Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo
The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo is a public charity and community foundation established in 1919, making it one of Western New York's largest and oldest grantmakers. Based in Buffalo, the organization holds more than 800 different charitable funds established by individuals, families, nonprofit agencies, and businesses to benefit the region. The foundation serves as a philanthropic intermediary, connecting people, ideas, and resources throughout Western New York.
Key facts about Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo
- EIN
- 22-2743917
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $33,418,104
- Grants made (2024)
- 562
- Average grant
- $59,463
- Median grant
- $23,220
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (150 of 562, 2024)
- Total assets
- $944,045,975
- Primary geography
- New York (88% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- The Community Foundation operates a competitive grants process. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo's 562 itemized 2024 grants were New York (88%). The most frequent recipient cities were Buffalo, NY (253 grants), Williamsville, NY (13 grants), Niagara Falls, NY (13 grants) and New York, NY (12 grants). None of its 562 grants with a stated purpose were described as general or operating support.
Is Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 150 of 562 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $30K; repeat grants $70K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 61% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+2%). Method
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Next steps with Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo
- How to evaluate Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo as a funder
Our grant prospecting guide: read the 990-PF, check fit, and decide whether to apply.
- Draft an LOI to Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo with AI
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- Track this opportunity in a free grant tracker
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Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$944.0M
+7.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$33.4M
+15.5% YoY
Grant Count
562
+13.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$59K
+1.7% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo's mission is to connect people, ideas, and resources in Western New York while improving lives and driving change throughout the community.
The foundation organizes its grantmaking around four Community Goals:
- Racial/Ethnic Equity — promoting civic engagement and leadership
- Education & Economic Mobility — promoting economic mobility through educational achievement, workforce readiness, and access to family-sustaining jobs for residents in low-income households
- Arts and Culture
- Environment
The foundation also administers specialized programs including the Say Yes Buffalo initiative, an education-based economic revitalization effort designed to strengthen the regional workforce and offer education opportunities to urban youth through scholarships for Buffalo public and charter school graduates.
Grantmaking
Grant Range
$10,000 to $100,000+
Review Cycle
is March 6, 2026.
How to Apply
**
Ready to take the next step with Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Community Foundation serves eight counties of Western New York:
- Allegany
- Cattaraugus
- Chautauqua
- Erie
- Genesee
- Niagara
- Orleans
- Wyoming
The foundation works with more than 400 active clients while carrying on the legacies of an additional 500 clients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 562 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets:
- Total assets: $944,045,975 (2024)
- Total assets: $880 million (2023)
Annual Giving & Revenue:
- Annual giving: $33,824,220 (2023)
- Total revenues: $48,658,362 (2024)
- Total expenses: $46,615,540 (2024)
Organization Details:
- Tax-exempt status: 501(c)(3) public charity
- IRS ruling date: February 1, 1987
- EIN: 22-2743917
- Employees: 52 (as of 2024)
Growth Under Current Leadership: Under President/CEO Betsy Constantine's leadership since January 2009, the foundation has grown from $161 million in assets to over $900 million.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $944,045,975 | $880,132,334 | $772,638,253 |
| Revenue | $48,658,362 | $54,971,299 | $56,537,676 |
| Expenses | $46,615,540 | $41,559,311 | $55,052,109 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $12,024,564 | $10,070,619 | $11,392,871 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
2,695 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
17 open opportunities from Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo
21st Century Fund Grants
Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
CFGB Scholarships Grant
Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo
Amount
US $1,000 - US $6,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Community Foundation Competitive Grants
Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo
Amount
US $18,000 - US $20,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Say Yes Buffalo Scholarship Inc ($1,790,661), Research Foundation for the Suny on Behalf of the University at Buffalo ($993,396), Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Society ($946,103).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| SAY YES BUFFALO SCHOLARSHIP INC Buffalo, NY | CHARITABLE SUPPORT. ANY RESTRICTIONS HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATED TO THE GRANTEE. | $1,790,661 |
| RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR THE SUNY ON BEHALF OF THE UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO Buffalo, NY | CHARITABLE SUPPORT. ANY RESTRICTIONS HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATED TO THE GRANTEE. | $993,396 |
| BUFFALO PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA SOCIETY Buffalo, NY | CHARITABLE SUPPORT. ANY RESTRICTIONS HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATED TO THE GRANTEE. | $946,103 |
| OPEN BUFFALO INC Buffalo, NY | CHARITABLE SUPPORT. ANY RESTRICTIONS HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATED TO THE GRANTEE. | $737,000 |
| SERVICE COLLABORATIVE OF WESTERN NEW YORK Buffalo, NY | CHARITABLE SUPPORT. ANY RESTRICTIONS HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATED TO THE GRANTEE. | $621,177 |
| RALPH WILSON PARK CONSERVANCY Buffalo, NY | CHARITABLE SUPPORT. ANY RESTRICTIONS HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATED TO THE GRANTEE. | $590,500 |
| BUFFALO FINE ARTS ACADEMY Buffalo, NY | CHARITABLE SUPPORT. ANY RESTRICTIONS HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATED TO THE GRANTEE. | $589,264 |
| BRYANT & STRATTON COLLEGE Orchard Park, NY | CHARITABLE SUPPORT. ANY RESTRICTIONS HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATED TO THE GRANTEE. | $560,850 |
| BUFFALO SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCES Buffalo, NY | CHARITABLE SUPPORT. ANY RESTRICTIONS HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATED TO THE GRANTEE. | $541,625 |
| MARGARET WOODBURY STRONG MUSEUM (DBA THE STRONG) Rochester, NY | CHARITABLE SUPPORT. ANY RESTRICTIONS HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATED TO THE GRANTEE. | $500,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Betsy Constantine — President and Chief Executive Officer (assumed role in January 2023)
Key Staff:
- Darren Penoyer — Director of Community Impact
- Colleen Becht — Vice President (Finance/Administration)
- Ellen Musialowski — Chief Financial Officer
- Cara Stillman — Vice President, Program
- Emily Wyckoff — Vice President, Giving Strategies
- Ba Zan Lin — Associate Vice President, Community Impact
- Alicia Dziak — Director, Communications
- Megan Sommerfeldt — Senior Director, Gift Planning
- Nora Kennon — Director, Client Relations
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 IRS filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steve Finch | Chair | 5 | — |
| Tamara Alsace PH D | Vice Chair | 4 | — |
| Owen Herne Esq | Secretary | 4 | — |
| Cheryl Jankowski CPA | Treasurer | 4 | — |
| Jennifer Balbach | Director | 3 | — |
| Rosalind Burgun | Director | 3 | — |
| David Blesy CPA | Director | 3 | — |
| Boni R Durand PHD | Director | 3 | — |
| Darby Fishkin | Director | 3 | — |
| Dottie Gallagher | Director | 3 | — |
| Scott Gardner | Director | 3 | — |
| Allen Pete Grum | Director | 3 | — |
| Alice Jacobs JD | Director | 3 | — |
| Jeffrey Katz Esq | Director | 3 | — |
| Alex Montante | Director | 3 | — |
| Jennifer Pauly | Director | 3 | — |
| Hal Payne PH D | Director | 3 | — |
| Luis Rodriguez | Director | 3 | — |
| Rose Sconiers | Director | 3 | — |
| John Somers | Director | 3 | — |
| Nancy Ware | Director | 3 | — |
| Elizabeth Constantine | President/CEO | 55 | $407,000 |
| Ellen Musialowski | CFO | 55 | $211,667 |
| Maria Whyte | Chief Community Impact Off | 50 | $274,546 |
| Cara Matteliano | Senior Director, Policy an | 50 | $169,850 |
| Jean McKeown | Special Advisor to Preside | 25 | $196,700 |
| Myra Lawrence | V.P. Finance | 50 | $204,720 |
| Felicia Beard | Associate Vice President, Re Philanthropy and Stra | 50 | $180,500 |
| Halimah Madyun | Associate Vice President Administrative Operations | 50 | $178,500 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Community Foundation announced that Western New York youth will lead an effort to award more than $2 million in grants to support out-of-school time programs.
Western New York Youth to Lead Effort to Award More Than $2 million in GrantsThe foundation kicked off its 2026 grant cycle with a revised one-stage application process.
Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo kicking off its 2026 grant cycleProject Play Western New York announced grantees for the 2026 Winter Free Play Series Grant Process administered through the foundation.
Western New York Youth to Lead Effort to Award More Than $2 million in GrantsThe Community Foundation awarded more than $630,000 to Western New York organizations through various grant programs.
Western New York Youth to Lead Effort to Award More Than $2 million in GrantsThe foundation announced 2025 Daniel C. and Beatrice M. Fisher Fund competitive grants awards.
Community Foundation Announces 2025 Daniel C. and Beatrice M ...Contact Information
Address: 726 Exchange Street, Suite 525 Buffalo, NY 14210
Phone: (716) 852-2857
Email: mail@cfgb.org
Website: cfgb.org
Grant Inquiries: Darren Penoyer, Director of Community Impact Email: darrenp@cfgb.org Phone: (716) 852-2857 ext. 206
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo fund?
The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo's mission is to connect people, ideas, and resources in Western New York while improving lives and driving change throughout the community. The foundation organizes its grantmaking around four Community Goals: 1. **Racial/Ethnic Equity** — promoting civic engagement and leadership 2. **Education & Economic Mobility** — promoting economic mobility through educational achievement, workforce readiness, and access to family-sustaining jobs for residents …
How do I apply for a grant from Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo?
The Community Foundation operates a competitive grants process. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
Where does Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo make grants?
The Community Foundation serves eight counties of Western New York: • Allegany • Cattaraugus • Chautauqua • Erie • Genesee • Niagara • Orleans • Wyoming The foundation works with more than 400 active clients while carrying on the legacies of an additional 500 clients.
What size grants does Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo award?
In 2024, Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo awarded 562 grants totaling $33.4M — an average of about $59K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo's EIN?
Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-2743917. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.