Give Today. Transform Tomorrow.
You don’t need millions to make a difference.
You just need passion, a plan, and the right people in your corner. When you schedule an exploratory call with a giving expert, our team will walk you through strategic giving options — from estate planning to current giving — to transform your hopes and dreams for our region into a reality. Schedule a relaxed Q&A to talk through your ideas and see how we can work together.
Why Give Through Rochester Area Community Foundation?
Create a Legacy
Giving back through Rochester Area Community Foundation allows you to continue to support your community for generations to come.
Multiply Your Impact
Unlike gifts that get spent right away, endowment-based gifts multiply their impact over years of invested growth.
Learn from Experts
Our staff is deeply connected to the Greater Rochester community. Work with trusted experts to ensure your gift meets our region’s greatest needs.
Give Where You Live
Support What You Love
- Arts and Culture
- Civic Development and Problem-Solving
- Education, Youth, and Families
- Environmental Justice and Sustainability
- Historical Preservation
- Indigenous Communities
- Racial Equity and Social Justice
- Successful Aging, Health, and Well-Being
- Upward Mobility
Smart Giving Comes in All Shapes and Sizes
Our community is made up of long-standing philanthropists and people just getting started. Some participate in collective giving, to pool their resources to empower communities. Others leverage a broad field of interest fund that aligns with their passions. What does everyone have in common? A desire to have the greatest impact on key causes and beloved communities.
$50M
Invested across our eight-region county
$1.3M
Granted from staff-shepherded collective giving
$1.3M
Distributed in scholarships to students in our eight-county region
1,989
Unique donors
Data from past fiscal year: April 1, 2025-March 31, 2026
What is an Endowment?
An endowment is built to be permanent. Here is how your generosity at Rochester Area Community Foundation makes an impact for good:
- Choose a cause to support and work with our team of experts to find the most impactful way to give back.
- For endowed giving, Community Foundation staff carefully invests the principal balance of your gift to ensure long-term growth and protection against inflation.
- A percentage of the fund’s earnings is distributed annually in the form of grants, while the remaining balance stays invested to continue to grow.
Stories of Impact
