Buffalo, N.Y. – The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo announced that 98 Western New York organizations received more than $2 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
Alzheimer’s Association, Western New York Chapter – $15,500
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Northtowns of WNY – $10,000
Brian Moorman’s P.U.N.T. Foundation – $20,000
Buffalo City Mission – $10,000
Canopy of Neighbors, Inc. – $10,000
Center for Elder Law & Justice, Inc. – $10,000
Community Connections at Findley Lake, Inc. – $23,469
Gateway Home-Comfort Care, Inc. – $21,674.64
Grace Guest House Inc. – $10,000
HART, Inc. – $19,900
Heritage Christian Services – $25,000
Hospice of Orleans, Inc. – $12,500
Interfaith Caregivers – $25,000
Legal Assistance of Western New York – $25,000
National Multiple Sclerosis Society – $25,000
People Inc. – $10,000
Shakespeare in Delaware Park – $11,850
Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Fund for Community Assets
Ballet Artists of WNY, Inc. – $20,000
Buffalo & Erie County Naval & Military Park – $25,000
Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens Society, Inc. – $25,000
Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society – $25,000
Buffalo Arts and Technology Center, Inc. – $25,000
Buffalo Lighthouse Association – $25,000
Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village – $20,000
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Society – $25,000
Buffalo String Works – $10,000
Burchfield Penney Art Center – $10,000
Center for Exploratory and Perceptual Arts, Inc. – $15,000
Community Music School of Buffalo – $25,000
Erie Regional Housing Development Corporation – The Belle Center – $10,000
Explore Buffalo – $10,000
H.E.A.L International – $10,000
Just Buffalo Literary Center – $10,000
King Urban Life Center – $25,000
MCC-DC dba West Side Community Services – $10,000
North Park Theatre of Buffalo, Inc. – $10,000
Old First Ward Community Association – $25,000
Pappy Martin Legacy Jazz Collective – $15,000
Peace Of The City – $25,000
Westminster Economic Development Initiative, Inc. – $10,000
WNY Book Arts Center – $12,500
Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Fund for Design and Access
Alfred University – $25,000
Allegany County – $50,000
Artpark & Company, Inc. – $50,000
Audubon Community Nature Center – $10,000
Autism Services, Inc. – $10,000
BRRAlliance Inc. – $38,500
Buffalo Lighthouse Association – $50,000
Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper – $40,000
Cattaraugus Chautauqua Chapter of the New York State Horse Council, Inc. – $49,200
Chautauqua Rails to Trail, Inc. – $37,000
Chestnut Ridge Conservancy, Inc. – $50,000
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Niagara Count – $20,000
Empower – $10,000
Friends of Knox Farm State Park – $10,000
Friends of the Genesee Valley Greenway, Inc. – $42,000
Girl Scouts of Western New York, Inc. – $10,000
Green Options Buffalo – $49,360.41
Heart, Love & Soul – $10,000
Jamestown YMCA – $10,000
Lockport Locks Heritage District Corporation – $20,000
Natural Heritage Trust – $25,000
New Directions Youth & Family Services – $28,500
Rural Revitalization Corporation – $20,000
Town of Cheektowaga – $49,184.17
Town of Evans – $50,000
University District Community Development Association – $50,000
Western New York Land Conservancy – $10,000
Wilson Community Food Pantry – $10,000
Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Fund for Youth Sports
Algonquin Sports for Kids, Inc. – $25,000
Back to Basics Outreach Ministries Inc. – $20,000
Boys & Girls Clubs of Buffalo, Inc. – $25,000
Buffalo Curling Club – $13,000
Buffalo Sports and Wellness Association (DBA Healthy Buffalo) – $12,000
Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center – $14,600
Confident Girl Mentoring Program, Inc. – $25,000
Cradle Beach Camp – $19,400
Gerard Place – $12,500
Girl Scouts of Western New York, Inc. – $18,800
Girls on the Run of Buffalo, Inc. – $15,000
Girls Sport Foundation – $25,000
GLOW YMCA, Inc; dba Orleans County YMCA – $15,000
Greater Buffalo Adaptive Sports – $25,000
Muslim Society of Buffalo – $25,000
Native American Community Services of Erie & Niagara Counties, Inc. – $25,000
New Niagara Community Center, Inc. – $15,000
Peace Of The City Athletic Leadership at Peace Of The City – $25,000
Police Athletic League of Buffalo, Inc. – $25,000
Randolph Area Community Development Corporation – $25,000
Seneca Street Community Development Corporation – $15,000
St John’s Roman Catholic Church Society – $11,374
The Champion Project The Champion – $25,000
University District Community Development Association – $15,000
Willie Hutch Jones Educational and Sports Program – $20,000
WNY Lacrosse Foundation – $10,000
YMCA of the Twin Tiers – $24,900
Youth Advantage/Buffalo Legacy Project – $14,000
Youth Mentoring Services of Niagara County, Inc. – $15,000
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