Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo 2023 Annual Report

2023 Annual Report

GATES CIRCLE – BUFFALO, NY

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OMMUN ITY

CLIENT STORY:

Sheldon Smith 4

In 1999, Sheldon Smith was a law student at the University of Buffalo, participating as a juror in a mock trial for a trial technique class. It was then that he met the Honorable Hugh B. Scott, a United States magistrate judge for the Western District of New York, as well as a law professor at UB. “I was blown away by his charisma, intelligence and good nature,” recalled Sheldon, now a partner at Harter Secrest & Emery LLP (HSE).

“He seemingly bonded with everybody, at all times, and everyone walked away from interactions with him saying, ‘Oh, he likes me.

He's my mentor.’ And that never stopped."

Over the next two decades, Judge Scott continued to be a North Star for Sheldon, encouraging him to connect with the community in an authentic way, guiding him in his own legal career and as a husband and father, and all the while keeping him humble.

They served on multiple boards together, and their families enjoyed each other’s company at numerous community events.

“Hugh was always giving back and sincerely focused on community and mentorships, exemplifying genuineness, and we owe a lot to his family – Trudy; Hugh, Jr.; and Everet – for sharing such a treasure with us,” Sheldon said.

After Judge Scott passed away in 2021, Sheldon and others at HSE wanted to find ways to help honor the judge’s legacy.

They discovered and learned about the Communities of Giving Legacy Initiative’s (CGLI’s) Hugh B. Scott Awards, which were established that year to do just that – recognize individuals who exemplify Judge Scott’s spirit of community. The recipient of the Hugh B. Scott Community Service Award is also given $2,500 to award to a local nonprofit of their choice.

“I was happy to see that the awards are given in his name to well-rounded, leading by example, caring and naturally gifted young people in our communities of color. That is a wonderful way to honor a legacy that transcends almost everything,” Sheldon said. HSE reached out to the Community Foundation to establish a fund that supports the perpetuity of the awards, and Sheldon and his wife, Jonelle, provided the establishing gift to launch the fund.

HSE leadership appreciates the longevity of the Community Foundation and its leadership roles in the region and trusts it to carry out its charitable wishes forever.

As it so happens, Judge Scott was a former Community Foundation Board member and founding member of both the CGLI and the Racial Equity Roundtable.

HSE leadership hopes that others whose lives were positively impacted by Judge Scott will contribute to the fund so that it can create an even bigger ripple effect in Western New York.

“The ‘mentor of mentors,’ Judge Scott was a beacon for this community for decades, and this is just one important way to recognize and thank him and his family,” Sheldon said.

Learn more about the CGLI on page 31.

Judge Scott was a beacon for this community for decades, and this is just one important way to recognize and thank him and his family.

— Sheldon Smith

← Pictured here, from left: Sheldon Smith; Sinclair Maclin, recipient of the 2023 Judge Hugh B. Scott

Inspiring Youth Award; Yomaris Sanchez, an associate with HSE; and Isaac De Los Santos, recipient of the 2023 Hugh B. Scott Community Service Award.

→ J udge Hugh B. Scott

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CLIENT STORY:

David and Cynthia Silverstein 6

“When David brought me home to meet his family for the first time, his father was eating an orange, and he just offered me a piece. I think that is a very simple way to talk about what a lovely man he was,” Cynthia said.

For Cynthia and David Silverstein, generosity is part of who they are.

David grew up in a city garden apartment in Queens, New York, and Cynthia as part of a large Italian family living in a small house in Olean.

Both credit their parents with instilling in them a desire to give back.

David and Cynthia’s paths first crossed as they were both pursuing their medical careers at Buffalo’s former Deaconess Hospital. At the time, David was not planning to stay in Western New York, but he fell in love with the area as well as with Cynthia, and they married in 1982.

“We had a shared experience in providing healthcare in Buffalo’s East Side – people with tremendous needs, medically underserved in a lot of ways. That was a formative element for our relationship,” said David.

When it came time for planning their family’s legacy, the Silversteins turned to the Community Foundation and established the Lawrence and Audrey Silverstein Foundation, named after David’s parents.

Through their fund, Cynthia and David will make sure the causes they deeply care about – including social justice, asylum seekers, and economic and educational opportunities – will be supported today, tomorrow and forever, and they hope to carry on their family’s legacy of giving by involving their children and grandchildren.

The Silversteins appreciate the partnership with the Community Foundation in carrying out their charitable wishes.

The Community Foundation team is eager to help us do what we want to do. Every conversation has helped us move forward in our charitable giving.

“The Community Foundation team is eager to help us do what we want to do,” David said. “And we feel so welcomed by everybody we have worked with. Every conversation has helped us move forward in our charitable giving.”

The Silversteins started a family and advanced in their respective careers, — David Silverstein with Cynthia working in health planning for 25 years and David opening his own medical practice in Kenmore. Today, they still reside in their adopted and beloved hometown of Buffalo.

→ Through their fund at the Community Foundation, the Silversteins support organizations, including Assembly House 150. Pictured here, David (second from left) and Cynthia (second from right) stand in the spindle area of Assembly House 150 with Dennis Maher, Assembly House 150 Founder/Director (left), and two students.

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CLIENT STORY:

Jerry and Liz Canada 8

Let us take you back to Niagara Falls in 1981. The Turtle, a landmark that celebrated Native American culture, opened to the public. The holidays brought the inaugural year of the world-famous Festival of Lights that quickly became one of the most popular seasonal attractions in North America. And an inspired love story that has spanned more than four decades began.

Liz and Jerry Canada both grew up in the LaSalle neighborhood of Niagara Falls, although they didn’t meet until high school.

“We met through track and started dating when we were 16 and 17,” Liz said. “We signed each other's yearbooks and the rest is history!”

After high school, Jerry attended Canisius, majoring in computer science, and Liz attended Buffalo State, where she majored in education.

In 1986, they married and started a family.

As Liz and Jerry’s love for one another continued to grow, so did their love of the county that they still call home today. They knew they wanted to continue to support the region forever. The Canadas were introduced to the Community Foundation by their tax advisor and were happy to learn more about the Niagara Area Foundation, a division of the Community Foundation focused on strengthening Niagara County.

“One of the values we saw right away from working with the Community Foundation is that it is a good source of coordinating things to connect us to opportunities that will have the impact we want to achieve,” Jerry said.

In 2015, Liz and Jerry established a fund to support causes that were meaningful to them, including cultural events, education and minority entrepreneurship. To date, their fund has supported numerous organizations in Niagara County that align with those causes.

Liz went on to spend 33 years teaching in the City of Niagara Falls, retiring in 2020.

Meanwhile, Jerry co-started a successful software company that he and his partners sold in the early 2000s, staying on to work under the new management.

← Jerry and Liz Canada share a love of Niagara County and

support it in various ways through their funds. They are pictured here at a Niagara Area Foundation event held at the Niagara Falls Country Club overlooking the Niagara Gorge.

↑ Through their fund, Liz and Jerry Canada support

causes and organizations that are meaningful to them, including the Niagara Arts & Cultural Center.

Looking ahead, they hope to get their two grown sons involved to carry on their legacy of giving.

“We rely on the Foundation to educate us a little more as to where the needs are and where we can be supportive so we can truly make a difference in Niagara County and beyond,” said Liz. Read more about the Niagara Area Foundation on page 38.

We rely on the Foundation to educate us a little more as to where the needs are and where we can be supportive so we can truly make a difference in Niagara County and beyond.

— Liz Canada 9

CLIENT STORY:

The Gow School 10

Partnering with a local organization is important, and the track record of the Community Foundation builds great confidence in the future of our investments.

— John Munro

Situated on a sprawling 125-acre campus in South Wales, New York, is The Gow School, a premier boarding and day school for students in grades 6–12 with language-based learning differences, including dyslexia, dyscalculia and auditory processing.

part of the New York State Association of Independent Schools. In 2012, it moved from being an all-boys school to coed, and today, it encompasses 30 buildings and serves more than 100 students from Western New York and throughout the United States. Nearly 100 percent of those students go to college after graduating from Gow.

"The Board’s primary focus is the fiscal health and the fiduciary responsibilities of running a school, and they care deeply about long-term financial sustainability,” John said. “As such, I had an immediate level of trust in those decisions that happened before me to move in this direction. It's an incredibly thoughtful but also strategic and visionary group.”

“The path to Gow for a lot of families and a lot of children is typically a pretty bumpy one,” said John Munro, Gow’s Head of School who began his tenure in 2023. “It doesn't take long for students to realize they have found their people at Gow – others who learn the same way and with teachers who are expertly trained in the way that they think. The students quickly gain confidence.”

The Gow School’s Board, which includes parents and former students across the country, knew it wanted to build its endowment fund to secure the future of the school and continue to serve students for many years to come. For decades, the Board focused on building a strong base for its endowment and, in 2019, turned to the Community Foundation to ensure its funds would continue to provide a perpetual stream of funding.

As he settles further into his new role at the school, John appreciates having a partnership with such a long-standing organization based in Western New York. “Partnering with a local organization is important, and the track record of the Community Foundation builds great confidence in the future of our investments,” he said.

Founded in 1926, the school shifted to a nonprofit in the 1970s and became

← John Munro, The Gow School’s Head of School, stands with students at its campus in South Wales.

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S G D N I E T E R N O G P N P I SU HE EVOLV T CLIENT STORY:

John and Elizabeth (Bette) Hulley 12

Growing up in different cities in the 1960s and ʼ70s, John and Elizabeth (Bette) Hulley understand that times change. And with that, so do the needs of a community.

John grew up in Pittsburgh, where the nearby steel mill employed most of the residents. John’s school focused on self-sufficiency and vocational training, and by age 12, he was refinishing furniture, an interest that has stayed with him since. He continued to hone his craft, earning enough to purchase his first house by the age of 19, all while pursuing a business degree, and eventually followed his passion for furniture making to Buffalo.

Bette was born and raised in Western New York, spending most of her childhood living in North Buffalo with her siblings, grandparents and parents.

Her father was a schoolteacher and her mother a stockbroker who blazed trails for women working at that time. Bette recalls her parents as hard workers who valued education and giving back. “They led by example. We always volunteered, and we always gave back,” she said. Bette attended Buffalo State and pursued a career in financial planning.

By 1990, the landscape and industry of Buffalo had changed significantly, and it was ready for its resurgence. That year, John and Bette’s paths first crossed at a ballroom dancing class that led to their marriage two years later. John started his own furniture business in Kenmore, and Bette advanced in her career as a certified financial planner.

Recognizing that our region – now well into its resurgence – has faced new challenges along the way, in 2019, the Hulleys established a second fund, the Hulley WNY Changing Needs Fund, to support the changing needs of Western New York.

Today, both nearly retired, the Hulleys appreciate the Community Foundation’s deep knowledge of Western New York, its investment approach and its good stewardship of their funds.

It gives me peace of mind to know that my charitable dollars now and when I’m gone are in good hands with the Community Foundation.

— Bette Hulley

“It gives me peace of mind to know that my charitable dollars now and when I’m gone are in good hands with the Community Foundation,” Bette said.

Read more about our Community Goals and the Change Makers who support the changing needs of Western New York over time on page 15.

When it came time to plan for their legacy, the Hulleys turned to the Community Foundation, which Bette was familiar with through her work as a financial planner.

They knew they wanted to support causes important to them, including food insecurity and the arts, and established the John Hulley and Elizabeth Rydzynski-Hulley Fund, an endowed fund, in 2011 that would do just that, in their names, forever.

Graduates of Breaking Barriers

← Through their funds at the Community Foundation, John and Elizabeth Hulley support both the changing needs of Western New York and causes that are

important to them, including food insecurity. They are pictured here at the Response for Love Center, one of the organizations they support. From left: John Hulley; Sister Mary Johnice CSSF, Executive Director, Response to Love Center; Mubarak, Employee, Response to Love Center; and Elizabeth Hulley.

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Buffalo Together Community Response Fund (BTCRF)

↑ Pictured here are members of the Buffalo Together Community Response Fund (BTCRF) Steering Committee, from left: 14

Garnell Whitfield; Thomas Beauford, Jr., Co-Chair; Marie Cannon; and Felicia Beard, who conducted a panel discussion about the BTCRF for Community Foundation clients, professional advisor partners and Board members in October.

“The East Side we envision cannot thrive unless long-time residents are part of its future growth and development,” said Dr. LaVonne Ansari, Co-Chair of the Buffalo Together Community Response Fund (BTCRF) and CEO & Executive Director of Community Health Center of Buffalo, Inc. The BTCRF was established by the Community Foundation and the United Way of Buffalo & Erie County in collaboration with 14 local funding organizations following the horrific mass shooting that took the lives of 10 members of our community on May 14, 2022. For more than a year, the BTCRF’s Steering Committee has been thoughtfully developing an investment strategy that is grounded in input from East Side residents and prioritizes representation of the local community in its implementation. That plan is providing a road map to begin investing the remaining $5.6 million contributed to the BTCRF from more than 100 corporations and foundations, as well as over 2,000 individuals from around the country, to create long-term change.

Additionally, the Steering Committee learned about community-led development projects from leaders across the country and visited several cities to see initiatives that address housing and food system challenges. These conversations over the course of the year provided invaluable insight into how community governance models work in other cities and what may or may not work on the East Side to inform the community investment strategy.

“The BTCRF is committed to intentional development that cultivates ownership and creates generational wealth for current community residents,” said Thomas Beauford, Jr., BTCRF Co-Chair and President & CEO of Buffalo Urban League. “This is our vision for our community that we want to drive forward.”

For current progress on the BTCRF, visit BuffaloTogetherFund.org.

In 2023, the Steering Committee embarked on an ambitious listening and learning journey with Rainbow Research, a Black-led Minneapolisbased consulting firm, to identify critical issues and develop potential solutions that would be incorporated into the investment strategy.

It is important to note that Steering Committee members were chosen based on their insight, experience, connection and commitment to Buffalo’s East Side.

The listening and learning journey included dozens of meetings with hundreds of residents and leaders representing the community, from block clubs to religious leaders to business owners to young leaders. Rainbow Research also utilized local lived experience consultants with deep ties to the East Side to listen and provide key input in the process.

→ Rainbow Research team members spent time listening, learning and talking with East Side residents about opportunities for growth.

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The Community Foundation has been creating meaningful connections that improve lives in Western New York for more than a century.

As our region evolves with time, so does our work to meet its needs, and we focus forward on areas of impact and community change.

To facilitate this long-term transformative change, the Community Foundation prioritizes its leadership work using community goals developed through a strategic planning process led by the Board of Directors every five years. Our current strategic plan, which took effect in 2023, was informed by interviews with community leaders, a sector survey, focus groups and input from 950 residents experiencing financial hardship, as well as publicly available data.

Our leadership work is made possible by the generosity of our Change Makers who serve as catalysts for change in our community.

LETCHWORTH STATE PARK 16

WE ENVISION A VIBRANT AND EQUITABLE GREATER BUFFALO REGION WHERE EVERY INDIVIDUAL THRIVES. The following are our current community goals:

Achieve racial/ethnic equity

Promote economic mobility through educational achievement, workforce readiness and access to family-sustaining jobs for residents living in low-income households

Steward significant environmental resources in the context of climate resilience

Promote regional vibrancy through architecture, arts and culture

The following pages list the individuals called Change Makers who support our changing needs work.

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Change Makers establish permanent endowments to address the changing needs of our community over time.

1910s Mr. & Mrs. George F. Rand Memorial Fund 1920s William Henry Andrews Bequest Lilla B. McCready Bequest Jacob F. Schoellkopf-Jefferson Penn Fund 1930s Harry S. Hilliker Bequest Jacob G. Joseph Bequest Albert J. Klinck Memorial Fund Richard C.R. Taggesell Fund 1940s Louis R. Davidson Bequest William Hengerer Company Fund Howard Kellogg Trust Madeline A. Kraft Bequest Horace L. Mann Memorial Fund Horace B. Pomeroy Fund George F. Rand Bequest Jacob F. and Wilma S. Schoellkopf Trust Walter H. Schoellkopf Memorial Fund 1950s M. Florence Fraley Fund in memory of her son, George K. Fraley, Jr. 18

Charles & Marion Hahn Fund Edward H. Letchworth Bequest Edward H. Letchworth Memorial Fund C. Edgar & Roberta S. Schabacker Trust J.F. Schoellkopf Jr. Bequest Special Fund #7 Ellsworth M. Statler Trust 1960s Anna May Andrews Trust Thekla R. Groben Bequest J.F. Schoellkopf IV Memorial Fund Edna Foster Smith Bequest 1970s Josephine Biontolillo Bequest Jean Knowlton Brown Fund Martin A. Buecking Bequest Helen Anderson Cobb Bequest Herbert F. & Bertha W. Darling Trust Elizabeth Crosby Gardner Fund Louise Kimberly Bequest Ralph Kimberly Bequest Gretchen Rand Penney Bequest Philip S. Savage Trust Catherine Swerdloff Bequest Henrietta M. Wiley Bequest

1980s Ina D. Alt Trust Adrian A. & Betsy B. Bennett Fund Burtsell-Steuernagel Memorial Fund Eldon H. Chaddock Bequest The D-B Trust Ruth E. Farrington Bequest William F. Goodson Bequest Dr. Harry G. LaForge Bequest Ida M. Mevius Bequest Open Key Fund Howard T. Saperston Sr. Trust Edward C. Schlenker Trust Judith Abbott Schoellkopf Fund

Judith Abbott Schoellkopf Memorial Fund Ruth and Darwin Schmitt Fund Albert, Maude & Marion Schuele Memorial Funds Charles E. Stewart Memorial Fund Mr. & Mrs. Franz T. Stone Trust Polly Rumsey Wolfe Fund 1990s Virgil A. & Margaret L. Black Memorial Fund Walter L. Byram Bequest Sonja H. & Carlton P. Cooke Jr. Fund Damon Family Fund Holly Augspurger Donaldson Fund Marjorie & Mary Louise Emerson Bequest Peter J. Ferraro Memorial Fund Fuzak Family/Joan M. & Victor T. Fuzak Fund G. R. S. Fund William J.C. & Louise Grupp Memorial Fund

Leonard L. & Blanche F. Hank Fund Daphne Hare Fund Harvey Family Fund Kittinger Family Fund Howard C. Laverack Bequest Dr. Gustave P. Milkey & Janet B. Milkey Fund Henry M., Patricia A. & Mary Brainard Naylon Bequest Pearl B. & J. Lawrence Osborne Memorial Fund Braman Pomeroy Trust Natalie Kubera Roth Fund Gretchen L. & A. Warren Smith Jr. Changing Needs Fund Evelyn Stiem Fund William L. Van Schoonhoven Fund Wadsworth Fund William B. Walsh Trust Fund Eileen and Rupert Warren Charitable Fund Bernard D. Welt & Ida Z. Welt Fund Betty Ball Wilder Fund

← In 1919, Edward Letchworth was asked by his client, George F.

Rand, Sr., to learn about the concept of community foundations and bring the idea to Buffalo. Edward, a Harvard-educated attorney who worked with Phillips Lytle, shared his legal talent with the Community Foundation from its inception in 1919 until 1958.

Recognizing that Western New York’s needs would change over time, Edward established the Edward H. Letchworth Bequest at the Community Foundation, a changing needs fund that continues to do good in Western New York today, more than 65 years after his passing.

2000s Anonymous Elizabeth & John Angelbeck Foundation Henry E. & Susan W. Beamer Endowment Fund Thelma L. & Milfred R. Beck Fund Charles A. & Anne L. Bird Fund Stanley A. Brzezinski Memorial Fund Michael R. Butler & Glenys Maschoff Butler Fund Betty Crump Fund M. Dolores Denman Fund for Community Needs Heather J. DePaolo-Johnny Memorial Fund DePerno Family Fund Eastern Niagara Fund Barbara Ennis Endowment Fund June Farrington Fund Fischle-Laesser Endowment Fund Fisher Family Fund George Family Foundation Gordon R. & Gretchen S. Gross Family Fund Grover & Isabel James Fund D. Bruce and Gail Johnstone Fund Gail Johnstone Community Leadership Fund A. David & Heather M. Jones Advisory Fund Kreher Family Fund William F. Long Fund Arlene & Ruth Mathews Fund Melson Fund Niagara Area Foundation Endowment Fund

Norma E. Pfeifer Fund Herman Spiegel & Amanda Spiegel Memorial Fund Rosemarie C. Steeb Endowment Fund Evelyn Swarts Fund Marjorie and Charles Van Arsdale Family Fund Kuang Mei Wang Fund Alyne D. White Bequest Wyoming Foundation Endowment Fund 2010s Anonymous (2) James & Kristin Allen Fund Sheriff Michael S. Amico Fund Joyce & Stuart Angert Philanthropic Fund Lawrence M. Appleby Fund Charles and Ione Arrick Charitable Fund Beard Family – In Honor of Michael Dorian Beard Belmore Hicks Bridgford Fund Edna L. Carroll Trust Centennial Changing Needs Endowment Fund Beuline Crawford Bequest Clotilde Perez-Bode Dedecker & Adrian F. Dedecker III Centennial Endowment Elizabeth Deichman Fund Virginia Deuel Memorial Fund Paul P. Dosberg Charitable Fund Mary Alice and Ross Jay Eckert Fund Worth L. Farrington Fund George Byron Fisher Fund The Gregory Family Fund Gross Family Fund

Ilene N. Hein Fund John Hulley & Elizabeth Rydzynski-Hulley Fund Hulley WNY Changing Needs Fund H. Reed Hunt Fund Kucera – Graham Family Foundation Langley Family Fund Edmond & Margaretha Lawrence Fund Sally S. Lenahan Bequest Angelo and Barbara Liberatore Family Fund The Mathews Family Fund Frank Mesiah Family Legacy Fund The Michael E. and Lorrie Chamberlain Munschauer Centennial Fund Normandy Fund Donald A. Pause Fund Lois and Thomas Pause Charitable Fund Pieroni Greco Family Fund Reed Family Fund Gerald F. and Karen Reger Centennial Changing Needs Endowment The Thomas K. Singer Charitable Trust SJM3 Fund

When my son passed, my family wanted to start an endowment in his name because he was always doing things to help people, and we wanted that to continue.

The Community Foundation is open, friendly and helpful in giving advice.

2020s Lucas, Clayton, and Gabrielle Baumgart Changing Needs Endowment Peter W. Bridgford Trust Rose M. Bridwell Bequest Amico Castiglione Charitable Fund The Stockton Family Peter C. Cornell Trust for WNY Changing Needs Fund Cox-Conant Fund Jim Y. and Emilia M. Tou Foundation Joan B. and James L. Crane, Jr. Fund Vogt Family Foundation Fund for WNY Clotilde Perez-Bode Dedecker Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Fund Change Maker Fund for the Community Foundation Detwiler Family Changing Needs Fund

— Mary Beard

Isabel R. Hunt Bequest Raymond and Maryann Laks Foundation William and Janet Long Fund Anthony D. Mancinelli Fund Jean "Gigi" McKeown Community Service Endowment Fund Leonard and Lillian Meiselman Legacy Fund Operation Dinner Out Fund Malcolm Strachan Bequest Turin Fund Arthur Wilk Bequest Virginia Ziebarth Fund 19

Annual Change Makers are individuals who gave a gift in 2023 to support the changing needs of our community over time.

Anonymous (2) Dr. Tamara Alsace Joyce & Stuart Angert Philanthropic Fund Ms. Cynthia Appleton Mr. & Mrs. Stephen C. Ash Attica Lions Club Mr. Teo & Mrs. Jennifer Balbach Barr Foundation Ms. Melissa Baumgart Ms. Nancy G. Berg Mr. Denis and Mrs. Nancy Berwanger Mr. David J. Blesy Charities Aid Foundation America Ms. Frances Cox Ms. C. Elizabeth Crump Ms. Laurie Dann and Mr. Tom C. Hunt

Clotilde Perez-Bode Dedecker Change Maker Fund Ms. Marie Elena Deeney Mr. David and Mrs. Sandra DeLavergne Ms. Mary Lou Detwiler Mr. Bob Dewey and Mrs. Pamela Van Arsdale Ms. Barbara Dominesey Dr. Bonita Durand Mr. Thomas and Mrs. Laura Dutton Eastern Hills Sunrise Rotary Club Eaton-Watson Funeral Home, LLC. Sandra R. Eck Mary Alice and Ross Jay Eckert Fund Mr. Owen and Mrs. Judith Eddy

Excel Fence, Inc. Mr. Steven Finch Mr. Robert Firestine Mr. Theron Foote The Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies c/o Michael Cohen Fund Mr. Lawrence and Mrs. Deborah Franco Mr. James and Mrs. Marjorie Fulmer Ms. Dottie Gallagher Eugene Gardner Scott A. Gardner Mr. Daniel Gerstman and Ms. Sharon Stern Gerstman Greene Family Trust Mr. Michael and Mrs. Patricia Griffith Pete Grum

← In October, the Community Foundation hosted

its Impact Tour for clients, Board members and professional advisor partners. During the three-stop tour, guests heard from panels on topics including how the Racial Equity Roundtable’s Youth Employment Coalition is coordinating equitable career pathways for our youth. Pictured here, from left: Zamoni Johnson, CareerWise Greater Buffalo apprentice, M&T Bank; Glenn Jackson, Chief Diversity Officer, M&T Bank; David Rust, Chief Executive Officer, Say Yes Buffalo; and Jerrell Mason, Senior Director, Buffalo Futures.

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Ms. Amy Habib Rittling Mr. Owen Herne Mr. Ralph and Ms. Kathryn Houseknecht Carolyn Human Ms. Gail Humphrey Ms. Patricia Humphrey Isabel R. Hunt* In. Site: Architecture, LLP Mrs. Alice F. Jacobs Cheryl A. Jankowski, CPA Mr. Robert and Mrs. Carol Johnson Mr. Jeffrey and Mrs. Susan Katz Mr. Keith D. and Mrs. Mary E. Kibler Ms. Sandra Kushner Mr. Lloyd and Mrs. Rebecca Lane Myra S. Lawrence Lynch Park Associates, Inc. Mr. Timothy and Mrs. Carolyn Lyons Ruth Mathews Mr. Gerard and Mrs. Barb Mazurkiewicz Ms. Joyce Metcalf John and Katherine Metzger Ms. Cheryl Miller Ms. Joan B. Mokdessi Mrs. Alex Montante Michael & Lorrie Munschauer Mrs. Barbara Myers Mr. David H. Nelson, Esq. Ms. Jennifer Pauly Mr. Hal D. Payne Ms. Emily Procknal Ms. Linda Purdy

Dr. J. Thomas and Mrs. Mary Reagan Robinson and Hackemer Funeral Home, Inc. Mr. Luis A. Rodriguez, Jr. Mary F. Rudgers Hon. Rose H. Sconiers The Mark L. Serventi Family Foundation Ms. Gail Shadbolt Mr. John and Mrs. Elaine Sluka Ms. Eleanor Smith John Somers Dr. Richard A. Stockton, Jr. Malcolm Strachan* Mr. Edward and Mrs. Beverly Strusa Ms. Lorraine Sturm Dr. Joan M. Sulewski Richard & Nancy Swanson Swiss Valley Farms LLC United Way of Buffalo & Erie County V.J. Gautieri Constructors, Inc. Ms. Sara Van Arsdale Bliss Mr. James H. Van Arsdale IV Mr. George VanArsdale and Ms. Elizabeth Osta Mr. Richard and Mrs. Maria Walczak Ward & Kutzuba PLLC Ms. Nancy W. Ware Mr. Ronald Wert Arthur Wilk* Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation Ms. Cory Zoeller *Deceased

↑ In April, members of the Greater Buffalo Racial Equity Roundtable’s

Reentry Coalition toured the Hampden County jail in Ludlow, Massachusetts.

This national best practice Reentry Program has been in operation under the leadership of the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department for more than 30 years. This visit will help inform program development and enhancement within the Erie County jail management system. Erie County’s Service Link Stop, a one-stop shop for reentering individuals, located at 120 West Eagle Street, was designed based on a 2018 visit to Hampden County.

Pictured above: Back row, from left: Michael Phillips, Superintendent of the Erie County Sheriff ’s Office; Pastor Charles Walker, Program Director at Back to Basics Outreach Ministries; Sherene Bennett, Director, Erie County Service Link Stop.

Front row, from left: Julianna Everdyke, Director of Dual Recovery and Community Integration at Coordinated Care Services, Inc.; Lindsey Allen, Director of Community Programs at Peaceprints of WNY; Lisa Chimera, Deputy Erie County Executive; Lt. Jennifer Howell, Erie County Sheriff’s Office, New Dawn Initiative; Felicia Beard, Associate Vice President, Racial Equity Initiatives at the Community Foundation; Thomas Diina, Chief Reintegration Officer, Erie County Sheriff’s Office and Co-Chair of the Reentry Coalition; and Mark O’Brien, Commissioner, Erie County Department of Mental Health and Co-Chair of the Reentry Coalition.

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DAYS PARK – BUFFALO, NY 23

Buffalo Futures

Unlocking the potential of our community’s aspiring young professionals is key to future economic growth in our region.

The Greater Buffalo Racial Equity Roundtable’s Youth Employment Coalition (YEC) has worked tirelessly to find solutions that are grounded in data and rooted in collaboration to address the challenges these young people are facing.

In 2023, the YEC launched Buffalo Futures, a collaborative and cross-sector initiative created to connect young people ages 16–24 with high-demand career pathways that offer family-sustaining wages and have low barriers to entry in the Greater Buffalo area. The focus of Buffalo Futures is to serve a previously unmet need in the region – the nearly 7,400 people in that age bracket that are disconnected, meaning not in school or working.

↑ In July, the Racial Equity Roundtable's Youth Employment Coalition launched Buffalo Futures with a 24

ribbon-cutting ceremony at the SUNY Erie Campus at 45 Oak Street. The initiative is a collaborative effort created to connect young people ages 16–24 with high-demand career pathways that offer family-sustaining wages and have low barriers to entry in the Greater Buffalo area.

“For some aspiring young professionals in our area, plans to finish high school or attend college were interrupted, many times by forces beyond their control. Buffalo Futures was designed to meet these bright, talented and creative young people where they are in life and help them find the right career pathway filled with opportunity for growth,” said Jerrell Mason, Senior Director, Buffalo Futures.

The free Buffalo Futures online tool, at BuffaloFutures.com, is the first of its kind in the country, designed as a mobile-first platform to serve as a connection point for aspiring young professionals, local employers and local training providers. Job seekers can create a profile on the website and, through a skills and interest quiz, are matched to a career path with current job opportunities with employers in the Greater Buffalo area.

They are then able to explore details about jobs in that pathway, like the salaries and training requirements needed to ensure eligibility for the jobs.

Buffalo Futures encourages follow-up with virtual or in-person meetings at its physical site, located at 45 Oak Street at SUNY Erie’s downtown campus. The Buffalo Futures team assists with career assessments, coaching, mock interviews, networking, program referrals and more.

Youth meet with peer mentors like Leah Strong, who gather information to pass along to the success coaches. “In my role, I bridge the gap between the disconnected youth, Buffalo Futures and all the surrounding organizations as well,” Leah said.

A graduate of Niagara Falls High School who is currently studying at SUNY Erie to become a clinical lab tech, Leah immediately understood the need that Buffalo Futures is helping meet

and cited an example of a youth that Buffalo Futures has successfully worked with. “A young man came in who had dropped out of the 12th grade and didn’t have his learner’s permit.

We were able to connect him with the GED program and driving classes,” she said.

“We know that investing in our young people is investing in our future, and we want to ensure the next generation of our city’s workforce has access to the right resources to succeed. That’s what Buffalo Futures was created to do,” said Jerrell.

↑ Jerrell Mason, Senior Director, Buffalo Futures, talks with media on the day of the launch of Buffalo Futures, which helps aspiring professionals identify, explore and pursue local, high-demand career pathways.

To learn more about Buffalo Futures, visit BuffaloFutures.com.

We know that investing in our young people is investing in our future, and we want to ensure the next generation of our city’s workforce has access to the right resources to succeed. That’s what Buffalo Futures was created to do.

— Jerrell Mason

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Racial Equity Roundtable

“Building trusted relationships is foundational to the Racial Equity Roundtable’s work to achieve an expanded, inclusive economy. When you foster trust around a table, you open the doors to collaboration to create solutions, which can lead to true systems change in our community,” said Hon. Rose H. Sconiers, Chair of the Racial Equity Roundtable.

Collaboration, trust and partnership set the stage for the Roundtable’s long-term systems change work with its more than 350 community partners. By working in coordinated ways, the Roundtable, convened by the Community Foundation, is focused on a 10-point strategic agenda to close racial equity gaps in our community, intentionally focused on changing systems by changing policies, practices and procedures.

These pages share highlights from some of the Roundtable’s initiatives. To read about all 10 initiatives, please visit RacialEquityBuffalo.org.

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BUSINESS LEADERS TASK FORCE With a goal of creating more inclusive workplace practices, the Business Leaders Task Force (BLTF) includes 14 major local employers: Catholic Health, City of Buffalo, Erie County Medical Center, Highmark Western and Northeastern NY, Independent Health, Kaleida Health, KeyBank, M&T Bank, Moog, Rich Products, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, SUNY Buffalo State, University at Buffalo and Wegmans; it also includes three community partners: Buffalo Niagara Partnership, the Community Foundation and the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation.

The BLTF established the Buffalo Purchasing Initiative (BPI) to create a convening resource for sharing strategies around inclusive procurement practices and to increase contracts and purchase orders for businesses owned by people of color. Since it began four years ago, the spend with local businesses of color has increased by almost $60 million.

Scan the QR code to learn more about how Mauricio Canton-Diaz coordinates the initiative for major employers and connects them with small businesses owned by people of color.

↓ In October, the Community Foundation hosted its 2023 Impact Bus Tour with a theme of "Coordinating equitable pathways to economic growth."

Pictured here, from left: Mauricio Canton-Diaz, BPI Program Director; Ed Moore, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, Rich Products, and BLTF Chair; David Marshall, Owner, Marshall’s Master Cleaning Plus; and Betsy Constantine, President/CEO, Community Foundation.

NARRATIVE CHANGE JUVENILE JUSTICE WORKS

For generations, people have been told what other communities were like, without having any lived, first-hand experience with diverse populations. Those teachings have often unfairly shaped negative perceptions of people of color and is something the Racial Equity Roundtable’s Narrative Change workgroup hopes to change.

“Relationships, relationships, relationships!” That is what Dina Thompson says is the key to restorative justice. “It’s about building, restoring, maintaining and healing relationships.”

The Narrative Change workgroup is developing an accurate, authentic and just narrative to communicate the work of the Racial Equity Roundtable through all of the Roundtable’s initiatives.

In her role as Executive Director of Erie County Restorative Justice Coalition, Dina partners with the Roundtable’s Juvenile Justice Works (JJW), an initiative focused on reducing contact with and improving outcomes resulting from juvenile justice systems to advance equitable outcomes for young people.

This coalition is comprised of 35 partners, including Buffalo Public Schools (BPS), the Erie County Probation Department and the Buffalo Police Department.

To illustrate this, in 2023, the workgroup invited all 350 partners together for the Racial Equity Roundtable Partner Event, held at the Buffalo AKG Art Museum. This engaging evening showcased all of the Roundtable’s initiatives through interactive art activities and networking opportunities. The Roundtable’s new logo was also unveiled for the first time that evening.

In 2023, JJW completed a two-year pilot to implement restorative justice practices in BPS, which resulted in the development of positive relationships between students, parents and staff, and a decrease in short-term suspensions in the five pilot schools.

Additionally, JJW began a three-part restorative justice series with the Erie County District Attorney’s office to find a solution to the dramatic increase in car thefts. It includes a restorative conversation in a circle format with the responsible youth, community members and police officers, and connecting youth with organizations, service providers and potential employment, based on their needs.

Scan the QR code to see more photos from the memorable Partner Event.

Pictured here, from left: Felicia Beard, Associate Vice President, Racial Equity Initiatives, Community Foundation; Hon. Rose H. Sconiers, Chair, Racial Equity Roundtable; and Betsy Constantine, President/CEO, Community Foundation.

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Say Yes Buffalo Little Scholars 28

“Amazing things happen here.”

Those words adorn the walls of Say Yes Buffalo’s new Little Scholars classrooms, along with sensory tables, arts and crafts spaces, and family walls that celebrate the diverse backgrounds and lifestyles of its students.

Launched in March 2023 in partnership with Buffalo Public Schools and Erie County, Little Scholars is a pre-K readiness program for three-year-old children in our community.

It specifically focuses on those whose families are eligible for the daycare subsidy and reside in a “daycare desert,” where the number of eligible children exceeds the number of seats available, directly supporting Say Yes Buffalo’s cradle-to-career continuum for Buffalo students.

“Little Scholars focuses on families who are looking for spaces where there's a combination of purposeful learning through play, socio-emotional development and pre-K readiness,” explained Gellenia Smallwood, Senior Director of Early Childhood Services at Say Yes Buffalo, who spent six years bringing

the idea to fruition. “The goal is to help our babies understand how to communicate their feelings, get them adjusted to school buildings, and get the schools acclimated to receiving the students and working with their families.”

Licensed as daycare-regulated classrooms in Buffalo Public School buildings, each of the six current locations serves 14 students with three staff, with more locations planned for 2024 as part of the three-year pilot phase.

A full-year program, Little Scholars runs a six-week summer prep session as students transition to their pre-K classrooms with automatic enrollment into the district's fouryear-old Universal Pre-kindergarten (UPK) classrooms, reducing some of the barriers that come along with registering students for school for the first time. This also includes home visits to support and engage families so they can be invested in their child's education.

After the initial program launch, all students in the first two Little Scholars classrooms – at West Hertel Community School 94 and Community School 59 at the Dr. Charles R.

Drew Science Magnet School – successfully matriculated into their four-year-old UPK classroom for the 2023–24 school year.

Looking ahead, Gellenia hopes to deepen Say Yes Buffalo’s partnerships with other early childhood professionals in our community to shine the light on what is needed to really prepare children for pre-K, including taking a holistic approach of preparing the families and having schools see what is needed to wrap these littlest learners with supports. Gellenia also acknowledges the great work of homebased and center-based daycare providers, many who have partnered with Say Yes for summer camp and virtual learning centers.

“Little Scholars is about preparing these kids so they can be ‘pre-K ready their own way,’” Gellenia said. “It’s not going to be standardized across the board. We know what the expectations are, but we acknowledge and celebrate the growth that each child has individually.”

→ Three year olds participate in Say Yes Buffalo’s Little Scholars, a pre-K readiness program launched in March 2023.

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Buffalo and Erie County Lead Safe Task Force

ADDRESSING LEAD POISONING COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP FAMILY ENGAGEMENT POLICY CHANGE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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With over 90 percent of Buffalo’s housing built before 1978, the year lead paint was banned, lead poisoning, most often caused by chipping and peeling paint, continues to be a major challenge faced by many of our city’s residents. Especially dangerous for children under age six, lead poisoning is 100 percent preventable.

To address this, the Buffalo and Erie County Lead Safe Task Force was convened by the Community Foundation in 2018 to carry out the recommendations of a comprehensive study of lead poisoning in Buffalo. Findings of the study showed 80 percent of lead poisoning occurs in rental singles and doubles. As a result, the Task Force focused on increasing inspections of those properties and advocated for the passage of City legislation to require regular inspections focused on home health and safety.

In 2023, the Community Foundation committed a $1 million investment over five years to implement the Task Force’s new strategic plan, including amplifying the voices of parents with young children, increasing the volume of grassroots engagement and engaging a broad array of stakeholders in making Buffalo lead-safe.

Serving as the hub for the Task Force work is Home HeadQuarters, the administrator of the $3.5 million Landlord Loan Fund, a loan and

grant program to help Buffalo landlords address lead exposure hazards on their properties. Today, the Task Force has tripled in membership and a steering committee is expanding to include the voice of families affected by lead poisoning.

Other 2023 accomplishments of the Task Force include: R elaunching an expanded and updated GetAheadOfLead.org to centralize lead information for parents to help them identify lead hazards and direct them to resources, as well as help property owners understand regulations on lead hazards and assist them to secure resources for remediation. Part of the relaunch included an advertising campaign to direct people to the website.

G rants of $7,500 each were awarded to four organizations that work with families with young children. Mini-grants support organizations to invite families to share their challenges and co-create solutions.

Heart of the City is coordinating this work. new workgroup is advocating for policies that protect children A from exposure to lead hazards. Since the majority of lead poisoning is caused by deteriorated lead-based paint, code enforcement is critical, including everything from inspections and violations to housing court and resolution. The group has worked closely with the Erie County Department of Health and City of Buffalo Housing Court to improve the Court’s ability to enforce lead violations and ensure lead hazards are remediated.

To learn more about the resources available to help combat lead poisoning in our community, visit GetAheadOfLead.org.

← Pictured here is Ayat, a Buffalo landlord who received financial assistance to help protect his family with new lead-safe windows, doors and siding.

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Communities of Giving Legacy Initiative 32

↑ 2023 Close Up students visit the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C.

From providing meaningful educational experiences to celebrating outstanding individuals who are paying it forward, the Communities of Giving Legacy Initiative (CGLI) continues to focus on lifting up our youth of color and providing unique opportunities that help them soar.

In 2023, the CGLI dedicated a one-time competitive grant process, made possible through the generosity of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, to supporting the Buffalo community most directly impacted by the horrific racially motivated mass shooting on May 14, 2022, with preference given to Black-led organizations. Awards totaling $30,000 were awarded to four nonprofit organizations serving youth ages 10 to 17 in the 14208 or 14209 zip codes: Back to Basics Outreach Ministries, Buffalo Inner City Ballet, Home Beneath Our Feet, and SOLID Foundation Prep.

The grant supported Home Beneath Our Feet’s Summer Growth Program, which provides platforms for underserved youth to become the best version of themselves, using STEM, agriculture and holistic education initiatives to address financial literacy, academic achievement, behavioral health,

violence prevention, food insecurity and community engagement among at-risk youth on Buffalo’s East Side.

Dwight Lowe, Founder and Executive Director of Home Beneath Our Feet, noted that the impact of the grant extends far beyond the summer months. “It has empowered our youth to develop skills and knowledge that will serve them well into the future, contributing to the overall well-being of our community,” he said.

Other 2023 highlights of the CGLI include: C elebrating four high school juniors who completed The Young Philanthropists 2023 program at a Capstone Ceremony, during which youth had the opportunity to award $1,500 grants to Confident Girl Mentoring Program and Home Beneath Our Feet, and expanding the program to include a senior cohort for 2023–24.

Recognizing

individuals who demonstrate exemplary community service, civic engagement or volunteerism to honor the legacy of the late Judge Hugh B. Scott – the 2023 honorees were Isaac De Los Santos and Sinclair Maclin.

H onoring local trailblazers at the annual Pay It Forward Awards, which recognize personal and professional accomplishments and how those actions increase philanthropy in communities of color – the 2023 honorees were Alexsandra Lopez and Maritza Vega.

To learn more about how the CGLI is cultivating positive change for youth of color in Western New York, visit thecgli.org.

S ending eight high school students to Washington, D.C., through the Close Up program, where they learned about government and democracy and engaged with peers from around the world.

↑ Oswaldo Mestre, Jr., CGLI Chair, presents Scan the QR code to watch a video with highlights from the Close Up program’s trip to Washington, D.C.

Dwight Lowe, Founder and Executive Director of Home Beneath Our Feet, a recipient of the one-time CGLI competitive grant, with a check at the Pay It Forward Awards.

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The Community Foundation’s Investment Committee has oversight of more than $800 million in charitable assets. Members of the Committee are specifically recruited because of their knowledge of investments. They receive advice throughout the year from our independent investment consulting firm, Crewcial Partners LLC, which specializes in advising large endowments and foundations nationwide.

Together, they work to allocate the charitable assets entrusted to the Community Foundation’s care into a highly diversified mix of global equities, fixed income and alternative investment strategies. This includes more than 60 different investment management organizations pursuing strategies within 11 different asset classes. Within each asset class, the Community Foundation seeks to utilize world-class investment managers with the goal of outperforming appropriate target market benchmarks over long periods. The Committee remains focused on maintaining a prudent strategy that is consistently executed.

2023 INVESTMENT COMMITTEE MEMBERS

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Jennifer Chalmers Balbach Jennifer Chalmers Balbach Committee Chair & Board Member Committee Chair & Board Member

Pete Grum Pete Grum Board Member Board Member

David Blesy, David Blesy, CPACPA Board Member Board Member

Luke Jacobs Luke Jacobs Former Board Member Former Board Member

Darby Fishkin, Darby Fishkin, CPACPA Board Member Board Member

Joyce BillBill Joyce Former Committee Chair Former Committee Chair & Former Board Chair & Former Board Chair

Gerard Mazurkiewicz, Gerard Mazurkiewicz, CPACPA Former Committee Former Board Chair Chair & Former Board Chair Michael Munschauer, CFP Michael Munschauer, CFP

INVESTMENT PERFORMANCE The investments of the Community Foundation regularly outperform our benchmarks, on average adding 7.3 percent per year over the past 20 years.

Investing in the Community Foundation portfolio provides stability and growth over time. This growth provides significant value to the charitable assets entrusted to the Community Foundation.

Long-term returns have been well above market benchmarks and regularly perform in the top 25 percent of endowments and foundations.* For updated information, visit cfgb.org.

* Per the MSCI InvestorForce Endowments and Foundations Index.

INVESTMENT RETURNS

AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2023

15.0% 14.5% 13.9%

12.5%

10.0% 9.4%

9.1%

9.0%

7.5%

309.3% VS 226.8% CUMULATIVE RETURN 8.2% 7.3%

6.8%

5.0%

6.4%

6.1%

5.1% 4.2%

2.5%

0.0% L ATEST YEAR

L ATEST 3 YEARS

L ATEST 5 YEARS

Community Foundation

L ATEST 10 YEARS

L ATEST 15 YEARS

L ATEST 20 YEARS

Custom Market Benchmark**

Community Foundation returns presented net of investment management fees.

Investment results are presented net of all investment related fees. **Weighted average of sector benchmarks.

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AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2023

PRIVATE ASSETS: 15% HEDGE FUNDS: 7%

TOTAL ALTERNATIVES 22%

CASH: 1% GLOBAL BONDS: 4% TREASURY INFLATION-PROTECTED SECURITIES: 3%

U.S. LARGE/MID CAP EQUITY: 17%

TOTAL FIXED INCOME 16%

U.S. AGGREGATE BONDS: 8%

TOTAL EQUITY 62%

U.S. SMALL CAP EQUITY: 6%

NON-U.S. DEVELOPED EQUITY: 15%

NON-U.S. EMERGING EQUITY: 6%

SELECT STRATEGIES: 18%

The size of the Community Foundation’s investment pool allows us to have a highly diversified portfolio with access to a full range of asset classes and top investment managers, increasing the likelihood of exceeding performance objectives under varying economic and market conditions.

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The Community Foundation received an unmodified (clean) audit opinion on its most recently issued audited financial statements. Audited financial statements are available at cfgb.org or by request.

Please contact Emily Wyckoff, Vice President, Giving Strategies, at (716) 852-2857, ext. 217.

HOW WILL YOU BE REMEMBERED?

$12.0

When you create an endowment fund through the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, you can support the community you love, in your name, forever.

$10.0

All balances in millions

$10.3M

YOUR GIFT IS INVESTED OVER TIME. Earnings from your endowment fund are granted to support organizations and needs in the community, based on your direction.

$8.0

$8.2M

YOUR LEGACY IS ENSURED. Clients who endow gifts can make a difference in their communities during their lifetimes and, at the same time, establish legacies that last forever.

$6.0

HOW IT WORKS. This endowment was established with $2.1 million in 1978 through a legacy gift (bequest) to the Community Foundation from a parent in honor of his son, who died tragically as a young man. Today, decades after both father and son have passed on, the initial gift has more than tripled to $8.2 million, all while giving $10.3 million in grants to the organizations they cared about. The fund will continue to honor this family’s charitable giving legacy by making grants to their favorite organizations in their name, forever.

LEARN MORE. Please contact Emily Wyckoff, Vice President, Giving Strategies, at (716) 852-2857, ext. 217.

$4.0

$2.0

$2.1M

$0.0 ORIGINAL GIFT IN 1978

VALUE IN 2023

TOTAL GRANTS TO CHARITY SINCE 1978

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For more than 100 years, the Community Foundation has worked alongside attorneys, accountants and financial professionals to create customized solutions with highlevel client service that structure giving and best achieve their clients’ charitable goals.

The Community Foundation offers proven success in investment performance that regularly outperforms target market benchmarks and a cost-effective partnership to make the most of professional advisors’ clients’ generosity today, tomorrow and forever.

The following are professional advisors we collaborated with in 2022 and 2023.

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Wyatt R. Arthurs, CFP

Scott A. Gardner

Laura L. Jabrucki

Paul T. Nesper, Esq.

Ashley E. Bauer, CPA

Frederick J. Gawronski

Cheryl A. Jankowski, CPA

Andrew J. Pace

Andrew Borowski, CPA

Patricia A. George, Esq.

Jeffrey H. Katz, Esq.

Andrew J. Pitt, CPA

David R. Burgio, CPA, PFS

F. James Ginnane, CLU, CFP

Zachary Kieser, Esq.

Jamie M. Smith, Esq.

Daniel Byles-Smith, CPA, CFP

Nicholas G. Gnacinski

David J. Luzon, Esq.

Mark A. Stebbins, CPA

Jill E. Colombo, CPA

Christina L. Good, Esq.

Christine Mathieu

Catherine T. Wettlaufer, Esq.

Carolyn L. DeVaughn, Esq.

Linda Stravalaci Grear, Esq.

Patrick T. McGuire, J.D., CPFA

David D. Fenster, Esq.

Kenneth A. Grossberg, Esq.

Nicole N. Mutignani, Esq.

Lawrence C. Franco, Esq.

Robert P. Ingrasci, CPA

Michē C. Needham, CPA

Some clients have specific goals and the Community Foundation can help meet the goals.

Others will say, ‘I have a charitable intention and maybe I want those funds allocated so that charitable objectives are met,’ but they're unsure what those are.

So the initiatives that the Community Foundation have are important. Along with the investment options, the way that the funds are managed, the historical performance and the diversification – all of that is really important to have under one umbrella.

— Greg Urban, CPA, Dopkins & Company

Our Professional Advisor Council is a group of accountants, attorneys and financial professionals who work toward gaining a deeper understanding of the Community Foundation’s services and its role in Western New York and provide feedback to enhance its ability to be a preeminent resource on charitable giving for the professional advisor field.

→ Pictured here is the Professional Advisor Council, from left: Carolyn DeVaughn, Mark Stebbins, Eric Soro, Andrew Borowski, Ashley Bauer, Kenneth Grossberg, Linda Stravalaci Grear, Dan Byles-Smith, Cheryl Jankowski and David Burgio.

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NIAGARA AREA FOUNDATION FUNDS

Niagara County is a majestic region with so much to see and do for visitors and residents alike. To make a positive impact in the county, the Niagara Area Foundation (NAF) was established in 2000 as a division of the Community Foundation with a goal to provide support for nonprofit organizations and philanthropic initiatives for Niagara County residents.

In 2023, through the collective generosity of its clients, the NAF announced awards totaling more than $60,000 to eight Niagara area nonprofit organizations: Boys & Girls Clubs of the Northtowns of WNY; Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper; Francis Center; Kenan Center; New Directions Youth and Family Services; Niagara Falls Boys & Girls Club; WAHI Studio; and Western New York Land Conservancy.

The grants will support programs with maximum positive impact in Niagara County that align with one of the Council’s two goals: Y outh Enrichment: To build stronger communities through the enrichment of youth, positive youth development and equity and inclusion.

Environment: To support and enhance education and awareness about the importance and creation of a healthy, vibrant and safe ecosystem for Niagara County residents.

Henry E. & Susan W. Beamer Endowment Fund Thelma L. & Milfred R. Beck Fund Martha H. Beeman and Judge William L. Kellick Endowment Fund The Lorraine M. & Eugene P. Brady Memorial Scholarship Trust Barbara C. and Edward M. Brink Fund BRI-NK Foundation Agnes Clarke Brown Memorial Scholarship Fund Stanley A. Brzezinski Memorial Fund Jerry and Liz Canada Fund Joanne and Franklyn Collins Fund Eugene A. DeFelice, M.D. & Maryanne Harvey Fund Eastern Niagara Fund Ross & Mary Alice Eckert Fund Barbara Ennis Endowment Fund Grace Foundation Theresa Elizabeth Insana Memorial Scholarship Fund Laird Family Foundation Lockport Public Library Endowment Fund Stephen C. McKinney Scholarship Fund

Since it was established in 2000, the NAF has awarded more than $4.6 million in grants to numerous organizations located in – and supporting – the Niagara region. The NAF has also grown its assets to more than $8.5 million with more than 35 funds under its umbrella.

→ Niagara Area Foundation Council members (pictured here), clients and guests met for a September 40

Social at the Niagara Falls Country Club. Attendees heard updates about the Niagara Area Foundation and its commitment to strengthening Niagara County by addressing critical needs to improve lives.

Joseph and Riva Mehr Fund Niagara Area Foundation Endowment Fund Niagara Education Foundation Fund Fund for Niagara Hospice Elsie & Eugene Oliver Memorial Scholarship Trust Our Lady of Lebanon Fund Patricia L. Parkinson Scholarship Fund Positive Youth Development Philanthropic Fund The Thomas K. Singer Charitable Trust Daunt & Irene Stenzel Scholarship Fund Jacklin B. Stopp Bequest Fern J. White & Neva A. Jackling Scholarship Fund Wilson Free Library Forever Friends Endowment Fund Youngstown Free Library Foundation YWCA of Niagara Fund YWCA of Niagara Munk/Human Memorial Scholarship Trust YWCA of Niagara Ruth N. Downes Fund for Domestic Violence

WYOMING FOUNDATION FUNDS

Wyoming County is a place of fabled history and exceptional natural beauty. In addition to the countless visitors it hosts each year, it is home to nearly 40,000 people.

To improve the lives of its residents, the Wyoming Foundation was created in 1976 by Dr. James MacCallum. Today, as a division of the Community Foundation, it continues to serve as a trusted partner to provide deep local knowledge and a vehicle through which individuals give to causes and organizations they care about. In addition to the work that the Wyoming Foundation does assisting generous individuals and families make a difference through their giving, each year it runs a competitive grants process where funding is distributed to support local nonprofit organizations.

In 2023, the Wyoming Foundation announced awards totaling more than $21,000 to six Wyoming County nonprofit organizations for its 2023 grant cycle. Grants were awarded to programs in Wyoming County with a preference for requests that either increase job readiness for youth or connect residents to the County’s arts and cultural gems.

The awardees include Arts Council for Wyoming County, Eagle Free Library, Perry Rotary Foundation/Perry Family Literacy Center, Shake on the Lake, WNY Rural Area Health Education Center, and Wyoming Free Circulating Library.

Additionally, a new strategic plan will be rolled out in 2024. The plan will inform the work of the Wyoming Foundation, including its 2024 competitive grants process.

Michael & Elaine Almeter Fund Lawrence M. Appleby Fund Leonard M. Barkin Environmental Conservation Trust for Youth Dr. Charles E. Bartlett Memorial Essay Contest Russell C. Christ Jr. Fund James and Ethel DeAmesy Fund DeLaVergne Family Fund Sam and Cherie Gullo Foundation Katharine Pingrey Hopkins Memorial Scholarship Fund Mabel Mason Fund Middlebury Historical Society Fund

Mr. and Mrs. George Schaumleffel Scholarship Fund Silver Lake Institute Fund Mark E. Strome Scholarship Fund Marjorie and Charles Van Arsdale Family Fund Marjorie Z. Van Arsdale Fund Warsaw Cemetery Nevinger Fund Gary Weidman Fund Western New York Rural Area Health Education Center Fund Western New York Rural Area Health Education Center – Scholarship Fund Wyoming Foundation Endowment Fund Wyoming Free Library Fund

↓ In June, Wyoming Foundation Council members met at

the Wyoming County Agriculture and Business Center in Warsaw, with some members joining virtually, for a strategic planning session.

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42

WESTERN NEW YORK

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The Community Foundation Legacy Society was created in 1999 to acknowledge individuals who have committed to supporting the community in the future through a planned gift. According to their specific directions, the Community Foundation will support the organizations, issues and communities these individuals care about, in their names, forever, in Western New York and beyond.

44

Anonymous (11) Mr. Edward Adamczyk Richard B. Adams Robert A. & Ruth E. Allen* Mr. & Mrs. H. John Angelbeck Mr. Lawrence Appleby* Mr. & Mrs. C. Dixon Arrick* Mr. Stephen C. and Mrs. Eleanor C. Ash Jeff Bagel & Maryalice Nowak Mr. Charles E. Balbach Ms. Mary L. Banks Allene C. Barans Ms. Linda M. Basher Marion* and Alan Baumgardner Henry & Susan Beamer Thomas R. & Judy* Beecher Ms. Dianne Bennett & Mr. William Graebner Mr. Harry J. Beu*

Dr. Mary H. Botsford* Mr. James A. Bourne Mr. Richard W. Bowen* Mr. Davis Bradley John F. Briggs Ms. Mary L. Brink Mr. & Mrs. Gary M. Brost Jean M. Brown* Keirn C. Brown, Sr.* Mr. & Mrs. Henry W. Bruner Ruth D. Bryant Mr.* & Mrs. Charles Burdette Jane & Jerry Burzynski Michael & Glenys Butler* Mr. Lewis Buttery Martha Buyer, Esq. Mrs. Helen M. Callan* Mr. John M. Callan Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Cardamone Leslie Carraway & B.J.* Verts

Mr. Paul Carroll Joanne Castellani & Michael Andriaccio Jerry* & Barbara Castiglia Dr. Irwin H. Cheskin* & Mr. Edward Koryl Ms. Mary E. Clemesha* Robert & Patricia Colby* Robert T.* & Sylvia R. Coles Carmela M. & Anthony* J. Colucci, Jr. Elizabeth B. Conant, Ph.D.* & Camille Cox Mrs. James L. Crane, Jr.* Ms. Beuline Crawford* Ms. C. Elizabeth Crump Mrs. Wilma T. Csont* Mr. & Mrs. Matthew Cyran* Mr. & Mrs. Matthew J. Czajka Eleanor C. Daigler Chet & Delight Dann* Ms. Laurie Dann Ms. Elizabeth Deichman* Ms. Sandra Demus Miss Virginia Deuel* Larry R. & Sheila Drake Judith & Alan Duchan Ross & Mary Alice Eckert Dr. Kenneth H., Sr. & Marjorie B. Eckhert* Mr. Robert J. Ellis Miss June M. Farrington* Miss Ruth Farrington* Mr. Worth Farrington* Mrs. Dorothy T. Ferguson Dr. Edward A. Fial* Ms. Anne Catt Filer* Max* & Shirley Fischer Dr. Mildred J. Fischle*

We’ve worked hard all our lives, and the Community Foundation has given us an opportunity to take some of what we have and put it into the future of our area and into things that matter to us, like the environment and culture.

— Jay Wopperer and Linda Schmieder-Wopperer

Paula C. Flynn Mr. Bob Fortenbaugh Ms. Carol A. Fowler Jean S. Frederick Mr. Fred* & Mrs. Fay Friedman Dennis J. Galucki Mr. Andrew C. Giarrizzo Mr. & Mrs. Robert D. Gioia Mr. Kevin K. Gluc Barbara Goldman & Linda Banas Barbara Ina Goldstein Paul & Joyce Golibersuch Aimee Gomlak Jane Taylor Goraj* Dr. Susan P. Graham & Dr. Jon C. Kucera Marion V. Grimes Gordon & Gretchen Gross*

John Gucwa & William Majuk Mr. Michael Hamann Thomas J. Hanifin* Mr. Daniel E. Hannah Mr. Hans Heckelman Ms. Marsha S. Henderson Ms. Alice B. Hilborn Ms. Judith A. Hirsch Mr. & Mrs. L. Nelson Hopkins, Jr.* Mary Louise Hopkins* Phillip & Jayne* Hubbell Ms. Ellen E. Hughes John & Bette Hulley Mr. & Mrs. H. Reed Hunt* W. Russell Hurd Rev. Dr. Leona M. Irsch Ms. Mary Jarecki Gail* & Bruce Johnstone Mr.* & Mrs. A. David Jones

*Deceased

POWER OF ENDOWMENT This endowment was established with $287,000 through a bequest to the Community Foundation in 2006. Since that time, the fund has grown in value to $415,000 while awarding $197,000 in grants. $500K

$400K

$300K

$200K

$197K

A. Warren & Gretchen L. Smith, Jr.* Mr. William H. Smith Ms. Susan M. Spadinger Rosemarie C. Steeb* Richard A. & Ruth V. Stockton* Dr. Richard A. Stockton, Jr. Mr. Franz T. Stone* Cheryl S. Strub Father F. Norman Sullivan* Mr. Peter W. Swanson, Jr.* Evelyn Miller Swarts Dr. Walter* & Jeanie M. Sy Stanley A.* & Sharon K. Tirrell Deborah & Susan Torres Mr. William Townsend* Mr. Charles L. Van Arsdale* Mr. William L. Van Schoonhoven* Mr. Steven Vathy and Ms. Leslie Fox Mr. Raymond C. & Ms. Sheila M. Vaughan James & Michal Wadsworth Dr. & Mrs. John M. Wadsworth* Ms. Carol A. Wagner* Mr. & Mrs. Richard C. Wagner* Ms. Karen E. Waible Emily W. Wettlaufer Mr. & Mrs. Christopher J. Whiteford Tom & Diana Witkowski Mr. Jay Wopperer & Ms. Linda Schmieder-Wopperer Mr. Charles E. Wright* David & Susan* Zebro Mr. Eddie Zewin* & Mrs. Christine Zewin Barbara M. Ziegler*

$415K

Mrs. Kathleen Modd* Richard E. Moot, Esq.* Ms. Albertine K. Moran* Mr. John J. Myers, Jr.* Mr. Robert North, Jr.* James R. Owen* Ms. Linda Pratt Page Jane M. Pattison Mr. Donald A. Pause* Lois & Thomas Pause C. Jane Pendergast Dr. Charles D. Perry* J. Warren Perry, Ph.D., D.Sc.* Mr. Arlan Peters & Mr. Dominick T. DeFillippo Mrs. Barbara Pickburn* Edwin & Georgina Polokoff Mr. & Mrs. Braman Pomeroy* Becky M. Powell Jayne K. Rand Ms. Dorothy Rapp Mr. Alfred H. Rasp Gerald F. & Karen Reger Luke & Molly Rich Mrs. Lynn Robillard Alexandra Romanczuk* Mr. & Mrs. Arthur H. Rosche* Ms. Doris F. Rosen Dr. Andrew J. Rudnick Ms. Geraldine N. Ryder Mr. & Mrs.* James M. Sampson Carmelo Scaccia Mr. Robert A. Scharf & Dr. Lawrence Van Heusen Dr. Gilbert Schulenberg Ms. Melba Y. Seibold* Mr. & Mrs. Henry B. Sheets, Jr.* Mary B. Sippel* Mr. & Mrs. Michael S. Smith

$287K

Dr. Jeffrey and Mrs. Dougie Kashin Ms. Suzanne Kashuba Mrs. Nancy Kent* Ms. Jane B. Kinkead* Mr. & Mrs. Irvine J. Kittinger, Jr.* Mr. & Mrs. George F. Koch* Dr. Kenneth A. Krackow Bruce A. Kratzenberg* Leonard H. & Sylvia J. Kratzke Rev. & Mrs. Warren W. Lane* Mr. Harry H. Lang ,Jr.* Mr. Frank P. Langley, Jr.* Wilfred & Joan Larson* Ms. Lisa A. LaTrovato & Mr. Todd D. Schupbach Mrs. Margaretha Lawrence* Mr. Almon E. Leach* Mr. & Mrs. Julian & Barbara Leggett Gerald A. & Barbara E. Lipa Mr. & Mrs. Martin J. Littlefield, Jr. Philip C. Lombardo* Ms. Jo Ann Long* Mrs. William F. Long* Jean Maday Mr. David W. Marshall Ruth Mathews Charles* & Cara Matteliano Dr. Keith F. & Mary E. McBride* David E. & Andrea J. McGeein Sheldon E. Merritt & Anne S. Merritt Mr. Ronald V. & Kathleen A. Metzger Karin Michelson & Russell Deer Barbara D. Mierzwa Mary Ann Milak-Young Jock & Betsy Mitchell

$100K

$0 ORIGINAL GIFT IN 2006

VALUE IN 2023

TOTAL GRANTS TO CHARITY

45

Anonymous The Stuart and Joyce Angert Fund Andy T. Anselmo Music Fund Arts & Culture Initiative Support Fund Henry and Susan Beamer 2023 Response Fund Buffalo City Parks Support Fund Buffalo Prenatal-Perinatal Network Fund Buffalo Prep Capital Campaign Fund Buffalo Prep Scholarship Fund Build Promise Fund East Side Parks Fund Mary Alice and Ross Jay Eckert Fund Gold Fund Nathan Goldin Research Fund The Gow School Contingency Fund The Gow School Unrestricted Fund Marion V. Grimes Fund Isabel R. Hunt Bequest W. Russell Hurd Legacy Fund

46

Jackson Family Fund Jankowski Family Fund Jewish Heritage Day School of Buffalo Fund Linda Angert Kahn & Kenneth R. Kahn Fund Klonsky-Vedovato Social Justice Scholarship Fund Kruger Endowment Fund Lead Poisoning Prevention Fund Leonard and Lillian Meiselman Legacy Fund Thomas R. Modd Memorial Fund NativityMiguel Middle School of Buffalo Scholarship Fund Providence Farm Collective Farmer Directed Endowment Fund P.U.N.T. Pediatric Cancer Collaborative Fund: Helping Hands and Ultimate Compassion Riester Collins Family Foundation Casimiro D. Rodriguez Sr. Legacy Fund

Alexandra and Michael Romanczuk Endowment Fund Margaret M. and Robert T. Rougeux Scholarship Fund Andrew J. Rudnick Fund Judge Hugh B. Scott Legacy Fund St. John Baptist Church Fund Jacklin B. Stopp Bequest Malcolm Strachan Bequest Supporting Softball & Baseball on the East Side Fund Ware Charitable Fund Warsaw Cemetery Nevinger Fund Western New York Rural Area Health Education Center – Scholarship Fund Arthur Wilk Bequest Michael and Constance Wilk Endowed Fund Mary Wilson Girls Golf Endowment Fund Woike-Ganga Family Foundation Virginia Ziebarth Fund

The Community Foundation provides great guidance around opportunities for giving in the community that fit my values, as well as making it super easy through the portal to find organizations to donate to and quickly help facilitate those donations.

— Liz Woike-Ganga

Anonymous (5) 21st Century Fund Acacia Park Fund Advancing Arts & Culture Endowment Fund African American Veterans Monument Inc. AIA Buffalo/WNY Bethune Lecture & Scholarship Endowment The AJL Fund Akron, NY Community Band Fund Charlotte Albright Fund Dorothy & Eugene Allbert Fund James & Kristin Allen Fund The Robert A. & Ruth E. Allen Memorial Fund Allentown Art Festival, Inc. Scholarship Fund Michael & Elaine Almeter Fund Paul & Jean Almeter Fund Ina D. Alt Trust Amherst Central Alumni Foundation Amherst South Rotary Club Endowment Fund Sheriff Michael S. Amico Fund Anna May Andrews Trust Joseph & Margaret Andrews Educational Trust Fund

Nora Shea Barnwell Endowment Fund James M. and Barbara J. Barrett Family Foundation Dr. Charles E. Bartlett Memorial Essay Contest Oliver G. & Sarah Sloan Bauman Fund for the Arts William Henry Andrews Bequest Lucas, Clayton, and Gabrielle Baumgart Changing Needs Elizabeth & John Endowment Angelbeck Foundation Henry and Susan Beamer The Stuart and 2023 Response Fund Joyce Angert Fund Henry E. & Susan W. Beamer Joyce & Stuart Angert Endowment Fund Philanthropic Fund Beard Family – In Honor Annual Odd of Michael Dorian Beard Fellows-Rebekah Award Thelma L. & Milfred R. Andy T. Anselmo Music Fund Beck Fund Lawrence M. Appleby Fund George E. Becker Fund Richard C. Arena, Sr. and Anne for Heart Research Sweeney Arena Charitable Fund Beechwood/Blocher Fund Charles and Ione Arrick Martha H. Beeman and Charitable Fund Judge William L. Kellick Arts Academy Fund Endowment Fund Arts and Culture Initiative Bell Fund Trust #1 Support Fund Bell Fund Trust #2 Augustine Family Fund Grover E. Bell Award AV3 Foundation Lawrence D. Bell Bequest Emily E. Babchak Edgar Bellersheim Memorial Fund Scholarship Fund Cameron Baird Endowment Benaiah Fund Fund for BP Chorus Lana and Howard Benatovich Cameron Baird Fund Philanthropic Fund Dara L. Barker Memorial Fund Matthew Benedict's Leonard M. Barkin One Last Goal Fund Environmental Conservation Adrian A. & Betsy B. Trust for Youth Bennett Fund C. Edgar Barlow Bennett Alumni Association Scholarship Fund Foundation Fund

Bennett Alumni Endowment Fund Bennett High School Alumni Scholarship Fund The Berardi Fund The Hubert & Dennis Bernhardt Foundation The Better Buffalo Fund Harry J. Beu Scholarship Fund Rosemary P. Biddle Fund Alanson C. Bigalow Scholarship Fund Josephine Biontolillo Bequest Charles A. & Anne L. Bird Fund Corrine G. Bird Bequest

Reverend A. Joseph Bissonette Memorial Fund Peter D. Blacher Health Care Fund Virgil A. & Margaret L. Black Memorial Fund Blackchief Family Foundation Brian H. Blesy Memorial Scholarship Fund Anna Kowalska Bley Music Memorial Award Maurice G. Bley Drama Memorial Award BlueCross/BlueShield Physicians Fund for Children's Health

↑ In November, the CGLI hosted its annual Pay It Forward Awards.

Pictured here, from left: Ruth D. Bryant, CGLI Immediate Past Chair; Dr. Anne Saldanha, former CGLI Council member; Trudy Scott, wife of the late Hon. Hugh B. Scott, a founding member of the CGLI; and Karen Lee Spaulding, a founding member of the CGLI.

47

ALL FUNDS CONT.

The Robert Bodkin Foundation Jule Bogner Philanthropic Fund Robert Bojdak & Sarah Williams Fund Bollier Family Fund Dr. Germante L. Boncaldo Scholarship Fund Book and Material Buying Endowment Fund Boubaris Family Foundation Richard Boyd Bowen Memorial Scholarship Fund Kathleen M. Box-Krycia Memorial Scholarship Fund

Boys & Girls Clubs of Buffalo Fund Boys & Girls Club of Eden Fund BP/Carborundum Scholarship Fund The Lorraine M. & Eugene P. Brady Memorial Scholarship Trust Irma Brand Bequest James E. Braunberns Bequest Anthony A. Brese Scholarship Rosalie H. Bretzfelder Fund John Bridge Memorial Fund Belmore Hicks Bridgford Fund Peter W. Bridgford Trust Rose M. Bridwell Bequest BRI-NK Foundation

↑ In June, the Greater Buffalo Racial Equity Roundtable

received the Buffalo NAACP’s Rufus Frasier Award at the 55th Annual Medgar Evers Awards Gala. The award is given to an individual or organization that has done a significant amount of volunteer service for the betterment of human or race relations.

48

Barbara C. and Edward M. Brink Fund Maureen E. Brinkworth Memorial Scholarship Agnes Clarke Brown Memorial Scholarship Fund Jean Knowlton Brown Fund Jean M. Brown Fund Henry W. & Martha L. Bruner Philanthropic Fund Stanley A. Brzezinski Memorial Fund Brzezinski Philanthropic Fund BTF Make a Dream Come True Scholarship Fund Martin A. Buecking Bequest Buffalo Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Endowment Fund Buffalo Audubon Endowment Fund Buffalo Bills Social Justice Fund Buffalo City Mission Fund Buffalo City Parks Support Fund Buffalo Eye Bank Foundation Endowment Fund Buffalo Forward Foundation Buffalo Green Fund Buffalo Green Fund – Moscicki Fund Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park Fund Buffalo Niagara Manufacturing Alliance Scholarship Fund Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy Fund Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Permanent Endowment Fund Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Society Endowment Fund

Buffalo Prenatal-Perinatal Network Fund Buffalo Prep Capital Campaign Fund Buffalo Prep Endowment Fund Buffalo Prep Scholarship Fund Buffalo Renaissance Foundation Endowment Buffalo Rotary Foundation Fund Buffalo Seminary Alumnae Association Buffalo Seminary Board Designated Investment Fund Buffalo Seminary Brown Funds Buffalo Seminary Core Investment Fund Buffalo Seminary Historic Dollar Value Preservation Fund Buffalo Seminary Carin Wyckoff Phillips ’51 Scholarship Fund Buffalo Together Community Response Fund (BTCRF) Buffalo Yacht Club Fund Build Promise Fund Built to Play Fund Joseph E. Buran Music Fund Burtsell-Steuernagel Memorial Fund Michael R. Butler & Glenys Maschoff Butler Fund Walter L. Byram Bequest Callan Family Scholarship Fund Christopher Callan Memorial Scholarship Fund Calpin Family Fund Jerry and Liz Canada Fund Elizabeth J. Cappella Birthday Trust

Cappuccino Family Foundation Career Aspiration Scholarship Fund Cargill Scholarship Fund Gustaf & Sigrid Carlson Memorial Fund Margaret E. Carnahan Bequest Edna L. Carroll Trust Mary B. Cassata Library Studies and Information Department Scholarship Fund S. J. Cassata and Mary B. Cassata Communication Department Scholarship Fund S. J. Cassata Memorial Scholarship Fund at Depew High School Jerry and Barbara Castiglia Family Fund Amico Castiglione Charitable Fund Leonard M. Castrianno Scholarship Fund Keith Celniker Memorial Fund Philip & Joyce Celniker Family Fund Centennial Changing Needs Endowment Fund Center for Elder Law and Justice Fund Center for the Study of Art, Architecture, History and Nature Fund Eldon H. Chaddock Bequest Robert J. Chambers, Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund R. Mark Chandley Scholarship Fund Clifford C. Chapman Memorial Fund

Dr. Norman Chassin Endowment Fund Irwin H. Cheskin Fund Child Care Resource Network Children's Programming & Resources Endowment Fund Willis E. Chilson Memorial Fund Mark Chowaniec Memorial Fund Russell C. Christ Jr. Fund William & Ida Christie Fund for Music Mary & Robert Chur Healthcare Scholarship Fund Frances G. Churchill Bequest Fund f.b.o. the Churchill Memorial United Methodist Church Helen Anderson Cobb Bequest Velma C. Cobb Scholarship Fund The Ilka Cohn Fund The Ilka Cohn Health Fund Colligan Family Fund Bronson & Margaret Collins Scholarship Fund Joanne and Franklyn Collins Fund Michael Collins and Kathleen O'Leary Charitable Fund James and Judith Collord Fund Communities of Giving Legacy Initiative Endowment Fund Community Impact Fund Community Owned Resiliency and Empowerment (CORE) Fund Community Services Support Foundation Conable Family Foundation Fund

Angela Y. Coniglio Memorial Scholarship Fund Mildred Bork Conners & Joseph E. Conners Fund Mildred Bork Conners & Joseph E. Conners Scholarship Owen D. Connolly Flex Fund Gerhard A. & Lura L. Cook Educational Fund Cook Family Foundation Sonja H. & Carlton P. Cooke Jr. Fund Joseph & Bernadette S. Corcoran Fund Peter C. Cornell Trust for WNY Russell E. Corser Fund Kathryn R. Cottrell Scholarship Fund Cox-Conant Fund Joan B. and James L. Crane, Jr. Fund Beuline Crawford Bequest Gary M. Crosby Endowed Scholarship Fund Betty Crump Fund Wilma T. Csont Fund Jeanette Marie Daigler, Aldine M. Tarbell and Alan T. Karcich Scholarship Fund Damon Family Fund Mason O. Damon Endowment Fund Grace Neff Daniels Memorial Fund Dorothy C. Darlak Memorial Fund Herbert F. & Bertha W. Darling Trust Louis R. Davidson Bequest Ethel M.C. Davis Scholarship Fund

↑ In December, Aaron Hord, Director of Project Play WNY, met in Ellicottville

with school and organization leaders for a brainstorming session to explore the potential opportunity to innovatively serve more kids during out-of-school time in areas between Olean and Holland, N.Y. Pictured, from left: Nicholas Silvaroli, Superintendent of Schools, Pioneer Central; Don Putnam, Superintendent of Schools, Franklinville; Brian Tavernier, Executive Director, Boys & Girls Club of Holland; Eric Lawton, Superintendent of Schools, Holland Central; Amy Santiago, Boys & Girls Clubs Collaborative of WNY; Tracy Bradshaw, Boys & Girls Clubs Collaborative of WNY; Carlos Gildemeister, Superintendent of Schools, Cuba-Rushford; Aaron Hord, Director, Project Play WNY; and Jeff Townsend, Chief Executive Officer, YMCA of the Twin Tiers. Not pictured: Dr. Genelle Morris, Superintendent of Schools, Olean.

Madeline Davis LGBT Archives Endowment Fund The D-B Trust Eaton Deabold Scholarship Fund Deaconess Hospital Nurses Alumni Fund James and Ethel DeAmesy Fund Decillis Family Philanthropic Fund

Clotilde Perez-Bode Dedecker & Adrian F. Dedecker III Centennial Endowment Clotilde Perez-Bode Dedecker Change Maker Fund Clotilde Perez-Bode Dedecker Say Yes Forever Fund Dedrick Family Foundation Eugene A. DeFelice, M.D. & Maryanne Harvey Fund Elizabeth Deichman Fund

Elizabeth Deichman Fund f.b.o. Buffalo Animal Shelter DeLaVergne Family Fund M. Dolores Denman Fund for Community Needs Heather J. DePaolo-Johnny Memorial Fund DePerno Family Fund Derby Fund Detwiler Family Changing Needs Fund 49

ALL FUNDS

Paul P. Dosberg University of Pennsylvania Scholarship CONT. Paul P. Dosberg Charitable Fund – Endowed Virginia Deuel Memorial Fund Paul P. Dosberg Charitable Fund – Non-Endowed Loraine Altro Dietz Scholarship Fund Francis P. Douglas Alfred H. & Irene N. Dobrak Trust Memorial Fund Henry and Constance Drew David Donald Fund Foundation for Children Holly Augspurger Jerome Dreyfuss Donaldson Fund Scholarship Fund Dopkins Philanthropic Fund Peter Dominik, Helen & Paul Stu & Nancy Leon Drumsta Memorial Fund Dorfman Foundation Charles G. Duffy Jr. and Virginia Jeffrey T. and Leahy Duffy Scholarship Fund Jeanne R. Dorn Fund

↑ In January, the Community Foundation joined three other

community foundations from across New York State to host the National Day of Racial Healing. Hundreds of guests joined virtually and heard from bestselling author Heather McGhee (pictured above, right) about the devastating true cost of racism – not just for people of color, but for everyone.

Participants also heard from Hon. Rose H. Sconiers, Chair, Greater Buffalo Racial Equity Roundtable; and Felicia Beard, Associate Vice President, Racial Equity Initiatives at the Community Foundation. Felicia is pictured above, left, as she moderates the question and answer portion of the event.

50

Drs. Bonita R. & Henry J. Durand Fund Eagan Family Endowment Fund East Side Collaborative Fund East Side Parks Fund Eastern Niagara Fund Ross & Mary Alice Eckert Fund Mary Alice and Ross Jay Eckert Fund Dr. Kenneth H. Sr. & Marjorie B. Eckhert Fund Economic Self-Sufficiency Endowment Fund Eden Community Foundation EHS, Inc. Reserve Fund Darwin E. & Evelyn E. Ellis Fund Pauline Ellis Scholarship Fund Marjorie & Mary Louise Emerson Bequest Christine Holly Emery Scholarship Fund Esther Link Emig Fund Empire of America Federal Savings Bank Scholarship Fund Barbara Ennis Endowment Fund Erie County SPCA Fund Herman G. & Emma A. Ernst Fund Herman G. and Emma A. Ernst Fund for Catholic Charities Josephine & Michael Ervolina Charitable Fund Evans Bank Foundation Fund Everywoman Legacy Fagin Family Foundation Fair Buffalo Fund The Evelyn Falk Fund for the North Collins School District

Derek Falkenbach Scholarship Fund Family Promise of WNY Endowment Fund FANA Adoption Support Fund FANA Scholarship Fund Emmons B. Farrar Scholarship Fund June Farrington Fund Ruth E. Farrington Bequest Worth L. Farrington Fund The Celia Lipton Farris & Victor W. Farris Foundation Home Community Fund Victor W. Farris Textbook Scholarship Fund Theodore S. Fassett Memorial Fund Paul S. Feinstein Scholarship Fund David R. Fendrick Theatre Fund Peter J. Ferraro Memorial Fund Edward A. & Stephanie E. Fial Fund Robert J. and Martha B. Fierle Scholarship Fund Anne Catt Filer Fund First Niagara Foundation in Partnership with Key Bank for WNY Impact Investment Fund Fischle – Laesser Endowment Fund Fischle Scholarship Fund Fischle-Swartney Scholarship Fund Fisher Family Fund Daniel C. and Beatrice M. Fisher Fund George Byron Fisher Fund

Burt Flickinger Jr. Leadership Fund Doris L. Flierl Trust G&W Follies Scholarship Fund George & Lydia Richards Form Endowment Fund Frank S. Fosdick Scholarship Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies Fund M. Florence Fraley Fund in memory of her son, George K. Fraley, Jr. The Philip Frandina Scholarship Fund Harriet Frank Scholarship Fund Fay & Fred Friedman Family Foundation Fund Friends of Night People Endowment Fund Marjorie D. Frink Scholarship Fund Fund for the Arts Fund for the Environment The Fund for Nature Future Growth Fund Fuzak Family/Joan M. & Victor T. Fuzak Fund Galbraith Family Fund Sean P. Galliher Jr. Scholarship Fund Kelly Diane Galloway Legacy Fund William Paul Ganley Scholarship Fund Elizabeth Crosby Gardner Fund Garman Family Foundation Richard and Patricia Garman Endowment for Lutheran Organizations

Richard and Patricia Garman Endowment for Outdoor and Environmental Education Richard and Patricia Garman Scholarship for East Aurora Union Free High School Helen S. Garms Bequest Gateway – Longview Future Fund Gelman-Koessler Foundation Eleanor M. and Willard A. Genrich Scholarship Fund George Family Foundation Joseph G. Giambra Legacy Fund J. Giles Foundation The Anthony H. and Richard E. Gioia Fund Robert and Sally Gioia Fund The Gisel Family Fund GLYS WNY Gold Fund Peter Gold & Athalie Joy Fund Norman Goldfarb Award Fund Nathan Goldin Research Fund Dena Goldstein Memorial Scholarship Fund Gondree Family Fund The Lillian Lewandowski Gondree Scholarship Fund Diane J. Goodberry Memorial Scholarship Fund William F. Goodson Bequest Josephine Goodyear Foundation The Gow School Contingency Fund The Gow School Fund The Gow School Unrestricted Fund

Grace Foundation Graham-Kucera Philanthropic Fund Joanne Champion Granger Fund Grassroots Gardens Legal Defense Fund Grassroots Gardens J. Milton Zeckhauser Memorial Fund Graycliff Conservancy Endowment Great Lakes United Endowment Fund Greater Buffalo Alumnae Panhellenic Scholarship Fund Greater Buffalo Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Fund The Wilbert H. Green Jr. Charitable Fund Greene Family Fund The Gregory Family Fund Grelick Family Foundation Marion V. Grimes Fund Elmer P. Groben Memorial Fund Thekla R. Groben Bequest Gronk Nation Youth Foundation Dr. Alan J. Gross Dental Student Fund Gross Family Fund Gordon R. & Gretchen S. Gross Family Fund Lou and Marv Gross Memorial Fund Grosvenor Society Endowment Fund Seth Grosvenor Book and Material Endowment Fund G. R. S. Fund Joan Willard Gruen Philanthropic Fund

Lillian M. Gruener Business Education Scholarship Fund William J.C. & Louise Grupp Memorial Fund Ray and Doris Guenter Scholarship Fund Sam and Cherie Gullo Foundation Charles & Marion Hahn Fund Joan Hetzelt Hanifin Memorial Fund Rae A. Hanigan Memorial Fund Leonard L. & Blanche F. Hank Fund Andrew C. Hansen Scholarship Fund Daphne Hare Fund Harvard Summer Community Service Fund Harvey Family Fund Dominik Hasek Sports & Scholarship Fund Hawk Creek Foundation Fund HealthNow Healthy Living Endowment Fund HealthNow Healthy Living Fund Healthy Community Alliance William J. & Frieda H. Heckelman Memorial Fund Leo J. Winter & Marie R. Winter Heim Fund Leo J. Winter & Marie R. Winter Heim Fund II Ilene N. Hein Fund Loren Hendrix Memorial Award William Hengerer Company Fund Herbst-Miller Family Fund Heritage Christian Services – Anne Wolf Quality of Life Fund

The information the Community Foundation sends on a continual basis helps us understand what’s going on and where the needs are. I wanted to be involved with an organization that services Western New York. This is where I grew up. This is where I went to school, and this is where I want to share because all the context and all the education I had was here in Buffalo, and I think that they’re deserving of receiving back what they gave to me.

— Lillian and Howard Gondree 51

ALL FUNDS CONT.

Margaret Bierl Herr Memorial Fund Jean Bernecky Hess Fund Herbert A. Hickman Fund Mildred T. Hill Fund Harry S. Hilliker Bequest Hispanic Heritage Council's Ralph R. Hernandez Bilingual Education Scholarship Hispanic Women's League Endowment Fund Historic & Architectural Landmarks Endowment Fund Carolynne Schutz Hoddick Memorial Campership Fund Katharine Pingrey Hopkins Memorial Scholarship Fund L. Nelson Hopkins Jr. Family Fund L. Nelson Hopkins, Jr. and Jane D. Hopkins Designated Advised Fund The Mary Lou Hopkins Fund The John R. Hotchkin Memorial Endowment Fund The Houston Family Fund Marie S. and Frederic K. Houston Fund Dr. Irene Hu and Ronald Chang Scholarship Fund Jayne & Phil Hubbell Foundation Margaret Huffman Scholarship Fund Martin R. Hughson Memorial Fund Hull House Foundation 52

Geoffrey Hull Memorial Scholarship John Hulley & Elizabeth Rydzynski-Hulley Fund Hulley WNY Changing Needs Fund Isabel R. Hunt Bequest H. Reed Hunt Fund W. Russell Hurd Legacy Fund Hurwitz-Kucera Fund Hutch-Tech Alumni Scholarship Fund Nick Iannarelli Memorial Fund Increasing Racial & Ethnic Equity Endowment Fund Industrial Educational Fund Ingleside Home Memorial Fund Theresa Elizabeth Insana Memorial Scholarship Fund International Association of Administrative Professionals Scholarship Fund Mariann Inzinna Camp Good Days & Special Times Fund Mariann Inzinna Extra Mile Fund Irish Classical Theatre Company Fund Bill and Jean Irr Family Foundation Irsch Fund Jackson Family Fund Jacobs Endowment Fund The Jacobs Foundation Grover & Isabel James Fund Jankowski Family Fund Jewish Heritage Day School of Buffalo Fund A. Wesley Johns Fund (as established in the Will of June B. Johns)

D. Bruce and Gail Johnstone Fund Gail Johnstone Community Leadership Fund A. David & Heather M. Jones Advisory Fund Blanche B. Joseph Trust Jacob G. Joseph Bequest Jacob G. Joseph Bequest (Camp) Jacob G. Joseph Bequest – Jewish Federation The Joy Family Foundation The William and Anne Joyce Fund Junior League of Buffalo 1919 Fund Just Buffalo Literary Center Legacy Fund Kenneth R. Kahn & Linda Angert Kahn Fund Linda Angert Kahn & Kenneth R. Kahn Fund Peter G. Karamanos II Scholarship Fund Nellie Karlak Scholarship Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Karsten Scholarship Fund Ruth M. Keeney Bequest Howard Kellogg Trust Kensington High School Alumni Association Fund George and Nancy Kent Endowment Fund Jenna Kern Memorial Scholarship Fund Kevin Guest House Endowment Fund C. Taylor Kew Memorial Fund KeyBank Inclusive Economy Fund Ahmed & Farhana Khan Fund

We feel very confident that our funds at the Community Foundation are safe and secure and are being used wisely.

— Elizabeth and John Angelbeck

James William Kideney & Isabel Houck Kideney Fund Donald E. Killingbeck Memorial Fund Louise Kimberly Bequest Ralph Kimberly Bequest Kinerk Family Fund Barbara King & Marion Mabee Memorial Fund Jane B. Kinkead Community Service Fund Alfred H. & Emma M. Kirchhofer Fund Kirchner Family Fund

Kirchner Family Scholarship Fund Kittinger Family Fund Kiwanis Club of Kensington Fund Klein Family Foundation Klein Family Philanthropic Fund Kleinhans Music Hall Endowment Fund Albert J. Klinck Memorial Funds Bruce Klonsky Psychology Scholarship Fund Klonsky-Vedovato Social Justice Scholarship Fund

Charles M. Knapp Educational Memorial Fund Florence L. Knorl Memorial Kensington High School Scholarship Fund Howard J. Knorl Scholarship Fund The Seymour H. Knox Foundation John T. and Carol V. Kociela Endowment John and Byron Koekkoek Endowment for Fair Housing Education John and Byron Koekkoek Fund for Fair Housing Education Madeline A. Kraft Bequest Leslie Shuman Kramer Lion of Judah Endowment Kreher Family Fund Howard G. Kreiner Bequest Krieger Family Fund Albert P. & Maryon C. Krueger Fund Kruger Endowment Fund Kucera – Graham Family Foundation L414 Children's Memorial Fund Columbus McKinnon Herbert P. Ladds Jr. Scholarship Fund Allen & Lillian Laese Memorial Fund Allen & Lillian Laese Scholarship Fund The LaFalce Foundation Lafayette High School Scholarship Fund Dr. Harry G. LaForge Bequest Laird Family Foundation

Raymond and Maryann Laks Foundation Harry H. Lang, Jr. Staff Scholarship Fund Langley Family Fund Frank P. Langley Jr. Fund Edith Haake Lankler Scholarship Janet K. Larkin & John D. Larkin III Fund Wilfred and Joan Larson Fund Albert H. Laub Bequest Robert and Tammy Laughlin Fund Howard C. Laverack Bequest Lawley Insurance Scholarship Fund Edmond & Margaretha Lawrence Fund Lead Poisoning Prevention Fund Leadership Buffalo Legacy Fund David & Marie Leamy Endowed Fund Legacy II Fund Hubert George & Alice Shyne Leising Fund Sally S. Lenahan Bequest Edward H. Letchworth Bequest Edward H. Letchworth Memorial Fund Mrs. Rosemary LoDestro Lett Memorial Fund Lewis Family Fund Angelo and Barbara Liberatore Family Fund Library Foundation of Buffalo & Erie County Anonymous Donor Endowment Fund

Library Foundation of Buffalo & Erie County, Inc. Fund Library Foundation of Buffalo & Erie County, Inc Permanent Endowment Fund Life Storage Foundation For A Better WNY Olga Murray Lindberg – National League of American Pen Women Scholarship Fund Lions Blind & Charity Fund Andrée and Joel Lippes The Stanford and Judith C. Lipsey Capital Endowment Fund Stanford Lipsey Fund L.K.P. Trust Lockport Public Library Endowment Fund Lockport Public Library Endowment Fund – Andrews Fund Locust Street Art Classes Forever Foundation Phillip C. and Josephine R. Saglibene-Lombardo Endowment Fund Jo Ann Long Charitable Fund William F. Long Fund William and Janet Long Fund Long Pond Fund Maria M. Love Endowment Fund Maria M. Love Long-Term Fund George and Teresa Lukis Family Fund Edward P. Lupfer Memorial Scholarship Lutheran Charities of Western New York Endowment Fund

↓ In 2023, the Community Foundation team

participated in several community events that promote a vibrant and equitable Greater Buffalo region where every individual thrives.

Juneteenth Parade

Puerto Rican and Hispanic Day Parade

Day of Caring

53

ALL FUNDS

Mabel Mason Fund Katherine "Kat" Massey CONT. Memorial Scholarship Fund The Mathews Family Fund Lutheran Foundation Arlene & Ruth Mathews Fund of Western New York The Maverick Foundation Endowment Fund Raymond F. May, M.D. Sam Lux Fund Memorial Scholarship Fund Katherine & John McBride Veterinary MacDonald Foundation Scholarship Fund Norman E. Mack II Fund Belton & Mabel McCarley The Maclay Family Foundation Scholarship Fund R & J Magavern Fund Lilla B. McCready Bequest Samuel D. Magavern Fund The Michael J. McDermid Make a Difference – Exemplary Citizenship Fund UB MSW Scholarship for the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site Foundation Antoinette Malanowicz Fund for Cancer Research Heather A. McGowan Scholarship Fund Anthony D. Mancinelli Fund Horace L. Mann Memorial Fund Frank and Donna McGuire Fund Jean "Gigi" McKeown The MaK Foundation Community Service Julia W. Marks Fund Endowment Fund Marie A. Marshall Fund Stephen C. McKinney Martin House Endowment Fund Scholarship Fund

Grace Fallon & Rapier Hayden McMenamy Fund Arthur J., Alice M. & Dr. James McMullen Memorial Fund The Marilyn Gohr McTaggart Reveal Fund Barbara T. Meech & Robert B. Meech Fund Joseph and Riva Mehr Fund Robert H. & Rita Meier Memorial Scholarship Fund Leonard and Lillian Meiselman Legacy Fund Melson Fund Frank Mesiah Family Legacy Fund Ida M. Mevius Bequest MIBBS Fund Middlebury Historical Society Fund Benjamin Milak Memorial Scholarship Fund Military & Veterans Fund Thomas and Jennie Militello Family Foundation

↑ The Community Foundation celebrated the retirement of Kate Masiello, who served as Senior Director, Client Relations, for nearly 20 years.

54

Dr. Gustave P. Milkey & Janet B. Milkey Fund Alice Greger Miller Memorial Fund Lloyd A. Miller Scholarship Fund Susan & Richard Minekime Family Fund Sperry W. Miner Bequest Amos J. & Leigh Hunt Minkel Memorial Student Fund Minority Bar Foundation Fund Marcella & Felix Mioducki Fund Mitchell Family Philanthropic Fund The MJA Wildlife Fund MJH Fund Edward H. Moeller Scholarship Fund Mildred Moffat Bequest Carol and Carl Montante Fund Thomas R. Modd Memorial Fund Albertine K. Moran Fund Richard H. Morse Fund Mothers' Club of Buffalo Scholarship Fund MPZ Endowment Fund The Michael E. and Lorrie Chamberlain Munschauer Centennial Fund Dr. Carol A. Munschauer Charitable Foundation Sarah & Richard Munschauer Fund Muto Charitable Fund The Myszka Family Foundation Nativity Fund NativityMiguel Middle School of Buffalo Fund NativityMiguel Middle School of Buffalo Scholarship Fund

Henry M., Patricia A. & Mary Brainard Naylon Bequest Robert B. Newcomb Trust Jon Newman Memorial Scholarship Fund The NFJC of WNY Fund Niagara Area Foundation Endowment Fund Niagara Education Foundation Fund Fund for Niagara Hospice Niagara Relicensing Environmental Coalition Fund The Rosa L. and LaMarr Norman, Sr. Education Fund Normandy Fund Robert and Marion North Fund North Park Lutheran Church Fund NTHS Alliance for Higher Education & Development Fund NYS Opportunity Grant Fund NYSUT Memorial Scholarship Fund for the Buffalo Victims and Families The O’Neil-White Family Fund The John R. Oishei Foundation Scholarship Program Fund Nathalie Hawthorne Olena Bequest Elsie & Eugene Oliver Memorial Scholarship Trust Mary Louise Olmsted Fund O’Loughlin Charitable Fund Open4 Fund Open Key Fund Operation Dinner Out Fund Orchard Park Lions Club Trust Fund Orchard Park Public Library Endowment Fund

Robert Oristaglio Humanitarian Award Pearl B. & J. Lawrence Osborne Memorial Fund Our Lady of Lebanon Fund James R. Owen Scholar/ Athlete Cross Country Award Scholarship The Park School Foundation of Buffalo Patricia L. Parkinson Scholarship Fund Vivian E. Pater Memorial Scholarship Donald A. Pause Fund Lois and Thomas Pause Charitable Fund Norma & Samuel Payne Fund Gretchen Rand Penney Bequest The Ralph F. Peo Fund People Inc. Foundation Endowment Fund People Inc. Foundation Support Fund The Perelandra Fund J. Warren Perry & Charles Donald Perry Memorial Trust Michael J. Perry Scholarship Fund Pet Emergency Endowment Fund Hanna Peters Trust Norma E. Pfeifer Fund PFLAG Buffalo/Niagara Endowment Fund Albert & Mildred Pfrender Bequest Phillips Lytle Foundation Alexander & Irene Phillips Scholarship Fund

Pickburn Memorial Fund for Wildlife Frederick S. & Phyllis W. Pierce Family Fund Pieroni Greco Family Fund Pinto Foundation Fund Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York Fund Polish Arts Club of Buffalo Endowment Fund Benny J. Polizzi Memorial Award Fund Edwin Polokoff Fund Georgina Polokoff Fund Braman Pomeroy Trust Horace B. Pomeroy Fund Edgar F. Pope Scholarship Fund Positive Youth Development Philanthropic Fund David C. Prahler Baseball Scholarship Susan Harvey Prentis Fund Preservation Buffalo Niagara, Inc. Fund Professional Engineers Fund Providence Farm Collective Farmer Directed Endowment Fund P.U.N.T. Pediatric Cancer Collaborative Fund: Helping Hands and Ultimate Compassion David and Molly Quackenbush Fund Lawrence Quinn Fund Marnie Currie Quinones Scholarship Fund Mary A. Hodson & Josephine E. Radziwon Memorial Scholarship Fund Raina Family Fund

Elizabeth A. Rambo Bequest George F. Rand Bequest Mr. & Mrs. George F. Rand Memorial Fund George F. & Isabel W. Rand Memorial Fund Rare Book and Special Collections Endowment Fund Gregory K. Raynor Memorial Fund Read to Succeed Buffalo Endowment Fund Reed Family Fund Gerald F. and Karen Reger Centennial Changing Needs Endowment Gerald F. and Karen Reger Family Foundation Douglas L. Rehlaender Trust Reilly Family Foundation Patrick Reilly Foundation Ruth B. Reinhardt Memorial Scholarship Fund Eugene T. Reville Memorial Scholarship Fund Charles Elbert Rhodes Scholarship Bequest Molly & Luke Rich Mental Health Fund Sara B. Richmond Scholarship Fund Mr. & Mrs. Raymond J. Riefler Memorial Fund Mr. & Mrs. Raymond J. Riefler Scholarship Fund Riester Collins Family Foundation Mary N. Riggs Library Fund Casimiro D. Rodriguez Sr. Legacy Fund Charles and Alice Rolland Scholarship Fund

↑ In August, CGLI network partners met at the Community

Foundation for an opportunity to share ideas about how to engage with trailblazing youth of color in Western New York and continue moving the CGLI’s mission forward.

Alexandra and Michael Romanczuk Endowment Fund Arthur H. & Olga M. Rosche Environmental Education Fund The Sylvia L. Rosen Philanthropic Fund Ross Family Fund Elizabeth Pierce Olmsted Ross Fund Natalie Kubera Roth Fund Natalie Kubera Roth Fund for the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Margaret M. and Robert T. Rougeux Scholarship Fund Andrew J. Rudnick Fund Rudzinski Family Foundation Jane Ruff Memorial Fund Rumsey Fund The Rung Family Foundation

Rupp Scholarship Award Fund Rural Outreach Center (ROC) Michael W. Russell Fund The Nelson Russell Memorial Fund C. Gordon Ryther Memorial Scholarship Fund Axel Sack Memorial Fund Salem UCC Endowment Fund Salem UCC Reserves Fund John P. Samson Memorial Fund Sandstone Trust Howard T. Saperston Sr. Trust Philip S. Savage Trust Savarino Community Investment Fund Estelle Sawyer Writing Award Say Yes Buffalo Endowment Fund 55

ALL FUNDS

Jacob F. and Wilma S. Schoellkopf Trust CONT. J.F. Schoellkopf Jr. Bequest J.F. Schoellkopf IV Say Yes Buffalo Memorial Fund Scholarship Distribution Fund Judith Abbott Schoellkopf Fund Carmelo A. and Lynn L. Judith Abbott Schoellkopf Scaccia Fund Memorial Fund C. Edgar & Roberta S. Walter H. Schoellkopf Schabacker Trust Memorial Fund Scharf-Van Heusen Fund Laura C. Scholl Memorial Fund Mr. and Mrs. George Albert G. Schuele Schaumleffel Scholarship Fund Scholarship Fund Alan and Michele (Albert), Maude & Marion Scheff Family Fund Schuele Memorial Fund Hy & Marjorie Scheff Albert, Maude, & (Marion) Foundation Schuele Memorial Fund Stuart Scheff and Lori Morreale The Schultz Family Fund Philanthropic Fund S & J Schwartz Fund Edward C. Schlenker Trust Richard G. Schwind & Rhoda Harley J. & Alice M. Robertson Schwind Fund Schlieder Scholarship D. Sinclair Scott & Ruth and Darwin Schmitt Fund Dorothy Doane Scott Fund Schneider Family Fund Judge Hugh B. Scott Norman A. Schoell Charitable Legacy Fund Fdtn Inc. Philanthropic Dr. & Mrs. Roy E. Seibel Scholarship Fund Philanthropic Fund Norman A. Schoell Melba & Richard Seibold Fund Scholarship Fund Irene Klingener Selover Fund Alfred H. Schoellkopf-Elizabeth Pierce Olmsted, M.D. Center for Albert R. & Alma E. Shadle Endowment Fund the Visually Impaired Alfred H. Schoellkopf-Roswell Park Shakespeare in Delaware Park Forever Free Fund Emmie F. Schoellkopf Fund Shakespeare in Delaware Jacob F. Schoellkopf-Jefferson Park Forever Free Fund – Penn Fund Board Restricted The Jacob F. Schoellkopf Trust Brenda Kurtz Shelton & for the University of Buffalo Harry C. Shelton Fund Jacob F. & Wilma S. Sherwood Family Fund Schoellkopf Foundation Fund

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↑ In May, the Wyoming Foundation, a division of the Community Foundation, and the

Allegany County Area Foundation hosted a special event at the Humphrey Nature Center at Letchworth State Park called Impact Toolkit: A Key to Successful Capacity Building for Rural Nonprofits. Dozens of nonprofit representatives across Allegany and Wyoming counties were in attendance to learn about various capacity-building topics, such as grantmaking/grant writing, strategic planning and building a board.

Pictured here, from left: Megan Sommerfeldt, Director, Gift Planning, Community Foundation; Laura Dawidowicz, Director, Client Relations, Community Foundation; Tracy Sawicki, Workshop Facilitator; Bruce Campbell, Executive Director, Allegany Area Foundation; Scott Garder, Chair, Wyoming Foundation; and Darren Penoyer, Director, Community Impact, Community Foundation.

Bernard and Carolyn Shilt Scholarship Fund Shoemaker Family Foundation Amy & Ken Shuman Fund Bernard & Estelle Siegel Fund Sigma Alpha Nu Scholarship Fund Leonard S. Sikora Scholarship Fund Silver Lake Institute Fund Audrey and Lawrence Silverstein Foundation Marjorie Joyce Simmons Memorial Medical Fund Simon Family Foundation

The Thomas K. Singer Charitable Trust H. William and Mary B. Sippel Fund Michele Sirianni Resident Education Fund SJM3 Fund Joe & Brett Ski Scholarship Fund Dr. Barnett A. Slepian Memorial Fund Edna Foster Smith Bequest Gretchen L. & A. Warren Smith Jr. Changing Needs Fund

A. Warren Smith Jr. & Gretchen L. Smith Fund Harris N. Snyder Fund Society of Financial Service Professionals Buffalo Chapter Endowment Fund The Somers Foundation Christina M. Sonne Fund Elizabeth & Mary June Sonnenberg Scholarship Fund South Buffalo Community Association Robert G. Sr. & Loretta L. Spampata Fund for Education Special Fund #7

Dr. Ralph and Lynn Sperrazza Family Scholarship Herman Spiegel & Amanda Spiegel Memorial Fund Janet M. Sporleder Scholarship Fund St. John Baptist Church Fund Janina B. Staniewicz Scholarship Fund Barbara C. Stanikunas Scholarship Fund Ronald A. Stanke Foundation Lucie M. Stanton Memorial Trust Lucie M. Stanton Scholarship Fund Ellsworth M. Statler Trust Rosemarie C. Steeb Endowment Fund Lee Ann Steiner / James A. Bourne Fund Daunt & Irene Stenzel Scholarship Fund The E.W. Dann Stevens Perpetual Endowment Fund Charles E. Stewart Memorial Fund Charles F. Stewart Scholarship Fund Grace & Francis Stewart Humanities Scholarship Evelyn Stiem Fund The Stockton Family Changing Needs Fund The Stockton Family Fund Mr. & Mrs. Franz T. Stone Trust Jacklin B. Stopp Bequest Morton & Joan Stovroff Children's Programming Endowment Fund Malcolm Strachan Bequest

Daniel W. Streeter Memorial Fund Ralph W. & Jane P. Strobel Memorial Fund Mark E. Strome Scholarship Fund Studio Arena Theatre School Fund Adele W. & Francis X. Sturner Trust Judy Summer Library Endowment Fund Supporting Softball & Baseball on the East Side Fund Sustainable Use Fund of WNY John P. & Lorraine Altwater Sutkus Charitable Fund Swain Family Fund Thomas Swan Fund Swanson Community Fund Joseph & Loretta Swart Fund Evelyn Swarts Fund Catherine Swerdloff Bequest Walter P. Sy, M.D. Scholarship Fund Richard C.R. Taggesell Fund Diann R. Takens Endowment Fund The Talboys Family Fund Peter G. Taylor Endowment Ambassador Paul D. Taylor ’56 Scholarship Fund Cecil J. Terwilliger Scholarship Fund Edna M. Theobald Trust William F. Thiel Trust Richard E. Thoma, DVM Endowment Fund Richard E. Thoma, DVM Small Animal Clinical Sciences Fund

Richard E. Thoma, DVM Unrestricted Fund Lisa Georger Thompson Memorial Fund Tifft Nature Preserve Fund Stephen W. Tilton Bequest Fund Richard Tobe and Susan B. Tobe Donor Advised Fund Tobin/Filvaroff Family Endowment Robin & Sharon Tomasula Foundation Margaret & Glenn Tome Scholarship Fund City of Tonawanda Library Endowment Fund Tops Friendly Markets Art & Music Scholarship Jim Y. and Emilia M. Tou Foundation Elinor Townsend Trust Ethel Vick Wallace Townsend Memorial Fund Townson Family Foundation Eleanor R. Treiber Art Scholarship Fund Trinity Episcopal Church of Buffalo Fund Trocaire College Endowment Fund Turin Fund Dr. Clarence A. Tyler Scholarship Fund Jim & Donna Tyrpak Family Fund United Fund of Orleans County United Way of Buffalo & Erie County Endowment United Way Human Services Fund

Urban Christian Ministries Fund Marjorie and Charles Van Arsdale Family Fund Marjorie Z. Van Arsdale Fund William L. Van Schoonhoven Fund Blanch H. Van Valkenburgh Scholarship Fund Variety Club Foundation Fund Gertrude Angert Victor Child Development Fund Amy J. Vilz Fund James W. Vogel Memorial Scholarship Fund Vogt Family Foundation Vogt Family Foundation Fund for WNY Frederick A. Vogt Scholarship Fund Wadsworth Fund The James and Michal Wadsworth Fund

Wagner Family Fund Carol G. Wagner Fund for Historic Research & Preservation Norman F. Walawender Fund Aaron Matthew Waldeck Scholarship Fund Elizabeth DeWees Walker Scholarship Fund Helen V. Walker Bequest William B. Walsh Trust Fund Kuang Mei Wang Fund Margaret M. Ward Bequest The Ward Family Fund Ware Charitable Fund Dr. Paul L. Warner Memorial Chemistry Award Edward and Kathleen Warnke Foundation Eileen and Rupert Warren Charitable Fund

↑ In August, the 21st Century Fund, a giving circle open to

anyone who wants to give back in Western New York, hosted a Summer Social for current and prospective members.

During the event, guests heard a brief update about the fund and about its two most recent grantees, FeedMore WNY and Mercy Flight Inc. Pictured here are 21st Century Fund Steering Committee members, from left: Jayne Rand, Carolyn Human, Ted Borowiak and Michele Schmidt.

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ALL FUNDS CONT.

With all of the ongoing changes in the philanthropy sector, keeping abreast of regulations and requirements can be a full-time job. Evans Bank has found the Community Foundation to be extremely helpful in allowing us to fulfill our philanthropic goals. We can focus on the intent of our giving and on the beneficiaries themselves and less on bureaucracy.

— Kathleen Rizzo Young

58

Warsaw Cemetery Nevinger Fund Watson Billings Family Foundation Frieda W. Waugh Memorial Fund Frieda W. Waugh Memorial Student Fund Monica M. Weidenbach Memorial Scholarship Fund Gary Weidman Fund The Weiss Family Fund Bernard D. Welt & Ida Z. Welt Fund Western New York Land Conservancy Endowment Fund Western New York Rural Area Health Education Center Fund Western New York Rural Area Health Education Center – Scholarship Fund Spc. Blake D. Whipple Memorial Award Spc. Blake D. Whipple Memorial Scholarship Charlotte Potter Whitcher Trust Alyne D. White Bequest Fern J. White & Neva A. Jackling Scholarship Fund Fred H. & Lorene L. White Fund Betty Ball Wilder Fund William and Betty Wilder Scholarship Fund Dorothy Barrow Wilding Fund James Wilding Fund

Walter Wiles Charitable Fund Henrietta M. Wiley Bequest Arthur Wilk Bequest Michael and Constance Wilk Endowed Fund Wilson Free Library Forever Friends Endowment Fund Mary Wilson Girls Golf Endowment Fund Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation Endowment Fund for the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Wish Gift program to benefit Hunter's Hope Foundation Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation Explore and More Endowed Fund Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation Fund to benefit Western New York Amateur Football Alliance Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation Inclusive Arts & Culture Initiative Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Fund for Caregivers Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Fund for Community Assets Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Fund for the Community Foundation Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Fund for Design and Access Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Fund for Youth Sports Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Park Endowment Fund Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Trails Endowment for Western New York Ralph Wilson Park Conservancy Tom and Diana Witkowski Endowment Fund

WNY COVID-19 Community Response Fund – Moving Forward Together WNY MEET Fund WNY Women's Foundation Dick Wohler Hutch-Tech Professional Engineering Scholarship Woike-Ganga Family Foundation Paul Wojtaszek Scholarship Fund Genevieve Wojtusiak Fund Polly Rumsey Wolfe Fund Wyoming County Medical & Nursing Scholarships Wyoming Foundation Endowment Fund Wyoming Free Library Fund Lucinda Yang Scholarship Fund YMCA Buffalo Niagara Agency Endowment Fund Youngstown Free Library Foundation YouthTime YWCA of Niagara Fund YWCA of Niagara Ruth N. Downes Fund for Domestic Violence YWCA of Niagara Munk/Human Memorial Scholarship Trust David Zapfel Charitable Fund Virginia Ziebarth Fund Gustav & Grete M. Zimmer Bequest Laurette Zwelling Fund

AND These individuals contributed $1,000 or more in 2023.

Anonymous (9) African American Veterans Monument Committee Inc. Allegany County Area Foundation Mr. James and Mrs. Kristin Allen American Arbitration Association, Inc American Endowment Foundation Mr. Stuart and Mrs. Joyce Angert Mr. Richard Arena, Sr., and Mrs. Anne Sweeney-Arena Mr. Stephen C. and Mrs. Eleanor C. Ash Dr. Fred Atkins and Mrs. Mary Ervolina Mr. Peter and Mrs. Kimberly Augustine The Cameron and Jane Baird Foundation Mr. Teo and Mrs. Jennifer Balbach Bank of America Charitable Foundation

Allene C. Barans BASF Corporation Ms. Melissa Baumgart Henry & Susan Beamer Benevity Community Impact Bennett Alumni Association, Inc. Mr. Robert Bernecky Ms. Barbara Billings Neal Mr. Robert Bojdak and Ms. Sarah Williams Dr. Allison Brashear Mr. Keirn C. Brown, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Henry W. Bruner Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills Foundation Buffalo Naval Park Committee Buffalo Prenatal-Perinatal Network, Inc. Buffalo Prep The Buffalo Seminary Build Promise, Inc. Glenys Butler*

Mr. Dan and Mrs. Jill Byles-Smith Mr. Thomas and Mrs. Patricia Calpin The Annie E. Casey Foundation David J. Colligan, Esq. Collins Foundation Mr. Michael Collins and Dr. Kathleen O'Leary Community Resources for Justice, Inc. Dr. Elizabeth B. Conant* Mr. Angelo F. Coniglio and Ms. Angela Y. Coniglio The Cravens Foundation Ms. C. Elizabeth Crump Ms. Laurie Dann and Mr. Tom C. Hunt Deaconess Alumnae Association Adrian F. & Clotilde Perez-Bode Dedecker Paul and Eden Dedrick Charitable Lead Annuity Trust

↑ In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, Betsy Constantine, President/CEO of the Community Foundation, joined other community leaders at the Michigan Street Baptist Church for an exciting announcement about the next phase of renovations at this historic Buffalo church.

For more than 20 years, the Community Foundation has supported the Michigan Street Baptist Church and the African American Heritage Corridor.

59

2023 CONTRIBUTORS AND FUNDING PARTNERS CONT.

Delaware North Companies, Inc. Ms. Mary Lou Detwiler Ms. Bridget Dolan Mr. Donald Dudley and Ms. Janet Currie Dr. Bonita Durand East Aurora Union Free School District Mr. Ross Eckert Eden Community Foundation, Inc.

Mr. Michael Eichler and Ms. Patricia Libby Erie-Niagara Chapter of the NYS Society of Professional Engineers Mrs. Ann Marie Ervolina Ms. Susan Ervolina Mrs. Joan Ess Kevin and Jennifer Ess Kim & Robert Ess Donor Advised Fund Ethan Allen of WNY

Evans Bank, N.A. Dr. Marshall and Mrs. Gail Fagin Families of FANA-WNY, Inc. The Celia Lipton & Victor W. Farris Foundation Ms. Mary Ferguson Robert J. & Martha B. Fierle Foundation Mr. Steven Finch Robert Fink Five Star Bank Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies The Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies c/o Michael Cohen Fund Mr. Kenneth and Mrs. Donna Franasiak

Mr. Lawrence and Mrs. Deborah Franco Joseph and Anna Gartner Foundation Mr. Scott W. Gehl Mr. Timothy R. George Mr. and Mrs. William G. Gisel, Jr. M. McCormack Gisel and W. Gisel Family Foundation Mr. Peter Gold and Dr. Athalie Joy Dr. Samuel Goodloe, Jr. The Gow School Joe Graham Susan Graham Revocable Trust Graycliff Conservancy, Inc. Greene Family Trust

Marion V. Grimes Mrs. Gretchen Gross* Ms. Amy Habib Rittling Heritage Christian Services Foundation Hispanic Heritage Council of WNY, Inc. HITS Foundation Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME) Mrs. Marie S. Houston Mr. Philip H. Hubbell W. Russell Hurd Isabel R. Hunt* Irr Supply Centers, Inc. Ms. Evette L. Jackson

← As an initiative of the Greater Buffalo Racial Equity Roundtable, the Youth Employment Coalition (YEC) was developed to create a coordinated approach for youth ages 16–24 to access career pathways leading to family-sustaining jobs.

To further this work, a collaborative application was submitted to the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration Youth Systems Building Academy, and the Buffalo team was one of only 10 Workforce Investment Boards selected into the Academy.

A cross-sector team of YEC members traveled to Washington, D.C., for the first convening in early 2023.

The Buffalo team is pictured here, from left: Kate Sarata, Executive Director, The Service Collaborative of WNY; Jacqueline Hall, LMSW, Executive Director, Buffalo & Erie County Workforce Investment Board, Inc.; Maria Whyte, Chief Community Impact Officer/Chief of Staff, Community Foundation; Karen Rybicki, Erie County 1st Deputy Commissioner – Social Services; and Dixie Farr, Deputy Director of Buffalo Employment & Training Center.

60

↑ In August, the Community Foundation hosted three

information sessions across Western New York for its Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Arts & Culture Initiative grants process, which was open to arts and culture 501(c)(3) organizations with a budget of no more than $2 million in their Fiscal Year 2022.

Pictured above: Yuki Numata Resick, Director of Arts and Culture, Community Foundation, at one of the sessions held at the Buffalo Museum of Science.

Mr. Jeremy and Mrs. Alice Jacobs, Jr. Anne T. Jalali Mr. Thad and Mrs. Cheryl Jankowski Junior League of Buffalo, Inc. Dr. Kenneth R. Kahn Mrs. Linda Kahn Mr. Emil J. Karcich Mrs. Nancy Kent* Kensington High School Alumni Association KeyBank Foundation Mr. Harry H. Lang, Jr.* Mr. Ronald Langfitt Lawley Insurance Inc. Myra S. Lawrence Learfield Communications, LLC Mr. Paul Liberatore

Bruno A. Lombardo M&T Charitable Foundation Mr. Sam Magavern II and Ms. Monica Angle Anthony D. Mancinelli* Martin House Restoration Corporation Ruth Mathews Mr. Gerard and Mrs. Barb Mazurkiewicz Ms. Jean McKeown Ms. Janet Meiselman John K. Metzger Mid-America Football Officials Association Elizabeth S. Mitchell Revocable Trust Mrs. Kathleen Modd* Michael & Lorrie Munschauer

Mrs. Kathleen Murray Mrs. Rosanne Muto Mr. Kenneth and Mrs. Mary Jane Myszka Kenneth Myszka Charitable Lead Annuity Trust National Grid USA Service Company, Inc. NativityMiguel Middle School of Buffalo Katharine Fleischer Newman Nichols School North Park Lutheran Church Northern Trust Charitable Giving Program at the Chicago Community Foundation Northwest Charitable Foundation Inc. Ohr Temimim The John R. Oishei Foundation James R. Owen* P.U.N.T. Pediatric Cancer Collaborative The Park School of Buffalo Donald A. Pause* Mr. Richard and Mrs. Karen Penfold Katharine C. Pierce Mrs. Priya Pinto Ms. Anne Postyn Providence Farm Collective Corp.

Ms. Alicia A. Quinones Mr. Nagendra and Mrs. Susan Raina Dr. J. Thomas and Mrs. Mary Reagan Rich Family Foundation, Inc. Luis Rodriguez, Jr.

St. John's Evangelical Mr. David Rogers Lutheran Church Alexandra Romanczuk* Dr. Richard A. Stockton, Jr. Theodore Roosevelt Ms. Jacklin B. Stopp* Inaugural Site Foundation Malcolm Strachan* Robert T. Rougeux Memorial Scholarship Fund Dorcas B. Taylor, Ph.D. Ms. Jeanne Rougeux Mr. Samuel Tilton Dr. Andrew J. Rudnick Town of Warsaw Rural Outreach Center, Inc. Mrs. Patricia Tufillaro Salem United Church of Christ, United Way of Buffalo Tonawanda, New York & Erie County Say Yes Buffalo Scholarship Inc. Mr. George VanArsdale and Ms. Elizabeth Osta Carmelo Scaccia Ms. Marleen Varner Mr. Robert A. Scharf & Dr. Lawrence Van Heusen Mrs. Sandra Vedovato Mr. Alan and Mrs. Michele Scheff Ms. Jeanne Vilz Mr. Jason Scheff John A. and Mary Clare Ward Family Foundation, Inc. Mr. Jake and Mrs. Katie Schneider Nancy & Don Ware The Norman A. Schoell Nancy and Donald Ware Charitable Foundation, Inc. Charitable Fund Drs. Jeffrey and Susan Schwartz Mr. Peter Weinmann and Mrs. Amelida Ortiz-Weinmann The Mark L. Serventi Family Foundation Mr. Steven and Mrs. Ellen Weiss Shakespeare in Delaware Park, Inc. Mr. Christopher Wende Arthur M. Sherwood Western New York Foundation Revocable Trust Arthur Wilk* Karen H. Sherwood Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation Revocable Trust WNY Rural Area Health Mr. Ken and Dr. Amy Shuman Education Center Inc. (R-AHEC) Dr. David and Ms. Elizabeth Woike-Ganga Mrs. Cynthia Silverstein Mr. Charles E. Wright* Ms. Jacqueline Simon Youngstown Free Library Mr. Sheldon K. Smith Mr. Paul Ziebarth Mr. James Sorrentino Spaulding Family Foundation Sportsmen's Americana Music Foundation St. John Baptist Church *Deceased 61

We honor the legacy of Gail Johnstone, a beloved member of the Community Foundation family and a true champion of Western New York, who passed away in late 2023.

Gail served as President/CEO of the Community Foundation from 1997 to 2007.

Gail truly understood the good in people and the power of generosity and community to effect change. She believed in the value of collaborative partnerships and strived to ensure that those who were affected by a particular policy or decision were given a seat at the table.

Gail brought her collaborative methodology for creating community change to new heights when she was chosen to lead The Buffalo Foundation. She immediately got to work developing a plan to restructure the institution, which was one of the oldest community foundations in the 62

nation and the first community foundation ever established in New York State. Gail understood that charitably minded people could accomplish much more together than they ever could separately, and she set about transforming The Buffalo Foundation into what would soon become a model for the nation. Her tenure also included leading the charge to adopt a new, more modern and descriptive name for the Foundation and in 1998, The Buffalo Foundation became the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo.

During the decade that Gail led the Community Foundation, she oversaw the completion of a transformational strategic plan, assets more than doubled, and more new funds were opened than had been established during the Foundation’s first 78 years. She co-founded the WNY Women’s Fund, which eventually evolved into the WNY Women’s Foundation; convened the Black Philanthropy Initiative, which grew into

the Communities of Giving Legacy Initiative; and helped launch the 21st Century Fund.

When Gail retired, the Gail Johnstone Community Leadership Fund was established at the Community Foundation to support the changing needs of Western New York, in her name, forever. After her passing, the Community Foundation Board made a significant contribution to her fund in recognition of her numerous inspiring contributions to the Community Foundation and to Western New York.

We will remember Gail for her genuine warmth, her visionary outlook and her ability to welcome everyone into our work.

Her impact will continue to be felt for many generations to come.

TAMARA O. ALSACE, PH.D.

JENNIFER CHALMERS BALBACH

MELISSA BAUMGART

DAVID J. BLESY

BONITA R. DURAND, PH.D.

STEVE FINCH

LAWRENCE C. FRANCO, ESQ.

DOTTIE GALLAGHER

ALLEN “PETE” GRUM

OWEN HERNE, ESQ.

ALICE JACOBS, J.D.

CHERYL A. JANKOWSKI

JEFFREY H. KATZ, ESQ.

ALEX MONTANTE

HAL D. PAYNE

AMY HABIB RITTLING, ESQ.

LUIS RODRIGUEZ

HON. ROSE H. SCONIERS, CHAIR

JOHN F. SOMERS

NANCY WARE

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. PARK – BUFFALO, NY

THIS ANNUAL REPORT WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY

CFGB.ORG