United Way of Buffalo and Erie County
United Way of Buffalo and Erie County is a public charity based in Buffalo, New York, formed in 1947. It brings people, organizations, and resources together to create systemic community change, and makes program investments in local agencies and community initiatives.
United Way of Buffalo and Erie County at a glance
In short: United Way of Buffalo and Erie County gave $6.4M across 90 grants in 2025 (avg $71K), mostly in New York. 15% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $6,389,519
- -17.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 90
- -8.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $70,995
- -9.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $24,300
- Total assets
- $28,185,265
- -2.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (12 of 79, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (74% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to United Way of Buffalo and Erie County
- Review Cycle
- October 24, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.
- Deadline
- October 24, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.
- Contact
Mailing address: 742 Delaware Ave, Buffalo, NY 14209
Phone: (716) 887-2626
Website: https://uwbec.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who United Way of Buffalo and Erie County funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Donor Designations to Agencies ($1.6M). Together the top 10 received $3.9M.
Grant Size Distribution
555 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 362 grants of 555 (65%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 RFP was for eligible health and human service agencies in Erie County. In 2025, 74% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 90 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is United Way of Buffalo and Erie County open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 12 of 79 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $25K; repeat grants $91K. How we count
Medians: $22K first-time, $25K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $6.4M (2025) to $12.5M (2020). In 2025 it made 90 grants totaling $6.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Donor Designations to Agencies | Donor Designations to Agencies | $1,552,897 |
| BPS Adult Learning Centerbuffalo Public Schools Foundation Buffalo, NY | United Way Works | $576,619 |
| Via - Visually Impaired Advancement Buffalo, NY | WNY 212 | $363,297 |
| Belmont Housing Resources for WNY Buffalo, NY | Program Funding | $166,600 |
| Belmont Housing Resources for WNY Buffalo, NY | Family Housing Stability Case Management | $166,266 |
| LT Colonel Matt Urban Human Services Center of WNY Buffalo, NY | United Way Works | $154,303 |
| Jewish Family Service of Buffalo & Erie County Buffalo, NY | United Way Works | $132,149 |
| Bestself Behavioral Health Buffalo, NY | Program Funding | $131,700 |
| YWCA of WNY Buffalo, NY | Closing the gap clevehill - fund for the improvement of education federal grant | $122,123 |
| Buffalo Federation of Neighborhood Centers Inc (BFNC) Buffalo, NY | Program Funding | $120,000 |
Ready to take the next step with United Way of Buffalo and Erie County?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $28,185,265 | $11,040,799 | $11,749,821 | $6,389,519 | 90 | $59,933 |
| 2024 | $28,964,553 | $10,942,939 | $13,150,152 | $7,698,962 | 98 | $35,026 |
| 2023 | $29,437,274 | $14,922,880 | $15,141,440 | $9,968,097 | 115 | $19,069 |
| 2022 | $31,555,637 | $14,020,396 | $13,922,295 | $8,889,294 | 114 | $12,605 |
| 2021 | $32,743,870 | $15,405,175 | $17,125,711 | $11,402,461 | 138 | $48,667 |
| 2020 | $29,688,479 | $17,887,558 | $18,674,298 | $12,466,711 | 129 | $77,115 |
| 2019 | $31,090,816 | $17,949,747 | $18,080,909 | $12,253,213 | 116 | $61,626 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s mission is to bring people, organizations, and resources together to create systemic community change. Its website identifies four impact areas: Community Resiliency, Financial Security, Healthy Community, and Youth Opportunity. The 2025 funding process focused on Healthy Community, Financial Security, and Youth Opportunity.
Its 2025 RFP invited proposals from nonprofit 501(c)(3) health and human service agencies in Erie County. Recent grantees illustrate the range of organizations supported: VIA – Visually Impaired Advancement says its mission is to help people with vision impairments achieve independence; Belmont Housing Resources for WNY says it works to expand affordable housing opportunities; and BestSelf Behavioral Health says it provides accessible, family-focused behavioral health services.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, United Way reported 90 grants totaling $6,389,519. Grant amounts ranged from $5,117 to $1,552,897, with a median of $24,300. The largest listed grant was $1,552,897 for donor designations to agencies. Other notable awards included $576,619 to BPS Adult Learning Center/Buffalo Public Schools Foundation for United Way Works; $363,297 to VIA – Visually Impaired Advancement for WNY 212; and two Belmont Housing Resources for WNY awards of $166,600 for program funding and $166,266 for family housing stability case management.
Other listed 2025 awards included $154,303 to Lt. Colonel Matt Urban Human Services Center of WNY for United Way Works, $132,149 to Jewish Family Service of Buffalo & Erie County for United Way Works, and $131,700 to BestSelf Behavioral Health for program funding. The organization describes its program investments as competitively awarded grants and says funded programs are monitored against proposed outcomes, with grantee outcomes reports and onsite reviews.
The 2025 RFP application period is closed. The application process included a Program Funding Agreement with sections on charitable status and anti-terrorism compliance. Funding prioritized programs serving census block groups identified as having the highest need; zip codes were not used to set priority areas. The FAQ states that typical one-year awards were anticipated to range from $25,000 to $75,000, regardless of whether a request covered one, two, or three years, and that indirect costs had no formal percentage or amount limit.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Hugh Russ as chair, Cassie Irish as vice chair, Nickole Garrison as treasurer, and Thomasina Stenhouse as secretary. Directors listed include Tricia Barrett, Kendra Brim, Alexander Burgos, Broderick Cason, Paul Coleman, and Jamie Ferullo. Trina Burruss is identified as president and CEO in the 2025 RFP.
United Way of Buffalo and Erie County is led by Trina Burruss, President & CEO since 2023 (on filings since 2021); 2 of 29 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Trina Burruss
President & CEO
Director → President & CEO, 2023
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$129K (2023) → $184K (2025)
Hugh Russ III
Chair
Director → Chair Designate, 2024
Chair Designate → Chair, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kathleen Rizzo Young
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stephen Turkovich
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jamie Ferullo
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kendra Brim
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Anna Stolzenburg
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Patty Kaminski
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alexander Burgos
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeannie Parent
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Paul Coleman
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Anne O'Neill
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brian Patterson
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Broderick Cason
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Caitlin Zulewski
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jonathan Staples
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kevin Hogan
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ramona Reynolds
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Anne Musynke
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Darren Robbins
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Justin Reid
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nick Schafer
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Oswaldo Mestre
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Richard Hamister
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tricia Barrett
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Thomas Wrinn
Chief Financial Officer
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$99K (2019) → $104K (2025)
Nickole Garrison
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Thomasina Stenhouse
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cassie Irish
Vice Chair
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (54)
- Former: Austin Houlding (2019–2024) — Vice Chair
- Former: Christina Brozyna (2019–2024) — Vice Chair
- Former: Diane Colgan (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Felicia Beard (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Marijke Kemble (2019–2024) — Secretary
- Former: Rachelle Sat'chell Robinson (2019–2024) — Chair
- Former: Patrick T. McGuire (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Melinda Seibold (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Catherine Irish (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Michael Weiner (2019–2023) — President & CEO
- Former: Rupa Shanmugam (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Angela Blue (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Demario Strickland (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Denise Gueli (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Jason Sinnarajah (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Brigitte Womer (2023) — Director
- Former: J. Austin Houlding (2023) — Vice Chair
- Former: James Dunlop (2023) — Director
- Former: Stephanie McLean-Beathley (2023) — Director
- Former: John Rodgers (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Kathy Gill (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Michael McMahon (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Robert Mootry Jr. (2019–2022) — Vice Chair
- Former: Sarah Hedges (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Thomas O'Shei (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Joshua Lynch (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Reverend Julian Armand Cook (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Reverend Rachelle Robinson (2021–2022) — Chair
- Former: Doug Wagner (2022) — Director
- Former: Stephanie McLean Beathley (2022) — Director
- Former: David Hore (2019–2021) — Chair
- Former: Joan Bruce (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Katherine Conway-Turner (2019–2021) — Vice Chair
- Former: Lavonne Ansari (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Luis Rodriguez Jr. (2019–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Nick Fabozzi (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Sharon L. Hanson (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Trevor Stevenson (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Karen Christie (2020–2021) — Cheif Community Services Officer
- Former: William Reese (2020–2021) — Chief Information Officer
- Former: Donald Ingalls (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Jamie Batt (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Jennifer Parker (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Jennifer Stanonis Constantine (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Reena Dutta (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Susan O'Sullivan (2019–2020) — Vice Chair
- Former: Jeremy Connor (2020) — Director
- Former: Allen Brown (2019) — Director
- Former: Brent Rossi (2019) — Director
- Former: Darley Willis (2019) — Secretary
- Former: Debora Hayes (2019) — Director
- Former: Frank Hotchkiss (2019) — Director
- Former: Pionne Corbin (2019) — Director
- Former: Robert Feldman (2019) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $184K, to Trina Burruss (President & CEO). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about United Way of Buffalo and Erie County
How much does United Way of Buffalo and Erie County give each year?
United Way of Buffalo and Erie County gave $6.4M across 90 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $7.7M across 98 grants.
What is United Way of Buffalo and Erie County's typical grant size?
United Way of Buffalo and Erie County's median grant in 2025 was $24,300, and its average grant was $70,995, across 90 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from United Way of Buffalo and Erie County that year got $25K on average.
Where does United Way of Buffalo and Erie County give grants?
United Way of Buffalo and Erie County gives mostly in New York: 74% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Buffalo, NY (67 grants), West Seneca, NY (2 grants), Depew, NY (2 grants) and Jamestown, NY (2 grants).
Does United Way of Buffalo and Erie County give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 90 grants with a stated purpose on United Way of Buffalo and Erie County's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Funding" (54 grants), "United Way Works" (9 grants) and "WNY Girls in Sports" (4 grants).
Who are United Way of Buffalo and Erie County's largest grantees?
United Way of Buffalo and Erie County's largest 2025 grantees include Donor Designations to Agencies ($1,552,897), BPS Adult Learning Centerbuffalo Public Schools Foundation ($576,619) and Via - Visually Impaired Advancement ($469,297 across 3 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 41% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is United Way of Buffalo and Erie County?
United Way of Buffalo and Erie County reported $28.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $11.0M.
What does United Way of Buffalo and Erie County fund?
The organization’s mission is to bring people, organizations, and resources together to create systemic community change. Its website identifies four impact areas: Community Resiliency, Financial Security, Healthy Community, and Youth Opportunity. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from United Way of Buffalo and Erie County?
United Way of Buffalo and Erie County has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check uwbec.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is United Way of Buffalo and Erie County's EIN?
United Way of Buffalo and Erie County's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 16-0743969. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS January 24, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 8, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 3, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS January 29, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS January 23, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS January 29, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in United Way of Buffalo and Erie County's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). United Way of Buffalo and Erie County funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/united-way-of-buffalo-and-erie-county-morg_10fbd9c3ad114a709d4118fa1eec821f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_160743969_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{United Way of Buffalo and Erie County funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/united-way-of-buffalo-and-erie-county-morg_10fbd9c3ad114a709d4118fa1eec821f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from United Way of Buffalo and Erie County's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
United Way of Buffalo and Erie County down — hundreds of funders to go?