COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR GREATER BUFFALO INC
Programs
Program 1 [2020]
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: (1) IMPROVE EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AND WORKFORCE READINESS FOR INDIVIDUALS LIVING IN LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS, (2) INCREASE RACIAL AND ETHNIC EQUITY, (3) PRESERVE AND RESTORE SIGNIFICANT NATURAL RESOURCES AND PROMOTE EQUITABLE ACCESS, AND (4) STRENGTHEN THE REGION AS A CENTER FOR ARCHITECTURE, ARTS AND CULTURE. IN 2020, THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION GRANTED $604,000 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 2020, THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AWARDED $834,669 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 2020, $3,452,730 WAS AWARDED FOR SCHOLARSHIPS, EXCLUDING THOSE AWARDED BY SAY YES BUFFALO (LISTED BELOW).GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJan 1, 2020 – Dec 31, 2020Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$5.1MProgram 2 [2020]
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 BUFFALO'S YOUTH. IT IS BASED ON A SUCCESSFUL NATIONAL MODEL DEVELOPED BY A NATIONAL FOUNDATION AS WELL AS SIGNIFICANT SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AND NUMEROUS LOCAL PARTNERS. 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. THIS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM SERVES TO ARTICULATE THE POSSIBILITY AND EXPECTATION OF POST-SECONDARY COMPLETION FOR ALL STUDENTS AND GIVES HOPE TO STUDENTS AND FAMILIES WHO MAY NOT OTHERWISE HAVE THOUGHT THAT COLLEGE IS AN OPTION. SINCE SAY YES BUFFALO WAS LAUNCHED IN 2012, THE GRADUATION RATE FOR BUFFALO PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS INCREASED BY 27 POINTS AND IS AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL IT HAS BEEN IN A DECADE. THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS ENTERING COLLEGE ALSO INCREASED BY 23%. DURING THAT TIME, THE SAY YES SCHOLARSHIP FUND HAS SUPPORTED OVER 4,500 SCHOLARSHIPS WITH TOTAL FUNDING OF MORE THAN $15 MILLION. IN ADDITION TO CONTRIBUTING TO THE SCHOLARSHIP FUND, THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION HAS ALSO MADE GRANTS TO SUPPORT VARIOUS MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVES SPEARHEADED BY SAY YES BUFFALO. THESE INITIATIVES ARE CRUCIAL COMPONENTS OF THE OVERALL EFFORT TO ADDRESS THE FINANCIAL, ACADEMIC, HEALTH AND SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL BARRIERS TO EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT. DURING 2020, THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AWARDED $76,000 TO ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE PROVIDING THE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SAY YES BUFFALO. AS OF YEAR-END, THERE ARE 59 MENTAL HEALTH CLINICS THAT ARE OPERATIONAL IN BUFFALO PUBLIC SCHOOL BUILDINGS PROVIDING SERVICES TO STUDENTS AND FAMILIES. THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ALSO PROVIDED $5,000 IN FUNDING FOR THE SAY YES PRIMARY HEALTH MOBILE UNIT WHICH ALLOWS PROVIDERS TO PROVIDE SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. THIS ABILITY TO DELIVER HEALTH CARE DIRECTLY TO PATIENTS BREAKS DOWN BARRIERS TO SERVICES SUCH AS TRANSPORTATION, HEALTH CARE PROVIDER SHORTAGES AND PROHIBITIVE HEALTH CARE COSTS. THE MOBILE UNIT SERVES BPS BUILDINGS AND OTHER WESTERN NEW YORK COMMUNITIES THAT ARE IN NEED OF PRIMARY HEALTH CARE. SOME OF THE SERVICES INCLUDED IMMUNIZATIONS, PHYSICALS, FAMILY PLANNING, AND HEALTH AND WELLNESS EDUCATION.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJan 1, 2020 – Dec 31, 2020Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$2.7MProgram 3 [2020]
RACIAL EQUITY ROUNDTABLE: 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.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJan 1, 2020 – Dec 31, 2020Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$771.6K
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