The Centennials
The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo has helped ignite change in Western New York alongside our clients for 100 years. To mark this milestone, we will grant $1 million in awards to honor local change makers who have made a difference in the lives of Western New Yorkers.
Meet Our Finalists Watch Highlights from our Centennial Celebration
Finalist Updates
One year after our Centennial celebration, we checked in with some of our Finalists. Hear their inspiring stories here, and continue to check back as more are added.
Meet Our Finalists
The response to our Centennial Awards call for nominations exceeded all expectations, and we were truly inspired by the hundreds of stories sharing the amazing work that is making our region a more vibrant and inclusive place for all.
Our Centennial Selection Committee, comprised of 40 members representing a diverse cross-section of our community, had a difficult decision to make. After a thorough review process, we are excited to introduce you to the 12 change makers who are our Centennial Awards finalists.
Cause Award
Cause Award
James Giles
Jill Jedlicka
Karen Nicolson
Champion Award
Champion Award
Michael Martin
Marixsa Sanchez-Feliciano
Diann Takens
Community Award
Community Award
Fajri Ansari
Jessica Bauer Walker
David Zapfel
Up and Comer Award
Up and Comer Award
Kelly Diane Galloway
Dawne Hoeg
Megan McNally
James Giles
Cause Award Endowment Winner
A quarter of a century ago, James Giles sat in his jail cell thinking about how he was going to turn his life around. When he was released, he longed for a community of support around him. When he found that support system did not exist, he decided he would build one in the city of Buffalo.
In 1994, James founded Back-to-Basics Outreach Ministries, designed to address the problems of addiction and the resulting issues. Its services include reentry and restorative justice programs to assist formerly incarcerated individuals with their transition to becoming productive community members. The program offers direct services such as counseling, mentoring and job training, which has benefitted thousands of people since its inception.
Every step of the way, James asked what more was needed. In 2004, he helped build the Stop the Violence Coalition with a goal to develop strategies to resolve gang conflicts. The following year, the Coalition held a meeting with 73 members from nine of Buffalo’s largest gangs, who sat down to establish city-wide peace. In 2007, James helped establish the Buffalo Peacemakers, which today includes over 50 individuals who mentor and redirect youth to healthy lifestyles, mediate conflicts and work with law enforcement officials to support safer neighborhoods. In 2012, James joined VOICE Buffalo, and in his role as President, the social justice organization created Peace Circles in the city of Buffalo.
James has developed leaders and inspired others by increasing cooperation, understanding and teamwork, building the collaborative support system he could not find 25 years ago.
Jill Jedlicka
Cause Award Finalist
For Jill Jedlicka, what started as a love of nature as a child has grown into a full-fledged commitment to protect her hometown’s precious natural resources. With 20 percent of the world’s fresh water flowing through Western New York, Jill’s commitment will continue to impact a significant community asset for decades to come.
The Buffalo River, which flows into Lake Erie, had once been considered ecologically dead. In the 1990s, Jill began her pursuit of innovative approaches and partnerships to help transform the river into the thriving waterfront community it is today. Starting out as a volunteer for the Friends of the Buffalo River, and eventually becoming Executive Director of its successor organization, Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, Jill has spent years learning about the science and sociology of managing and restoring a degraded waterway.
She continued to spearhead efforts that led to the formation of the Buffalo River Restoration Partnership, a unique public-private-nonprofit partnership that was formalized by a cost-share agreement. Ultimately, nearly $75 million was secured for the river, which resulted in the removal of over 1 million cubic yards of toxic contamination, one of the largest cleanups in Great Lakes history. Today, Waterkeeper has grown to include more than 25 full-time employees and 3,000 volunteers who oversee 60 different projects across Western New York.
By working tirelessly to protect and restore local waterways, Jill is setting the course for the next generation of water stewards and inspiring engagement for current and future generations.
Karen Nicolson
Cause Award Finalist
Karen Nicolson has the innate ability to connect the dots when it comes to early identification of elder abuse. An issue that includes everything from physical and emotional abuse to financial exploitation, she has dedicated the last 16 years to bringing awareness to this complex and often undetected problem.
With 1,500 cases of elder abuse reported annually in Erie County alone, and only a small percentage of all cases ever reported, Karen saw the need to shine a light on the problem, provide services to those in abusive situations and educate the community. Her work in this area has led to one of the most robust elder abuse prevention programs in the state. As CEO of the Center for Elder Law and Justice, a nonprofit civil legal service provider that serves all eight counties of Western New York, Karen secured a grant in 2008 that allowed her to train law enforcement to identify the issue and hire a staff attorney to work with aging clients in abusive situations. Today, Karen has expanded her team of attorneys, social workers and paralegals to represent over 500 clients and have performed outreach to thousands more.
Karen’s leadership has contributed to a strong network of agencies working together to fight abuse of our aging population, and today her organization coordinates multi-disciplinary teams in five counties across Western New York.
Exemplifying someone who is mission-driven, Karen has improved the quality of life for our older residents by assuring they live independently and with dignity.
Michael Martin
Champion Award Finalist
The Haudenosaunee culture is firmly rooted in the belief that “we are stronger together.” Embracing this teaching, Michael Martin, as the Executive Director of Native American Community Services (NACS) of Erie and Niagara Counties, is working to build stronger community partnerships and greater awareness of the challenges Native Americans face.
NACS provides quality health and social services to the off-reservation Native American population in Western New York and continues to expand its programs toward addressing the vast needs of its target population. Today, under Michael’s leadership, it focuses on economic self-sufficiency, family services, health and wellness, and community and cultural services including a speaker series, Native American language preservation and a cultural resource library.
Michael has passed along the Native American teachings instilled in him by his parents, enabling a deeper understanding of his community that has led to lasting assets and more informed and effective partnerships across the community. This has, in turn, created new models and opportunities for Native Americans to heal from historical trauma.
In the community, Michael is involved in many organizations, using his talents to promote societal change. An example of his efforts to secure racial equity and healing for the Native American community was his involvement in the Lancaster school district’s decision to retire their sports teams’ logo.
In addition, Michael has organized community forums and a native professionals network. He has built a deeper understanding of the Native people across Western New York and beyond, leading innovative approaches that significantly improve lives and exemplify what it means to be stronger together.
Marixsa Sanchez-Feliciano
Champion Award Finalist
A child’s path in life begins before they are born, yet many women living in poverty lack the resources to give their baby a healthy start. For more than two decades, Marixsa Sanchez-Feliciano has been a passionate advocate to ensure women have access to supports and have their basic needs met before, during and after pregnancy. As Program Manager for Buffalo Prenatal and Perinatal Network, it is estimated that more than 10,000 children and 5,000 women have benefitted from her efforts.
Marixsa works on the implementation of programs and services that have a positive impact on the community, such as early screening for lead poisoning, attendance at prenatal and healthy baby visits, obtaining regular immunizations and breastfeeding education. She performs outreach by going door-to-door and collaborates with other organizations to create support groups. Her efforts to help women does not stop there. She has been known to do everything from assisting them with the college application process to providing them with household basics like beds and cribs so no woman or child has to sleep on the floor.
Not only does Marixsa advocate for her clients, but she uses the same passion to promote training, job advancement and further education for her staff, who are members of the community in which they serve.
Always providing a welcoming environment to her clients and staff, Marixsa has been able to create transformative change in the community by improving access to support and services ensuring a healthier start to thousands of women and children.
Diann Takens
Champion Award Endowment Winner
Courageous. Compassionate. Collaborative. These are just a few of the words used to describe Diann Takens’ relentless advocacy for children and families caught in the cycle of generational poverty.
In 1992, Diann founded Peace of the City on the West Side of Buffalo, modeled after an urban ministry program where she had worked as an intern. What started as a Homework Club to support children from low-income families experiencing trauma has grown to include creative and theatrical arts programming, literacy instruction, and teen empowerment programming comprised of three small businesses run by teens. Last year alone, over 150 children and teens participated in the programs. As the population of the community in which she works and lives has evolved to be more diverse, the programs have also changed accordingly with offerings such as English Language Learners.
Diann has spent the last 27 years working around the clock to build youth skills and instill confidence in the community members she serves. She looks at situations through the eyes of children first, remaining a constant in their lives into adulthood. Today, Peace of the City employs young people and has board members who grew up benefitting from its programming.
Diann fully embodies what it means to be welcoming and inclusive. She has created an environment of love, acceptance and family that many of the youth will carry with them the rest of their lives.
Fajri Ansari
Community Award Finalist
Fajri Ansari’s story of service to the community could be written as a trilogy: religion, education and basketball, with all three passions intersecting on Buffalo’s East Side. Here, Fajri embraces the game-changing work to positively impact the lives of those in underserved communities.
As the beloved religious leader of Masjid Nu’Man on Fillmore Avenue in Buffalo, Fajri’s leadership has become a symbol of hope to not only the Muslim community, but to the interfaith community and the city of Buffalo as a whole. One of his cornerstones is “Putting the Neighbor Back in the Hood,” a weekend showcasing the Fillmore District, now in its 23rd year. The event is held at Box Street Park, once a dumping ground for garbage and drug activities, which is now a gathering place with new basketball courts and playground equipment thanks to Fajri’s efforts.
Coaching basketball was something Fajri got into almost 30 years ago as another way to give back. Sharing his leadership skills with students at Turner Carroll High School, he saw coaching as an opportunity to mentor hundreds of young men. While there, he also founded a camp that offered free SAT classes and studying materials to students. Fajri kept his focus on education, moving on to a position in Admissions at Buffalo State College. He became its Men’s Basketball Coach, where today he leads players to success on and off the court and ensures they do not lose sight of graduating with a degree.
By rallying people to embrace their potential and the community, Fajri’s dedication to Western New York has been game changing.
Jessica Bauer Walker
Community Award Finalist
After returning to her hometown to raise her family, Jessica Bauer Walker saw Western New York’s healthcare system through the lens of a parent. Once she learned that 48 percent of fifth graders in the Buffalo Public Schools (BPS) were overweight, she knew it was time to spring into action.
As Vice President and Health Chairperson of the District Parent Coordinating Council, Jessica mobilized parents to participate in the writing of the first BPS Wellness Policy. She worked diligently to ensure parents’ and students’ voices were part of the policy creation. Jessica pushed to get recess back into the schools, and advocated until BPS hired 35 new Physical Education teachers so that children in grades K-3 would receive the required amount of PE time, nearly three times what they had been getting. She continued working with BPS to implement School Wellness Teams in each school, and worked with the Food Service Department to protect the Breakfast in the Classroom program.
Jessica’s work now continues in her role as Executive Director of CoNECT- Community Network for Engagement, Connection and Transformation, formerly the Community Health Worker Network of Buffalo, where she serves as a critical bridge between parents, students, BPS and the public health sector on important issues.
For nearly a decade, Jessica has been a tireless advocate for the important role a school has when it comes to children’s health to how that positively impacts a community’s success. She approaches her work with heart and soul, empowering others to be the change they want to see.
David Zapfel
Community Award Endowment Winner
In 2003, teacher David Zapfel arrived at Gerard Place to find a dilapidated building and lack of resources needed to serve the community. Among the crumbled plaster and sagging walls, David saw the potential for classrooms, job training, a daycare center and a gym to get youth off the streets. Now a thriving community center in Buffalo’s Bailey-Delavan neighborhood, Gerard Place has gone through a major transformation since that time.
David quickly took action to hire staff and fill the center’s 14 apartments with homeless mothers and their children. He worked to renovate an empty building on the Gerard Place site and make it into a community center, where today, 200 people have access to high school equivalency classes, vocational training, hot meals, a farmer’s market and nutritional education on any given day. The center also partners with EduKids to provide child care, giving mothers the opportunity to gain job skills.
Inside Gerard Place, volunteers work hand-in-hand with neighborhood residents who come to acquire reading skills, GEDs or job training. Staff members exude joy and a feeling that work is a gift to them, and David remains accessible to everyone from homeless families to staff and social workers. One of his favorite sayings is “all are welcome” and David firmly believes no one should be turned away and that going above and beyond to help them should be the norm.
David has made a lasting positive impact in Buffalo by empowering individuals and families toward self-sufficiency.
Kelly Diane Galloway
Up and Comer Award Endowment Winner
Kelly Diane Galloway is a modern day abolitionist. While it may be difficult to think that human trafficking is a problem in Western New York, the reality is that this largely unreported crime affects women and girls throughout our region. Kelly has fought to eradicate this issue, often rescuing women from the bleakest of circumstances.
After establishing Ramp Global Missions in 2015, Kelly continued to advocate for victims of human trafficking, working to open Mona’s House in 2017. This is the first restoration home exclusively for women who have been rescued from human trafficking, where they are encouraged and empowered to begin the journey back to wholeness through a 12-month program. Through their outreach, Kelly aims to bring awareness to as many people as possible. She teaches how to avoid being trafficked and what to look for in identifying victims, and trains volunteers to do the same. Kelly spends countless hours personally escorting women to court to fight for their rights, and sits beside them when they have been mistreated so badly that hospitalization is required.
At Mona’s House, there is no prejudice and no judgment. Each woman is welcome with open arms, and services are individualized based on each unique situation.
By providing a place where residents are encouraged to take control of their own destiny, Kelly is helping women heal while working toward a Western New York where human trafficking is no longer a silent crime.
Dawne Hoeg
Up and Comer Award Finalist
Stitch by stitch, Dawne Hoeg is weaving together a rich tapestry of what makes Buffalo a City of Good Neighbors. Observing that refugee women settling in Buffalo long for a sense of belonging and a meaningful way to help their families, Dawne created Stitch Buffalo, a place where women create stitched, embroidered or woven products that not only reflect their culture but earn them extra income.
Through this program, women are offered the opportunity to express their traditional textile skills or learn new ones in a welcoming and inclusive environment. Dawne identifies each person’s strengths and assists them in implementing those abilities, patiently teaching and aiming to turn any frustration into aspiration. The women are then able to sell the products on their own, at Stitch Buffalo’s colorful storefront on Niagara Street, at community-wide events or through other partners across the country.
Today, Stitch Buffalo has grown into a thriving community of women from all over the world. Conversations flow easily from room to room as refugee women, volunteers, interns, shoppers and other guests mingle and work together on various projects. Dawne has incorporated other components, such as low-cost workshops to allow anyone to learn textile skills from the refugee women.
Dawne has fostered a remarkable sense of community that starts from a place of diversity, connecting people from different age groups, economic and educational backgrounds. She creates a sense of belonging and self-sufficiency that not only benefits the women, but the greater Western New York community.
Megan McNally
Up and Comer Award Finalist
Where many saw a place of poverty and despair in Buffalo’s Masten Park district, Megan McNally saw hope, possibilities and an opportunity to forge unity through diversity. She purchased a home there and immediately began working to transform the neighborhood by empowering individuals through education and entrepreneurship. She created The Foundry, building opportunities for self-sufficiency and economic stability.
When Megan moved her professional wood shop to The Foundry, she had a vision to make it the hub of the community. It provides hands-on skill building to youth, serving hundreds of low-income students who have learned employment skills and digital literacy. The Foundry also acts as a business incubator by providing affordable rental space, connections to mentoring and support services, and business classes and workshops. Today, it boasts more than 30 product-based small businesses owned largely by low-income populations, women, people of color and young entrepreneurs.
Megan has also used The Foundry to host events and bring the community together through theater, music, poetry and dance performances. Additionally, she has renovated community green spaces, established gardens and supported faith groups in reclaiming the most derelict sections of the city.
By creating The Foundry, Megan has brought together a community that was neglected and injected it with hope and education. The Foundry opens its arms to people of all ages, genders, races, ethnicities and incomes, and Megan continues to empower every single person so that they have the opportunity to reach their future potential.
Eight finalists will each grant $25,000 to a Western New York nonprofit organization of their choosing. Four winners (one per category) will each be honored with $200,000: $100,000 for a one-time grant to a Western New York nonprofit of their choice and an additional $100,000 to create an endowment at the Community Foundation to make grants in their name forever.
Our Esteemed Panel
We invited the following group of respected community members to serve on our Centennial Selection Committee. They collectively represent what we are committed to as an organization – excellence, experience, diversity, arts and culture, education, the environment and our geographic footprint. Each member is dedicated to and enthusiastic about making our community a more vibrant and inclusive place for all.
Michele Agosto Buffalo Public Schools
Tamara O. Alsace, Ph.D. Community Foundation Board Member
Jonathan Amoia Sandhill Investment Management
Monica Angle Artist
Melissa Baumgart Community Foundation Board Member
James Biltekoff Community Foundation Board Member
Harper Bishop Cooperation Buffalo
Donald K. Boswell Western New York Public Broadcasting Association
Ruth D. Bryant Community Volunteer
Lucy A. Candelario The Belle Center
Dr. Katherine Conway-Turner Buffalo State College
Warren Colville The Buffalo News
Jack Connors Buffalo Homecoming
Steve Finch Community Foundation Board Member
Rhonda Frederick People Inc.
Raymond Ganoe Evergreen Health
Rahwa Ghirmatzion PUSH Buffalo
Dr. Myron Glick Jericho Road Community Health Center
Christopher M. Glynn Maid of the Mist Corporation
Gretchen Gross Community Volunteer
Amy Habib Rittling, Esq. Lippes Mathias Wexler Friedman LLP
Owen Herne Herne Law PLLC
Jeffrey H. Katz, Esq. Katz & Baehre
Karen Lee Spaulding John R. Oishei Foundation
Gerard Mazurkiewicz Dopkins & Co.
Holly Mergenhagen Alesco Advisors
Margery Nobel Community Volunteer
Adam Page Paralympic Gold Medalist
Alok Pinto Community Volunteer
Rev. Kinzer Pointer Agape Fellowship Baptist Church
Daniel Robertson Say Yes Buffalo
Luis A. Rodriguez, Jr. Rodriguez Construction Group, Inc.
Lynda Schneekloth University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning
Gail Serventi Community Volunteer
Laurie D. Torrell Just Buffalo Literary Center
Francisco M. Vasquez, Ph.D. Community Foundation Board Chair
Paul Vukelic Try-It Distributing
Mary Wilson The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation
Honoring Our Change Makers
In September 2019, the Centennial Award winners were announced at our Centennial Celebration at Kleinhans Music Hall. We awarded a total of $1 million in honor of four winners and eight finalists. We are excited to recognize these inspiring individuals who are making an impact in Western New York by making it a stronger, more inclusive place for all.
We would also like to thank our generous sponsors who have helped make this celebration possible:
Harmac Medical Products, Inc.
Walsh Duffield Companies, Inc.
Carrying on the Kleinhans’ Legacy
The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo selected Kleinhans Music Hall as the location for The Centennials for good reason: Edward and Mary Seaton Kleinhans chose us to serve as their philanthropic partner to carry on their legacy and build a world-class concert hall for the people of Western New York.
In 1934, the Kleinhans, of Kleinhans department store, bequeathed their estates to the Community Foundation with instructions to fulfill their dream of building a music hall for our community. Our board then chose the location and the architects, and oversaw construction of what was to become a glorious Eliel and Eero Saarinen showpiece.
Kleinhans, home of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, has been the premier location for our community to experience exceptional musical performances for more than 75 years. We are proud to support this local treasure to this day.
100 Years of Service
After celebrating our centennial year, it is important that we honor the impact we have made alongside our clients – and use this inspiration to guide us in the future.
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1919
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George F. Rand Sr. asks Edward H. Letchworth to go to Cleveland and learn about its community foundation with an eye toward creating one for Buffalo.
After his trip and the sudden passing of Mr. Rand, Mr. Letchworth draws up papers and The Buffalo Foundation is established. -
Dr. Frances Hollingshead is appointed Executive Director of the Foundation.
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The Mr. and Mrs. George F. Rand Fund, the Foundation’s first endowment, is created by the Rands’ children in their parents’ memory to support the changing needs of the community.
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Jacob Schoellkopf establishes the first fund designated to a specific organization, an endowment to benefit the University at Buffalo.
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The first scholarship fund is established by graduates of Buffalo Seminary.
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The Foundation creates the Child Guidance Clinic to study behavior of pre-school-aged children and offer support to their families.
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1930
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Edward and Mary Seaton Kleinhans leave their estate to the Foundation and ask it to build a “suitable music hall for the people of Buffalo.” The Foundation leads a community process and leverages additional funding to bring this vision to life.
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The Foundation issues a groundbreaking report to understand poverty in Buffalo during the Great Depression, providing a critical look at the state of housing for Buffalo’s poorest residents.
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1940
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The first corporate endowment fund is established by the William Hengerer Company to support its grantmaking to the community.
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Kleinhans Music Hall opens its doors, thanks in part to the Foundation’s stewardship of the Edward and Mary Seaton Kleinhans bequest.
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1950
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Florence Fraley leaves her entire estate to the Foundation in memory of her son to support the changing needs of the community.
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Through his Will, Lawrence Bell establishes the first fund to support a specific area of interest: the study, treatment and care of mental diseases.
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1960
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The Bell Foundation becomes the first private foundation to transfer its assets to the Foundation.
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The United Way of Buffalo & Erie County establishes the first organization endowment at the Foundation.
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1970
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The Cameron Baird family establishes an endowment to benefit the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.
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Beau Van Schoonhoven is appointed Executive Director of the Foundation.
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1980
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The Foundation establishes a corporate format parallel to the trust format to maximize investment opportunities for donors.
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WNY Grantmakers is established by community, corporate and foundation leaders and housed at the Foundation.
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1990
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The William F. Thiel bequest directs the Foundation to support health needs of residents of Wyoming County.
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The Community Foundation initiates a long-standing partnership with The John R. Oishei Foundation to address critical needs of the community.
The Community Foundation creates a Legacy Society to honor those donors who provide for the future of the community through their estates. -
Gail Johnstone is appointed President/CEO of the Foundation.
The Buffalo Foundation changes its name to the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, reflecting its work throughout the Western New York region. -
In partnership with the United Way, the Community Foundation establishes the Education Fund for Greater Buffalo to improve teaching and learning in Erie County schools.
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The Burt P. Flickinger Jr. Leadership Fund is established by his friends and family to honor his lifelong commitment to volunteer service.
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The WNY Women’s Fund is established in partnership with the United Way to support innovative programs for women and girls.
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The Norman Goldfarb Memorial Fund is established in memory of one of Western New York’s greatest civil rights advocates to reward and encourage endeavors in human relations and human rights.
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2000
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The Niagara Area Foundation is established as a regional affiliate of the Community Foundation.
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The 21st Century Fund is established as a giving circle to support high-impact projects in WNY as voted and determined by its members.
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The Community Foundation begins a multi-year partnership with the Buffalo Niagara Freedom Station Coalition to protect and promote the history of the Michigan Street Baptist Church in Buffalo, an anchor institution of the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor.
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The Community Foundation, with the United Way of Buffalo and Erie County, publishes the first Report Card on Charitable Giving, documenting charitable giving in the region and comparing it to giving trends across the United States.
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In 2005, seven private foundations and the Community Foundation form a funders cooperative to support the arts and cultural sector, Fund for the Arts.
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The Community Foundation initiates a regular cycle of a regional needs assessment to guide the allocation of funds for the changing needs of the community over time.
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The Community Foundation ranks among the top 10% of endowments and foundations nationwide for investment performance.
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Clotilde Perez-Bode Dedecker is appointed President/CEO of the Community Foundation.
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The Community Foundation receives a $4.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education for its Read to Succeed Buffalo program supported by a funders collaborative including The John R. Oishei Foundation, the Community Foundation and the Margaret L. Wendt Foundation.
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The Wyoming Foundation, a regional community foundation established in 1976 by Dr. James MacCallum, transfers its assets to the Community Foundation and becomes a regional affiliate of the Foundation.
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Communities of Giving Legacy Initiative is established by civic leaders from multi-ethnic, multiracial backgrounds to support programs that address shared challenges faced by communities of color.
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The Community Foundation convenes the Western New York Environmental Alliance, with input from the public and 150 environmental organizations in the region, and facilitates the creation of a Shared Agenda for Action on the Environment in 2009 to focus environmental work in the region.
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The Community Foundation launches the Wipe Out Lead campaign in partnership with the City of Buffalo, Erie County, local businesses and nonprofit organizations.
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2010
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The Community Foundation’s leadership in convening public-private partners to reduce lead poisoning, asthma triggers and energy costs leads to Buffalo’s designation as a Green & Healthy Homes Initiative city and recognition by the U.S. Department for Housing and Urban Development.
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After an unprecedented cross sector, collaborative effort on the part of Western New York leaders, Say Yes to Education selects Buffalo in 2011 as its second “Say Yes” city with a goal of increasing post-secondary graduation rates for urban youth.
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With support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Community Foundation launches GrowWNY, a virtual town square to serve as a forum to connect environmental organizations with the broader community.
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Established in 2013, the Gordon R. Gross, Esq. Award recognizes a professional advisor who embodies the Foundation’s mission to drive positive change in our community, like its namesake, Gordon R. Gross. Gordon, founder of the Gross Shuman P.C. law firm, is admired for his many philanthropic endeavors in Western New York and has served the Community Foundation in many ways, including as Board Chair from 1997-1998.
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The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation announces a partnership with the Community Foundation in 2015 by establishing multiple endowments that will support causes important to Mr. Wilson for generations to come.
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The Community Foundation convened more than 30 local leaders from public, private, nonprofit and faith institutions to form the Greater Buffalo Racial Equity Roundtable in 2016. By partnering with 210 local organizations to advance racial equity, the Roundtable is creating opportunities for all to reach their full potential.
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In 2016, the Community Foundation joined nearly a dozen local partners to launch charitySTRONG in Western New York. charitySTRONG strengthens nonprofit organizations by offering them free online recruitment and training tools to build diverse and effective boards of directors.
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Recognizing a need in our community, the Community Foundation brought together 11 initial investors in 2017 to create the for-profit Western New York Impact Investment Fund. This group of corporate, private and philanthropic leaders is investing in organizations and businesses to generate financial and social returns.
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In 2018, the Community Foundation joined the City of Buffalo, Erie County and other dedicated partners to commission and share a first-of-its-kind lead action plan. The plan details a clear path to eliminate lead poisoning in our community, positioning children for success.
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In 2019, we celebrated our centennial year. Alongside our clients, the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo has helped ignite change in Western New York for 100 years. To mark this milestone, we granted $1 million in awards to honor local change makers.
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2020
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It became clear in March 2020 that we were facing a health crisis of epic proportions in every corner of Western New York. As a community convener, the Community Foundation rapidly responded with our partners at The John R. Oishei Foundation, Health Foundation for Western and Central New York, United Way of Buffalo and Erie County, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and the Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Foundation to stage a coordinated and regional philanthropic response through the WNY COVID-19 Community Response Fund. Together, we addressed immediate needs in our community and continue to fund solutions to long-term challenges exacerbated by the pandemic.
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The Buffalo Together Community Response Fund (BTCRF) was established immediately following the racially-motivated mass shooting in Buffalo on May 14, 2022, by 14 local funders, including the Community Foundation. Initial funding was provided to 86 Black-led nonprofits serving East Buffalo and then the BTCRF shifted to a long-term community change effort to accelerate the revitalization of East Buffalo led by a local Steering Committee. A long-term investment plan will be unveiled to the community in late 2023. To learn more, please visit BuffaloTogetherFund.org.
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Betsy Constantine is appointed President/CEO of the Community Foundation.
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Our History
Explore our first 100 years and see the impact we have helped make throughout Western New York alongside our clients.
The Awards
Watch as we awarded $1 million in honor of 12 local change makers!
About Us
Since 1919, the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo has been committed to helping individuals, families and organizations make their charitable goals a reality.