Dutchess County’s nonprofit sector is a vital pillar of our economy. Local missions include helping foster a skilled workforce, empowering individual financial success, supporting families in need, and protecting the environment around us. Think Dutchess recognizes this impact by honoring a nonprofit organization each year at the Business Excellence Awards, underscoring the essential role they play in shaping our community.
The eight organizations highlighted below represent just a fraction of the powerful work of our nonprofit sector.
Sparrow’s Nest (Hopewell Junction)
Sparrow’s Nest works to support families in Dutchess County and beyond who are grappling with the challenges that come with navigating cancer treatment. Serving Dutchess, Putnam, Ulster, and Orange counties, Sparrow’s Nest has delivered nearly 1 million meals to 4,000 people since 2012. The organization also aims to fill gaps for families by providing lunch meals in summer months when children are home from school, and continued delivery to families who have recently lost a loved one to cancer. Sparrow’s Nest also forges partnerships with other institutions in Dutchess County, like the Culinary Institute of America for a quarterly “Bake Day,” where students craft special desserts for recipient families. Moving forward, Sparrow’s Nest hopes to move to a larger location within the county that will allow them to expand their reach and serve 1,000 people per week.
Unshattered (Wappingers Falls)
Named Think Dutchess’ 2018 Nonprofit of the Year, Unshattered is an upcycled fashion brand with the mission to end the addiction relapse cycle. This nonprofit handcrafts bags and other accessories from reclaimed materials while also providing long-term employment for women in recovery. Unshattered believes that artistic work is healing, and the stable employment that it provides creates the supportive community necessary for its team members to take their next steps. Unshattered has grown rapidly since it was established nearly a decade ago in 2016, and it doesn’t plan to stop any time soon. In the future, it hopes to grow to over 50 employees, continue to establish career pathways in business operations, and open a café or tea shop so that visitors can connect with others navigating similar circumstances.
Mid-Hudson Works (Poughkeepsie)
Mid-Hudson Works provides a bridge between local businesses and their customers by offering manufacturing, fulfillment, packing, kitting, and storage services, all while fostering employment opportunities for veterans and disabled workers in the Hudson Valley. Recognized as Think Dutchess’ 2024 Nonprofit of the Year, Mid-Hudson Work’s impact on our region’s economy is two-fold by managing operations that small businesses do not have capacity to spearhead themselves, and by ensuring everyone in our community has a pathway to their own financial success. Located in Poughkeepsie, Mid-Hudson Works’ proximity to key transportation routes like I-87, major airports, and New York City gives this nonprofit the ability to easily reach those around the world.
The Art Effect (Poughkeepsie)
The Art Effect works to help young people find their creative voice and use art as a means of empowerment to build their future with confidence. The organization directly serves over 2,000 young people around the Hudson Valley each year and indirectly reaches more than 8,500 people annually through events, exhibitions, and public art installations in the region. The Art Effect builds its programs around a three-part framework designed for children and young adults aged 4 to 24. From introductory level experiences for young children to hands-on workshops meant to pave the way for higher education and job opportunities, The Art Effect makes an impact on young people at all stages of their early life. By harnessing creativity, The Art Effect helps foster a well-rounded community in Dutchess County.
In Flight, Inc. (Red Hook)
Everyone deserves the opportunity to find their purpose and build a strong future. For In Flight, this means empowering those in our community with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live independently or with the support needed to lead fulfilling lives. Through a mix of residential and daytime programs in cooking, exploring new hobbies, playing sports, and community excursions, participants can find connections with their neighbors while building skills that pave the way for lifelong success. In Flight also collaborates with partners around the region. Most recently, the organization established a partnership between its Success Academy for Independent Living and Lonely Worm Farm in Hyde Park. This program fosters job training through art and agriculture projects on the farm, bridging work and creativity as an avenue to unlock future opportunities.
Catharine Street, Inc. (Poughkeepsie)
New York offers several programs to families and their children who struggle to make ends meet, but the system can be confusing to navigate alone. At Catharine Street, no one is left in the dark about which resources are best suited for their needs. The organization’s team makes the process simple, helping families identify and assess their needs and refer them to the appropriate programs. Childcare, food and housing assistance, and life coaches can alleviate burdens that often interfere with other life goals, such as employment and education. With Catharine Street, families facing economic hardship have a partner that can make those goals reality. Additionally, through its Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship awarded each year, Catharine Street unlocks vital support for high school seniors who demonstrate academic achievements, commitment to community service and plan to attend college or university—extending its impact and making higher education more accessible for Dutchess County students.
Empire Training Center for the Arts (Poughkeepsie)
Empire Training Center for the Arts aims to show younger generations the wealth of opportunities available in the entertainment industry, and to train them with the skills required to succeed in technical and arts administration jobs that don’t require a college degree. Over five months, students attend courses three days per week to train as stagehands, audio and visual technicians, and in arts management and operations. Positioned for communities that are traditionally underrepresented in the entertainment industry, the Empire Training Center for the Arts hopes that everyone finds a pathway to a meaningful career. Residing at The Chance Theater in Poughkeepsie, students receive a true hands-on experience in a working theater, preparing them to blossom in an arts career here in Dutchess County or beyond.
Hudson River Sloop Clearwater (Beacon)
Dutchess County’s beautiful setting on the Hudson River has served as the foundation for a long history of bustling trade, economic development, tourism, and a picturesque landscape that our community enjoys each day. Hudson River Sloop Clearwater is on a mission to preserve the river and its tributaries through education so that we can enjoy all it has to offer for decades to come. The organization owns and operates a historic sloop replica that serves as the setting for educational programs on the Hudson River. So far, over half a million people have experienced an up-close-and-personal look at the Hudson River ecosystem aboard the sloop. This hands-on model makes the river’s importance to the region crystal clear and allows visitors to become stewards of its health through water quality tests, encounters with live creatures, and team building activities. Hudson River Sloop Clearwater is also engaged in legislative advocacy to prevent pollution and protect the wellbeing of the residents who live on the river’s shores.
Inspired by the incredible impact of these local businesses?
Whether you're a small business owner, entrepreneur, or community partner, we’d love to hear from you. Connect with our team at info@thinkdutchess.com to learn how we can support your business, collaborate on economic development initiatives, or help you grow right here in Dutchess County.
Photo courtesy of Mid-Hudson Works