Photo of STEADY Work provided by Wayne County Action Program

Eight Counties, One Vision

A New Regional Strategy

Equitable grantmaking unlocks the potential of those who have had less access to the resources needed to thrive. In 2023, the Community Foundation launched a new strategy to expand the reach of our grantmaking to be more inclusive of rural counties. Less populated areas are often overlooked and underrepresented in grantmaking, even when needs are great. Over two years, we invested at least $50,000 in each of the seven more rural counties in our region.

We started with Yates and Wayne counties, where the Foundation has strong ties with advisory committees who know their communities’ needs. “Grantmaking committee members were so excited about having significantly more money than they thought they were going to have,” said Ann McMullen, co-chair of the Yates Community Endowment and member of the Foundation’s Board of Directors.

The other five counties in our region presented a different kind of opportunity. The Foundation historically received few applications from Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, Ontario, and Seneca counties,
and our staff knew that we would have to start by addressing barriers and strengthening relationships.

A new application process made it easier for nonprofits to apply and for the Foundation to spot
opportunities to combine funding from multiple sources. Outreach targeted both well-known and
grassroots organizations across the region. Senior Program Officer Sara Bukowiec even held open office
hours at local coffee shops, inviting nonprofits to swing by to introduce themselves or ask questions.

The response was overwhelmingly positive. We learned more about regional needs and improved
our process, invested in first-time grantees, and increased our grantmaking across the eight counties
we serve.

The Road Ahead

Equity is a throughline of our grantmaking. When we create more opportunities for communities that have been traditionally and repeatedly excluded, we make our entire region stronger. As your Community Foundation, we will continue to hone skills and deepen connections in order to find the best matches between community needs and regional nonprofits. We will bet on organizations with large ambitions and fresh ideas to make progress on our toughest issues.