Adirondack Group Launches Nonprofit Business Accelerator
The program offers northern New York nonprofits business planning tools, frameworks and one-on-one advising to strengthen long-term growth.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Philanthropy
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The Adirondack Economic Development Corporation launched a Nonprofit Business Accelerator designed to strengthen business planning capacity, financial sustainability and long-term growth of nonprofit organizations. The program covers the agency's 14-county service region in northern New York.
Why it matters
Many nonprofits are run by small teams stretched thin across every function of the organization, leaving limited capacity for business planning. The accelerator aims to give these groups structured tools and advising to support their operations across the region.
The Nonprofit Business Accelerator covers the 14-county service region of the Adirondack Economic Development Corporation in northern New York. The extraction did not include enrollment targets, funding amounts or participation figures.
The players
Adirondack Economic Development Corporation
The regional economic development agency serving 14 counties in northern New York that launched the accelerator.
Erin DeSantis
A former strategic communications and public affairs professional with more than 20 years of experience who now leads the accelerator and has served on several nonprofit boards.
The details
The accelerator provides nonprofits with business planning tools, frameworks and one-on-one advising, and pairs nonprofit leaders with business advising, resources and access to capital. Erin DeSantis, who previously spent more than 20 years in strategic communications and public affairs, leads the program and works with nonprofit leaders on business model development and revenue diversification.
Timeline
The Nonprofit Business Accelerator launched on November 7, 2026.
Market Landscape
The accelerator extends the Adirondack Economic Development Corporation's existing regional economic development work into the nonprofit sector across its 14-county area. It positions nonprofit organizations within the same regional planning framework that the agency applies to businesses.
Nonprofit leaders in the Adirondack region can now seek business planning advising and tools through the accelerator, which is accepting inquiries from organizations in the 14-county service area. Organizations such as Hope Kitchen in Keeseville, which serves a community dinner to more than 100 people each week, may benefit from the planning support.
The takeaway
Nonprofits in northern New York that need help with business planning, revenue diversification or long-term sustainability now have a regional resource to turn to. Inquiries are open to organizations based in the 14-county service area.
Further reading
For related coverage, see Philanthropy in New York.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Adirondack Explorer.
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