Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo announces grant awards totaling $1.3 million from Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Legacy Funds

The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo announced 57 Western New York organizations will receive a total of $1.3 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 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 Legacy Funds are annual grants.

The organizations that were funded along with the specific program that was supported 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 – $25,000
• Boys & Girls Clubs of the Northtowns of WNY – $24,851
• Camp Good Days and Special Times Inc. – $4,300
• Cradle Beach Camp – $20,199
• Empower – $10,323
• Gateway Home-Comfort Care Inc. – $20,700
• Grace Guest House Inc. – $12,500
• Heritage Christian Services – $14,500
• Hunter's Hope Foundation – $25,000
• People, Inc. – $25,000
• Southern Tier Health Care System Inc. – $25,000
• Veterans One-stop Center of WNY Inc. – $25,000
• West Falls Center for the Arts – $22,000

Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Fund for Community Assets

• Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens Society Inc. – $25,000
• Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park – $25,000
• Buffalo Arts and Technology Center Inc. – $24,552
• Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Society – $12,500
• Buffalo String Works – $13,000
• Burchfield Penney Art Center – $15,000
• Center for Exploratory and Perceptual Arts Inc. – $15,000
• Danceability Inc. – $12,500
• Explore Buffalo – $15,338
• Junior League of Buffalo – $10,000
• Just Buffalo Literary Center – $25,000
• Pappy Martin Legacy Jazz Collective – $25,000
• Peace Of The City – $25,000
• Roycroft Campus Corp. – $15,000
• Westminster Economic Development Initiative – $15,000

Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Fund for Design and Access

• Art For Rural America – $32,725
• Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences – $50,000
• Girl Scouts of Western New York Inc. – $50,000
• Green Options Buffalo – $49,792
• Hamburg Natural History Society Inc. – $35,000
• University District Community Development Association – $50,000
• Valley Community Association Inc. – $11,234
• Western New York Land Conservancy – $50,000

Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Fund for Youth Sports

• Boys & Girls Clubs of the Northtowns of WNY – $23,424
• Buffalo Academy of Science Charter School – $7,000
• Canisius College – $25,000
• Compeer of Greater Buffalo – $12,500
• Confident Girl Mentoring Program Inc. – $12,500
• Cradle Beach Camp – $15,000
• Erie Regional Housing Development Corp. (The Belle Center) – $25,000
• Girl Scouts of Western New York Inc. – $24,526
• Girls Sport Foundation – $25,000
• Niagara Falls Boys & Girls Club – $24,988
• Olean-Bradford Area YMCA – $24,900
• Olmsted Center for Sight – $10,000
• Police Athletic League of Buffalo Inc. – $25,000
• Rural Outreach Center – $12,500
• Seneca-Babcock Community Association Inc. – $25,000
• The Salvation Army – $12,500
• University District Community Development Association – $21,000
• Valley Community Association Inc. – $25,000
• West Side Rowing Club Inc. – $25,000
• WNY Lacrosse Foundation – $25,000
• Youth Advantage/Buffalo Legacy Project – $13,390

For updates on the next granting cycle, visit https://www.cfgb.org/nonprofits/grants/ralph-wilson-legacy/.