Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo

On September 26, The Service Collaborative of WNY, Inc. held its 9th annual Champions of Service Awards, awarding the Community Foundation its Community Leader award for its work in the area of youth workforce development.   Maria Whyte, Chief Community Impact Officer and Chief of Staff, and Rich Fleurant, Program Officer, accepted this meaningful award on behalf of the Community Foundation.

Last call for applications, Niagara County! Process closes Friday, October 4, 2024, at 4 p.m. The Niagara Area Foundation is committed to strengthening Niagara County by addressing critical needs to improve lives. In 2024, the Niagara Area Foundation will consider any submitted applications that have maximum positive impact on Niagara County and that align with one of the Council’s two goals: - Youth 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. Click the link for more information: https://lnkd.in/gykdisNS

Located on the corner of Niagara and Hudson Streets on the Hispanic Heritage District on Buffalo’s West Side is the future site of the Hispanic Heritage Cultural Institute. Encompassing approximately 38,000 square feet on three floors, the institute— the first of its kind in Upstate New York— will be a place to celebrate Hispanic arts and culture and will serve as an "economic engine" for the community. A vision of the Hispanic Heritage Council of WNY Inc., the space will include a museum, art gallery, café, gift shop, performing arts theater, activities space, a broadcast media center, learning labs and more. To support the longevity of the Hispanic Heritage Cultural Institute, the Hispanic Heritage Council established the Casimiro D. Rodriguez Sr. Legacy Fund, named after its founder and President, at the Community Foundation in 2023. Through this fund, the Hispanic Heritage Cultural Institute will be a welcoming space for the entire community to meet, learn and rejoice, for many generations to come.

"The best part of my job is to have the opportunity to hear the good in everyone and their visions for what they want for the future and to bring people together to create that common vision and change.” Get to know Betsy Constantine a little better in this Q&A from Buffalo Business First. Our President/CEO talks about building a team, gives advice to her younger self and even shares something that only her family knows! https://lnkd.in/gJkXYvEW

The Community Foundation team regularly participates in Lunch and Learns to hear highlights of colleagues’ work. Recently, the Project Play WNY team hosted and shared updates on their extensive efforts to ensure all children have access to sport, regardless of zip code. As an added bonus, the team was joined by Heidi Suffoletto MD, FACEP, a board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician and a member of Project Play WNY's Advisory Council, who gave a brief and important lesson on hands-only CPR. The team was highly engaged in this valuable learning opportunity!

It's hard to believe that five years ago today, we celebrated The Centennials, and 100 years of connecting people, ideas and resources to improve lives in Western New York! Click here to learn more about how we marked that momentous occasion: https://lnkd.in/gM49TTx Were you there? If so, share your favorite memory in the comments!

The Community Foundation team envisions a vibrant and equitable Greater Buffalo region where every individual thrives. Over the weekend, team members Jean McKeown and Betsy Constantine participated in the Out of the Darkness American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Walk in honor of Jean’s beloved nephew, Patrick. The walk, in which those affected by suicide and those who support them participate, raises awareness and funds to send a message that suicide can be prevented and that no one is alone.

“Our story is about carrying out the charitable legacy our parents and grandparents built, which is why we have chosen to give through the Community Foundation,” reflects the third generation of the Hahn family. For the Hahns, generosity has come naturally for generations. “Giving is in our blood,” is how they describe the legacy of giving that has been instilled in them. Their grandfather, Charles Hahn, was born in 1903 and came from humble beginnings. He married Marion Sattler, whose father founded Sattler’s Department Store in Buffalo. Charles took over the day-to-day operations of Sattler’s, which, at its peak, employed 800 people. He was known to his employees as being a very generous man, rewarding their hard work with sizeable bonuses. Marion passed away in 1963, and Charles continued to share his time, talent and treasure, eventually establishing the Hahn Family Foundation in 1970, with the help of his son Jack, an attorney, and his daughter-in-law, Anne. Jack was a graduate of both Princeton University and Harvard Law School. He was involved in many community and philanthropic organizations in and around Western New York, and was especially passionate about the arts. Anne brought a deep connection to the environment, and sought ways to support efforts focused on ecology. Through the Hahn Family Foundation, they supported causes that were most important to the family, including the arts and the environment. After Anne passed away in 1998, and Jack in 2014, their children wanted to continue to honor their family’s legacy by focusing more on giving and less on the required administrative aspects of managing the Hahn Family Foundation. They turned to the Community Foundation to alleviate the administrative burden. “We sleep well because we know that the Community Foundation is taking care of dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s while we are taking care of the causes important to us,” they said. While they remain committed to supporting the environment and the arts through these challenging times, they also appreciate the Community Foundation’s dedication to understanding the needs in Western New York, whether new or those exacerbated by the pandemic, and its dedication to finding solutions. “The Community Foundation has been around for a long time,” noted the Hahns. “We know the Community Foundation and we trust them to carry out our charitable wishes.”

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month! Every year from September 15 to October 15, communities come together to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in recognition of the many contributions to the history and culture of the United States the Hispanic and Latino/a/x people have made. Starting with the day of Independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, the month-long celebration aims to bring awareness and education of the impact, strides and achievements that continue to shift and add value to our communities across America.

Last call for applications! The Daniel C. and Beatrice M. Fisher Fund grant process closes Friday, September 20, 2024, at 4 p.m. Dr. Daniel C. Fisher and Beatrice M. Fisher were longtime residents of Clarence Center who married in the summer of 1925, the same year Dr. Fisher opened his medical practice in Clarence Center. Dr. and Mrs. Fisher both contributed time and resources to the social, professional and civic nonprofits of Western New York with a particular focus on the Town of Clarence, and chose to carry on their legacy of giving, after their lifetimes, through the Community Foundation. Through their Will, the Fishers created the Daniel C. and Beatrice M. Fisher Fund at the Community Foundation. As a result, funding is distributed annually through a competitive grants cycle, open to nonprofit organizations located in or serving people in the Town of Clarence and will support public educational, charitable, recreational, conservation, cultural, or benevolent uses and purposes as may benefit persons living in the Town of Clarence. Applications due by Friday, September 20, 2024, at 4 p.m. Click the link for more information: https://lnkd.in/g_EjeyrM