The Central New York Community Foundation is a public charity that receives contributions from private donors, manages them to grow over time and then distributes funding to local charities to help them thrive.

Since our inception in 1927, we have invested more than $250 million in community projects that strengthen our local nonprofits and address the most critical issues of our times. We are the largest charitable foundation in Central New York.

What We Do

The gifts we receive come from those who want to give back to Central New York in some way – either during their lifetimes or as a legacy that carries on after they are gone. We then turn those community dollars into community change – by supporting and mobilizing nonprofit efforts around the region’s most critical needs.

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Give

We provide a simple, powerful and highly personal approach to giving. We pride ourselves on offering flexible and customizable ways to give and helping create plans that fit the needs of each individual, family or business with whom we work.

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Grant

Our grantmaking and initiatives fuel programs that make a positive difference in the lives of Central New York residents. We strive to make our region a vibrant community by advancing the arts, improving education, protecting and enhancing the environment, ensuring vital human services for those in need, making healthcare and safe living spaces accessible to all and promoting community development that serves the common good.

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Grow

The gifts we receive create charitable funds and are invested over time. A percentage of each fund’s value is used annually to make grants while preserving the original gift. This means a charitable gift made today in the form of a permanent endowment can grow in pace with inflation and still provide consistent support in the future.

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Mission

Our mission is to foster a thriving Central New York community, inspire greater giving, celebrate legacy and steward charitable resources for today and tomorrow.

Vision

We envision Central New York as a vibrant community with opportunity for everyone. Future generations of Central New Yorkers will proudly inherit a hopeful, prosperous region where generosity and collaboration create lasting improvements.

Pledge

We pledge to be an enduring and compassionate partner in philanthropy, investing in the people and potential of Central New York. We commit to collaborative relationships with the individuals and organizations that are the heartbeat of our region. We support our fellow community members in becoming authors of opportunity and agents of change. We open our doors to everyone and anyone who aspires to build upon the contributions of the past and present to shape our community’s shared future.

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