COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR GREATER BUFFALO INC
726 EXCHANGE STREET NO 525, BUFFALO, NY 14210 www.cfgb.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: THE MISSION OF THE FOUNDATION IS CONNECTING PEOPLE, IDEAS AND RESOURCES TO IMPROVE LIVES IN WESTERN NEW YORK. THE FOUNDATION IS A PUBLIC CHARITY DEDICATED TO HELPING CLIENTS/DONORS MAKE THE MOST OF THEIR GENEROSITY. THE FOUNDATION MANAGES ENDOWMENT FUNDS FOR INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES AND ORGANIZATIONS AND IS CURRENTLY HOME TO OVER 1,000 NAMED FUNDS. CLIENTS/DONORS CHOOSE TO WORK WITH THE FOUNDATION BECAUSE OF THE FLEXIBILITY IT PROVIDES THEM WHEN DIRECTING THEIR GIFTS, ITS SOUND MANAGEMENT OF CHARITABLE ASSETS AND ITS DEEP KNOWLEDGE OF COMMUNITY NEEDS AND GRANTMAKING. THE FOUNDATION ALSO ACTS AS A COMMUNITY LEADER AND CONVENER TO ADDRESS SPECIFIC NEEDS IN OUR REGION. THESE EFFORTS HAVE RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT, INCREASING RACIAL/ETHNIC EQUITY, IMPROVING OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, CATALYZING URBAN REVITALIZATION AND STRENGTHENING THE CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT ANCHOR OUR COMMUNITY.

OUR VISION IS A VIBRANT AND INCLUSIVE GREATER BUFFALO REGION WITH OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL.

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 STUDENTS LIVING IN LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS, (2) INCREASE RACIAL AND ETHNIC EQUITY, (3) PROTECT AND RESTORE SIGNIFICANT NATURAL RESOURCES AND PROMOTE EQUITABLE ACCESS, AND (4) STRENGTHEN THE REGION AS A CENTER FOR ARCHITECTURE, ARTS AND CULTURE. IN 2019 THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION GRANTED $488,000 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 2019, THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AWARDED $1,035,000 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 2019, NEARLY $2,500,000 MILLION WAS AWARDED FOR SCHOLARSHIPS, EXCLUDING THOSE AWARDED BY SAY YES BUFFALO (LISTED BELOW).

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. IT IS BASED ON A SUCCESSFUL NATIONAL MODEL WITH THE BACKING OF 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 21% AND IS AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL IT HAS BEEN IN A DECADE. THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS ENTERING COLLEGE ALSO INCREASED BY 8%. DURING THAT TIME, THE SAY YES SCHOLARSHIP FUND HAS SUPPORTED OVER 3,500 SCHOLARSHIPS WITH TOTAL FUNDING OF $13.9 MILLION. IN ADDITION TO CONTRIBUTING TO THE SCHOLARSHIP FUND, THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION HAS ALSO MADE GRANTS TO ESTABLISH MENTAL HEALTH CLINICS DIRECTLY IN BUFFALO PUBLIC SCHOOL BUILDINGS. THESE CLINICS ARE JUST ONE COMPONENT OF THE OVERALL EFFORT TO ADDRESS THE FINANCIAL, ACADEMIC, HEALTH AND SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL BARRIERS TO EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT. DURING 2019, THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AWARDED $125,000 TO ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE PROVIDING THE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. AS OF YEAR-END, THERE ARE 52 MENTAL HEALTH CLINICS THAT ARE OPERATIONAL IN BUFFALO PUBLIC SCHOOL BUILDINGS PROVIDING SERVICES TO STUDENTS AND FAMILIES.

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.

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