Program areas at CFGB
Board directed grants & scholarships: the board of the Community Foundation directs the use of certain funds (as requested by the client/donor) as follows:(1) changing needs: clients/donors request that their funds be directed by the board to address the changing needs of our Community over time. Grants from these funds are awarded to address one or more of the following four impact areas: (a) improve educational achievement and workforce readiness for students living in low-income households, (b) increase racial and ethnic equity, (c) preserve and restore significant natural resources and promote equitable access, and (d) strengthen the region as a center for architecture, arts and culture. In 2023 the Community Foundation granted $737,000 from changing needs funds in support of these four Community goals (excluding grants reported elsewhere in part iii. )(2) field of interest: clients/donors request that their funds be directed to a specific area of interest. The grantees receiving these funds are determined by the board of the Community Foundation. During 2023, the Community Foundation awarded $1,205,000 from field of interest funds. (3) scholarships: clients/donors have established scholarship funds, which the Foundation awards to residents of western new york. These awards are based primarily on financial need, although the client/donor may have made additional stipulations such as field of study or graduates of a particular high school. In 2023, $3,140,000 was awarded for scholarships, excluding those awarded by say yes Buffalo (listed below).
Wny covid-19 Community response fund: in 2020, the Community Foundation, along with other key funders in western new york, led an effort to bring together the entire funding Community to stage a coordinated and regional philanthropic response to the covid-19 pandemic. After the immediate response, the fund decided to expand its response and look toward longer-term recovery by inviting stakeholders to strengthen key systems through new solutions. This effort is called moving forward together (mft). During 2023, approximately $1.3 million was granted to support collaborative work through five mft efforts: connecting foods systems, developing public policy, sourcing personal protective equipment, achieving digital equity and including and a request for ideas process to surface solutions from nonprofit leaders to address challenges our Community is facing.
Say yes Buffalo (syb): the say yes Buffalo initiative is an education-based, economic revitalization effort designed to strengthen the regional workforce and offer unprecedented educational opportunity to urban youth. The Community Foundation supports and administers the say yes Buffalo scholarship fund which seeks to remove all barriers to educational success through a coordinated system of supports and by providing scholarships for all graduates of Buffalo public and charter schools to pursue a post-secondary education. In addition to administering the scholarship fund, the Community Foundation has also made grants to support various initiatives spearheaded by say yes Buffalo in its mission to address the financial, academic, health and social/emotional barriers to educational achievement.
Expenses: $ 1,135,367 grants: $ 476,292racial equity initiatives: the Community Foundation launched the racial equity roundtable in 2015 to engage Community partners from the public, private and nonprofit sectors in developing and implementing a plan for advancing racial equity as well as a common fact base on racial equity indicators. The racial equity roundtable has engaged more than 250 organizational partners arrayed across ten initiatives focused on systems change. An in-depth research report, "the racial equity dividend: Buffalo's greatest opportunity" roots this body of work in data. These initiatives are addressing a shared understanding and language around racial equity, narrative change; racial equity and impact analysis training; racial healing circles; inclusive economy workplace, workforce and youth employment; education with a focus on boys and young men of color; juvenile justice; and the reentry system in erie county. The roundtable has a goal of building an expanded, inclusive economy. Expenses: $ 160,183 grants: $ 87,611communities of giving legacy initiative (cgli): the communities of giving legacy initiative (cgli), recognizes the importance of endowment-building as a sustainable means of inspiring philanthropy for and within communities of color. Cgli aims to create a legacy of success that will encourage collective giving to support positive change in the lives of youth of color living in low-income communities. Established in 2008; the mission of the cgli is to cultivate positive change in the lives of trailblazing youth of color living in western new york. Cgli accomplishes this mission via endowment building, engaging strategic partners, and intentional Community connections. Capacity-building efforts have been established by the cgli to help empower and advance the work of several organizations and individuals who provide support to enrich the lives of youth of color.expenses: $ 351,469 grants: $ 219,811lead poisoning prevention: the Community Foundation has been working on the issue of lead poisoning and its prevention for several years. In 2018 the Foundation released a Community lead action plan, that identified where most lead poisoning occurs locally. The Buffalo and erie county lead safe task force manages the recommendations and monitors the progress going forward. Major priorities include passing legislation requiring inspections of rental singles and doubles, improving education and resources for landlords to remediate their properties, and enabling tenants and families to protect their children from lead poisoning.the Foundation has also been part of the Buffalo green and healthy homes initiative which provides weatherization, lead remediation, and other home health and safety interventions in homes of low-income families. Since inception, more than 563 families have received interventions for their homes. Which provides economic benefit to families in the form of cost savings and produces more stable neighborhoods by increasing the quality of housing stock.expenses: $ 753,460 grants: $ 335,851buffalo together Community response fund: as a response to a racially motivated mass shooting in Buffalo in may 2022, the Community Foundation joined with other local funders to establish the Buffalo together Community response fund. The first priority of the fund was to provide support for organizations working in the neighborhood impacted by the tragedy to enable them to respond immediately to critical needs. The focus of the fund has shifted to address conditions resulting from long-standing structural racism and lack of investment in communities of color. A steering committee has been appointed to develop a plan of action to address critical issues that prolong racial inequities. Other programs in addition to the programs already listed, the Community Foundation operates several other programs including, but not limited to designated funds and donor advised funds as described below: designated funds: the Community Foundation administers many funds that make grants to charitable organizations that are specifically identified in the originating fund documents. Generally, the organizations receiving these grants remain the same from year-to-year. In 2023, grants totaling $7.0 million were awarded from these funds.donor/client directed funds: the client/donor associated with each of these funds makes recommendations to the board of directors of the Community Foundation requesting grants to one or more charitable organizations. The recipients of these grants may vary from year-to-year. In 2023, grants totaling $16.5 million were awarded from these funds.