grant

Press Release:

United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes has finalized agreements with 89 nonprofits to receive multi-year funding grants. Funding distribution is set to begin in January and will total more than $6 million in 2025.

United Way’s award of two, three, and five-year program grants is part of its strategy to deliver impact at scale. The strategy combines United Way’s traditional multi-year grants with additional funding opportunities and nonprofit resources to address the diverse needs throughout the region.

“Our multi-year grants are one way we are helping to support the critical work of local nonprofits and drive impact in our region,” said Jaime Saunders, President & CEO of United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes. “Thank you to the generous donors who contributed to our 2024 annual campaign to make these grants possible. We are looking forward to closing gaps and opening opportunities alongside our inspiring partners.”

United Way also recently opened applications for two of their one-year and activity-based funding opportunities--summer program and synergy grants--with more to come in early 2025. Nonprofits are encouraged to learn more and apply to these funding opportunities at unitedwayrocflx.org/nonprofits.

United Way is committed to supporting impactful and essential initiatives so everyone in our region can thrive. Learn more about how you can make an impact by donating to United Way.

The following nonprofits will receive the first installment of multi-year grant funding from United Way in 2025:

• Action for A Better Community
• All Babies Cherished Pregnancy Assistance Center
• American Red Cross, Greater Rochester Chapter
• ANT Alliance  
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Rochester NY
• Boy Scouts of America, Seneca Waterways Council
• Boy Scouts of America, Western New York Scout Council
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Rochester
• Cancer Action  
• CASA of Rochester-Monroe County  
• Catholic Charities Family & Community Services
• Catholic Charities of the Finger Lakes
• Catholic Charities Steuben/Livingston
• Center for Employment Opportunities
• Challenger Miracle Field of WNY
• Chances and Changes
• Charles Settlement House
• Community Place of Greater Rochester
• Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Rochester, Inc.
• Dansville Food Pantry
• Deaf Refugee Advocacy  
• Family Counseling of the Finger Lakes
• Family Promise of Greater Rochester  
• Family Promise of Ontario County
• Flower City Noire Collective  
• Geneseo Groveland Emergency Food Pantry
• Gillam Grant Community Center
• Goodwill of the Finger Lakes
• Harbor House of Rochester
• Hillside Children's Center
• Hope Center of Le Roy
• Hope585  
• Ibero-American Action League
• Keeping Our Promise  
• Legacy Makers
• Legal Aid Society of Rochester NY
• Legal Assistance of Western New York
• Lifespan of Greater Rochester
• Literacy Volunteers of Wayne County
• Margaret Home  
• Medical Motor Service of Rochester and Monroe County
• MHA Rochester/Monroe County
• Mission Fulfilled 2030
• Monroe Community College Foundation
• Mt. Hope Family Center
• Partnership for Ontario County
• PathStone Corp
• Person Centered Housing Options
• Prosper Rochester
• Providence Housing Development Corporation
• Reach Advocacy  
• Reentry Association of WNY
• Roc Royal  
• Roc the Peace  
• Rochester General Hospital
• Rochester Museum and Science Center
• Salvation Army, Canandaigua
• Salvation Army, Geneva
• Society for the Protection and Care of Children  
• Spot-Canandaigua  
• St. Vincent DePaul Society
• The Center for Teen Empowerment  
• The Center for Youth Services
• The Child Advocacy Center of Greater Rochester
• The Housing Council at PathStone
• The Salvation Army (Rochester Area Services)
• The Salvation Army- Batavia Corps
• Trillium Health
• United Youth Music and Arts  
• UR Medicine Home Care Certified Services
• Urban League of Rochester New York
• URMC Noyes Health - Home Safe Home Program
• Venture Compassionate Ministries
• Veterans Outreach Center  
• Victim Resource Center of the Finger Lakes  
• Volunteer Legal Services Project of Monroe County
• Volunteers of America Upstate New York
• W A V E Women  
• Warrior House Of WNY
• Wayne County Action Program  
• Wayne Pre-Trial Services
• Western New York Rural Area Health Education Center
• Willow Domestic Violence Center
• Women’s Foundation of Genesee Valley  
• Worker Justice Center Of New York  
• World Relief Western NY
• YMCA Of Greater Rochester
• YWCA of Genesee County
• YWCA Of Rochester and Monroe County 

Press Release:

Health outcomes such as asthma, lead poisoning, injury, and other chronic diseases have been linked to unsafe and unhealthy housing conditions. Hazards are not only in older homes; new homes can also have hazards lurking within. 

“Making homes safer and healthier can help children grow up strong, allow older adults to stay in their homes, and help people with disabilities live independently,” stated Darren Brodie, Environmental Health Director of Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health).

In January of 2024, the Genesee County Health Department received $1.2 million in funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This Healthy Homes Production (HHP) Grant addresses health and safety hazards in homes and apartments in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming (GLOW) Counties. Health and safety hazards may include but are not limited to dampness and mold growth, asbestos, radon gas, pests, fall risks, and weatherization.

In order to be eligible for these funds, homeowners and property owners must meet all of the following requirements:

• Tenants or homeowners are income eligible (funds available for vacant units, call for more information)
• Existing health or safety hazards in the home
• Property is current on tax and mortgage payments
• Other requirements determined on a case-by-case basis

Rental property owners are required to match 10% of the total project costs. For example, a rental property owner would be required to pay $2,000 for a $20,000 project. 

Rental properties must have four units or less. Recipients are required to maintain ownership of the residence for 5 years after the project is completed. 

All work is completed by pre-approved local contractors with applicable certifications. If you would like to be added to our list of contractors, please contact the Genesee County Health Department or fill out the application on the GO Health website.

For more information or help determining eligibility, please contact the Genesee County Health Department at 585-344-2580 ext. 5555, or at Health.GOlead@geneseeny.gov. You can also visit GOHealthNY.org for more information or to apply.

Press Release:

Did you know that the only way to find out if your child has lead poisoning is by testing their blood?

“Signs of lead poisoning are often hard to see, so testing is very important,” said Darren Brodie, Environmental Health Director of the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health). “Children should be tested for lead at ages 1 & 2, or more often if your doctor thinks it is needed.”

The Genesee County Health Department has a grant to prevent childhood lead poisoning in the Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming Counties (GLOW) area. One of the main goals of the grant is to encourage parents and guardians to get their children tested for lead at ages 1 & 2.

In 2024, the GLOW Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP) used different ways to teach people about the dangers of lead poisoning. They put up educational billboards, bus ads, signs, and flyers to encourage lead testing. Program staff were on the radio and went to local events to educate residents directly. At two of these events, they provided free lead testing for kids 6 years and under.

We want to know what you think about our efforts this year to help us plan for the future.

Please take this short two minute survey here https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GLOWEducation2024. If you complete the survey, you can choose to give your address and you will get a coupon for a free dairy product.

For questions or more information, contact the Genesee County Health Department at 585-344-2580 ext. 5555 or Health.GOlead@geneseeny.gov. You can also visit GOHealthNY.org.

Press Release:

In the second quarter of 2024, ESL awarded 150 grants for a total of $7.4 million to local organizations that provide critical services and programs to individuals and families.

“The crucial work of our community partners is producing positive and measurable results that are having a direct impact on individuals and families throughout our community,” said Maureen Wolfe, executive vice president /director, human resource and community impact, ESL Federal Credit Union. “ESL is motivated and inspired to collaborate with our partners in order to help support the growth and prosperity of the Greater Rochester region.”

ESL and its Community Impact team partners with and reinvests in the community through philanthropic grants aligned with expanding individual opportunity through quality education and employment, building strong neighborhoods that are affordable and connected, and strengthening organizations. The team also works to share stories that highlight the positive, measurable outcomes of this important, benevolent work in the community.

“Greater Rochester Habitat for Humanity’s 2024 Critical Home Repair Program built a mobility ramp for one of our clients who is preparing to age in place and has just secured his first electric scooter to make getting around easier.,” said Julie Allen, marketing and communications manager, Greater Rochester Habitat for Humanity. “His daughter says ‘he refuses to accept help unless he really needs it, so he rides his scooter on the sidewalk down to the market. It gives him some independence that he’s not ready to give up. It’s a sight to see, but at least we know he’s got support. This ramp will make that independence more attainable, longer’.”

A sample of the organizations that received grant commitments from ESL include:

Organization: Greater Rochester Habitat for Humanity

• Project Title: 2024 Critical Home Repair Program
• Grant Awarded: $458,800.00
• Description: Greater Rochester Habitat for Humanity provides programs and services to support affordable, quality housing and critical repairs needed to ensure the longevity of those homes for hundreds of families in the region. In collaboration with community partners, these programs help build homes, strengthen communities, and foster hope.

Organization: Finger Lakes Workforce Investment Board Inc.

• Project Title: Finger Lakes Regional Career Connections Coordinator
• Grant Awarded: $200,000.00
• Description: Funding for this year two-year regional coordinator position will help build and maintain training for employment programs among high school students preparing to enter work-based education and training programs. These programs are designed to lead directly to employment with partnering employers.

Organization: GLOW YMCA (Genesee, Livingston, Ontario, Wyoming counties)

• Project Title: Summer Funding for Youth Development    
• Grant Awarded: $136,000.00
• Description: Serving four counties, GLOW YMCA provides summer programming to approximately 1,500 youth in the four-county region to support the continuing development and education of youth. 

Press Release:

It is thanks to a $18,360 grant from NYSARC Trust Services that Arc GLOW can continue to offer recreational activities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

This grant, which Arc GLOW receives very year, helps pay for the various recreational activities it offers to the individuals it serves throughout the year: movies, bowling, concerts, amusement parks, sporting events, crafts supplies, games, and outdoor equipment. 

“The Arc GLOW Community Services department is most grateful for the 2024 NYSARC Trust Recreation Grant. These monies allow numerous individuals we support the opportunity to participate in multiple recreational activities and events in their own communities and surrounding areas,” said Vice President of Self Direction and Community Services Jill Pegelow. 

“Without these grant monies, many individuals would not get the opportunity to enjoy some of these experiences, as often they are on fixed incomes and do not have the extra funds to participate. This is a wonderful opportunity for them to engage with their peers and experience inclusion in the community.”

Since 1972, NYSARC Trust Services administers supplemental needs trusts (SNT) and pooled trusts that can make dramatic improvements to the lives of people with disabilities by enabling individuals to maintain financial eligibility for Medicaid and other means-tested government benefit programs. 

Arc GLOW is a parent- and family-driven organization that empowers and supports people of all ages with a broad spectrum of emotional, intellectual and developmental disabilities. For more information, visit ArcGLOW.org or call (585) 343-1123.

Press Release:

United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes announces approximately $6 million in Community Impact Multi-Year Program Grant opportunities powered through the Community Impact Fund.

These investments support impact-driven multi-year community programs that engage one or several impact areas: youth opportunity, healthy community, financial security, and community resiliency.  

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Agencies within United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes’ six-county region - Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Wayne, and Wyoming counties.

An agency has had an exemption from Federal Income Tax under Section 501(c)3 of the IRS Code since January 1, 2023.

Agencies that operate the same program in multiple counties should apply under one program application. Please do not submit multiple applications for the same program functioning across multiple counties.

GRANT PERIODS  

Agencies will have the option of selecting multi-year funding for 2 years, 3 years, or 5 years, with an understanding that 5-year program grants can re-apply for only a 2-year grant. Additional funding opportunities are also available.

INFORMATION SESSIONS  

Information sessions will be hosted to gain insight into the grant application and the process.

Find an information session today.  

GENERAL INQUIRES 

Nonprofit agencies looking to connect with United Way’s nonprofit resources, including multi-year grants, are encouraged to visit unitedwayrocflx.org/our-work/resources-for-nonprofits or contact the United Way’s Community Impact office directly at ciadmin@unitedwayrocflx.org.  

APPLY TODAY

Applications are due on April 1 no later than 5 p.m.

Apply today at unitwayrocflx.org.

Press Release:

Batavia City School District is proud to announce it has received a $12,500 Pediatric Suicide Prevention Community Grant from the American Academy of Pediatrics to help identify and address gaps in youth suicide prevention services in the Batavia community.

Batavia City School District will use funds from the grant to expand its “Sources of Strength” program, which is designed to harness the power of peer social networks to change unhealthy norms and culture, ultimately preventing suicide, bullying, and substance abuse. The mission of Sources of Strength is to prevent suicide by increasing help-seeking behaviors and promoting connections between peers and caring adults.

BCSD’s Sources of Strength program works monthly with the Batavia High School student body through proactive campaigns, works alongside community agencies to bridge the connection between school and community, and helps build additional connections for students who may need support. Together, BCSD encourages Sources of Strength students to be leaders and mental health ambassadors.

“We’re incredibly proud and grateful to have received this grant from the American Academy of Pediatrics,” said Superintendent Jason Smith. “These funds will add significant resources to our Sources of Strength program and allow us to continue to do the important and necessary work to support the mental health needs of students across BCSD.”

“Securing this grant was a collaborative process across our Batavia community,” said Community Schools Coordinator Julia Rogers. “It’s essential that we take a community-based approach toward suicide prevention and mental health, and I would like to thank those who were instrumental in supporting our efforts, including Lynda Battaglia, Genesee Director of Mental Health & Community Services; Sue Gagne, Suicide Prevention Coalition of Genesee County; Sherry Crumity, Rose Howard, and Heidi Meides-Judge from BCSD; and the BCSD Community Schools Integrated Supports Committee.” 

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, suicide and suicidal behavior among youth and young adults is a major public health crisis. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people ages 10-24 in the United States, and rates have been rising for decades. Suicide affects all populations: youth of any race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or community may be at risk for suicide. However, systemic inequities and social determinants of health have led to significant disparities in suicide rates, risk, and care for youth across cultures and communities. Equitable solutions are needed to support youth at risk for suicide and to address the population-level risk and protective factors that impact youth mental health.  

Suicide is complex and tragic, but often preventable. To advance prevention efforts, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) partnered with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) to create the Blueprint for Youth Suicide Prevention. The Blueprint is an educational resource that outlines clinical pathways, community partnerships, and policy strategies to better identify and support youth at risk for suicide.

This small grant was awarded as part of the first-ever AAP Youth Suicide Prevention Community Grants Program, made possible with funds from Johnson & Johnson Consumer, Inc. This program will provide small grants to city and county health departments and/or community coalitions to identify and address gaps in youth suicide prevention services in their communities using best practices and/or tools from the AAP Blueprint in addition to creating or continuing partnerships with local pediatric practices.

Press Release

The Batavia City School District is proud to announce it has received $1.4M in grant funding from the New York State Office of Mental Health under the “Student Mental Health Support Grants to School Districts” program to assist with mental health issues as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a national survey described in a recent publication of Pediatrics: An Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, “The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted both parent’s and children's mental health. The need to address the emotional and psychological wellbeing of children has never been more important.”

New York State’s Office of Mental Health announced the grants in March of 2022 specifically developed for public school students, families, faculty, and staff with the purpose of “improving access to mental health resources, support students who have experienced stress, anxiety and/or trauma, and to support the adults that surround them.” 

According to the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), “Research demonstrates that students who receive social-emotional and mental health support perform better academically.”

“This grant will provide much-needed assistance to our students and staff,” said Superintendent Jason Smith. “We are still evaluating the learning loss associated with the past two years of the pandemic, but it’s safe to say it’s had an extraordinary impact on our students’ mental health. We thank the Office of Mental Health for prioritizing students in our state and will certainly put these funds to good use.” 

According to the grant information, “The expectation is that this enhancement will be utilized to address inequities and provide additional availability and access to the continuum of strategies and supports that address the mental health of students. The objectives of this grant include enhancing access to mental health services, implementing integrated mental health supports, and strengthening community partnerships.”

“The impact of the pandemic across all areas of our students' lives cannot be underestimated,” said Dr. Molly Corey, Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction. “With grant programs like these, we can fill in the gaps with our curriculum, programming, and resources to make sure no student falls through the cracks and gets the support they need to be successful and get back on track.” 

BCSD’s plans for the funding are currently under review and will be announced to the community at a later date.

 

The FAA's Aviaition Improvement Program has awarded $2.1 million in federal funding for the LeRoy Airport so that it may complete its runway extension project, Rep. Chris Lee announced today.

From the press release:

The airport intends to use the grant to complete its runway extension project, which will take roughly three months and will occur in two phases. The eastern end of the runway and parallel taxiway will be extended from 2,640 to 3,855 ft., the runway will be sealcoated, and the runway and taxiway will be restriped.

“Improving transportation links in Western New York creates jobs and promote economic growth. I am pleased to see that LeRoy Airport has been recognized for its potential to grow and become a more integral part of the community and the region,” Congressman Lee said.

Raymond S. Detor Jr., president of LeRoy Aviation Services, commented on the grant announcement: “We appreciate Congressman Lee’s support for our efforts to ensure LeRoy has a state-of-the-airport that creates local jobs and meets the needs of the region. Through this grant, our airport will be better able to accommodate the aircraft it was designed for and provide support for Rochester International Airport.”

AIP grants are awarded competitively based on strict eligibility requirements, including an obligation to maintain the airport in a safe and serviceable condition, mitigate hazards to airspace, and use revenue properly. Funds for the program are drawn largely from a trust fund supported by user fees and fuel taxes.

You can visit the airport's Web site for more information on the facility which "is a designated general aviation reliever airport for the The Greater Rochester International Airport."