Gnome away from home

A post shared by Henry Bellagnome (@tourism_gnome) on

This is an Instagram account of a garden gnome -- Henry Bellagnome -- visiting various spots around the Capital Region. That is all.

OK, one or two more things. It's a way to catch attention for the Capital District Community Development Foundation, which is focused on promoting local tourism and businesses.

Also: One of the best things about the feed of pics is watching the look on the people's faces who have their pics taken with the gnome -- like you can see them trying to decide how much they should commit to the scene.

(Thanks, C.)

Comments

It's cute but also raising some red flags. The "capital district" branding has been phased out by NYS, so while it seems sort of official at first glance, it is clearly not.

The web site says it is a product of the "Capital District Community Development Foundation" but I don't see a 990 for such a foundation, nor does the name come up in the Charities Bureau Registry. Though they do have a donation button.

Can AOA confirm this is legit?

It's not a registered nonprofit organization. The "donate" button is linked to a Patreon page, so money given to this group would not be tax-deductible.

They state on the Patreon page: "When I reach $200 per month I will donate $50 each month to a different community group towards activities such as a community garden, farmer's market, concerts, etc." This is excellent, but again, people who contribute to this Patreon account would not be making a tax-deductible donation, and are not guaranteed to be supporting charitable nonprofit organizations.

It's a cute marketing/tourism promotion campaign, and I wish them lots of success... but they should be clearer about their charitable status.

Hi there. Comments have been closed for this item. Still have something to say? Contact us.

The Scoop

For a decade All Over Albany was a place for interested and interesting people in New York's Capital Region. It was kind of like having a smart, savvy friend who could help you find out what's up. AOA stopped publishing at the end of 2018.

Recently on All Over Albany

Thank you!

When we started AOA a decade ago we had no idea what was going to happen. And it turned out better than we could have... (more)

Let's stay in touch

This all feels like the last day of camp or something. And we're going to miss you all so much. But we'd like to stay... (more)

A few things I think about this place

Working on AOA over the past decade has been a life-changing experience for me and it's shaped the way I think about so many things.... (more)

Albany tightened its rules for shoveling snowy sidewalks last winter -- so how'd that work out?

If winter ever gets its act together and drops more snow on us, there will be sidewalks to shovel. And shortly after that, Albany will... (more)

Tea with Jack McEneny

Last week we were fortunate enough to spend a few minutes with Jack McEneny -- former state Assemblyman, unofficial Albany historian, and genuinely nice guy.... (more)

Recent Comments

My three year old son absolutely loving riding the train around Huck Finn's (Hoffman's) Playland this summer.

Thank you!

...has 27 comments, most recently from Ashley

Let's stay in touch

...has 4 comments, most recently from mg

A look inside 2 Judson Street

...has 3 comments, most recently from Diane (Agans) Boyle

Everything changes: Alicia Lea

...has 2 comments, most recently from Chaz Boyark

A few things I think about this place

...has 13 comments, most recently from Katherine