Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo announces grant awards from Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Funds

The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo announced 64 Western New York organizations received nearly $1 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 organizations that were funded and the grant amount are included below.

Grant awards are listed alphabetically within each interest area.

Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Fund for Caregivers

· Compeer of Greater Buffalo – $25,000

· Crossroads House – $12,735

· Friends of Night People – $16,345

· Harmonia Collaborative Care Inc. – $16,582

· Hearts and Hands – Faith in Action Inc. – $10,000

· Interfaith Caregivers – $15,200

· Jewish Family Service of Buffalo and Erie County – $12,500

· Niagara Hospice Inc. – $18,220 

· Richmond Memorial Library – $25,000

· Rural Revitalization Corp. – $15,000

· Sloan Comfort Care Home (aka Accountable Healthcare Community Inc.) – $15,000

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

· Alleyway Theatre Inc. – $12,000

· Buffalo & Erie County Naval & Military Park – $18,000

· Buffalo Lighthouse Association – $20,000

· Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Society – $5,000

· Nusantara Arts Inc. – $11,580

· Our Lady of Victory Homes of Charity – $20,000

· Preservation Buffalo Niagara Inc. – $20,000

· Stained Glass Association of America Foundation Inc. – $23,575

· The Foundry – $25,000

· Ukrainian American Freedom Foundation (Ukrainian Cultural Center Dnipro) – $12,000

· Western New York Minority Media Professionals Inc. – $14,397

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

· Buffalo Funk Fest Foundation Inc. – $10,000

· Buffalo Urban Development Corp. – $50,000

· Chautauqua Region Economic Development Corp. – $25,000

· City of Salamanca Youth Bureau – $10,985

· Historic Cattaraugus Corp. – $25,000

· Houghton University – $27,500

· Open Space Institute Land Trust – $42,500

· Puerto Rican and Hispanic Day Parade of WNY Inc. – $10,000

· Ralph Wilson Park Conservancy – $50,000

· Village of Perry – $42,500

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

· #IntegrityFirst Inc. – $13,150

· A Better YOU Lifestyle Inc. – $5,000

· Algonquin Sports for Kids – $11,000

· BASE – $7,000

· BestSelf Behavioral Health Inc. – $17,000

· Boys & Girls Club of Northern Chautauqua County – $10,000

· Boys & Girls Clubs of the Northtowns of WNY – $7,000

· Boys on the Right Track – $7,500

· Buffalo Maendeleo Soccer Club Inc – $13,000

· Chautauqua Striders – $6,000

· City of Lackawanna – $11,345

· Confident Girl Mentoring Program Inc. – $7,500

· CTD Sports Inc. – $6,000

· Danceability Inc. – $6,000

· Erie Regional Housing Development Corp. – The Belle Center – $11,000

· GiGi's Playhouse Buffalo – $7,000

· Girls Sport Foundation – $16,360

· Gliding Stars Inc. – $6,000

· GObike Buffalo (aka Green Options Buffalo) – $19,471

· Jewish Community Center of Greater Buffalo – $18,500

· Lyndonville CSD – $14,800

· Police Athletic League of Buffalo Inc. – $10,500

· SOLID Foundation Prep Inc. – $12,000

· Special Olympics New York – $12,000

· Tapestry Charter School – $16,000

· The Salvation Army of Buffalo, NY – $7,000

· WAVE Buffalo Inc. – $10,000

· WNY Lacrosse Foundation – $7,000

· YMCA Buffalo Niagara – $6,000

· YMCA of the Twin Tiers – $12,000

· Youth Advantage/Buffalo Legacy Project – $13,000

· Youth Mentoring Services of Niagara County – $9,000

Since 2016, more than $10 million has been awarded by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Funds to support organizations across the eight counties of Western New York.

The Legacy Funds are annual grants; for updates on the next granting cycle, visit https://www.cfgb.org/nonprofits/grants/ralph-wilson-legacy/.

About the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo

For more than a century, the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo has enhanced and encouraged long-term philanthropy in the Western New York community. A 501 (c)(3) organization, the Community Foundation’s mission is: Connecting people, ideas and resources to improve lives in Western New York. Established in 1919, 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. Learn more at www.cfgb.org.

About the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation

The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation is a grantmaking organization dedicated primarily to sustained investment in the quality of life of the people of Southeast Michigan and Western New York. The two areas reflect Wilson’s devotion to his hometown of Detroit, and greater Buffalo – home of his Buffalo Bills franchise. Prior to his passing in 2014, Wilson requested a significant share of his estate be used to continue a life-long generosity of spirit by funding the foundation that bears his name. The foundation has a grantmaking capacity of $1.2 billion over a 20-year period, which expires Jan. 8, 2035. This structure is consistent with Wilson’s desire for the foundation’s impact to be immediate, substantial, measurable, and overseen by those who knew him best. For more information, visit www.rcwjrf.org.