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21st Century Fund Grant
Supporting High-Impact Projects Across Western New York
The 21st Century Fund is a giving circle made up of over 350 separate member donors. One single $100,000 award is made to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit every other year through a member driven vetting and voting process. The 21st Century Fund is unique in that successful applicants will make presentations to and interact with the membership at two separate large group events.
How to Apply
Applications are submitted electronically online through the Foundant Grant Lifecycle Manager. No paper, emailed, or pdf applications are accepted.
Grant Opportunity
The 21st Century Fund welcomes applications for high-impact projects. Membership will consider all proposals. However, there is a strong preference for requests that are sustainable, requiring minimal future grant support of any type, and result in long-term significant impact on the eight-county region.
The amount available is one single $100,000 grant that will go to one nonprofit.
Timeline
Please check back in the Fall 2025.
Eligibility
- Grants are awarded only to organizations that have current Section 501(c)(3) status as determined by the Internal Revenue Service
- Applicants must be located or delivering services in at least one of the eight counties of Western New York: Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, and Wyoming.
- Successful 21st Century Fund awardees are not excluded from future application cycles as long as their prior 21st Century Fund grant is closed properly.
- Organizations are welcome to resubmit unsuccessful requests in future cycles as appropriate.
Detailed Guidelines/Additional Information
Please click here to download the detailed 21st Century Fund competitive process general information and schedule.
Contact
For more information about the 21st Century Fund competitive grants process, please contact Darren Penoyer by email at darrenp@cfgb.org or at (716) 852-2857 ext. 206.
Past Grant Recipients
2024 – Family Promise of Western New York
2022 – Mercy Flight
2020 – FeedMore WNY
2018 – Niagara Falls Boys & Girls Club
2016 – Gerard Place
2014 – Explore & More Children’s Museum
2012 – Westminster Economic Development Initiative
2010 – Buffalo Museum of Science
2008 – Massachusetts Avenue Project’s Community Food Resource Center*
2006 – WNED/Buffalo Architecture Experience Video
2004 – Buffalo Zoological Society/Rainforest Exhibit Design
2003 – Buffalo State College Community Maritime Center
2002 – Burchfield Penney Art Gallery and Materials Reuse Project/Art on Wheels
2001 – Darwin Martin House Complex Restoration
*The organization declined the grant due to necessary changes to the original proposal.
- Nonprofits
- Grants
- Garman Family Foundation Grants
- Josephine Goodyear Foundation Grants
- 21st Century Fund Grant
- Oliver G. & Sarah Sloan Bauman Fund for the Arts
- Community Foundation Competitive Grants
- Daniel C. and Beatrice M. Fisher Fund
- J. Warren Perry and Charles Donald Perry Memorial Fund
- Niagara Area Foundation Grants
- Project Play WNY Summer Free Play Series Grant
- Project Play WNY Winter Free Play Series Grant
- Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation Arts & Culture Initiative
- Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Trails Maintenance Fund for Western New York
- Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Funds
- William F. Thiel Grants
- Workforce Development Challenge
- Wyoming Foundation Grants
- Endowment Options
- Grants