Foundation created by SUNY professor and his wife has recently surpassed $20 million in donations
By Stefan Yablonski
The Richard S. Shineman Foundation has been helping to improve the quality of life in Oswego County and Central New York since its inception 2011. It has awarded more than $21 million in grants during this period.
Oswego County Business Magazine recently sat down with Chena Tucker, director of the foundation, to delve into the foundation’s mission and its impactful work in the community.
Established by Richard and Barbara Shineman, the foundation aims to be a “catalyst for change” — a vision deeply shared by its leadership team.
“We have provided more than 750 gifts to more than 189 recipients through various types of grants, including strategic grants, mini-grants and community enrichment grants,” Tucker said.
This significant financial commitment highlights the foundation’s dedication to fostering positive change across Oswego County, she added.
The leadership
Tucker oversees the foundation’s overall direction and management.
Kelly Green, the grant program and event coordinator, manages the grant-awarding process and outreach events.
The foundation is governed by a nine-member board, which makes all final decisions on grant awards.
Tucker explained the foundation’s spending practices, including a mandated 5% payout rule that ensures a portion of the endowment is used annually for grants and operational expenses.
“We do not fundraise; our capital comes solely from investments,” she said. “Our initial investment of $25 million launched the foundation.”
Richard Shineman, a former professor at SUNY Oswego and his wife, Barbara, established the foundation using Richard’s family fortune to effectuate community change.
“Our initial investment of $25 million has grown to $36 million due to prudent investing and strategic grant-making,” Tucker said.
Notably, the foundation made a significant $5 million gift to SUNY Oswego to help build the Richard S. Shineman Center for Science, Engineering and Innovation building and established an endowed chemistry chair and scholarships for local students attending SUNY Oswego.
Budgeting and grant-making
“We provide funding and resources to 501(c)(3) designated nonprofits, municipalities and educational institutions,” Tucker explained. “We believe in the power of collaboration and the necessity of addressing critical issues that impact our community.”
In addition to project-specific funding, the foundation also supports capacity-building grants. These grants empower local nonprofits to collaborate with subject matter experts in key areas such as fund development, board development and volunteer management.
The foundation prepares an annual budget based on previous years’ expenditures, which is approved by the board.
“While we may not always use the full budget, we ensure it aligns with our strategic goals,” Tucker said. “Sometimes we won’t spend the full budget. If we don’t spend the full budget in a given year, those funds continue to stay invested for future allocations.”
The foundation experienced a surge in grant making during 2016-17 as it formalized its operations and gained recognition as a community partner.
Although COVID-19 caused a temporary slowdown, the foundation responded by supporting food pantries and health and human service nonprofits with additional funds and resources.
Addressing food insecurity
One of the foundation’s new strategic focuses is addressing food insecurity in Oswego County.
Tucker highlighted the need for a coordinated approach to this issue, noting that although many organizations provide food-related support — no central entity is leading these efforts.
“Yes, we have funded many programs [dealing with food insecurity] over the years. But there’s no real group that addresses it. There are a lot of groups who have backpack programs and things like that. There are a lot of groups that are working to help make sure kids have food and families can afford good food on their budgets; but they are scattered,” she explained. “The need has increased. We want to understand the scale of the issue in Oswego County — who are the stakeholders, what are the needs, where are the gaps. How do we, as a foundation, move into this focus priority and develop a coalition to address the scale of this problem?
“This year, 2024, is business as usual. In 2025, moving forward, that is where we are looking at how do we develop that budget [with an eye toward food insecurity]. We’re looking at starting a sustained effort; it may take three to five years. We want to do this right.”
The new strategic direction is for 2025 and beyond, she added.
“Children cannot thrive on an empty stomach. Beyond just calories, they need proper nutrition for healthy brain and body development. Despite the valiant efforts of many organizations, schools, food pantries, church groups and everyday residents to provide food for families — gaps remain in those being served and access to ongoing resources continue to be a challenge,” she said. “Oswego County is a rural, agricultural-rich community and we hope to leverage this strength as we explore food security for all.”
The foundation hopes to leverage Oswego County’s agricultural strength to enhance local sustainable food security initiatives.
The COVID-19 pandemic revealed and worsened the vulnerabilities in the food systems, leaving many families in Oswego County struggling to access nutritious food, especially after the pandemic-related safety net programs ended, according to Tucker.
“Through our partnerships and community engagements, we recognized that food insecurity demands immediate and sustained action,” she said. “By prioritizing this issue, we aim to unite resources, expertise and community efforts to ensure food security which means access for all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life.
“Over the next three to five years, we have prioritized addressing food insecurity in Oswego County. We are currently in the exploratory phase of this initiative, focusing on analysis, community focus groups and data collection before supporting specific projects or programs. We want to understand the scale of the issue, identify gaps and build partnerships to address food insecurity long-term. Additionally, in partnership with the LIFT Equity and Advancement Coalition, we have conducted several ‘community conversations’ focused on critical areas such as health equity, early childhood development and transportation, with an upcoming session on substance use disorder. These sessions serve as listening opportunities for community stakeholders to share current happenings in these areas and provide feedback and input.”
Looking ahead
Tucker emphasized the importance of a data-driven approach and collaboration to achieve meaningful change.
“The foundation board is deeply committed to using our funds strategically to ensure we continue making a positive and measurable impact in Oswego County,” she said. “While many critical issues deserve our attention, we believe that addressing food insecurity is a key area where we can build a strong coalition and drive meaningful change. Food insecurity is closely linked to poor health and ensuring food security is essential for the well-being and success of our community members. Recent discussions with stakeholders have underscored a pressing and growing need affecting every Oswego County demographic. We aim to ensure that all people have access to enough nutritious food at all times to lead active, healthy lives.”
There are many ways for community members to get involved right now, whether by volunteering at local food pantries, backpack programs or community gardens or donating to these essential services.
Grant opportunities
The foundation offers three grant categories: strategic grants (more than $7,500), mini-grants ($2,500-$7,500) and community enrichment grants (up to $2,500).
Local organizations interested in applying for funding can find detailed information on eligibility and application procedures at www.shinemanfoundation.org.
Preliminary Zoom meetings can be scheduled to discuss grant proposals and alignment with the foundation’s mission.
“We are committed to making a positive and measurable impact in Oswego County,” Tucker said. “Addressing food insecurity is a crucial step in our strategic direction and we are dedicated to ensuring that all community members have access to the resources they need to thrive.”
Major Grant Beneficiaries
SUNY Oswego leads the list of organizations that have received some of the largest grants from the Shineman Foundation.
“Our largest gift has been $5 million for a Shineman–SUNY Oswego Endowment Fund. SUNY Oswego’s endowment fund played a crucial role in establishing the Richard S. Shineman Center for Science, Engineering and Innovation on campus,” Chena Tucker, the foundation director, said. “In addition, the fund supports the endowed chemistry chair position and the Shineman Scholars program, which provides scholarships for local Oswego County students to attend SUNY Oswego.”
In addition to that:
• More than $500,000 was provided to Oswego Health and a large portion was provided for the Behavioral Health Renewal grant
• $245,000 was provided to OnPoint for College
• More than $400,000 has been provided to support the Children’s Museum of Oswego
• Catholic Charities has received more than $250,000
• Child Advocacy Center has received more than $400,000
• Oswego Renaissance Association has received more than $1.5 million
• Fulton Block Builders has received $1 million
Measuring Success
Chena Tucker, director of the Richard S. Shineman Foundation, said there are several ways to measure the role played by the foundation in the community.
“Our success and impact are intrinsically linked to the achievements of our local nonprofits. By supporting their missions and helping them build capacity, we contribute to their success,” she said. “Currently, we measure our impact through the financial support we provide; the number of organizations we assist and the reach they have in serving their customers and clients.”
What They Are Saying About Shineman Foundation
Interviews by Stefan Yablonski
Quite simply, Fulton Block Builders wouldn’t exist were it not for the Richard S. Shineman Foundation support.
The tag line: “Catalyst for Change” has been demonstrated by the work they support throughout the county. The foundation has been truly transformative. Fulton Block Builders is proud to be highlighted in The Shineman Legacy book by Jeff Rea as one of Barbara’s favorite grants.
Working with Shineman is always a pleasure. They are supportive and extremely helpful throughout the process.
I don’t have all the data for 2024 yet, but — thanks to the Richard S. Shineman Foundation — FBB has awarded 1,385 block challenge grants, supported 67 properties improved by landlords and had 70 homeowners use the historical colors.
Pride Grants thrived in 2023 to bring about age-friendly cultural events, beautification projects, park improvements and church enhancements.
— Linda Eagan, Founder, Fulton Block Builders, Neighbors Reshaping Fulton One Block at a Time
The Shineman Foundation has played a pivotal role in the growth and success of Erin’s Angels. Their support began in 2018 with our first $5,000 grant, which truly catapulted our organization and invigorated our fundraising efforts. This initial grant was instrumental in helping us get to where we are today, providing the resources and confidence needed to expand our impact.
Last year, the Shineman Foundation continued its support with a $6,000 grant to pay for a consultant to conduct a nonprofit life cycles assessment. This kind of assessment is incredibly valuable for a nonprofit, as it evaluates the organization’s current stage in its lifecycle, identifies strengths and areas for improvement and provides a roadmap for future growth and sustainability. The insights gained from this assessment have been critical in guiding our strategic planning and ensuring we continue to evolve effectively.
We discovered the Shineman Foundation through a network of local nonprofits and community resources.
Their reputation for supporting organizations in our area prompted us to reach out. We initially contacted them by visiting their website, where we found detailed information about their grant application process and funding priorities. From there, we submitted a grant proposal, outlining our mission, needs and the potential impact of their support.
Working with the Shineman Foundation has been a positive and collaborative experience. They have been incredibly supportive and communicative throughout the process. Chena Tucker is approachable and genuinely interested in the success of the organizations Shineman funds. She provided clear guidelines and feedback, making the application process straightforward. Once we received the grant, she continued to stay engaged, offering guidance and support as we implemented our projects.
Their commitment to fostering community development and nonprofit growth is evident in every interaction we’ve had with them.
— Sheila Dion, Founder & Director, Erin’s Angels
A Shineman Foundation grant in 2016 enabled us to create a large educational area on our website. Slides, programs and handouts that had been taken to the schools for classroom presentations by our staff educator were digitized and expanded by retired teacher Stacey Pope. The year-long $26,000 grant enabled her to poll grade school and high school teachers in Oswego County, find common themes in their core curriculum and select the lessons that were still relevant.
There were sections on the Underground Railroad and Dr. Mary Walker that were sought. On every topic, she created lesson plans for teachers using primary resource documents and questions for students based on the material. She also copied out decades of historical articles from our publications and put them on the website. She then requested town stories and articles from the town historians and created a section for them. After seven years of use, a new Oswego County Historical website is adapting and refreshing these materials with additional content.
In 2023, the Shineman Foundation gave us a $13,000 grant to start off our fundraiser to safely display Dr. Mary Walker’s Medal of Honor. The society had owned the medal and many other artifacts of Dr. Mary since her family donated them in the 1940s. The Medal of Honor, the only one ever issued to a woman, was considered too valuable to put at risk in a display. It had only been brought out for special occasions under armed guard. The $40,000 fundraising campaign covered a museum-quality, lockable case with acid-free materials, UV filtering glass, passive humidity control and an internal alarm, plus additional museum security, a camera system and some construction to the exhibit room to make it more secure.
A Pomeroy Foundation grant, the Oswego County Legislature and many private and corporate donors took us to our goal and the medal is now on permanent display at the Richardson-Bates House Museum.
We’ve also taken advantage of the free workshops that the Shineman Foundation offers to nonprofit board members on many capacity building topics. We’ve attended such varied trainings as “Understanding NFP Financials,” “Nonprofit Governance” and “Using Social Media Effectively.”
— Mary Kay Stone, President, Oswego County Historical Society
