Grant Opportunities
The Community Foundation promotes two broad grantmaking goals that align with our vision for community change: 1) creating an equitable community and 2) strengthening our region’s vitality.
Creating an Equitable Community
Closing Academic Achievement and Opportunity Gaps
Making a significant and sustainable reduction in academic achievement and opportunity gaps as experienced by many children, with emphasis on children living in the City of Rochester.
Fostering Racial and Ethnic Understanding and Equity
Creating community awareness of racial and ethnic inequities and building sustained, community-based collaborative initiatives that remediate and prevent such inequities.
Partnering Against Poverty
Creating community awareness and understanding of the concentration of poverty and how it affects our community, and encouraging efforts that address its effects.
Strengthening Our Region’s Vitality
Supporting Arts and Culture
Encouraging vibrant and diverse arts and cultural offerings and improving the capacity of local arts organizations.
Preserving Historical Assets
Preserving our region’s rich historical assets and promoting educational efforts that build on these assets.
Advancing Environmental Justice and Sustainability
Addressing the threats of climate change, prompting individual and collective action, and ensuring that everyone in greater Rochester has equitable access to an inclusive green economy.
Promoting Successful Aging
Fostering successful aging by helping to create more age-friendly communities.
Competitive grant opportunities are also available throughout the year from our five giving circles.
A giving circle is a group of like-minded individuals who pool their money each year and decide together how it should be distributed. These groups also offer social, educational, and engagement opportunities and help provide a more thorough understanding of philanthropy and community issues.
Community Foundation Giving Circles
African American Giving Initiative
The African American Giving Initiative is focused on reversing the negative trends experienced most strongly within the African American community. Through its grantmaking, the Initiative tries to address the needs and aspirations of the community in the greater Rochester region.
Developmental Disabilities Giving Circle
As family and friends of individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD), the Developmental Disabilities Giving Circle is committed to supporting innovative projects and programs that will help loved ones (18 and older who have completed school) lead fulfilling, productive, and meaningful lives.
Latino Giving Circle
The Latino Giving Circle supports organizations, initiatives, and programs created by and for the Latino community to meet their needs and empower Latinos in the greater Rochester area. By facilitating and building a meaningful network of committed members, the Latino Giving Circle will inspire and assist projects geared towards improving the quality of life of those in “nuestra comunidad.”
LGBT+ Giving Circle
The LGBT+ Giving Circle was created by a group of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals and allies. Through grants from its LGBT Fund for Greater Rochester, the Giving Circle hopes to bridge diversity and cultivate community.
NextGen Rochester
NextGen Rochester is cultivating its members (typically ages 21 to 45) to be the next generation of citizens who make “giving back” part of their lives through leadership, friendship, and philanthropy.
Rochester Women’s Giving Circle
The Rochester Women’s Giving Circle is a community of philanthropic women who combine their financial resources to support women and girls on their journey to economic self-sufficiency.
The Community Foundation also provides funding opportunities through the following Advisory Committee Funds and Quick Review Grants.
- Bullis Fund
Created through the estate of Nettie Bullis to benefit the residents of Wayne County, particularly people living in Macedon and the area served by the Palmyra-Macedon School District. Learn more - Wayne County Community Endowment
For changing needs of the Wayne County community. Learn more - John F. Wegman Fund
Continues the purposes of a private foundation established in 1954 by the will of John F. Wegman. Supports concerns of the elderly, character-building opportunities for youth, and improved labor/management relations. Learn more - Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Fund for Youth Sports
The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, created from the estate of the Buffalo Bills founder and owner, established this fund to support youth sports and recreation in our region. Learn more - Yates Community Endowment
This endowment fund, created with a challenge grant from the Nord Family Foundation and local matching gifts, aims to make a long-term, positive impact in Yates County. Learn more
Quick Review Grants
These opportunities provide funding in the areas of aging, arts and culture, children, education, health, and historical preservation. There are no set deadlines; applications are reviewed as they are received. Learn more
