funding

Press Release:

United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes has increased funding and approved an extension to the Bridge Support to give organizations and our community more time for planning and collaborative efforts to address funding needs.

United Way will leverage its endowment and draw from the Mackenzie Scott gift and campaign funds to provide more than $7 million in transition support over two years. United Way will also expedite the remaining one-year grant opportunities.  

What this means for nonprofit organizations:  

• 2020-2024 Community Impact Fund partners that applied for 2025 multi-year grants and received less funding will now receive 75% of their current funding in 2025 and 50% of their current funding in 2026.
• Pending the success of the Fall community campaign, the expanded one-year grant opportunities to support nonprofits will be launched providing a range of new funding opportunities and services as part of the full strategy.

“The impact of this moment and change for our partners and community cannot be diminished. As a nonprofit for nonprofits, we are continuing to seek creative solutions for these immediate and longstanding community challenges,” said Jaime Saunders, President & CEO of United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes. “United Way’s focus is ensuring our partners have the tools and resources to provide critical services in our community, and we will continue to work every day to help meet those needs.”  

United Way is committed to keeping its partners and the community informed and engaged as it continues to roll out its full strategy evolution. United Way is convening Community Impact Fund nonprofit partners next week to discuss these changes and next steps.

To learn more about United Way, visit unitedwayrocflx.org. 

Press Release:

Today, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) released the following statement on how the historic federal relief he has delivered for New York has led to New York receiving more back from Washington than the state has sent in taxes, according to the NYS Comptroller. 

This is the third year in a row that New York has had a positive balance of payments, after a long history of facing the opposite and sending more to Washington than it received:

“For decades and decades, New York State paid more to the federal government in taxes than we got back. My mentor, the late Senator Moynihan always decried this imbalance. But now for the third year in a row, thanks to the historic federal investments I passed — especially from the American Rescue Plan— New York is getting back more from the feds than it paid in taxes,” said Senator Schumer. 

“When I became majority leader, I vowed to fight this imbalance, and I am proud I secured billions in relief and investments for New York. And after I led the effort to pass into law the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Law, my CHIPS and Science bill, and the Inflation Reduction Act, more federal investment will be headed to New York, something I’ll continue to fight for. It’s never been more clear: it pays to have the Senate majority leader from New York.”

Press Release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R, C - Batavia) recently criticized Gov. Hochul’s proposed cuts to local roads and bridges in her 2024-25 Executive Budget proposal. 

Hawley is joined by his Republican colleagues in the Senate and Assembly in his opposition to Hochul’s proposed $60 million cut for the Consolidated Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS), the state’s main source of funding for repair and maintenance of local roads, bridges, and culverts. 

For local communities, taxpayers, and motorists, CHIPS is essential to maintaining safe road conditions and using tax dollars as efficiently as possible. The group also criticized Hochul for failing to be fair and partial in her priorities for upstate and downstate infrastructure. 

Hawley and his colleagues are calling on the governor to restore the $60 million cut to CHIPS base aid and increase the CHIPS base funding level by $200 million to a total of $798.1 million.

Since 2013, Assemblyman Hawley has worked closely with local transportation advocates on the “Local Roads Are Essential” advocacy campaign. The campaign is sponsored by the New York State County Highway Superintendents Association (NYSCHSA) and the New York State Association of Town Superintendents of Highways, Inc. (NYSAOTSOH) and brings hundreds of advocates to Albany each year to support local infrastructure. Hawley will also be meeting with local County, Town and Village Highway Superintendents on Friday, Feb 23rd to discuss these proposed cuts. Hawley hopes this initiative will bring meaningful change and provide much-needed funding for local roads and bridges.

“The proposed cuts to funding for local roads and bridges shows a complete lack of understanding of basic economics,” said Hawley. “While the price to pave, maintain and upkeep infrastructure is rising, localities are not given the funding they need year after year. The Majority’s politically driven spending is now burdening upstate communities with less aid for schools and now unreasonable cuts for their roads and bridges all to make an impossible attempt to balance an already bloated budget. Prosperity for New Yorkers begins at the local level. If the governor wants to reverse the trend of record-high outmigration, that starts with taking care of local infrastructure instead of turning a blind eye to the needs of upstate communities.”