A Year of Community Investment

PICTURED ABOVE: Chittenango High School

Exceeding Expectations Between April 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024, we received $24.7 million in gifts and bequests and distributed $23.4 million in grant support to nonprofit organizations in Central New York and surrounding areas.

BLACK EQUITY & EXCELLENCE FUNDING
Our Black Equity & Excellence Fund was designed to help reverse patterns of historic underinvestment and build the momentum necessary to create lasting social change for the community by funding Black-led community-based projects that promote and encourage self-sufficiency and address physical and economic conditions that affect quality of life. The Fund also encourages dialogue that will strengthen race-related matters and support social and educational growth in the community. This year we distributed 31 grants totaling $238,200.

COMMUNITY GRANTMAKING
We offer a wide variety of funding opportunities, the largest of which is our Community Grants program. We provide grant funding to nonprofit organizations in Onondaga and Madison counties for projects that promote community impact, capacity building and diversity in the areas of arts and culture, civic affairs, education, health, human services and the environment. This year we distributed 46 grants totaling $2,139,310.

RURAL POVERTY SUPPORT
The Madison County Rural Poverty Fund is our effort to support poverty-related issues and organizations in Madison County. We committed to tackling this issue through multiple approaches including funding, impact investing and community leadership. This year we distributed two grants totaling $23,568.

ADDITIONAL GRANTMAKING
This year we also distributed 35 small grants totaling $215,217; 23 literacy grants totaling $218,541, including operational support for Imagination Library; three IDEA grants totaling $23,690; 11 Cortland County Bright Ideas grants to support nonprofits in Cortland County totaling $55,000; and two Strategic Partnership Fund grants to support nonprofit mergers and affiliations totaling $32,113.