The Tioga Downs Regional Community Foundation Tuesday awarded $2 million in grants to organizations in the Southern Tier of New York and Northern Pennsylvania. The foundation is part of Tioga Downs, located in Nichols, New York,

More than 100 organizations received grants from over 170 applicants, a record number. All organizations were encouraged to apply again next year regardless of whether a grant was awarded or not.

“Through the experiences shared by our award winners, we eagerly anticipate the ripple effects of these grants making a real difference close to home,” said Tioga Downs Owner Jeff Gural in a statement. “There are countless organizations doing amazing work, often without the budget they truly deserve, and these grants aim to amplify their impact. I am happy we could increase our giving from $1.5 to $2 million this year as we want to help as many organizations as possible in the local communities that we serve.”

Grant recipients were announced today at an awards ceremony at Tioga Downs Casino Resort. Non-profit organizations from Broome and Chemung counties in New York and Bradford and Tioga counties in Pennsylvania were recognized for initiatives in addressing and combating local poverty and community deterioration.

A release stated that The Tioga Downs Regional Community Foundation is dedicated to promoting economic and community development by supporting charitable, religious, literary, scientific, and educational organizations within the target counties. The foundation strives to donate to as many organizations as possible.