GRANT RECIPIENTS

FY2021

2020 was a year like no other. Together, we experienced the COVID-19 pandemic, political uncertainty, and the confrontation of racial injustices.  As these challenges emerged, the WNY foundation remained agile and our response to the impacts of these challenges were multifaceted. We would like to share a few of our highlights but, more importantly, shine a light on the organizations who inspired us with their passion and commitment during these tumultuous times.

COVID Emergency Response

The Western New York Foundation recognized that many nonprofit organizations faced immediate and unprecedented challenges in our community due to COVID-19. We listened and responded by supporting organizations working directly to respond to the pandemic among vulnerable populations as well as partnering with organizations to meet a greater need.

Collaboration Efforts

  • Moving Forward Together

  • Virtual Learning Centers

  • WNY COVID-19 Response Fund

  • WNY Nonprofit Support Group

  • WNY Regional Food Systems Initiative/Food Future WNY

  • Fund for the Arts Emergency Relief Fund

  • East Side Avenues

  • LISC WNY

Emergency Grants

  • Allegany Senior Foundation

  • Buffalo Urban League

  • Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation

  • Chautauqua Center Inc

  • Clarity Wellness Community

  • Community Health Center of Buffalo

  • Connecting Communities in Action

  • Evergreen Health Services

  • FeedMore WNY

  • International Institute of Buffalo

  • Jericho Road Community Health Center

  • Journey's End Refugee Services

  • Neighborhood Health Center

  • Oak Orchard Community Inc

  • Universal Primary Care

  • YWCA of Genesee County

Grassroot organizations

  • Buffalo Dream Center

  • Buffalo United Front

  • Calvary Tabernacle Assembly of God

  • Chautauqua County Rural Ministry

  • Community Action of Orleans and Genesee Inc

  • Community Helping Hands

  • Connecting Communities in Action

  • Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County

  • Durhams Baby Cafe

  • Feed Buffalo

  • Friends of Night People

  • Hearts and Hands

  • Journey Church

  • Lincoln Memorial United Methodist Church

  • Lockport Care Net

  • Mt. Olive Baptist Church

  • New Covenant United Church of Christ

  • None Like You

  • Our Lady of Black Rock School

  • Response to Love Center

  • St John’s AME Zion Church

  • St. Luke's AME Zion Church

  • St. Luke's Episcopal Church

  • St. Phillips Episcopal Church

  • The Links, Inc

  • WNY Heroes, Inc

WNY Regional Food System Initiative

Stemming from the WNY COVID Response Fund’s Moving Forward Together, the WNY Foundation took a lead role in designing a community-focused, regionally coordinated planning initiative to tackle food-entrenched challenges in new ways and to emerge from COVID-19 with a regional food system that is more equitable, effective, efficient, and resilient. This initiative, Food Future WNY, includes over one hundred partners representing the entire spectrum of the food system in our region. Working cross-sector and cross-county, the objective is to address the entrenched and chronic conditions that have perpetuated long-term food insecurity and hurt food-based economics. The highly participatory nature of this project will assure that authenticity of all voices will be evident in the process and final product. To learn more about this initiative and process, visit Food Future WNY.

Equity & Social Justice

  • Access of WNY

  • African American Center for Cultural Development Inc

  • Agricola Allianza

  • Back to Basics Outreach Ministries

  • Black Love Resists in the Rust

  • Coalition for Economic Justice

  • Create a Healthier Niagara Falls

  • Erie County Restorative Justice Coalition

  • Investigative Post

  • The National Federation for Just Communities of WNY

  • Native American Community Services

  • Niagara Organizing Alliance for Hope

  • Open Buffalo

  • Partnership for the Public Good

  • PUSH Buffalo

  • Race Unity Circle of Olean

  • Voice Buffalo

  • Western New York Law Center, Inc.

  • WNY Peace Center

  • YWCA of Jamestown

Capacity Building

While we suspended our capacity-building grant processes to meet the basic needs of the community, we recognized that the pandemic would become an organizational challenge for many nonprofits and capacity-building would play a pivotal role in helping organizations emerge from 2020 stronger. Capacity building initiatives included:

  • Impact Capacity Assessment Program (iCAP): Program for nonprofits to engage in a process that will include the creation of longer-term capacity improvement plans tailored to the nonprofit’s unique needs and working environments. The program will address persistent organizational challenges and build upon each organization’s strengths, resulting in strategic solutions that build nonprofit adaptability and resilience.

  • Scenario Planning: a one-month scenario planning process to help organizations with COVID-19 planning.

  • Convenings: During this time of unpredictability and capacity loss, the WNY Foundation connected iCAP participants together to compare experiences and problem-solve together. We did this by providing participants with a one-hour sharing experience that would help identify common challenges directly related to the pandemic and provide an opportunity to ideate and problem-solve together. 

Organizations supported by capacity building initiatives:

  • Buffalo Inner City Ballet

  • Buffalo String Works

  • Center for Elder Law & Justice

  • Community Action for Wyoming

  • Community Music School

  • Council on Addiction Recovery Services

  • Field & Fork Network

  • Food for the Spirit

  • Heart of the City Neighborhoods

  • Infinity Visual and Performing Arts, Inc

  • LISC

  • MusicalFare

  • Providence Farm Collective

  • Seneca Street Community Development Corporation

  • Western New York Book Arts Center

  • YMCA of the Twin Tiers

  • YWCA of Niagara

As we move into 2021, we continue to listen, convene, partner and consider new ways to respond to the lasting implications of 2020 while looking back on a year that challenged how we do our work. We look forward to continuing to learn from and support organizations who are meeting today’s challenges and building our community for a stronger future.

FY 2021 By The Numbers