Compiled by writer Stephan Yablonski
There are 13,402 private foundations in New York state, according to Cause IQ, a Seattle company that tracks nonprofit organizations nationwide. Combined, these New York private foundations employ 5,317 people, earn more than $20 billion in revenue each year, and have assets of $200 billion.
In Syracuse alone, the Cause IQ states that there are nearly 200 nonprofit organizations. They hold assets estimated at $15 billion.
A glimpse at some CNY foundations:
Allyn Family Foundation Inc
11 Fennell St., Skaneateles
315-685-5059
The foundation is committed to a collaborative partnership with organizations and the community to build a responsible and vibrant Central New York
Giving primarily to improve the quality of life in Central New York. Emphasis placed upon health, human services, education and youth and families.
Assets have increased to more than $132 million.
With the increase in the foundation’s assets, the foundation changed its name from the Allyn Foundation to the Allyn Family Foundation.
The Upstate Foundation
5784 Widewaters Parkway, Syracuse
315-464-4416
The Upstate Foundation is a public charity dedicated to improving the health of the communities it serves through support of patient care, education, scientific research and community health and well-being.
The foundation was founded in 1976 as a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation to receive and administer gifts and bequests for charitable purposes with a focus on patient care, education, scientific research and community health and well-being. A public charity with the ability to make distributions to any qualified nonprofit organization, the Upstate Foundation’s primary orientation is supporting the mission of Upstate Medical University.
The Upstate Foundation offers donor-advised funds and is licensed to issue charitable gift annuities in New York and Florida.
The foundation is largely self-supporting with the assets it manages totaling more than $260 million.
Gifford Foundation
126 N. Salina St., suite 310, Syracuse
315-474-2489
Through initiatives, grantmaking and community engagement, The Gifford Foundation directs its support with intentionality to meet organizations and individuals where they are and assist them in attaining their stated goals through capacity building.
Rosamond Gifford was born in 1873, the daughter of Syracuse’s district attorney. After a brief unhappy marriage she took back the Gifford name and moved to Boston to study and teach the harp. She returned to Syracuse permanently in 1913 to care for her father in his fading years. In 1929 she moved to a farm on Oneida Lake, spending her remaining years in relative seclusion and only occasionally coming to Syracuse to visit her advisers.
Since 2007, the foundation has become known in the community for its initiatives, community engagement and convening skills. The board feels strongly that the staff is as important a resource as the grant funds and as such they have a highly skilled, highly engaged group that spends as much time out of the office, meeting with organizations, coalitions and neighborhood residents, as it does reviewing proposals.
The William G Pomeroy Foundation
492 E Brighton Ave, Syracuse
315-913-4060
The William G. Pomeroy Foundation is committed to supporting the celebration and preservation of community history and to raising awareness, supporting research and improving the quality of care for patients and their families who are facing a blood cancer diagnosis — and working to improve the probability of finding appropriate donor matches or other life-saving treatments for blood cancer patients.
Its mission began in 2005 when founder and trustee Bill Pomeroy was fighting acute myeloid leukemia and his survival was in doubt. Ultimately, he was matched with a donor and received a lifesaving stem cell transplant. He felt that, should he survive, he would help others in a similar situation. The idea became the genesis for the foundation’s first initiative: to diversify the bone marrow donor registry so that anyone, from any ethnic background, can find a matched donor.
Their other initiative is helping people to celebrate their community’s history. They meet this by providing grants to obtain signage in the form of roadside markers and plaques. Since 2005, the foundation has funded more than 2,400 signs across the United States, all the way to Alaska. It has grown to offer six signature marker grant programs in addition to marker programs funded through partnerships with nonprofit, municipal and academic organizations.
Fred L Emerson Foundation Inc.
5654 S. Street Road, Auburn
315-253-9621
The foundation gives to private colleges and universities, community funds and a library; grants are also designed for youth and social service agencies and cultural programs.
John Ben Snow Foundation & Memorial Trust
131 W. Seneca St., suite B, #215, Manlius
315-632-2559
The mission of the John Ben Snow Foundation & Memorial Trust is to make grants within specific geographic regions of the United States across a range of programs with a focus on closing the opportunity gap for individuals who are under-resourced.
For more than 70 years, it has partnered with local and regional nonprofits to invest in individuals, shape the community and drive positive change for future generations.
The John Ben Snow Foundation & Memorial Trust is pro-active in seeking grant proposals from qualifying 501(c)(3) organizations. Additionally, it accepts unsolicited proposals from qualifying organizations. An initial letter of inquiry must be submitted via the online grant application system.
The foundation was established in 1948 by John Ben Snow and continues to operate under the terms of its original charter. The present board includes persons of diverse occupational backgrounds and geographic areas. The foundation focuses funding for tax-exempt organizations serving Central New York (defined as Onondaga County and its four surrounding counties of Cayuga, Cortland, Madison and Oswego) across a range of program areas. The board meets once a year, usually in June, to approve new grants and review previously funded projects.
The board and program staff seeks to collaboratively create proposals within specific grant programs while responding to the changing needs of targeted populations — especially seek to close the opportunity gap for individuals who are under-resourced.
Oswego County Community Foundation
c/o Central New York Community Foundation, 431 E. Fayette St., Syracuse
315-422-9538
Email: OswegoGrants@cnycf.org
The Oswego County Community Foundation is a geographically specific fund administered by the Central New York Community Foundation.
This philanthropic initiative serves as a collection of gifts from many donors who are committed to preserving and enhancing the quality of life for residents of Oswego County through a permanent charitable endowment.
Grants are awarded annually to aid vital programs in the fields of arts and culture, environment and animals, education, human services, health and civic affairs.
Oswego County Sportsmen’s Foundation
116 County Route 40, Mexico
315-963-8413
https://oswegocountysportsmensfoundation.com
It serves the sportsmen and conservationist in the pursuit of grants and funding for conservation projects and education
They are a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit “Our goal is to work with you and other like minded groups and individuals to promote, protect and serve our outdoor environment and those that use it, through education and conservation projects,” reads a statement from the organization.
VOW Foundation
1019 County Route. 29, Oswego
315-402-6119
www.vow-foundation.org/about_us
The Victor Orlando Woolson Foundation, Inc. is a public nonprofit 501(c)3 organization created to raise awareness of the dangers of synthetic drugs and bath salts, to advocate for stronger legislation against synthetics for the health and safety of young people and to assist individuals or organizations in advocating for or providing services to the mentally ill, homeless and low income youth in Oswego County.
VOW Foundation is organized to educate about synthetic drugs, addiction and mental health. They educate at health events and community education, outreach, recovery services and harm reduction.
Central New York Community Foundation
431 E. Fayette St., suite 100, Syracuse
315-422-9538
The Central New York Community Foundation is a public charity that turns community dollars into community change. Established in 1927, it receives contributions from donors, manages them to grow over time and then distributes funding to address the region’s greatest needs. The foundation has invested nearly $300 million in community projects that benefit Central New York. It also serves as a civic leader, convener and sponsor of strategic initiatives that foster a thriving and equitable region and address the most critical issues of our time.
The gifts they receive come from those who want to give back to Central New York in some way — either during their lifetimes or as a legacy that carries on after they are gone. They then turn those community dollars into community change — by supporting and mobilizing nonprofit efforts around the region’s most critical needs.
“We envision Central New York as a vibrant community with equal access to opportunity for everyone. Future generations will proudly inherit a hopeful, just region where generosity and collaboration ensure prosperity, well-being and lasting impact,” reads a statement on its site. It has assets in the order of $434 million.
Saint Agatha Foundation
c/o National Philanthropic Trust, 165 Township Line Road, Suite 1200, Jenkintown, Pa. 19046
888-878-7900 • 215-277-3022
The Saint Agatha Foundation provides financial support to breast cancer patients in Onondaga, Cortland, Cayuga, Madison, Oneida, Oswego and Jefferson counties. The city of Syracuse is one of the 10 poorest places in the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Watertown has a 40% poverty rate, compared to 18% in New York state overall.
Over the last decade, the foundation has provided assistance to more than 7,035 breast cancer patients by providing grants in excess of $13.5 million to local hospitals and organizations.
In August, the Saint Agatha Foundation awarded the Oswego Health Foundation with a grant of $75,860 to support the purchase of the most advanced software packages that will reduce appointment and interpretation wait times for patients needing breast imaging.
Farnham Foundation
283 W. Second St., Suite 200, Oswego
315-342-4489
The mission of The Farnham Foundation is to support charitable activities of Farnham Family Services which includes prevention, treatment and recovery support for substance use disorder.
Operation Oswego County Foundation
44 W. Bridge St., Oswego
315-343-1545
www.oswegocounty.org/foundation.php
The Operation Oswego County Foundation exists to educate Oswego County citizens as well as existing and prospective businesses about the economic development services and resources available in order to expand and diversify the economy, thereby enhancing the quality of life in Oswego County. This is accomplished through the implementation of several economic development strategies and initiatives.
James V. Tesoriero Charitable Fund Scholarship
369 Lakeshore Road, Oswego
315-529-5067
https://oswego.academicworks.com/opportunities/4316
James V. Tesoriero was the son of an immigrant muck farmer who started J & K Boiler Company, repairing the coal ships along the shores of Lake Ontario. He grew his company into the mechanical contracting firm J & K Boiler Co. Inc. that helped construct the modern footprint of SUNY Oswego.
Tesoriero was a strong believer in giving back to the community that he served.
This scholarship has been established in memory of James V. Tesoriero through the James V. Tesoriero Charitable Fund to assist SUNY Oswego students from Oswego County who have financial need.
