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CAPTAIN Community Human Services Launches $5.2 Million “Building Brighter Futures” Capital Campaign

CAPTAIN Community Human Services (CAPTAIN CHS) announced the public launch of the Building Brighter Futures Capital Campaign, a $5.2 million initiative to transform how human services are delivered across Saratoga County and beyond.

The campaign, the first in the organization’s nearly 50-year history, will fund the development of an 18,000-square-foot Community Engagement and Resource Center designed to bring essential services together in one accessible, coordinated location.

With $4.6 million already committed, CAPTAIN CHS is calling on the community to help raise the remaining $600,000 by July 2026.

“For nearly 50 years, CAPTAIN CHS has supported families, seniors, and young people in times of need,” said Executive Director Scott DeMarco. “But today, too many people still have to navigate a fragmented system, traveling from place to place to access basic services. The center changes that. It creates a single, coordinated point of access where people can get the help they need, when they need it.”

The Building Brighter Futures Capital Campaign is more than a construction project; it’s an investment in a stronger, more connected community.

At its heart is the Community Engagement and Resource Center, designed to bring together the people, programs, and partnerships needed to support individuals and families at every stage, from crisis to long-term stability, making it easier to get help, faster and with dignity.

Instead of having to navigate multiple locations across the community, families will be able to access coordinated support in one place – saving time, reducing stress, and ensuring no one falls through the cracks.

With the support of the campaign, the center will:

• Make it easier to get help by bringing essential services together in one accessible location, so individuals and families can find support without navigating a fragmented system
• Respond faster in moments of crisis, connecting people to food, housing, and other critical resources when timing matters most
• Expand access to basic needs, including food, hygiene, and emergency assistance, so more families can stay stable during difficult times
• Invest in long-term solutions, including workforce development, financial education, and empowerment programs that help people build a stronger future
• Strengthen collaboration across the community by bringing nonprofit, government, and community partners together to work more effectively as one coordinated system
• Grow capacity to meet rising need, serving 50% more people each year, through expanding staffing, volunteers, programming, and more efficient systems
• Leverage technology and innovation to better coordinate care, track outcomes, and ensure resources are used effectively
• Build a pipeline of future leaders and solutions through the Innovation Collaborative Center, fostering new ideas and strengthening the region’s human services workforce
• Create a welcoming, dignified space where individuals and families feel respected, supported, and connected

The campaign also supports the people behind the services, including staff, volunteers, and partners, ensuring they have the space, tools, and infrastructure needed to do their work effectively and sustainably.

The center is designed not only to meet today’s needs, but to build a stronger, more connected community for generations to come.

The campaign comes at a time of rising demand for services. One in three households struggle to make ends meet, and requests for assistance have increased significantly in recent years.

“This is more than a building, it’s a reimagined approach to how we serve our community,” DeMarco continued. “By bringing partners together and removing barriers to access, we can respond more effectively and help people achieve lasting stability.”

Community members, businesses, and philanthropic partners are invited to support the Building Brighter Futures Capital Campaign by making a gift at captaincares.org/brighterfutures or by contacting CAPTAIN CHS directly at 518-399-4624. Multi-year pledges of three to five years are accepted and encouraged for larger gifts.