Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo

Attention WNY nonprofits! The Community Foundation is now accepting Letters of Intent (LOI) for its 2025 competitive grant process through Feb. 3, 2025, at 4 p.m. Interested organizations should read the detailed guidelines and additional information that can be found online, at the link attached here, before submitting a Letter of Intent. https://lnkd.in/gtcSBKvm

Help us spread the word! Our scholarship application process for the 2025-2026 academic year is now open... Applications are due by May 1, 2025, and must be submitted online. Click the link for more information including how to sign up for text alerts. https://lnkd.in/eMJ5rx6K

What a whirlwind December has been!    We enjoyed many client meetings, conversations with community partners, educational opportunities, and celebrations with our Board, team, partners and colleagues! Take a look at some of the highlights... https://lnkd.in/ghb85kXj

Meet Cara Reynolds, Program Officer at the Community Foundation! Joining the Community Foundation in April 2023, Cara has been a critical asset to our Community Impact team by being a primary contact for the funds she oversees, making grant recommendations, conducting oversight and performing evaluations, and managing a significant portion of the grantmaking activity to support community impact efforts. “From the moment I joined the Community Foundation, I was greeted with a team committed to serving the Western New York community with excellence, each with their own unique expertise,” said Cara. “Additionally, I am grateful for the opportunity to build relationships with a variety of organizations and hear from them the successes and challenges faced by their communities so that I am equipped to provide valuable insights during grant-making processes.” Cara brought a vast array of healthcare experience to the Community Foundation, which, she says, fits into and supports her grant-making portfolio. “I had the privilege of both planning and attending the 2024 Wyoming County Care Coordination Summit which was centered on Stigma and Bias in Behavioral Health. Keeping these conversations at the forefront is pivotal to ensuring meaningful change and continued action.” During her time here, Cara mentions that one of the most interesting and exciting aspects of her work is having a chance to listen to voices from individuals and communities alike and then working collaboratively to improve the quality of life throughout our region. Cara also looks to find common threads between urban and rural landscapes to enhance capacity and achieve meaningful change. Outside of work, Cara is a proud member of Bills Mafia and is often sharing soups, dips and other snacks while watching the team play. In the offseason, her family loves to be by the water and is constantly seeking adventures in the woods, creeks, ponds and puddles as they explore her backyard and beyond. Learn more about Cara and the Community Foundation team here: https://lnkd.in/e5TipDKB

In this season of reflection, what does giving back mean to you? We asked a few of our clients, Board members, community partners and team members to share what it means to them and encourage you to listen to their meaningful reflections on generosity in this video.

We are proud to be a partner in this work!

2024 was a fantastic year for the 21st Century Fund, a giving circle that is open to anyone who wants to give back to Western New York. All it takes is a onetime membership fee, and then you’re a member for life. Every two years, members vote to provide a $100,000 grant to one nonprofit organization, and this year, they voted to award the grant to Family Promise of Western New York, which will be used for building a second family shelter to respond to increased homelessness in Erie County, more than doubling the number of families it can serve. If you need a last minute gift idea, a membership is a great one! Click the link to learn more about membership and the 2024 highlights including a video from the Final Vote event... https://lnkd.in/eEWgRV2W

Congratulations to our team members who celebrated milestone anniversaries in 2024! Marianne Hanley, Megan Sommerfeldt and Nora Kennon all marked 5 years, and Betsy Constantine celebrated 15 years! (Pictured here, from left: Betsy, Megan, Marianne and Nora)

One of the roles of our Community Foundation is to lead change on behalf of the clients we call Change Makers who entrust us to identify and address community challenges. One of our current leadership goals is to steward significant environmental resources in the context of climate resilience. As we see local changes in our climate, meaningful collaborations will be critical to Western New York's ability to prepare for, adapt to, and recover from climate impacts. When Cradle Beach applied for a competitive grant, we couldn't help but think they could benefit from working with our longtime partners at Waterkeeper to collaborate on this complex shoreline challenge. How this partnership has evolved and expanded to create even more positive impact is quite remarkable, and we encourage you to click the link to read more about this joint effort at Cradle Beach to create a resilient shoreline and restore the natural habitat on Lake Erie. https://lnkd.in/efdjp4AM

The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, on behalf of Daniel C. and Beatrice M. Fisher Fund, announced awards totaling nearly $98,000 to seven Western New York nonprofit organizations located in or serving the town of Clarence through the Fund’s 2024 Competitive Grants process! The Daniel C. and Beatrice M. Fisher Fund 2024 Competitive Grants recipients are: - Arts for Learning WNY - Brothers of Mercy - Center for Elder Law & Justice, Inc. - FeedMore WNY, Inc. - Hearts and Hands–Faith in Action, Inc. - Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo, Inc. - Western New York Land Conservancy Click the link to learn more about the grant recipients! https://lnkd.in/dJs4gR26