21st Century Fund Announces Final Four Organizations Competing for $100,000 Grant

Buffalo, NY – The 21st Century Fund announced that four local organizations were chosen by a member vote as finalists for a $100,000 grant to be awarded in early May. The four finalists are: Aquarium of Niagara; Buffalo City Mission; Jericho Road Community Health Center; and Niagara Falls Boys & Girls Club.

The 21st Century Fund is a giving circle open to anyone who wants to give back to Western New York. The Fund is unique in that it makes philanthropy accessible to everyone. Members pay a one-time fee to join and come together every other year to listen, vote and award an organization with a $100,000 grant. Recent past winners include Gerard Place and Explore & More Children’s Museum.

On Wednesday, April 11, 2018 the 21st Century Fund invited seven local organizations to present a project that the organization would complete if awarded the $100,000 grant. The members of the 21st Century Fund had the opportunity to speak one-on-one with each organization before casting their votes for the four finalists.

Below are the final four organizations that will give a presentation on their proposed project to 21st Century Fund members before they cast a final vote on May 3, 2018.

Aquarium of Niagara
Project: Jellyfish Exhibit
Description: The Aquarium of Niagara’s master plan for development began with the new Humboldt Penguin Habitat, a dynamic and fascinating exhibit that brings visitors up close and personal with an endangered and engaging species. The Aquarium’s progress continues with the Jellyfish Exhibit, a new project that will install five interactive tanks on the Aquarium’s second floor filled with jellyfish illuminated with multicolored lights, inviting visitors to learn more about this fascinating species.

Buffalo City Mission
Project: Medical Discharge Quad in the new Buffalo City Mission
Description: The Buffalo City Mission (BCM) is building a new 75,000 square foot facility to help the homeless and impoverished of Buffalo. One part of this new building will be a staffed thirteen-bed Medical Discharge Quad for homeless people leaving the hospital. Hospital administrators cannot discharge a homeless person to the streets; therefore patients often stay longer than necessary, costing hospitals an estimated $1,000-$3,000/day. The 21st Century funding would build ten of the thirteen medical beds in the quad.

Jericho Road Community Health Center
Project: Expanding Access to Health Care, Community Service and Economic Opportunity on Buffalo’s East Side
Description: In 2018, Jericho Road Community Health Center (JRCHC) will expand health care access, social supports and economic opportunity through a new, collaborative community services and programming hub in the historic Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood. The project will include: Medical care and pharmacy, community programming, interpretation services, fitness center, café/community kitchen, commercial business development and housing. The immediate impact is health care and services to 3,600 new low-income patients and at least 26 new jobs will be created.

Niagara Falls Boys & Girls Club
Project: 17th Street Clubhouse Revitalization Project
Description: The Niagara Falls Boys & Girls Club (NFBGC) 17th Street Clubhouse Revitalization Project is an investment in our youth and a means to strengthen the City of Niagara Falls. This 60-year-old Clubhouse will be transformed into a multi-use center that will serve over 750 children and families, will be fully utilized all day and year round and will offer a vast array of activities to help create a healthy, sustainable community. By investing in the upgrades and revitalization of the 17th Street Clubhouse, NFBGC will be able to expand its reach and service hundreds more youth and teens in a wide variety of activities.

The final vote and check presentation will take place on Thursday, May 3 at 5:30 p.m. in Hohn Auditorium at the Research Studies Center at Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

The 21st Century Fund is a fund of the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. For more information about the 21st Century Fund and membership details, visit www.21stcenturyfund.org.

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The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, a 501©(3) organization, was established in 1919 to enhance and encourage long-term philanthropy in the Western New York community. The Community Foundation’s mission is: Connecting people, ideas and resources to improve lives in Western New York. For nearly 100 years, 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.