Process is open

WNY Forward Fund

The WNY Forward Fund is a collaborative effort of 12 Western New York funders united to support our community and nonprofits that provide essential programs and services in the face of major shifts in federal funding and priorities since early 2025. The philanthropic community’s goal in working together is to help protect and strengthen the community, while encouraging innovation and reimagining how to best use community resources for long-term resilience.

The WNY Forward Fund is intended to be a multi-year effort through select grantmaking and support of priority initiatives across three focus areas. These priorities include: Strategic Alliances & Nonprofit Resiliency, Civic Health & Building Common Ground, Impact Data & Storytelling.

Strategic Alliances & Nonprofit Resiliency – Grant applications now open  

Our first action is to support grant proposals from local nonprofits pursuing partnerships, shared services, mergers, or other collaborations to help organizations adapt to the evolving environment, and remain resilient and responsive to community needs.

Grants between $2,500 and $25,000 are available and are intended to spur reimaging of service delivery and innovation within the nonprofit sector. 

Grant applications for exploration of strategic alliances and partnerships are now open with a deadline of Friday, December 12, 2025, at 4 p.m.

 

Grant Opportunities

Although there are many forms of strategic realignment and collaboration, the following explorations will be considered as part of this funder initiative.

I. Strategic Realignment and Organizational Integration 

• • Strategic and/or Structural Alliance: A partnership between organizations pursuing a common goal while maintaining independence, often involving aligned programs, administrative functions, or complementary strategies.
  • Administrative Consolidation: Restructuring to share, exchange, or contract administrative functions (e.g., accounting, HR) to increase operational efficiencies.
  • Merger: A more formal process that combines two or more nonprofit entities into one, or forms affiliates/subsidiaries.
  • Resource Partnerships: Involve collaborating to share resources like office space, equipment, staff, or technology.
  • Strategic Restructure: Structuring into multiple LLCs to diversify operations, manage liability exposure, or distinct strategic goals requiring legal and financial separation. 

II. Dissolution Planning

• • Dissolution Planning is the process of voluntarily winding up operations of a nonprofit corporation and adhering to IRS and Treasury Regulations applicable to liquidation, dissolution, termination, or substantial contraction.

How to Apply

Applications are submitted electronically online through the Foundant Grant Lifecycle Manager.  No paper, emailed, or pdf applications are accepted.

APPLY NOW