Seneca Foods Foundation
The Seneca Foods Foundation is a corporate foundation established in 1988 and based in Fairport, New York. It operates as a private, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization affiliated with Seneca Foods Corporation, a vertically-integrated food company specializing in packaged fruits and vegetables.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$13.9M
+46.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$461K
-67.4% YoY
Grant Count
224
+29.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$2K
-74.8% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation is committed to philanthropic initiatives throughout communities where Seneca Foods employees work and live. The foundation reviews requests for monetary funding in the following areas:
- Agriculture
- Academics
- Community
- Health & Wellness
- Memorial & Bereavement
- Youth Sports
The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on helping to prepare and empower young people by providing them with the tools needed to become independent and contributing members of the community. It also supports programs designed to promote education and employment, and youth development.
Grantmaking
The foundation made 186 grants in the most recent fiscal year. Notable recent grants include:
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations located in communities where Seneca has a business presence, including:
- Nampa and Payette, Idaho
- Princeville, Illinois
- Hart and Traverse City, Michigan
- Blue Earth, Glencoe, Lake Elmo, Le Sueur, and Montgomery, Minnesota
- Additional communities in New York and other states
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Fiscal Year 2024 (ending March 31, 2024)
- Total Revenue: $1,001,705
- Total Expenses: $1,435,811
- Total Assets: $9,512,719
- Total Liabilities: $22,500
- Net Income: -$434,106
The foundation maintains substantial assets to support its ongoing grantmaking activities.
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $13,914,853 | $9,512,719 | $9,462,632 |
| Revenue | $17,579 | $1,001,705 | $502,539 |
| Expenses | $1,240,987 | $1,435,811 | $337,644 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $471,270 | $1,424,331 | $326,247 |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | $522,450 | $412,140 | $461,707 |
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 2025
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Seneca Foods Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Paul L. Palmby — President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
From 2025 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MICHAEL WOLCOTT | SVP, CFO, TREASURER | 1 | — |
| KRAIG KAYSER | CHAIRMAN, DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| SUSAN W STUART | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JOHN EXNER | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| PAUL L PALMBY | PRESIDENT, CEO, DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| GREGORY R IDE | ASSISTANT SECRETARY | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
In 2024, the Seneca Foods Foundation made a significant $1,000,000 commitment to Cornell University's Food Venture Center Endowment Fund, demonstrating the foundation's investment in agricultural innovation and education. This grant represents one of the foundation's largest recent commitments and reflects its focus on supporting academic and agricultural initiatives.
$10M gift from Seneca Foods will support the Cornell Food Venture CenterData last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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