Community Foundation announces 2024 Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Arts & Culture Initiative Grants

Supporting small- to medium-sized arts organizations

Community Foundation Press Release

The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo announced the 2024 Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Arts & Culture Initiative awards totaling $500,000 to support 56 small- to mid-sized arts organizations serving the eight counties of Western New York, plus Monroe County, through its competitive grants process.

Since the establishment of the arts and culture initiative in 2021 by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, the Community Foundation has prioritized community feedback in the creation of this annual funding opportunity. In 2024, an advisory committee was convened to further evolve this funding. The advisory committee members synthesized data from the two previous grant years and drew heavily on their own experiences working in grassroots arts nonprofit organizations and as reviewers for grant processes outside of the Community Foundation.

Collaboration continues to be an important part of the arts and culture initiative, and the Rochester Area Community Foundation is an integral partner in supporting efforts in Monroe County. The arts and culture initiative also appreciates the additional funding provided by the Sportsmen’s Americana Music Foundation for the second year in a row.

The funding was awarded in two categories:

Category 1: combined capacity-building and general operating funds for organizations with at least one full-time (or one FTE) staff member to help organizations build the solid foundation necessary to pursue an ambitious mission and vision. Grantees include:

√ Alfred Box of Books Library – $15,000

√ BFM Arts Inc. – $15,000

√ Buffalo Center for Arts and Technology – $13,000

√ Buffalo Institute for Contemporary Art – $15,000

√ Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus Inc. – $14,000

√ Carousel Society of the Niagara Frontier – $15,000

√ Center for Exploratory and Perceptual Arts Inc. – $15,000

√ Community Canvases – $14,000

√ Cordelia A. Greene Library – $15,000

√ Danceability Inc. – $15,000

√ El Museo Francisco Oller Y Diego Rivera – $15,000

√ Fenton Historical Society of Jamestown, New York – $15,000

√ Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council – $15,000

√ Gowanda's Historic Hollywood Theater Ltd. – $15,000

√ Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center – $15,000

√ IndicatorArt Corp. – $15,000

√ KORP Foundation Inc. – $14,000

√ Lewiston Council on the Arts Inc. – $15,000

√ Locust Street Neighborhood Art Classes Inc. – $14,000

√ North Park Theatre of Buffalo Inc. – $13,000

√ Pappy Martin Legacy Jazz Collective – $15,000

√ Shake on the Lake – $15,000

√ Sukanya Burman Dance Inc. – $15,000

√ The Cobblestone Society – $15,000

√ The Fountain Arts Center Inc. – $15,000

√ The Theatre of Youth Company Inc. – $15,000

√ West Falls Center for the Arts – $15,000

√ Western New York Minority Media Professionals Inc – $14,327

Category 2: general operating micro grants up to $2,500 for organizations with less than one full-time staff member to execute immediate programming. Grantees include:

√ American Scandinavian Heritage Foundation – $2,500 for celebrating Scandinavian folk cultural traditions at the Scandinavian Folk Festival

√ Arts Services Inc. – $2,500 for “B.flo-Girls: Creating Connections for Women in Hip Hop”

√ Buffalo Music Hall of Fame – $2,500 for “Strengthen Our Foundation”

√ Buffalo Niagara LGBTQ History Project Inc – $2,500 for general support

√ Buffalo Society of Artists – $2,500 for Buffalo Society of Artists community engagement initiative

√ Canalside Radio Inc. – $2,500 for “Local Voices, Stronger Signals: LPFM Transmitter Project”

√ Clann Na Cara Parents Organization Inc. d/b/a Buffalo Irish Dance Parents Organization – $2,500 for BIPDO general operating funds application

√ Concordia Foundation, Inc. – $1,500 for new website

√ Depew Community Action Team Inc. – $2,500 for arts education collaboration with Lancaster Opera House

√ El Batey Inc. – $2,500 for El Batey Cultural Arts – Areyto: Taino Heritage Festival

√ El Museo Francisco Oller Y Diego Rivera – $2,500 for “Nuestra Cultura: A WNY Multidisciplinary Arts Project”

√ Fractured Atlas – $2,500 for “Sotto Voce Presents Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor”

√ Genesee Symphony Orchestra – $2,500 for the Genesee Symphony Orchestra's 78th season

√ Greater Niagara Ballet Company – $2,500 for “The Nutcracker” 2024

√ GWBN Inc. d/b/a Gardens Buffalo Niagara – $2,500 for administrative infrastructure

√ Leon Historical Society – $2,500 for “Leon's Penny-Royal Race Track – From Horses to Stock Cars to NASCAR”

√ Lucille Ball Little Theatre of Jamestown – $2,500 for Little Theatre of Jamestown operating support micro grant

√ Polish Arts Club of Buffalo – $2,500 for Polish Arts Club of Buffalo 80th anniversary

√ Polish Genealogical Society of New York State – $2,500 for Dziennik dla Wszystkich newspaper digitization

√ Red Blazer Men's Chorus – $2,500 for building for the next 75 years in Western New York

√ Rock Autism – $2,500 for Rock Autism multimedia vocational internships

√ Starry Night Theatre Inc. – $2,500 for restoring our lobby to create a comfortable gathering place for all

√ Tonawandas' Council on the Arts/Carnegie Art Center – $2,500 for “Live on the Lawn” concert series

√ Ukrainian Congress Committee of America – Buffalo branch – $2,500 for Ukrainian Saturday school art, theater, dance and cultural outreach

√ Virtuous Diamonds Foundation Inc – $2,500 for mentoring, movement and motivation

√ Vocalis Chamber Choir – $2,500 for choral connections and community sing weekend

√ WAHI Studio, Inc. – $2,500 for general operating expenses

√ YITC Foundation Inc. – $2,500 for YITC short film

To learn more, visit http://www.cfgb.org/nonprofits/grants/ralph-c-wilson-jr-foundation-arts-culture-initiative/.