Search Through Rochester Grants for Nonprofits in New York

Rochester Area Community Foundation

Rochester Area Community Foundation, in partnership with generous philanthropists and community partners, works to improve the quality of life for people who live and work in the eight-county region through its leadership and strategic grant making.

Our Mission: We empower donors and community partners to strengthen our region through philanthropy.

Our Vision: We lead boldly to realize a more equitable, inclusive, and vital region by:

• Encouraging generosity and civic unity;
• Addressing urgent and persistent challenges;
• Engaging donors, nonprofits, and other advocates;
• Escalating strategic responses and resources;
• Elevating broad community voice; and
• Inspiring positive, enduring community change.

Brockport Arts Fund

The purpose of the Brockport Arts Fund is to support performing arts events and public art installations in and around the Village of Brockport for the benefit of residents and visitors.

Rochester Area Community Foundation

The Rochester Area Community Foundation offers a wide range of grant opportunities designed to strengthen communities across the greater Rochester region by supporting programs that advance equity, educational success, economic mobility, and vibrant, inclusive neighborhoods. Through multiple competitive grant cycles, RACF funds nonprofits working in areas such as arts and culture, youth development, education, health and human services, aging, historical preservation, environmental sustainability, and community leadership. Many grant programs prioritize reducing disparities, increasing access to essential resources, and improving the quality of life for underserved populations. Each opportunity has its own guidelines, deadlines, and focus areas, and applicants are encouraged to review program-specific criteria to ensure alignment with the Foundation’s strategic goals.

Brockport Arts Fund (Rochester, 2025)

To support performing arts events and public art installations in and around the Village of Brockport for the benefit of residents and visitors.

Who We Are

The Creag Foundation is a private grant making foundation established in 2009 in Woodinville, Washington.

The founders of the Creag Foundation believe that meaningful change can only be achieved through hard work, creativity and passion. They also understand the practical mechanisms that allow charitable organizations to succeed and grow. As a group, Creag Foundation principals are dedicated to helping today’s most innovative programs improve the human condition in a wide variety of ways.

Our Focus

The broad purpose of the Foundation is to support the efforts of nonprofit organizations who are innovators in the field of human services. Our particular focus is on smaller organizations that are starting out or established organizations that are looking for funding to take their organization in a new direction.

What We Fund

/ What We Fund

The Creag Foundation is focused on innovation in the industry. We will consider proposals from 501(c)(3) organizations that are finding new ways to address societal issues facing the nonprofit community. Applicants must have held 501(c)(3) status for one year before submitting. If your organization has held 501(c)(3) status for over a year, and your believe that your organization has a new approach to an existing social problem or is addressing a previously unaddressed social issue, you are welcome to contact us and request that we consider your organization for a funding opportunity.

Rochester Area Community Foundation

Rochester Area Community Foundation, in partnership with generous philanthropists and community partners, works to improve the quality of life for people who live and work in the eight-county region through its leadership and strategic grantmaking.

Our Mission: We empower donors and community partners to strengthen our region through philanthropy.

Our Vision:  We lead boldly to realize a more equitable, inclusive, and vital region by:

• Encouraging generosity and civic unity;
• Addressing urgent and persistent challenges;
• Engaging donors, nonprofits, and other advocates;
• Escalating strategic responses and resources;
• Elevating broad community voice; and
• Inspiring positive, enduring community change

Glen Miller Grants for Emergency Health Care Costs

Purpose

To benefit financially needy individuals faced with unanticipated and/or emergency health care expenses for which there is no or inadequate health insurance or other reimbursement. Grants will be paid through a nonprofit organization that is working with the family and will report on the use of the grant.

Rapid Response Fund

Our region’s nonprofit community is facing unprecedented challenges, from funding cuts to sudden contract cancellations. The Rapid Response Fund provides urgent, short-term relief grants to help organizations navigate these disruptions and continue offering essential services. This fund is dedicated to addressing immediate needs and ensuring the resilience of nonprofits serving our most vulnerable populations.

Supporting Our Nonprofit Partners in Times of Crisis

As we find ourselves in uncharted territory in 2025, many of our nonprofit partners are facing an unprecedented wave of funding challenges that threaten their ability to provide essential services. At the Greater Rochester Health Foundation, we recognize the urgent need to respond, and we’re stepping forward with a new Rapid Response Fund to help nonprofits navigate these difficult times.

The nonprofit sector is facing drastic funding cuts. These cuts are often sudden, causing disruptions, program cancellations, and concerns about staffing. Without quick action, these challenges could have long-term consequences for the health and wellbeing of our community.

Our Rapid Response Fund is designed to provide short-term financial relief to organizations dealing with the immediate effects of funding reductions. Our goal is to support essential community services and ensure nonprofits can continue their vital work during this critical time. The Rapid Response Fund is not intended to sustain programs impacted by long-term funding cuts.

This fund will help cover:

• Bridge funding while awaiting new or restructured resources
• Costs related to service discontinuation or workforce reductions
• Strategic litigation or community defense efforts
• Transitioning clients to new providers or services
• Costs associated with nonprofit mergers and collaborations to sustain programs

Karpus Family Foundation Grants

Helping people and animals in need through pride in work and education, since 2015. The Karpus Family Foundation, founded by George W. Karpus, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation with an emphasis on helping people and animals in need. Promoting education is also a goal, with the ultimate objective of helping people live a productive life. 

Funding Purposes

• Training and assisting disabled individuals and disabled armed forces veterans to become productive workers and lead productive lives.
• Preventing the abuse to women and children and providing medical and health services to such abused women and children who cannot otherwise afford it.
• Fostering the role of education in preventing community violence and reducing the threat of criminals to society.
• Preventing cruelty to animals and caring of displaced animals; provided, however, that no support shall be provided to medical charities that cause suffering to animals.
• Providing anti-abortion incentives and right to life education to the general Christian/Judeo public.
• Supporting medical institutions that provide leading edge treatment and research.
• Providing educational assistance in the form of grants and scholarships to individuals of a charitable class, provided, however that grants or scholarships shall not be awarded either to individuals who are employed by the Foundation or to the children of individuals who are employed by the Foundation.
• Supporting organizations that promote: sound, conservative economic principals and education, free markets, capitalism, and the United States Constitution.

Rochester Area Community Foundation

Everyone can take action to make our world a more equitable and vital place. Since 1972, Rochester Area Community Foundation has connected donors to the critical needs of our eight-county region, leveraging financial expertise and community knowledge to maximize impact. At the Foundation, donors are partners and every gift is an investment in a better future.

Rochester Area Community Foundation, in partnership with generous philanthropists and community partners, works to improve the quality of life for people who live and work in the eight-county region through its leadership and strategic grantmaking.

Our Mission:

• We empower donors and community partners to strengthen our region through philanthropy.

Our Vision:

• We lead boldly to realize a more equitable, inclusive, and vital region by:
• Encouraging generosity and civic unity;
• Addressing urgent and persistent challenges;
• Engaging donors, nonprofits, and other advocates;
• Escalating strategic responses and resources;
• Elevating broad community voice; and
• Inspiring positive, enduring community change.

Known as the steward of charitable funds and endowments, the Community Foundation connects donors with the region’s current and evolving needs. As a leading grantmaker, the Foundation is focused on two broad goals:

• Creating an Equitable Community: Working to close the academic achievement and opportunity gaps, fostering racial and ethnic understanding and equity, and partnering against poverty to help neighbors in need. 
• Strengthening Our Region’s Vitality: Supporting vibrant and diverse arts and cultural offerings, preserving our region’s rich historical assets, advancing environmental justice and sustainability, and promoting successful aging. 

Kathleen Brenneman Grants for Autism

Kathleen Brenneman Grants for Autism support programs and efforts addressing autism. Eligible for consideration are equipment, books, music programs, camps, or similar programs that directly assist those with autism through early diagnosis and treatment.

The Labcorp Charitable Foundation

We believe every person deserves equitable care and education.

In 2020 Labcorp established a private charitable 501(c)(3) foundation to advance our desire to bring quality healthcare access to all by supporting education and our local communities. 

Common grant opportunities include:

• Supporting food pantries and meal programs
• Providing healthcare and patient services for underserved populations
• Encouraging STEM programming
• Advocating for healthy lifestyles through ongoing medical research and screening

Rochester Area Community Foundation

Rochester Area Community Foundation, in partnership with generous philanthropists and community partners, works to improve the quality of life for people who live and work in the eight-county region through its leadership and strategic grantmaking.

Our Mission: We empower donors and community partners to strengthen our region through philanthropy.

Our Vision: We lead boldly to realize a more equitable, inclusive, and vital region by:

• Encouraging generosity and civic unity;
• Addressing urgent and persistent challenges;
• Engaging donors, nonprofits, and other advocates;
• Escalating strategic responses and resources;
• Elevating broad community voice; and
• Inspiring positive, enduring community change.

My Hands My Voice Fund – Signing for Very Young Children

Purpose

To encourage all very young children and their families, not just those who are deaf or unable to speak, to communicate more effectively through access to signing instruction and support.

Mission

Driven by a philanthropic calling to support marginalized communities throughout the world, the Semnani Family Foundation partners with on-the-ground organizations and leverages its resources in a cost-effective and efficient manner that delivers the maximum benefit.

History

Guided by his grandmother Maliheh’s example and teachings, Khosrow Semnani and his wife Ghazaleh established the Semnani Family Foundation in 1993. The foundation’s first grant was issued through CARE International to an orphanage in Romania that cared for newborns affected by HIV. Over the last few decades, the foundation has continued to build upon its mission to empower the disaffected, partnering with a variety of organizations in different countries who can make the greatest impact.

In addition to its global influence, the Semnani Family Foundation established roots within the state of Utah with the founding of Maliheh Free Clinic in 2005 to provide free healthcare to thousands of uninsured people in the Salt Lake City area.

Where We Work

The Semnani Family Foundation focuses primarily on promoting health, education, and disaster relief for marginalized communities all around the world. Driven by a clear mission to adapt and serve at the global level, we have leveraged our resources to make a meaningful impact in the following countries so far:

• Afghanistan
• Bosnia
• Colombia
• England
• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• Guatemala
• India
• Iran
• Kenya
• Madagascar
• Mali
• Mexico
• Pakistan
• Philippines
• Romania
• Somalia
• South Africa
• Tanzania
• Tonga
• Uganda
• United States
• Yemen

At the heart of the Foundation lies a fervent commitment to human welfare, always prioritizing health and the needs of society’s most vulnerable.

Purpose

In 2016, the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation established the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Fund for Youth Sports at the Community Foundation. The foundations jointly contracted with the Washington, D.C.-based Aspen Institute to produce an independent assessment of the state of play, sports, and recreation for youth in Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Seneca, Wayne, and Yates counties. The report, State of Play: Greater Rochester & The Finger Lakes, is anchored in the belief that all stakeholders will benefit if all children in the region – regardless of zip code or ability – are provided access to quality sports and recreation experiences. 

The report identifies eight strategies (or “plays”) that stakeholders can use to get and keep all youth active through sports and recreation:

• Ask kids what they want;
• Reintroduce free play;
• Encourage sports sampling;
• Revitalize in-town leagues;
• Think small;
• Design for development;
• Train all coaches; and
• Emphasize prevention

A collective process involving the Aspen Institute, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, and the Rochester Youth Sports & Recreation Task Force identified the following values as important for the success and impact of youth sports and recreation programming:

• Clear outcomes;
• Teamwork and collaboration; 
• Innovation; 
• Community-building; and 
• Expanding access to opportunities and resources for youth and families who might otherwise not have such access, particularly in communities that have been under-served.

Grant requests should support youth sports and recreation activities and related, small-scale capital needs such as equipment or field and stadium needs within the designated six counties.

Typical Grant Size

Ranging in size from $5,000 to $25,000. Slightly smaller or larger grants will be considered. Prospective applicants with projects requiring substantially smaller grants are encouraged to partner with other agencies to submit a collaborative application.

Most grants will be for a 12-month duration. Accommodation can be made for projects requiring modest extensions. Multi-year requests will not be considered. 

Ameriprise Financial Grantmaking

At Ameriprise Financial, giving back is deeply rooted in our culture. We’ve initiated positive change in the communities where we live and work for more than 120 years. We believe our community involvement enables us to actively live our values. Through grant making, volunteerism and employee and financial advisor gift matching programs, we support a diverse group of over 6,000 nonprofits across the country.

Focus Areas

Awarding grant dollars to nonprofits is one way we strengthen our communities and help individuals on a path to financial independence. To ensure we're meeting the needs of our communities and making an even greater collective impact, we focus on three key giving areas when awarding grants.

Volunteer engagement is a priority across all focus areas:

The engagement of Ameriprise employees and financial advisors is a critical component of our philanthropy. Whether it’s serving on a nonprofit board, engaging friends, clients and community members in volunteering or providing skills-based support, our relationships with nonprofits go deep. For this reason, we give priority across all focus areas to applications where there is active volunteer engagement of Ameriprise advisors and employees. 

Meeting Basic Needs

At Ameriprise Financial, we help clients achieve financial security and peace of mind. That’s satisfying, meaningful work. We also help the people in our neighborhoods who struggle to meet basic needs such as where their next meal comes from, where they’ll sleep tonight or how they’ll find a higher wage job. We’re here to help them through the three platforms of our Meeting Basic Needs focus area.

Consideration is given to applications addressing the following: 

• Hunger
• Food banks, food shelves and food pantries, daily meal programs or meal services for the homebound
• Hunger-relief programs targeted to meet the special needs of children, ethnic populations or veterans
• Food programs run by nonprofits where hunger is not their sole focus, for example a youth meal program at the YWCA or a backpack program run by a Boys & Girls Club
• Shelter
• Emergency shelter, including youth homelessness
• Transitional housing, permanent supportive housing and efforts to end chronic homelessness
• Housing-first models (programs quickly providing housing and then addressing needed services)
• Achieving and maintaining home ownership, repair and maintenance efforts helping keep seniors, veterans and other populations in their homes 
• Adult Self-Sufficiency: Programs serving adults age 21 and older that help address the following areas:
• Basic hard and soft skills that help adults achieve economic and family stability
• Basic financial and budgeting skills
• Increase employability and wages, including work readiness and job transitions
• Employment of disabled adults

Supporting Community Vitality

We believe communities should be strong, healthy and resilient. We want livable places for all, where neighbors look out for one another, cultural events are well-attended and people pull together in times of crisis and joy. We work to create economic vitality and cultural enrichment through the following areas of focus.

Consideration is given to applications addressing the following: 

• Community Development
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Economic development
• Strengthening and supporting small businesses and nonprofits through technical expertise
• Cultural Enrichment
• Arts education
• Access for underserved populations
• Diverse artists and performances that spark topical community conversations 

Volunteer Driven Causes: Ameriprise employees and financial advisors are outstanding volunteers who serve in teams and also as individuals bringing personal skill-sets to nonprofits. Volunteering is part of the culture at Ameriprise and we are proud to support communities through contributions of both service and financial resources. 

Funding for Volunteer-Driven Causes is determined by current Ameriprise volunteerism. In general, funding is in proportion to the size of the Ameriprise volunteer team supporting a nonprofit. A team may include employees, financial advisors and/or staff or a combination of any Ameriprise volunteers. 

Rochester Area Community Foundation

Rochester Area Community Foundation, in partnership with generous philanthropists and community partners, works to improve the quality of life for people who live and work in the eight-county region through its leadership and strategic grantmaking.

Our Mission: We empower donors and community partners to strengthen our region through philanthropy.

John F. Wegman Fund

Purpose

Concerns of older adults, character-building opportunities for youth, and improved labor/management relations through education or other means.

Established in 1953 by John F. Wegman’s will, this fund addresses “charitable and philanthropic and educational purposes which will make for the welfare of the Rochester and Monroe County community … particularly giving assistance in the case of the aged, whether institutionalized or not, and to character building agencies … and in developing through educational work and otherwise, better relationships between capital and labor.”

Since 1964, the John F. Wegman Fund has focused on “new or experimental programs for a limited period of time.” Membership of the committee established by the will includes members of the Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant faith communities, the United Way of Greater Rochester, and organized labor.

The John F. Wegman Fund is not affiliated with the Wegmans stores or with the Wegman Family Charitable Foundation.

Funding Criteria

The John F. Wegman Fund has limited resources and looks for opportunities to provide small amounts of money that significantly impact community-based programs. Most awards are one-time grants for specific, participant-driven projects. The grant preference is for agencies, projects, and programs that are:

• Small scale
• Start-up
• Innovative (develop or adapt new strategies)
• Participant-driven (based on identified needs of beneficiaries)

Examples of recent awards:

• Concerns for older adults: Funding to support affordable transportation for older adults to health-related appointments.
• Character-building opportunities for youth: Funding to empower at-risk youth through workplace skill development and educating students in a supportive, multi-sensory learning environment so that they all become successful learners.
• Improved labor/management relations: Funding the republishing of the book All These Years of Effort, to more accurately portray the history of Rochester’s central labor unions.

Partnerships

Partnership is elevated as a core organizational value of the Health Foundation. To live this value, we are committed to listening to and collaborating with people across communities, sectors, and across differences, in recognition that we accomplish more together. 

Community Event Fund

The Greater Rochester Health Foundation values the power of community and fundraising events to strengthen connections between nonprofits and the people they serve. Through our Community Event Fund, we support events that promote health equity and advance initiatives in our nine-county region. 

Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation Grant

The mission of the Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation is to improve the well being of residents in Yates and Monroe counties, New York, in particular, the City of Rochester. A central concern is disadvantaged children and families and the neighborhoods in which they live.

The Foundation believes that we can best serve those in need by granting time-limited support to nonprofit organizations with programs or projects that provide access to health care, attend to the needs of young children, assist senior citizens, or help families develop economic security.

The Foundation also looks for programs that:

•  Give people the tools they need to help themselves.
•  Encourage collaboration among agencies and between individuals and agencies.
•  Have measurable outcomes.
•  Make long-term commitments to specific neighborhoods.

Our Mission

Our mission is to continue and further the philanthropic legacy of Gardner Cowles, Jr. and the Cowles family, which includes promotion of education, social justice, health, and the arts.

The Founder

The Cowles Charitable Trust was first established in 1948 by Gardner “Mike” Cowles, Jr. (1903-1985). Born into the Cowles publishing family of Des Moines, Iowa, Mike was the youngest of Gardner Cowles and Florence Call Cowles’ six children. A newspaper editor and publisher by trade, he was committed to his family’s traditions of responsible, public-spirited, and innovative journalism as well as philanthropy. 

The Cowles Charitable Trust supports the arts, education, the advancement of ethical journalism, medical and climate research.

Joseph S. Rippey Charitable Trust

Grants made to charitable organizations in Rochester, NY. 

Program Areas

• Animal Welfare,
• Arts and Culture,
• Civic Activities,
• Community Development,
• Education,
• Environment,
• Human and Social Services,
• Religious,
• Health and Medical Research,
• Scientific

How and Why Giving Back to Communities is Important to O’Reilly

From O’Reilly Auto Parts’ inception, O’Reilly co-founder C.H. “Chub” O’Reilly instilled the culture of maintaining high standards for every endeavor, including the area of building civic pride. With Chub’s good example to guide them, all four of his children adopted a business and family philosophy of “giving back” to the community as the Company grew and prospered. Supporting a large number of charitable organizations in all communities in which we operate has long been a focal point for O’Reilly Auto Parts. In order to make an even greater impact, the O’Reilly Automotive Foundation was established in 2020.

O’Reilly Automotive Foundation, Inc.

Impact

The O’Reilly Automotive Foundation complements O’Reilly Auto Parts’ role as the Friendliest Parts Store in Town. The Foundation serves as an additional conduit to connect with, support, and strengthen the communities in which O’Reilly Auto Parts’ team members and customers live and work. The Foundation continues the philanthropic legacy of the O’Reilly family as dependable community partners, seeking to support critical services in times of need to build stronger communities.

Mission

The O’Reilly Automotive Foundation strives to have a lasting, positive impact in the communities where O’Reilly Auto Parts’ team members and customers live and work by supporting organizations and programs which address issues critical to improving the quality of life for underserved and underrepresented individuals and families. In particular, the Foundation will concentrate its giving in support of organizations and programs addressing economic stability and mobility, workforce development, health and social services, and disaster relief.

Economic Stability and Mobility

Advocating for and endowing programs which provide assistance with issues including hunger, homelessness, and poverty for the economic betterment of the communities in which we operate.

Workforce Development

Promoting programs which aid in workforce readiness, technical training, and literacy, including children’s literacy, to ensure the continuance of an educated society and a capable, innovative workforce.

Health and Social Services

Championing and prioritizing matters of health, including mental and behavioral health, access to basic needs such as medical and dental care for underprivileged communities, and providing funding for organizations focused on childhood development and children’s advocacy as well as care and support for victims of domestic violence.

Disaster Relief

Providing funding and visibility to organizations specializing in providing relief from natural disasters and state of emergency, including providing temporary shelter, food, water, and hygiene or sanitation products to those affected and aiding in cleanup efforts.

Application Requirements

We will consider three principal types of grants:

Project Support Grants support specific projects or programs aligned with our mission. These requests may include some funds earmarked for the overhead costs associated with running a project.

General Operating Support Grants provide limited general operating support for the core operations or organizations whose missions and activities are aligned with our mission. These grants will often help the grantee build organizational, programmatic, and fundraising capacity. Operating support is not intended to help organizations in fiscal crisis. Applicants must have a current strategic or business plan that clearly outlines the organization’s goals and presents a plan for achieving results. Operating support grants must not exceed 15% of an organization’s total agency budget.

Capital Support Grants provide limited support for capital campaigns to fund the acquisition and construction of facilities, existing property renovation, or the purchase of major equipment. The program has a comprehensive approach to funding capital initiatives, which also includes funding for increased program capacity. A feasibility study may be required for capital initiatives to be considered.

Pew Biomedical Scholars 

The Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences provides funding to young investigators of outstanding promise in science relevant to the advancement of human health. The program makes grants to selected academic institutions to support the independent research of outstanding individuals who are in their first few years of their appointment at the assistant professor level.

Based on their performance during their education and training, candidates should demonstrate outstanding promise as contributors in science relevant to human health. Strong proposals will incorporate particularly creative and pioneering approaches to basic, translational, and applied biomedical research. Candidates whose work is based on biomedical principles but who bring in concepts and theories from more diverse fields are encouraged to apply.

Ideas with the potential to produce an unusually high impact are encouraged. Selection of the successful candidates will be based on a detailed description of the work that the applicant proposes to undertake, evaluations of the candidate’s performance, and notable past accomplishments, including honors, awards, and publications. In evaluating the candidates, the National Advisory Committee gives considerable weight to both the project proposal and the researcher, including evidence that the candidate is a successful independent investigator and has the skill set needed to carry out their high-impact proposal.

Funding from the NIH, other government sources, and project grants from nonprofit associations do not pose a conflict with the Pew scholars program.

Funding

The current grant level is $300,000.

An award of $75,000 per year for four years will be provided to the sponsoring institution for use by the scholar, subject to annual review of the scholar’s progress. Grant agreements will be issued in August of the award year. The awarded funds may be used at the discretion of the Pew scholar, for personnel, equipment, supplies, or travel directly related to the scholar's research and as to best advance his or her research and career.

• The amount of the award that may be used for the principal investigator’s salary is limited to $12,500 per year (including benefits) or $50,000 over the duration of the grant. There are no limits on student or postdoctoral salaries.
• Not more than 8 percent ($24,000) of the total award value may be allocated for facilities and administration (F&A) charges or indirect costs (IDCs).
• Should the funds not be immediately required, they may be accumulated and carried over through the grant period and, with written approval of the program office, the grant may receive a no-cost extension for one additional year (without additional funds).
• Subawards are allowed.

During the four-year grant term, program participants are required to attend an annual meeting held in March or April. All eligible expenses for attendees’ travel, lodging, and meals are paid by Pew. The meeting provides Pew scholars with an opportunity to present their research and for scientific collaboration and exchange with other scholars and members of the National Advisory Committee.

Calling to Serve

Since its inception in 2016, the Robinson Foundation has sought to demonstrate God’s love through sharing the gifts we have received. We understand the often unspoken hardships and struggles that people in and outside of our community face everyday. As such, our contributions are focused on relieving these hardships for the betterment of our world.

As a family-operated foundation, we pray that our small efforts will not only create immediate change in the lives of our neighbors, but will help set those lives on a course for success in the future. We are thankful for each and every day we have on this earth to use what God has granted us to make a difference.

Areas of Interest

• Animal Welfare
• Children & Families
• Disaster Relief
• Education
• Medical Assistance
• Nature & Wildlife Conservation
• Poverty Relief
• Religious & Spiritual Endeavors
• Veterans' Issues

Grant Considerations

We take many different aspects of applications into account when making grant issuing decisions, however these are some of the high-level questions we ask ourselves during the process:

• How does the organization serve their key audience goals?
• Is the organization fiscally responsible?
• Will a grant have a tangible, meaningful impact?
• Will we see direct results from this grant?
• Does the organization have other financial contributors?

Centene Charitable Foundation

Successful corporate citizenship happens when companies invest in the local organizations that know their communities best. The Centene Foundation works with our local partners on initiatives that focus on inclusion, the whole person and community development.

Vision

Centene’s purpose is transforming the health of the community, one person at a time. The Centene Foundation is an essential part of how we pursue this purpose. We achieve measurable impact for the communities we serve through partnerships and philanthropy efforts that invest in initiatives with holistic approaches to dismantling barriers to health.

Areas of Focus

Reflecting Centene’s commitment to the needs of those who rely on government-sponsored health care and to addressing social determinants of health and health equity, preference will be given to initiatives in three distinct areas of focus.

• Healthcare Access
• Social Services
• Education

Community Partnership Award

The Mutual of America Foundation Community Partnership Award recognizes outstanding nonprofit organizations in the United States that have shown exemplary leadership by facilitating partnerships with public, private or social sector leaders who are working together as equal partners, not as donors and recipients, to build a cohesive community that serves as a model for collaborating with others for the greater good.

Each year, the Mutual of America Foundation sponsors a national competition in which hundreds of organizations demonstrate the value of their partnership to the communities they serve, their ability to be replicated by others and their capacity to stimulate new approaches to addressing significant social issues.

Six organizations are selected by an independent committee to receive the Community Partnership Award.

• The Thomas J. Moran Award is given to the national award-winning program and includes $100,000 and a documentary video about the program.
• The Frances R. Hesselbein Award is given to a partnership that is addressing social challenges in more than one community, or which demonstrates the potential to be replicated in other communities. This recipient receives $75,000.
• Four other organizations are named Honorable Mention recipients for their programs, and each receives $50,000.

Since its inception in 1996, the Community Partnership Award has recognized 262 partnerships from cities and towns across America. Like so many of our clients working in the nonprofit community, Mutual of America is dedicated to having a direct, positive impact on society.

LGBT Giving Circle Grants

Projects and activities outlined in the grant request need to align with the mission and scope of the Giving Circle, which is to support organizations that serve, are inclusive of, or are allied with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community to enhance and strengthen our region.

The LGBT Giving Circle

The LGBT+ Giving Circle at the Community Foundation was created in 2011 by a group of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals and allies. Through grants from its LGBT Fund for Greater Rochester, the Giving Circle hopes to bridge diversity and cultivate community.

Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation Arts & Culture Initiative

In 2021, the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation established endowment funds at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo to support arts and culture in the eight counties of Western New York, plus Monroe County, in recognition of the key role arts and culture organizations play in a thriving economy.

Since the inception of the Arts & Culture Initiative, the Community Foundation has prioritized community feedback in the creation of this annual funding opportunity. 

The result of this work are three funding opportunities for 2025:

Our Mission

The Hansen Family Foundation provides opportunities to domestic, international, secular, and non-secular organizations that support the American way of life, which is defined by the principles of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” 

Causes

Children

The Hansen Family Foundation supports causes dedicated to helping children both home as well as abroad. Learn More

Education

The Hansen Family Foundation believes that a decent education should be made available to everyone, young or old, the world over. Learn More

Animals

The Hansen Family Foundation believes in helping those who cannot speak on their own behalf. Learn More

Environmental

The Hansen Family Foundation is dedicated to preserving the world we all share. Learn More

Humanitarian

The Hansen Family Foundation views the plight of our fellow man as an opportunity to actively engage and effect change. Learn More

Arts & Culture

The Hansen Family Foundation supports all forms of artistic and cultural endeavors. Learn More

Helping Build Better Futures

Our mission is to deliver great value to our customers every day. For over four decades, our deep commitment to the principles of providing value and caring for others has helped define our culture. It extends beyond the walls of our stores, distribution centers, and offices, and into our local communities around the world. The intersection of these principles defines our global community mission:

Deliver great value to our communities by helping vulnerable families and children access the resources and opportunities they need to build a better future.

Our Social Impact Areas

We bring our community relations mission to life around the world by focusing our giving on four social impact areas where we believe we can have the most impact and are critical to helping families and children succeed and thrive.

Basic Needs

We are passionate about supporting nonprofit organizations that help fill critical basic needs such as a warm meal, clean clothing, and a safe place to sleep for vulnerable families.

Education & Training

Our efforts have focused on quality enrichment and extracurricular programs that provide skills, resources, and opportunities to support school and career success for children, teens, and young adults.

Patient Care & Research

We support organizations that deliver services to families and children facing health challenges and life-threatening illnesses.

Empowering Women

We support programs that provide services ranging from help for those fleeing domestic violence, to others that offer education, training, and job placement resources.