Pictured above: Students serve themselves from a school salad bar made possible through the Chef Ann Foundation’s Healthy School Food Pathway program.| Photo by: Chef Ann Foundation
The Central New York Community Foundation recently distributed $1,342,262 in grants from its Community Fund and a variety of Field-of-Interest funds to local nonprofits.
“We’re so pleased to be able to make these incredibly impactful grants,” said Danielle Johnson, senior director of grants and programs at the Central New York Community Foundation. “To be able to support our nonprofit partners in this way is so meaningful to the Community Foundation and its donors.”
The following organizations received grants:
ARTS, CULTURE & HUMANITIES
Black Artist Collective CNY – $16,400
Launch About Ya Art Business, a course that teaches Black artists and cultural workers how to document and showcase their contributions
Everson Museum of Art – $40,000
Purchase new ceramic equipment, provide stipends for teaching artists and offer scholarships for students attending its summer ceramic arts camp
Smithfield Community Association – $54,800
Repair and renovate visitor spaces at the Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark that sits along the Underground Railroad Trail to Freedom
Syracuse Shakespeare in the Park – $3,000
Purchase stage equipment for outdoor theater performances
EDUCATION
Elmcrest Children’s Center – $50,000
Implement a career development program for employees
Exalt – $50,000
Expand its court-involved youth development and advocacy program
Kool Kidz Foundation – $28,648
Provide virtual literacy tutoring opportunities for children
Literacy CNY – $20,000
Launch a mobile digital literacy instruction program for families with limited computer access
Lydia’s Lullaby Daycare Center – $38,164
Replace its roof to help reduce water leakage and heating and cooling costs
Mary Nelson Youth Day Foundation – $21,700
Purchase laptops and equipment for its resource room
McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy Site – $25,200
Expand outreach education and awareness to prevent child abuse and connect families with vital resources
Syracuse City Volleyball Club – $19,993
Support its 2025-2026 club volleyball season, which offers youth in the city of Syracuse free access to club volleyball
ENVIRONMENT & ANIMALS
Cazenovia Preservation Foundation – $150,000
Purchase and preserve 375 acres of land on Schapiro Farm in Madison County
Charles N. Gordon Wildlife Rehabilitation Center– $21,452
Construct a self-contained and safe handling area for assessing wildlife injuries
Ducks Unlimited – $101,000
Restore 90 acres of wetlands within the Owasco Flats Wildlife Management Area
Jowonio School – $50,000
Make mobility access improvements to its inclusive playground
Lime Hollow Nature Center – $75,000
Hire a land steward to facilitate community programming
Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust – $38,050
Create a public conservation area on 40 acres of land in Boylston and Sandy Creek, NY
HEALTHCARE
Housing Visions Unlimited – $26,738
Purchase exercise equipment for the Landing at Burke Meadows Wellness Center, which provides safe and stable housing
Madison County Rural Health Council – $50,000
Support its doula program, which offers critical medical care and support to low-income pregnant women
St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center – $37,044
Purchase six cardiovascular point-of-care devices that allow clinicians to more effectively identify and monitor symptoms of heart failure at the bedside
HUMAN SERVICES
A Tiny Home for Good – $30,000
Replace its roof to prevent leakage and damage
Aurora of CNY – $50,000
Expand the Social Work and Support Services Program to deliver at-home assistance for individuals with sensory loss
BRiDGES | Madison County Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse – $30,000
Support the Suicide Prevention Coalition of Madison County to strengthen awareness, education and resources
Center for Community Alternatives – $16,610
Purchase 10 laptops for workforce and reentry programs, expanding access to education, job readiness and support services for individuals navigating the criminal justice system
Chadwick Residence – $28,080
Support the HEAL Together program, which helps women build stable, independent lives through housing and supportive services
David’s Refuge – $30,000
Host the 2025 Caregiver Summit and Wellness Retreat, offering 200 community caregivers opportunities for rest, education and connection
Housing & Homeless Coalition of Syracuse and Onondaga County – $50,000
Strengthen its coordinated housing assistance and community engagement initiatives to connect families with resources and improve responses to housing insecurity
Sleep in Heavenly Peace – $5,000
Purchase materials to build 1,300 beds for children ages 3-17 who do not have a safe place to sleep
Westcott Community Center – $50,000
Renovate the restrooms in its annex building, improving accessibility and usability
Your Nuhorizons – $15,000
Purchase a van to transport goods to individuals and families in and outside of the Nuhorizons Redistribution Center program
Women’s Opportunity Center – $30,861
Hire a personal assistance navigator to help women experiencing verbal, emotional and psychological abuse connect to resources
PUBLIC AND SOCIETAL BENEFIT
Village of Camillus – $28,700
Install a wider sidewalk in Munro Park to increase safety and accessibility for individuals and families
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Chef Ann Foundation – $20,000
Expand the Healthy School Food Pathway Program into Central New York to provide healthier meals in schools
Hopeprint– $25,410
Establish the Westpond Microneighborhood Project to promote cultural heritage and strengthen community connections among residents
Syracuse Film Center, Inc. | CNY Film Professionals – $40,000
Launch On Track, a program that provides paid work opportunities for emerging film professionals through the production of an original short film
About the Central New York Community Foundation
The Central New York Community Foundation is a public charity that turns community dollars into community change. Established in 1927, it receives contributions from donors, manages them to grow over time and then distributes funding to address the region’s greatest needs. The foundation has invested more than $320 million in community projects that benefit Central New York. It also serves as a civic leader, convener and sponsor of strategic initiatives that foster a thriving and equitable region and address the most critical issues of our time.
