New York's 500-mile system of navigable waterways is vital to the economic and social life of more than 200 communities, home to 70% of upstate New York residents.
The Erie Canalway Heritage Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, partners with the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Commission to ensure the Canalway reaches its full potential as an economic, recreational, environmental, and historic asset for New York State, its residents, and visitors from across the country and world.
Our Mission
Our Work
As a nonprofit, the Heritage Fund secures private and public financial support that is critical to Canalway programs and initiatives. Since its establishment in 2006, the Heritage Fund has supported historic preservation, recreational opportunities, conservation, education, economic development, and community engagement along the 500-mile Corridor and its communities.
Key Focus Areas:
Our Impact
Highlights of our 2025 impact include:
- Strengthened local economies by supporting 37 events that brought 102,264 attendees to canal communities.
- Motivated 2,475 individuals, teams, and organizations to achieve their fitness goals and log 410,417 miles exploring the Canalway Corridor through our Canalway Challenge program.
- Educated 5,370 students from 31 school districts—85 percent of those low-income districts—through dynamic in-person educational experiences.
- Provided thousands of teachers and students with access to no-cost classroom curriculum, 3D tours, and other online tools through our new Erie Canal Learning Hub.
- Engaged NYS Canalway Water Trail Stewards in 1,894 hours of service and care for all 450 miles of the NYS Canalway Water Trail.
Financial Accountability
We strive for transparency and are happy to provide our donors and volunteers with information about how their valuable dollars are used to enact our everyday mission.