Buffalo, N.Y. – The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo announced that 64 Western New York organizations received nearly $1 million in grant awards from endowment funds created to carry on the legacy of Ralph C. Wilson, Jr.
Established in 2016, the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation created the Legacy Funds at the Community Foundation to provide support to areas that were important to Mr. Wilson during his lifetime: Caregivers, Community Assets, Design and Access, and Youth Sports. Endowment funds are designed to grow over time and provide funding for charitable causes according to a client’s wishes, forever.
The Legacy Funds at the Community Foundation were established to complement the work of the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and to create immediate impact and long-term benefit in Western New York. The organizations that were funded and the grant amount are included below. Grant awards are listed alphabetically within each interest area.
Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Fund for Caregivers
- Compeer of Greater Buffalo – $25,000
- Crossroads House – $12,735
- Friends of Night People – $16,345
- Harmonia Collaborative Care, Inc. – $16,582
- Hearts and Hands–Faith in Action, Inc. – $10,000
- Interfaith Caregivers – $15,200
- Jewish Family Service of Buffalo and Erie County – $12,500
- Niagara Hospice, Inc. – $18,220
- Richmond Memorial Library – $25,000
- Rural Revitalization Corporation – $15,000
- Sloan Comfort Care Home aka Accountable Healthcare Community, Inc. – $15,000
Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Fund for Community Assets
- Alleyway Theatre Incorporated – $12,000
- Buffalo & Erie County Naval & Military Park – $18,000
- Buffalo Lighthouse Association – $20,000
- Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Society – $5,000
- Nusantara Arts Inc – $11,580
- Our Lady of Victory Homes of Charity – $20,000
- Preservation Buffalo Niagara, Inc. – $20,000
- Stained Glass Association of America Foundation, Inc. – $23,575
- The Foundry – $25,000
- Ukrainian American Freedom Foundation (Ukrainian Cultural Center Dnipro) – $12,000
- Western New York Minority Media Professionals, Inc. – $14,397
Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Fund for Design and Access
- Buffalo Funk Fest Foundation, Inc. – $10,000
- Buffalo Urban Development Corporation – $50,000
- Chautauqua Region Economic Development Corporation – $25,000
- City of Salamanca Youth Bureau – $10,985
- Historic Cattaraugus Corporation – $25,000
- Houghton University – $27,500
- Open Space Institute Land Trust – $42,500
- Puerto Rican and Hispanic Day Parade of WNY, Inc. – $10,000
- Ralph Wilson Park Conservancy – $50,000
- Village of Perry – $42,500
Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Fund for Youth Sports
- #IntegrityFirst, Inc. – $13,150
- A Better YOU Lifestyle, Inc. – $5,000
- Algonquin Sports for Kids – $11,000
- BASE – $7,000
- BestSelf Behavioral Health, Inc. – $17,000
- Boys & Girls Club of Northern Chautauqua County – $10,000
- Boys & Girls Clubs of the Northtowns of WNY – $7,000
- Boys on the Right Track – $7,500
- Buffalo Maendeleo Soccer Club, Inc – $13,000
- Chautauqua Striders – $6,000
- City of Lackawanna – $11,345
- Confident Girl Mentoring Program, Inc. – $7,500
- CTD Sports Inc. – $6,000
- Danceability, Inc. – $6,000
- Erie Regional Housing Development Corporation – The Belle Center – $11,000
- GiGi’s Playhouse Buffalo – $7,000Girls Sport Foundation – $16,360
- Gliding Stars, Inc – $6,000
- GObike Buffalo (aka Green Options Buffalo) – $19,471
- Jewish Community Center of Greater Buffalo – $18,500
- Lyndonville CSD – $14,800
- Police Athletic League of Buffalo, Inc.- $10,500
- SOLID Foundation Prep, Inc. – $12,000
- Special Olympics New York – $12,000
- Tapestry Charter School – $16,000
- The Salvation Army of Buffalo, NY – $7,000
- WAVE Buffalo, Inc. – $10,000
- WNY Lacrosse Foundation – $7,000
- YMCA Buffalo Niagara – $6,000
- YMCA of the Twin Tiers – $12,000
- Youth Advantage/Buffalo Legacy Project – $13,000
- Youth Mentoring Services of Niagara County – $9,000
Since 2016, more than $10 million has been awarded by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Funds to support organizations across the eight counties of Western New York.
The Legacy Funds are annual grants; for updates on the next granting cycle, please visit https://www.cfgb.org/nonprofits/grants/ralph-wilson-legacy/.
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About the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo
For more than a century, the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo has enhanced and encouraged long-term philanthropy in the Western New York community. A 501 (c)(3) organization, the Community Foundation’s mission is: Connecting people, ideas and resources to improve lives in Western New York. Established in 1919, the Community Foundation has made the most of the generosity of individuals, families, foundations and organizations who entrust charitable assets to the Community Foundation’s care. Learn more at www.cfgb.org.
About the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation
The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation is a grantmaking organization dedicated primarily to sustained investment in the quality of life of the people of Southeast Michigan and Western New York. The two areas reflect Ralph C. Wilson, Jr.’s devotion to his hometown of Detroit and greater Buffalo, home of his Buffalo Bills franchise. Prior to his passing in 2014, Mr. Wilson requested that a significant share of his estate be used to continue a life-long generosity of spirit by funding the foundation that bears his name. The foundation has a grantmaking capacity of $1.2 billion over a 20-year period, which expires January 8, 2035. This structure is consistent with Mr. Wilson’s desire for the foundation’s impact to be immediate, substantial, measurable, and overseen by those who knew him best. For more information, visit www.rcwjrf.org.