Community Impact – What We Do
Rochester Area Community Foundation envisions a Greater Rochester region where every person, neighborhood, and future generation can thrive.
We bring together people, insights, and resources to focus on what works and what lasts. That approach shapes how we invest our grantmaking resources across three strategic areas that can drive effective and lasting community change.
Our Core Impact Areas
Arts, Culture & Narrative
Honoring identity, elevating creativity, and connecting community.
Arts, storytelling, and shared history are essential to community well-being and identity. We support efforts that expand access to a vibrant and inclusive creative ecosystem. We invest across three interconnected areas: creative expression, cultural preservation, and storytelling that reflects the full diversity of our region.
Where we Focus
- A More Equitable Arts Ecosystem
- Preserving History and Cultural Identity
- Centering Community Voice
- Strengthening Local Media and Storytelling
Environmental Justice & Sustainability
Building a healthier, more resilient future.
Human well-being is inseparable from the health of our environment. We are committed to creating conditions where both people and nature can flourish, today and for generations to come. We invest in solutions that support communities most impacted by environmental harm while advancing long-term solutions that benefit the entire region.
Where we Focus
- Climate Resilience and Community Health
- Equitable Access to Healthy Environments
- Sustainable Systems and Infrastructure
- Food Systems and Environmental Well-being
Upward Mobility
Advancing opportunities for well-being, financial stability, and empowerment.
We focus on the conditions that make it possible for people to have what they need to move forward: education, a living wage, affordable health care, and the ability to shape their own future. Using national research, local data, and community voice, we invest in strategies that help individuals and families build stability and lasting well-being.
Where We Focus
- High-Quality Education, From Cradle to Career
- Rewarding Work and Economic Opportunity Mobility
- Health and Well-Being
- Aging with Dignity and Connection
- Opportunity-Rich, Inclusive Neighborhoods, and Community Voice
Learn More
Building a sustainable future takes collective action.
Grant opportunities
See our strategic vision