Foundation in Rochester making $50K available to non-profits in Orleans
Letters of intent due by Sept. 29
Press Release, Rochester Area Community Foundation
In an effort to expand and enhance its support for each of the rural counties in its service area, Rochester Area Community Foundation will infuse up to $50,000 in grants to nonprofit organizations helping to improve the quality of life for residents in Orleans County.
This new funding opportunity is part of an intentional strategy by the Community Foundation to increase access to critical services, tackle disparities faced by residents, and bolster services of the nonprofits on the front lines. This effort aligns with the Foundation’s main goals of creating a more equitable community and strengthening our region’s vitality.
“The pot of money is $50,000 for this first round,” said Mary F. Holleran, senior vice president, of communications for the Rochester Area Community Foundation. “How many grants and the amount of each depend on the number of applications. In Wayne County, for example, grants ranged from $1,000 to one for $20,000. In Yates County, one grant was $10,000 and one was for $15,000 and several were smaller.”
The first step in the grant application process is for nonprofits serving Orleans County to submit letters of intent (LOIs), which serve as a brief, initial outline of the need for grant funding. LOIs are now being accepted through the Community Foundation’s online portal at www.racf.org/GrantPortal, which will connect to the Regional Grantmaking 2023-24 Application. Submissions must be made by Sept. 29.
Select applicants whose projects align most closely with the Foundation’s impact areas — poverty, academic achievement, racial equity and understanding, arts and culture, historical preservation, environmental justice, aging — will then be invited to submit full applications for further consideration of funding.
This grant round includes additional funding opportunities for nonprofits serving Orleans, Genesee and Livingston counties. This past summer, additional grant dollars were made available in Wayne and Yates counties, in partnership with the Foundation’s geographic affiliates there. A total of 30 nonprofit organizations serving those two counties received grants.
If a nonprofit has questions about eligibility or the grant portal, please email grants@racf.org.
About Rochester Area Community Foundation: In 1972, a group of local residents founded Rochester Area Community Foundation as an endowment to provide ongoing and long-term support for the Rochester-Finger Lakes region. The Foundation works with individuals, families, businesses, and other nonprofit organizations to establish charitable funds or contribute to existing permanent funds that help address the region’s current and evolving needs. In its first 50 years, the Foundation has distributed more than $674 million in grants and scholarships throughout our region and beyond.
