundation, located in Auburn, N.Y., was incorporated in 1932 and focuses on serving the Central New York area.