Community Foundation Competitive Process

Please click here to download the detailed competitive process general information and guidelines.

The Community Foundation’s competitive grants will align with one of the four following Community Goals and the Solutions detailed below:

I. Achieve racial/ethnic equity. Requests must address the following Solutions:

1. Promote civic engagement and leadership.

II. Promote economic mobility through educational achievement, workforce readiness and access to family sustaining jobs for residents living in low-income households. Requests must address one of the following Solutions:

1: Improve school readiness, academic achievement, and postsecondary completion of students living in low-income households.
2: Promote civic engagement and leadership.

III. Steward significant environmental resources. Requests must address one of the following Solutions:

For the purposes of this application, climate resilience is defined as: The ability to prepare for, recover from, and adapt to climate impacts. Resilience efforts must be executed at the asset, neighborhood, or individual level.

Solutions
1: Protect and restore the region’s waterways.
2: Strengthen environmental organizations and collaboratives to support climate resilience and sustainability with a preference for addressing the needs of vulnerable communities and climate education.
3: Promote civic engagement and leadership.

IV. Promote regional vibrancy through architecture, arts, and culture. Requests must address one of the following Solutions:

1: Promote equitable access to long-term arts instruction for children and youth living in low-income communities.

2: Promote civic engagement and leadership.

3: Promote cultural tourism by restoring and leveraging significant historic buildings and architectural landmarks (Defining historic as official recognition by State/National Register of Historic Places or local preservation ordinance.)

Special funding available to support the following:

1. Programs that serve the visual, speech or hearing impaired that also align with one of the Solutions (~$10,000.)

The average grant through this process over the past decade is $18,000 TO $20,000. The maximum award is $50,000.

1. While we appreciate optimism and understand that funding is difficult to obtain, please be realistic with your request given the average grant.

• Application available online February 6, 2026
• Information Session will be held on February 10, 2026 at 3:30 p.m. Click here to register.
• Applications will be accepted until March 6, 2026 at 4 p.m. No exceptions.
•  Grant outcome notification will be sent to applicants in late June 2026

• 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.

• This Information Session will be held both in person and Zoom on February 10, 2026 at 3:30 p.m. Click here to register.
• Zoom information and in person details will be shared via email the afternoon before the session. 

Click here to review frequently asked questions.