The Suzanne Grant Foundation

You can make a difference by donating today to The Suzanne Grant Foundation.

Suzanne Grant was a beloved resident of Mt Kisco, who was so many things to so many people. She volunteered endless hours to our community, local organizations and our school district and most recently was the co-owner of PORCH, a home and gift store in Mt Kisco. She could do anything and make it seem so simple. She always found room in her heart and almost impossibly, time in her schedule to help anyone who asked. She lived every minute of the day to the fullest, always putting family, friends, and community first. She was truly one of a kind. To honor Suzanne and to continue her passion for helping others and improving our community, The Suzanne Grant Foundation was created by her family and friends. Always motivated by the desire to make the world a better place, Suzanne leaves behind a legacy of warmth and generosity. Those who are inclined to follow her example can do so by making a contribution to her Foundation.

Summer 2024 Update

Looking back to the end of the last school year and our annual Community Volunteer Day, nearly 300 students and 40 teachers were out in the community supporting 25 different local organizations. It's an incredible experience that's making a positive difference for so many. We're learning that this day is a spark for many of these young people who are going on to continue with volunteer work on their own. Our thanks to Superintendent Glass for recognizing this event at Graduation ceremonies and speaking about the importance of service. This school year's Community Volunteer Day is scheduled for May 21, 2025 and will include the largest class of volunteers we've had to date.

One interesting note -- over the past two years through our partnership with the American Red Cross, we have trained roughly 50 students and teachers in CPR and First Aid. This means that on average, we now have at least one person trained in these important areas in nearly every classroom. Though never our stated intention, through the spreading of volunteerism we are making our school safer at the same time.

This summer we learned a lot more about The Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry. So many of our students rely on school-provided meals over the course of the year. Unfortunately over the summer when school is not in session, the source of these meals vanishes. It's a heartbreaking and preventable situation. The Pantry's School's Out Supplement (SOS) program is squarely focused on this issue and provides local children with lunch items while schools are closed. We are happy to partner with the SOS program and have helped to distribute healthy, kid-friendly foods to over 500 children each week to combat summer hunger.

It's so important that our youngest students begin the school year ready to learn with the school supplies they need. We were thrilled to join with two of our long-standing partners - Neighbors Link and the Community Center of Northern Westchester - to help support their Backpack and School Supplies drives respectively. Together, we were able to ensure they each reached 100% of their goal and provided needed supplies to hundreds of students.

Suzanne was a Board member of Rewarding Potential Scholarship – a community-funded effort that helps Fox Lane High School students overcome financial barriers and realize their dream of attending college. RPS puts college within reach by providing financial and mentoring support and changes the trajectory of the lives of these students and their families. We’re honored to continue to support RPS both financially and through mentoring, and we applaud the amazing work that they do.

You might remember Jacey - our wonderful facility dog who is at West Patent Elementary School every day, along with some occasional visits to other schools. Jacey is an absolute treasure for our kids, our staff and our community. Naturally Jacey requires regular veterinary visits and routine care. Your support is providing for this and she is worth every penny!

Our annual Benefit Concert in The Suzanne Grant Theater is November 12. Please mark your calendars. Last year was a packed house and an amazing set of performances. You won't want to miss this.

Spring, 2024 Update

May 20 is the 3rd annual Fox Lane Community Volunteer Day. This year over 300 students will be out in our community learning about the importance of volunteerism and serving 30+ local organizations. This is an incredible program which simultaneously teaches our students about community service and helps so many local organizations with important projects. It will be a wonderful day of learning and volunteering, bringing together our schools and our community - just like Suzanne did.

Earlier this year, we were thrilled to help with the creation of an ongoing Theater program at the elementary school level. Mount Kisco Elementary School began this new era with performances of “Aladdin” in a dual language format. We were the first elementary school in the country to perform it and it was an amazing experience! West Patent Elementary School followed in March with equally incredible performances of “Honk” (The Ugly Duckling story).

Our annual Benefit Concert in The Suzanne Grant Theater in November was a huge success. A red carpet welcomed guests and a packed house got to witness the phenomenal talents of our staff and students. It really is a highlight of the year.

Fall, 2023 Update

Dates are set for our two flagship events. Our annual Benefit Concert in The Suzanne Grant Theater will be on Tuesday November 14 so please save that date. The Junior class will be out in our community for the Third Annual Fox Lane Community Volunteer Day on Monday, May 20, 2024.

Our high schoolers see a new display in school every day. There are so many good things that our students are a part of – from volunteering, to service clubs, to commemorations, and more. The very nature of these activities keeps them somewhat subtle and unnoticed, yet they deserve to be recognized. In much the same way as trophy cases salute the successes of our athletic teams and display cases showcase the talents of our artists, Fox Lane now has an area through which to highlight and motivate the community activities of our students. The new display area is right on “Broadway” for those familiar with the building, and will be updated throughout the year so it’s always current.

We were delighted to be a part of the efforts of the Community Center of Northern Westchester and their Erase The Need School Supply Drive. CCNW is a wonderful organization which supports families throughout our school district and more broadly throughout our county. The Suzanne Grant Foundation was pleased to help CCNW meet 100% of their goal of providing school supplies for over 300 preschoolers - our newest students!

Similarly, we helped support Neighbors Link’s Summer Links Backpack Drive. This drive to ensure our students begin the school year with backpacks and the learning materials they need is just one of numerous programs that Neighbors Link implements for our students and their families. Suzanne was very involved with Neighbors Link and we are proud to assist with their important work.

Suzanne was a Board member of Rewarding Potential Scholarship – a community-funded effort that helps Fox Lane High School students overcome financial barriers and realize their dream of attending college. RPS puts college within reach by providing financial and mentoring support that expands the educational horizons of eligible students—rewarding their academic potential and changing the trajectory of their lives. We’re honored to continue to support RPS both financially and through mentoring, and we applaud the amazing work that they do.

Spring, 2023 Update

We had a busy few months and accomplished a great deal thanks to our generous donors and wonderful school administrators and staff. A special acknowledgement to those who have participated in corporate matching programs. We thank you and your generous corporate partners including Build America Mutual Assurance Companies, Diageo, Google, Kraft Sports Enterprises, New York Life, and others. A special shout-out to Casey Crowell who selected The Suzanne Grant Foundation as her designated charity as she runs in the Brooklyn Half Marathon.

Our Benefit Concert in November in the new Suzanne Grant Theater was a great success. Those in attendance got to witness amazing performances by our teachers, alumni and students in this incredible new space. This has become an important annual event and the 2023 concert will be in mid-November.

We were very proud to help introduce Jacey to our school district. Jacey is our new facility dog. She is in school every day and the kids love her.

We introduced a new part of Fox Lane Community Volunteer Day this year. Thanks to the leadership of Amy Pirro, Fox Lane High School’s Dean of Student Activities, a Volunteer Fair for all grade levels was held in school on April 21. This new program featured exhibitions from, and introductions to, dozens of local organizations. The goal is to inspire our students to learn more about volunteerism in our community, and to give them the opportunity to become involved with any that may be of interest to them.

The annual Fox Lane Community Volunteer Day took place on May 19. Introduced last year and now a permanent part of the school calendar, Fox Lane High School, with support from The Suzanne Grant Foundation, dedicates one school day each Spring for the Junior class as a day of volunteerism and learning in our local community. More detail on this special program is below.

Summer, 2022 Update

Through your generosity to the Suzanne Grant Foundation, we have been able to keep Suzanne’s spirit alive and have accomplished many wonderful things together. This summer, with your support, we completed several initiatives including the transformation of the Suzanne Grant Theater in Fox Lane Middle School. The new entrances to the Theater look fantastic. In addition, we continued some of the work begun on Community Volunteer Day in May and helped transform previously unused space into fabulous outdoor learning centers. We also helped many of our youngest students get new backpacks so they can begin their school year with the supplies they need. None of this could have happened without your support and the efforts of so many wonderful community volunteers.

Fox Lane Community Volunteer Day

The Suzanne Grant Foundation, along with Fox Lane High School, has created a new initiative. It is, much like Suzanne, focused on our students and our local community.

Suzanne was about many things. At the top of that list was volunteerism. For those of you fortunate enough to know Suzanne, you'll recall the countless hours she spent in support of our schools and our local not-for-profit organizations. She volunteered her time to help our town, our neighbors, friends, and strangers. Giving back was part of her life.

We are proud to announce that beginning in May 2022 and continuing every school year into the future, a Fox Lane Community Volunteer Day will be established as a permanent part of the school calendar. Fox Lane High School, with support from The Suzanne Grant Foundation, will dedicate one school day for the Junior class as a day of volunteerism and learning in our local community. Organizations such as The Boys and Girls Club, The Mt Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry, Neighbors Link, Westmoreland Sanctuary, 914 Cares, our five elementary schools, and many others participate in the program and identify priority projects that are addressed by teams of Fox Lane students. Each student in the junior class, along with teachers who have also volunteered, has a choice of where they would like to spend their time that day. Together, we create indoor and outdoor volunteer opportunities for hundreds of students, and address needed priorities for over 20 different local organizations. We all gather back at school at the end of the day to share experiences, accomplishments, and a food truck feast! This year's program is scheduled for Friday, May 19.

The Suzanne Grant Theater

In September 2021, the new Suzanne Grant Theater was dedicated in Fox Lane Middle School. Every single student in our district spends time in this special space. It is home to musical concerts, theatrical performances, guest speakers, art shows, science fairs, readathons, community events, Board of Education meetings, and so much more.

The new Suzanne Grant Theater will benefit current elementary and middle school families as well as generations to come. Enhancements include an entirely new acoustic system, a black box theater design with retractable theater-style seating, more overall space and flexibility, upgraded lighting, new entrances, new flooring, a new grand piano, and other improvements.

The Suzanne Grant Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization with the IRS and donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. The Foundation will provide donors with a receipt upon any donation.

If your company provides corporate matching for donations, please use "The Suzanne Grant Foundation" as the charity and use EIN 85-2145752 when submitting your matching request.

The Suzanne Grant Foundation

PO Box 577

Mt Kisco, NY 10549