For Cali Brooks, investing in the Northern Forest Center builds upon decades spent establishing the relationships, trust, and capacity needed to move Adirondack communities forward. 

As the President and CEO ​o​f Adirondack Community Foundation (ACF), Cali has helped shape the organization from the ground up, guiding its evolution into a leading force for philanthropy and community development in the region. Her leadership is grounded in a deep commitment to place and a belief that lasting progress requires both vision and action.  

That perspective is what first connected ACF to the Northern Forest Center. “Our organizations are about the same age,” Cali said. From the beginning, she and the Center’s founders saw the Northern Forest region as more than a geography. “It is an ecosystem, a human ecosystem. We get that. We respect that.”  

Over time, that shared understanding grew into a strong partnership - one that would expand beyond grantmaking into a more catalytic approach.  

Investing to Solve What Matters Most

When ACF began exploring how to use its assets for greater impact, Cali and members of the ACF Finance Committee led a year-long effort to identify priorities and partners. Workforce housing and small business development quickly emerged as urgent needs. At the same time, the Center was launching the Northern Forest Fund. There were not many partners with place-based investment opportunities that met ACF’s criteria.  “The Northern Forest Center stood out as one of the few,” said Cali. “The timing felt like kismet.”

Under the leadership of Cali and ACF’s Finance Committee, ACF became the first community foundation to invest in the Northern Forest Fund, helping to bring a new regional investment model to life. For ACF fundholders- some of whom also support the Center through their funds- that investment reflects a thoughtful approach to stewarding resources: expanding their impact beyond grantmaking wiht mission-aligned, placed-based investments that address root challenges. For Center supporters, it signals deep confidence in both the need and the strategy.

Today, those investments are producing results. Projects like Park Street in Tupper Lake are bringing together public, philanthropic, and private capital to create high-quality, year-round housing. “Being able to address a real gap in our region, that’s exciting,” Cali said. “Seeing people move in will change the narrative.”  

For longtime friend of both the Center and ACF, Ross Whaley, this progress reflects what’s possible when leadership and capital align. “What’s powerful about this work is how it brings together vision, capital, and community,” he said. “ACF and the Center are showing that when you invest with intention, you can solve challenges that have held this region back for decades and create a model others can be part of.”  

From Vision to Momentum, and an Invitation

For Cali, that shift from planning to proof is exactly the point. Early partnership with the Center focused on attracting and retaining residents, but it quickly became clear that without housing, growth would stall. Expanding from donor guidance, grants, research, and shared convenings to include place-based investing was a natural next step.  

Today, momentum is visible and growing. It reflects not just one project, but a broader shift: using capital in new ways to unlock solutions that communities cannot achieve alone.  

Cali and ACF’s leadership ​​have positioned ACF as both a steward and a catalyst, demonstrating how community foundations can lead by deploying resources creatively and collaboratively.  

The message for current supporters — and those considering joining— is clear: this work is delivering real results. The opportunity now is to build on that progress together by investing in a future where the Northern Forest is not only a remarkable place to visit, but a place where communities can truly thrive. 

 

Learn how you can join Adirondack Community Foundation in investing in Northern Forest communities now, through an investment or donation, and later with a legacy gift, like a bequest or beneficiary designation.