nonprofits

Press release:

The Western New York COVID-19 Community Response Fund announced today that it has awarded more than $4.5 million to more than 300 nonprofit organizations in our region, bringing the total grant amount from the Fund to $13.1 million.

This collaborative funding effort was convened in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 health crisis and is now administered by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, in partnership with The John R. Oishei Foundation, the Health Foundation for Western & Central New York, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and the Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Foundation.

A collaborative of many local foundations has been meeting regularly and monitoring the needs in our community since the onset of the pandemic. It became clear in early 2021 that, as the pandemic continued longer than initially expected, many nonprofits who are providing basic needs services such as food, housing, healthcare, childcare, mental health, transportation, and other emergency services, were continuing to face critical funding shortfalls. 

Emergency grants were awarded to organizations in all eight counties of Western New York and ranged from $500 to $300,000, based on the need the organizations shared with the WNY COVID-19 Community Response Fund.

Grants are supporting efforts directing helping families and individuals with everything from stocking the shelves at small rural food pantries to providing childcare for students in remote and hybrid learning centers to supporting mental health organizations who have a growing waiting list of clients that need to connect virtually. 

“When the philanthropic community first came together to create the WNY COVID-19 Community Response Fund the group committed to continually monitoring the evolving needs in our community as a result of the pandemic," said Clotilde Perez-Bode Dedecker, president/CEO of Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo.

"This round of emergency grant funding was the direct result of hearing that nonprofits providing basic needs services needed critical financial support to carry out their missions. In addition to these grants, the Fund is continuing its commitment to addressing long-standing systemic challenges through its Moving Forward Together initiatives that include more than 400 organizations working collaboratively on a number of different innovative solutions.” 

To date, nearly 90 foundations and corporations and more than 1,900 individuals have supported the WNY COVID-19 Community Response Fund. The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo received a grant from national philanthropist MacKenzie Scott in late 2020 and a portion of that funding is supporting this round of emergency grants.

To see a full list of contributors, or to join the effort, please visit www.WNYResponds.org.

Press release:

The Community Crisis Fund, which has distributed $6.1 million since it was mobilized in March, is closing out 2020 with a final grant application deadline of Nov. 20.

The Crisis Fund was launched by United Way of Greater Rochester and Rochester Area Community Foundation to raise money and rapidly deploy resources to nonprofits adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This helps them continue to provide critical services to our region and/or reopen once they had the necessary personal protective equipment and safety protocols in place.

Grants have been awarded to nonprofits in Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates counties.

The Nov. 20 deadline for grant applications will allow the Community Crisis Fund’s Governance Committee, comprised of representatives of several local funders, to review applications and determine how the Fund’s remaining dollars will be distributed. 

Since March, $6,529,976 was raised from local foundations, businesses, institutions and thousands of individuals. ESL was the lead contributor to the Crisis Fund with $2.4 million, including a match to local funders to encourage continued support.

From the YMCA of Genesee & Orleans Counties:

Jeff Townsend, executive director of the YMCA of Genesee & Orleans Counties, is calling for public support in asking Governor Andrew Cuomo to let nonprofit organizations, like the YMCA, resume using their facilities to support the health and well-being of the communities they serve.

He wants you to sign this petition to let Governor Cuomo know that communities need their YMCAs to open fully to support the health and well-being of New Yorkers.

"For hundreds of communities across New York, the Y is so much more than gym," Townsend's missive says. "The Y works with vulnerable populations to improve health outcomes, build immunity and reduce the impact of underlying conditions that make individuals more susceptible to COVID-19.

The programs Ys are not able to offer while our facilities are closed include:

• Arthritis Management Programs
• Blood Pressure Self-Management Programs
• Brain Health Programs to Prevent Cognitive Decline
• Cancer Wellness and Treatment Recovery
• Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs
• Diabetes Prevention and Management
• Family Wellness
• Obesity or Weight-loss Intervention
• Inclusive Programming for People with Different Abilities
• Programs for People an Caretakers of Those with Parkinson's Disease

Townsend continues by saying Governor Cuomo's decision to prohibit YMCAs from reopening their membership facilities in Phase 4 jeopardizes the economic viability of one of New York State's largest nonprofit organizations and employers: "While our communities generously support the Y through donations and grants, the Y's membership operations are the primary source of funding for its community work."

To date, New York's YMCAs have lost more than $117 million in membership and program revenue due to the government's mandated closures and capacity restrictions.

Unfortunately, these growing losses hinder the Y's ability to positively impact the health and well-being of more than 1.5 million children, families, and seniors who rely on the Y for everything from childcare and meals, to housing and human interaction, according to Townsend.

Ready to Reopen

YMCAs across the state have worked together to ensure that they are reopening in a safe and responsible manner.

Since closing membership operations in March, YMCAs have renovated their facilities, enhanced cleaning protocols, and physically redesigned spaces in order to create an environment that exceeds the health and safety guidelines from the CDC and State Department of Health. During all these changes, the Y continued to serve the needs of communities across New York State.

Open for Good

While our membership operations have been closed, the Y has continued to safely serve communities throughout the State of New York:

• 2,500 children of essential personnel served each day at childcare centers during the pandemic;
• 3,000 children served at YMCA Summer Programs;
• 30,400 calls and visits to vulnerable populations to check on their health and deliver food or goods;
• 128,302 meals provided through a variety of food programs and distribution centers.

Safe Today, Safe Tomorrow

The Y has served thousands, safely, during the pandemic. It is clear that YMCAs can run safely and responsibly. Communities needs the Y, and it needs your help to make sure the Y can continue to serve our community today, tomorrow, and for years to come.

Press release:

The Western New York COVID-19 Community Response Fund coordinated by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, Health Foundation for Western & Central New York, The John R. Oishei Foundation and the United Way of Buffalo & Erie County announced that it has granted $4.5 Million to 74 organizations in less than two weeks after the Fund was announced.

Grants were awarded to organizations serving all eight counties of Western New York that are addressing immediate needs in our community as a result of the COVID-19 crisis in the areas of food, housing, healthcare, childcare, mental health, transportation, and other emergency services.

Grants were made to nonprofit organizations throughout WNY including urban and rural areas, organizations of every size, and to those serving a range of populations with consideration for areas already in economic distress. 

The WNY COVID-19 Community Response Fund is a collaborative effort among the region’s philanthropic organizations to help essential organizations on the front lines of this community crisis with grants designed to complement public sector funds.

Anyone is welcome to join the effort and donate to the Fund through the website – www.WNYResponds.org.

The following nonprofit organizations received a grant from the WNY COVID-19 Community Response Fund:

• Allegany County Community Opportunities and Rural Development

• Arc of Genesee Orleans (Meals on Wheels)

• BestSelf Behavioral Health

• Boys & Girls Clubs Collaborative

• Buffalo Prenatal Perinatal Network

• Buffalo Urban League

• CAO of Western New York

• Cattaraugus and Wyoming Counties Project Head Start

• Cattaraugus Community Action

• Cattaraugus County Dept. of Aging (Meals on Wheels Fund)

• Cazenovia Recovery Systems

• CCNY

• Child & Family Services of Erie County

• Child Care Coalition of the Niagara Frontier

• Christ Church Community Kitchen

• City Mission Society, Inc.

• Community Action of Orleans & Genesee

• Community Health Center of Buffalo

• Community Missions of Niagara Frontier

• CoNECT (Community Health Worker Network of Buffalo)

• Crisis Services

• Cuba Cultural Center

• Directions in Independent Living

• Empower (United Cerebral Palsy Assoc. of Niagara County)

• Erie Regional Housing Develop. (Belle Center)

• Evergreen Health

• Every Bottom Covered

• Family Help Center

• Feed Buffalo

• FeedMore WNY

• Friends of Night People

• Genesee Orleans Ministry of Concern Inc. 

• Harvest House of South Buffalo

• Health Association of Niagara County (HANCI)

• Healthy Community Alliance

• Heart Love & Soul

• Hearts and Hands: Faith in Action Inc.

• Horizon Health Services

• Jericho Road Community Health Center

• Jewish Family Service of Buffalo & Erie County

• Journey's End Refugee Services

• Kendall Community Food Cupboard Corp.

• Learning Disabilities Association of WNY

• Life Impact (Resurrection Life Food Pantry)

• Lt. Col. Matt Urban HSC of WNY

• Metro Community Develop. Corp.

• Mid-Erie Mental Health Services (Endeavor Health Services)

• Native American Community Services 

• Neighborhood Health Center 

• Niagara Community Action Program Inc.

• Northpointe Council

• NYS Network for Youth Success

• Olmsted Center for Sight

• Open Buffalo (Seeding Resilience Initiative)

• Parkside Evangelical Lutheran Church

• PUSH Buffalo

• Restoration Society

• Safety-Net Assoc. of Primary Care Affiliated Providers

• Save the Michaels of the World

• Say Yes Buffalo 

• Spectrum Health and Human Services

• Western New York Independent Living

To date, the WNY COVID-19 Community Response Fund has received approximately $5.5 million from local foundations, private sector companies, and individuals. Additional funds raised will be distributed based on evolving needs related to the pandemic. To see a full list of contributors to the Fund, please visit www.WNYResponds.org.

On Monday (April 6) Buffalo Bills General Manager Brandon Beane announced that he is donating $20,000 to relief efforts and is also offering fans an opportunity to interact with him as he gears up for the 2020 NFL Draft to build awareness for the Fund.

The initiative, which runs until Friday, April 17, will award seven randomly selected entrants with one of seven unique Bills-themed experiences or prizes.

For anyone in need of assistance with information related to services available in our community, please call 2-1-1. It is a referral hotline that is staffed 24/7 and serves all eight counties of Western New York.

Press release:

The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo is now accepting Letters of Intent for its 2020 competitive grant process through 4 p.m. Feb. 3.

Interested organizations should read the detailed guidelines/additional information before submitting a Letter of Intent. A link to the guidelines can be found here.

LOI proposals must address at least one of the Solutions listed under the Community Foundation’s four community goals. The Solutions are listed on the webpage and the goals are listed below:

• Improve educational achievement and workforce readiness for residents living in low-income households;
• Increase racial/ethnic equity;
• Protect and restore significant environmental resources and promote equitable access;
• Strengthen the region as a center for architecture, arts and culture.

Additionally, applicants must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in or serving one of the eight counties of Western New York (Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, Wyoming).

In 2019, the Community Foundation awarded more than $500,000 to 28 Western New York nonprofit organizations through the competitive grants process. The Community Foundation is home to more than 900 named funds, totaling over $500 million in assets and is one of the region’s largest grantmakers.

Press release:

The 21st Century Fund a fund and giving circle of the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo is now accepting applications from nonprofit organizations for its 2019-2020 grant cycle. Applications must be submitted online here and are due by 4 p.m. Dec. 6.

Organizations interested in learning more about the 2019-2020 grant process are encouraged to attend one of the two grant briefing sessions held from 5 to 6 p.m. on Oct. 10 and Oct. 15 at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. Information on how to confirm your attendance for the information sessions can be found on the website.

A group of selected applicants with high-impact projects will be invited to present at an event in early March, where 21st Century Fund members will learn about the projects and vote to narrow the pool down to a group of finalists. In April, the finalists will present live on stage, members will vote and a $100,000 grant will be awarded.

The 21st Century Fund is unique in that the members pay a one-time fee to join and every two years come together and vote to award a $100,000 grant for a specific project they feel is of strategic importance to Western New York.

Lifetime members can join as individuals, families, businesses, or organizations for $2,100, and membership pledges can be paid over five years. A special rate of $1,000 is available to individuals 35 years of age and younger, which can also be paid over five years. The Fund’s membership includes a diverse group of professionals, families, students and more.

• Four winners (one per category) will each be honored with $200,000: $100,000 to make a one-time grant to a WNY nonprofit and $100,000 to create an endowment that will allow them to make grants in their name forever.
• Eight finalists will each grant $25,000 to a WNY nonprofit of their choice. 

BUFFALO – The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo is now accepting applications for the 2019 Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Legacy Funds competitive grant process.

Grants will support the following areas of interest:

• Caregivers

• Community Assets*

• Design and Access

• Youth Sports

Applicants must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located within the eight counties of Western New York, including: Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming.

For Caregivers and Design and Access grants, government agencies also may apply.

*For Community Assets grants, only 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that reside in Erie County may apply.

Applications are due Jan. 7.

For more information about deadlines and eligibility, and to apply, please visit

www.cfgb.org/nonprofits/grants/ralph-wilson-legacy/

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About the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo
The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, a 501 (C)(3) organization, was established in 1919 to enhance and encourage long-term philanthropy in the Western New York community. The Foundation’s mission is: Connecting people, ideas and resources to improve lives in Western New York. For nearly 100 years, the Community Foundation has made the most of the generosity of individuals, families, foundations and organizations who entrust charitable assets to its care. For more information, visit www.cfgb.org.

About the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Legacy Funds
The Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Legacy Funds were established at the Community Foundation to provide support to four areas that were important to Mr. Wilson: caregivers, community assets, design and access, and youth sports. Endowment funds, like these created to honor Mr. Wilson, are designed to grow over time and provide funding for charitable causes according to a client’s wishes.

Press release:

The HomeCare & Hospice Foundation is gearing up for its 24^th Annual Spring Bouquet Flower Sale, a fundraiser held every March to benefit members of our community facing medical difficulties.

Proceeds from these vivacious yet inexpensive bouquet sales will benefit terminally ill hospice patients and their families throughout Allegany, Cattaraugus, Genesee and Wyoming counties, who will also receive free bouquets complements of HomeCare & Hospice and Western New Yorkers like you. Proceeds will also support services for the frail, elderly, disabled and those recovering from advanced illness.

A traditional bouquet, consisting of nine vibrant floral stems, is an $8 donation while the larger, more lavish Bouquet of Hope, consisting of 18 floral stems, is a $15 donation.

Bouquet orders can be placed at all HomeCare & Hospice offices, online here, and through hundreds of volunteers at workplaces in communities served by HomeCare & Hospice, or by contacting Ellen Brokaw at 585-343-7596 or emailing her at ebrokaw@homecare-hospice.org.

“Last year we raised over $16,000 to benefit our patients,” said Nick O’Keefe, development coordinator for HomeCare & Hospice. “It truly is a wonderful and easy way to benefit the community, and bring Spring to life in Western New York.”

Orders are now being accepted and should be placed by Feb. 7^th. The bouquets will then be delivered during the week of March 5^th. A free delivery service will be provided for those ordering at least four bouquets. Others may choose one of five HomeCare & Hospice regional offices for pickup.

HomeCare & Hospice, a nonprofit United Way agency, provides specialized medical care and social/emotional support for patients and families coping with life-limiting illness in Allegany, Cattaraugus, Genesee and Wyoming counties.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) announced today that the 2017 Charitable Gaming Act has been delivered to Gov. Cuomo for his approval or veto.

The bipartisan measure, ushered through the Legislature this spring, provides a host of benefits to charitable organizations and nonprofits that hold raffles and fundraisers across the state. Hawley has been fighting for this bill to become law ever since the cancellation of the Stafford Fire Department’s classic car raffle.

“Gov. Cuomo now has the unilateral power to do what is right for the tens of thousands of churches, fire departments, nonprofits and charitable organizations that raise money to support themselves or help the less fortunate throughout our state,” Hawley said.

"“I would like to thank Sen. Patrick Gallivan (R-Elma), Sen. Rob Ortt (R-North Tonawanda) and Sen. Michael Ranzenhofer (R-Amherst) for championing this bill in the Senate and Assemblyman Robin Schimminger (D-Buffalo) for introducing this legislation in the Assembly.

"Although I was a prime co-sponsor in the house, this was truly collaboration and I thank all of my legislative colleagues for their diligence. I call on the governor to sign this bill into law immediately and back the dedicated men and women who are handcuffed by these archaic statutes.”

Join Assemblyman Hawley in calling on Gov. Cuomo to sign the Charitable Gaming Act into law by calling or writing the governor’s office at:

518-474-8390

The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo

Governor of New York State

NYS State Capitol Building

Albany, NY 12224

Press release:

Each year the United Way of Genesee County has supported local nonprofit agencies with funding for programs and services through the United Way Community Fund.

Following an extensive review of our community needs, the Board of Director of the United Way has approved the 2014 Building Blocks for Change. This will allow UW staff and volunteers to better respond to the needs of a changing community.

This marks a big departure from how grants have been distributed in the past and funding is available to ANY nonprofit in Genesee County, according UW Regional Director Erik Fix.

Building Blocks for Change will focus on three areas:

• Investing Today for a Better Tomorrow -- grants ranging from $2,500 to $15,000 with a total of $150,000 available -- for learning and enrichment, proactive prevention and mentoring
• Meeting Basic Needs -- grants ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 with a total of $75,000 available -- for emergency services, basic needs programs;
• and Creating Long-term Solutions -- grants ranging from $500 to $5,000 with a total of $25,000 available -- for community development.

Funding will be available for up to a two-year funding cycle beginning in February 2015. Applications are available now and proposals will be accepted until Nov. 15.

Eligible agencies must be not-for-profit, community-based organizations and/or faith-based organizations that have current 501c3 status. Grants are awarded to agencies in Genesee County that meet the needs of our community.

Final funding awards will be at the discretion of the UW Allocations Committee and Board of Directors.

Applications are available by e-mailing UW Regional Director Erik Fix at:   erik.fix@uwrochester.org

The due date for all applications is Nov. 15.

Once accepted, agencies will receive additional information from the United Way, including six-month report instructions and expectations of United Way Agencies.

United Way of Genesee County
29 Liberty St.
Batavia, NY 14020
585.343.8141