Philanthropist, author Scott donates $9 million to the Health Foundation for Western & Central New York

“We are so appreciative of this donation from MacKenzie Scott — a landmark moment in our 20 years of service to the community,” Nora OBrien-Suric, president of the Health Foundation, said in a statement. “We all deserve to live in healthy, thriving communities and have the same opportunities for good health. But tackling the system-level causes of unequal health outcomes — including barriers to quality, affordable health care and other social determinants of health — is important and urgent work that warrants significant investment. These funds will bolster our ability to partner with the community in developing and advocating for long-term solutions to the many inequities that drive health disparities.”

HFWCNY serves 16 counties: Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, and Wyoming counties in Western New York, as well as Cayuga, Cortland, Herkimer, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, and Tompkins counties in Central New York. The foundation has offices in both Buffalo and Syracuse.

The Health Foundation’s mission to improve the health of the community has “remained steadfast” since its founding in 2002, but the organization embarked on a “more focused vision” of racial and socioeconomic health equity in early 2020.