Community Foundation awards nearly $540K in grants to area nonprofits

SYRACUSE — The Central New York Community Foundation recently announced that it distributed $539,877 in grants to nonprofit organizations in Onondaga and Madison counties through its Community Grantmaking program. 

The initiative funds projects in the areas of arts and culture, civic affairs, education, health, human services, and the environment. The grant recipients are as follows.

• A Tiny Home for Good Syracuse received $35,000 to restore property that will serve as its headquarters.

• Brady Faith Center was allocated $60,000 to create a workforce-development plan for its new apprenticeship program at Brady Market.

• City of Syracuse received $65,000 to support its Lead Abatement Program and launch workforce training and certification for housing-code inspectors.

• Cornell Cooperative Extension of Madison County was provided $65,131 to support its curbside-market program, which is a collaborative of farmers, local nonprofits, and human-service organizations that provides grocery items to Madison County residents.

• David’s Refuge received $27,500 to increase program accessibility, outreach, and increase partnerships with people of color to diversify its client base and staff and decrease racial disparity.

• Everson Museum of Art was allocated $40,500 to hire a full-time grant writer to help increase its fundraising capacity, programming, and inclusion initiatives.

• Fiver Children’s Foundation New York received $10,000 to host diversity, equity, and inclusion assessments, trainings, and community workshops to help with the creation of a strategic plan.

• The Haven at Skanda obtained $25,000 to hire a consultant to create a new strategic plan to promote growth, expansion, and the sustainability of its programming.

• Junior Achievement of Central Upstate NY was provided $15,000 to launch a new youth entrepreneurial program and support its financial-literacy programs for students in Syracuse.

• Museum of Science & Technology Foundation (MOST) was allocated $17,250 to launch a new after-school mentorship program for Black youth that will guide them through career exploration in the areas of science, technology, skilled trades, and manufacturing.

• PGR Foundation received $25,099 to purchase technology equipment and hire tutors for its Back to School Pandemic Preparation Series.

• The Reading League Syracuse obtained $45,000 to produce reading lessons geared toward pre-K-3rd graders that will air on WCNY for students impacted by COVID-19.

• Skaneateles Lake Association received $50,000 to develop an in-person and virtual curriculum for its Emerging Scientists Program that teaches students about watershed science.

• SUNY ESF was allocated $36,070 to conduct a land-restoration project to improve the water quality of Skaneateles Lake.

• Syracuse Children’s Theatre was provided $14,837 to hire a student-success specialist to support students of all abilities so that its arts recreation is inclusive for all children.

• Syracuse Stage was allocated $25,000 to support racial-equity training for its staff and board using artistic projects that highlight the voices of people of color.

• Tomorrow’s Neighborhoods Today received $4,000 to launch a social and digital-media campaign to continue its Lead Poisoning Education and Awareness Project.

• Vesta Community Housing Development obtained $30,000 to purchase a van to safely transport veterans to and from appointments.

• YWCA Syracuse & Onondaga County received $18,500 to host programming for girls ages 5-18 to help build self-resilience, confidence, and set future goals.

The Central New York Community Foundation is a public charity established in 1927. It says it’s the largest charitable foundation in Central New York with assets of nearly $260 million and has invested more than $200 million in community-improvement projects since its inception.