News & Updates
Discover the latest news for the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr Foundation.
News & Updates
Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation name being used in postal and digital scams; How to report fraudulent activity
Individuals have been fraudulently posing in traditional postal mail, e-mails, in text messages and on social media, as “representatives” of the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation. These individuals are using the Foundation’s name without authorization and have contacted people to suggest that funds may be forthcoming if personal identification and financial information is provided. The […]
Read Full Article »Youth Sports: Supply. Demand. Access.
The fragmented world of youth sports presents challenges to both availability and affordability for kids and their families.
Read Full Article »Foundations invest $30 million in Detroit community colleges
The Detroit Regional Chamber’s Detroit Drives Degrees Community College Collaborative (D3C3) has announced more than $30 million in funding from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and Ballmer Group.
Read Full Article »More than $5.2M raised for these six conservation projects in southeast Michigan
he public-private Southeast Michigan Resilience Fund includes partners Cleveland-Cliffs, Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation, Kresge Foundation, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Forest Service; and receives significant support through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
Read Full Article »Exhale family caregiver initiative gathers partners to imagine solutions-driven programs
Exhale – the Family Caregiver Initiative which funds innovative collaborative projects that reimagines and boosts respite opportunities for family caregivers of older adults – recently announced that a dozen nonprofit groups in Western New York and Michigan will split nearly $2.6 million in related grants. Nearly 60 partner organizations also have stepped up to offer related help, said Amber Slichta, vice president and programs and learning for the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation.
Read Full Article »Michigan Microbusiness Coalition Launches to Support Startups and Small Ventures
The New Economy Initiative (NEI) and Michigan Municipal League (MML) Foundation today announced the formation of the Michigan Microbusiness Coalition. The goal of the coalition is to increase statewide support and develop a new strategy for emerging entrepreneurs and small businesses as essential drivers of economic growth and job creation.
Read Full Article »Downriver Linked Greenways trail system to connect 25 miles, 21 communities
Friends of the Detroit River are filling in the gaps of a 25-mile greenways system that stretches from Flat Rock to Detroit with a $4 million federal grant. The group received the grant to connect gaps in the Downriver Linked Greenways trail system. They are partnering with Downriver Linked Greenways and the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation to link Flat Rock and Detroit with a continuous trail network.
Read Full Article »Rosalynn Carter’s caregiver legacy in focus with Jimmy in home hospice
The institute uses a three-pronged approach to help unpaid caregivers through free programming, advocacy and partnerships with private companies and other nonprofits, including Cigna, the Wounded Warrior Project and even Sesame Street.
Revenue at the nonprofit jumped from about $1.5 million in 2020 to more than $9 million in 2021, thanks in large part to a $5 million grant from the Ralph C. Wilson Foundation.
Read Full Article »Grants Awarded to 16 Detroit Projects Led by Real Estate Developers of Color
Capital Impact Partners, a non-profit organization based in the District of Colombia that provides financial services to underserved markets, has awarded grants to 16 Detroit real estate projects led by people of color.
Since 2021, Capital Impact Partner has granted a total of $546,500 to developers of color in Detroit, which was made possible through funding from the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation and the Kresge Foundation.
Read Full Article »Best Self CEO named to Wilson Foundation board
Created with proceeds from the $1.4 billion sale in 2014 of the Buffalo Bills after the death of Ralph Wilson Jr., the foundation is following Wilson’s directive that all funds be awarded within a 20-year period.
Read Full Article »Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation races to give away $2.4B over 20 years
Created with proceeds from the $1.4 billion sale in 2014 of the Buffalo Bills after the death of the late Ralph Wilson, the foundation is following Wilson’s directive that all funds be awarded within a 20-year period.
Read Full Article »RIT Certified receives grants totaling $1.6 million
“The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation is thrilled to support this new and innovative workforce initiative at RIT, which will help move the region in a meaningful way toward the adoption of skills-based hiring practices and open access to high-quality, in-demand jobs to a diverse talent pool in Rochester,” says Susan Dundon, director of the young adults and working families grant making at the foundation.
Read Full Article »A new survey was just mailed to Detroiters. Here’s what you need to know
Community Development Advocates of Detroit, in partnership with JFM Consulting Group and Data Driven Detroit, is responsible for the work. Philanthropic groups funding it include the Ford Foundation, Hudson-Webber Foundation, Kresge Foundation, Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation, Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, The Skillman Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Read Full Article »Building a Better Buffalo: Thomasina ‘Tina’ Stenhouse unites community
Though she has never drawn a paycheck from the United Way of Buffalo & Erie County, she has spent 30 years volunteering in various capacities with the agency.
Read Full Article »New Partnership to Complete Detroit Riverfront Revitalization, Joe Louis Greenway, Create Endowment
The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy will manage the expansion of its riverfront greenspaces that connect with the Joe Louis Greenway while continuing to play a lead role in the Unified Greenway Partnership’s fundraising efforts. It will continue to operate, secure, staff, program, and maintain its greenspaces, including Cullen Plaza, the Detroit Riverwalk, Robert C. Valade Park, Mt. Elliott Park, Gabriel Richard Park, Dequindre Cut, Southwest Greenway, and Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park.
Read Full Article »Buffalo Rising
With more than $195 million raised to date, the project is the largest capital campaign for a cultural institution in Western New York’s history. Thanks to generosity from the community, organizations like the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr., Foundation, and financier Jeffrey Gundlach—who helped fund the expansion through matching challenges—Buffalo will soon be home to an art museum that rivals both the Guggenheim and the Whitney Museum of American Art in stature.
Read Full Article »Youth sports participation climbs as pandemic wanes, but there’s a long way to go
American youth continue to receive low grades for physical fitness, but a new report shows they emerged from lockdowns and virtual classrooms by upping their game when it comes to participation in sports activities.
Read Full Article »Study aims to protect Buffalo shorelines from major storm events
All eyes are now on Lake Erie and Buffalo’s coastline because of this study which aims to evaluate flood risk and look at solutions to protect the shore. Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper is partnering with the City of Buffalo for this study with Ramboll Engineering as the consultant. Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation is funding the project.
Read Full Article »The Chelsea Senior Center Creates New Respite Opportunities for Caregivers
Funded by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, Health Foundation for Western & Central New York, Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, and managed by The Philanthropic Initiative (TPI), the 2022 Exhale initiative involves a total of 60+ partner organizations across Western New York state and Washtenaw County, MI, who will work in teams led by the 13 grantees including Chelsea Senior Center.
Read Full Article »Huron-Clinton Metroparks to Open First Physical Location in Detroit
On Tuesday, the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy and Huron-Clinton Metroparks announced the name of one of four main attractions inside of Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park — the Metroparks’ first physical location in the city of Detroit.
Read Full Article »Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan Announce $500k in Grants
The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan today announced $500,000 in grants to support arts and culture organizations that represent a variety of creative disciplines throughout the Community Foundation’s seven-county service area and contribute to the vitality of our region’s economy.
Read Full Article »Community Foundation announces 2022 Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Arts & Culture Initiative grantees
The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo announced the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Arts & Culture Initiative awards totaling $500,000 to support more than 75 small to mid-sized arts organizations serving the eight counties of Western New York, plus Monroe County, through its inaugural 2022 competitive grants process.
Read Full Article »First One-Mile Segment of Joe Louis Greenway Completed, Upcoming Second Mile Stretch
“Thanks to the Ralph C. Wilson Foundation and our partners at the state and federal levels, we are seeing this vision become reality. Today marks the first of many celebrations to come as we continue this transformational work in our neighborhoods.” -Mayor Mike Duggan
Read Full Article »
In Memory of Life Trustee Eugene Driker
“Ralph knew exactly what he was doing when he asked Eugene Driker to join us as one of the four life trustees to direct his foundation. Eugene brought wisdom, empathy and an incredible lived experience to every aspect of our work. His guidance in shaping the mission, values and direction of the foundation will live […]
Read Full Article »Chandler Park Skatepark opens on Detroit’s east side
Free skateboarding lessons will be available for kids ages 8 to 13
Read Full Article »Pontiac revival: How a collaborative is building momentum, and funding, for inclusive local projects
Pontiac revival: How a collaborative is building momentum, and funding, for inclusive local projects
Thanks to a $13,300 Capacity Building for Nonprofits grant from the Pontiac Funders Collaborative (PFC), FPP is developing a strategic plan to shape its future and its long-term goals.
Read Full Article »‘Solutions journalism’ effort tied to WNY to feature online program for caregivers
More than one in five Americans act as a family caregiver, according to a 2020 report from the AARP Public Policy Institute. Many receive no compensation and must balance competing professional and personal obligations.
Read Full Article »
A Farewell to our CMF Philanthropy Fellows
Beginning in 2019, the Foundation hosted our inaugural cohort of Philanthropy Fellows via the Council of Michigan Foundations. During their two years at the Foundation, Margaret Zimmer, Olivia Vaden, and Jesse Friedman made meaningful contributions to the Foundation, but also the larger nonprofit communities of Western New York and Southeast Michigan. We’re grateful for their […]
Read Full Article »Open4 awards $3 million to support small businesses
An effort called Open4, launched during the pandemic to help small businesses and nonprofits survive over the long haul, has awarded about $3 million in funding.
Read Full Article »Teens get $1,000 to reimagine local after-school programs through new ‘Generator Z’ initiative
There’s a new platform trying to reimagine after-school programs for teenagers in WNY. They gathered a group of 1,000 experts and paid them for their ideas. Who are these experts? The very teens using these programs.
Read Full Article »$380K grant supports ideas for teen after-school programs in Washtenaw, Livingston counties
Teens from Washtenaw and Livingston counties have been granted funds for their after-school program ideas. The grants were given by Generator Z, an ideas lab that launched in 2020 to help teens reimagine after-school activities.
Read Full Article »Buffalo Sewer Authority Issues Largest-Ever U.S. Environmental Impact Bond
The Buffalo Sewer Authority closed on a $54 million Environmental Impact Bond (EIB) last week, the country’s largest to date, to finance green infrastructure and stormwater mitigation projects as part of its Rain Check 2.0 initiative.
Read Full Article »Detroit Riverfront Conservancy gears up to give West Riverfront Park a big makeover and a new name
The sun seems to be shining brightly on Detroit’s West Riverfront Park right now. In March, the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, which owns the 22-acre park, was awarded a new $500,000 grant by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation to support a new garden and other improvements there. And the conservancy is now preparing to kick off a massive […]
Read Full Article »Four Foundations Are Boosting Dozens of Groups Serving Detroit’s Communities of Color
More than 24 community organizations in Detroit led by or serving Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) will share $11 million in operating support over the next two years thanks to grants announced last month by Enterprise Community Partners, a national nonprofit focused on the affordable housing crisis.
Read Full Article »Array of organizations share $2 million from Wilson Foundation
Some 90 organizations are receiving over $2 million from the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation. The Legacy grants, administered through the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, were given to support caregivers, youth sports, cultural and arts organizations and recreational trails – all areas important to Wilson when he was alive.
Read Full Article »Niagara Falls visitor center to be replaced with $46 million building
For the past few years, State Parks officials have been thinking about a makeover for the visitor center at Niagara Falls State Park. Now, they’ve decided on a do-over instead. The 36-year-old building will be demolished and replaced with a larger building on the same site, officials announced Friday.
Read Full Article »$500,000 from trusts of Ralph C. Wilson Jr.’s daughters to support Detroit park named for him
A $500,000 gift from the trusts of Ralph C. Wilson Jr.’s late daughters will support the Detroit riverfront park named for their father.
Read Full Article »Millions more going to Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park
A million dollars from the trusts of two of Ralph C. Wilson Jr.’s daughters, both deceased, will go toward a relocated Barkyard, Buffalo’s first dog park, and a planned entry garden by a pedestrian bridge that will be built in the park named in his honor.
Read Full Article »Group of government and nonprofit leaders targets economic growth in Pontiac
A cross-sector group of government and nonprofit leaders in Pontiac is working to finalize data-driven goals for the next five to 10 years to help spur economic growth and revitalization in the city.
Read Full Article »Wilson foundation to grant $3 million to afterschool programs inspired by real feedback from teens
The Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation is putting $3 million in grants behind afterschool programs inspired by feedback it solicited from 1,000 high school students. The foundation last fall paid 1,000 high school students across its focus areas of Southeast Michigan and Western New York $1,000 each for their year-long participation in a project dubbed “Generator Z.”
Read Full Article »Conservancy formed to oversee Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park
With the groundbreaking for a transformed Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park one year away, the question of who will operate and maintain the park has become clear. A newly-established not-for-profit called the Ralph Wilson Park Conservancy will be in charge.
Read Full Article »Wilson Foundation investment is changing the face of Buffalo’s waterfront (Video)
Parks and trails have always been a big part of the Western New York experience, but their prominence and accessibility have grown significantly in recent years thanks to the support of the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation.
Read Full Article »
ESPN Recognition Brings $100,000 to Support COVID-safe Play
The Foundation was honored to be named the recipient of ESPN’s inaugural Sports Philanthropist of the Year honor as part of its 2020 Sports Humanitarian Awards. We’re proud to share and celebrate this recognition with our amazing partners and incredible grantees that are working each and every day to provide equitable access and a better youth sport experience for all children.
Read Full Article »Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation Invests more than $1 Million to Support Small Home-Based Childcare Providers in Western New York
The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation recently announced more than $1 million in grants to support small, home-based childcare providers through the “Small Grants for Small Children” program. The funds were granted to four Western New York-based community foundations to cover nine counties across the region. “Childcare is essential now more than ever,” said Amber […]
Read Full Article »A Message From The Foundation
We are heartbroken over the continued pain and loss within our African-American community. We remain committed – as a Foundation, as Trustees, as individual staff, as human beings – to deepen our listening, and address inequalities through our work. We hope that peaceful protests and dialogue can heal relationships between our communities, dedicated law enforcement […]
Read Full Article »A Message to our Grantees About COVID‑19
Dear friends and partners, In accordance with guidance and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and the State of Michigan to mitigate community spread of COVID-19, the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation has closed its physical office in Detroit effective today. As the coronavirus situation unfolds we will continue to review potential reopening on […]
Read Full Article »
What We Discovered in “Startup Nation”
Lavea Brachman, Vice President of Programs, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation This May, the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation sponsored a trip to explore social entrepreneurship in Israel. Dubbed the “Startup Nation,” Israel’s entrepreneurism has become part of its DNA, sprung from several unique factors, and leading to an unprecedented number of successful high-tech and […]
Read Full Article »How Detroiters Are Shaping a Post-Industrial Riverfront Park
Sure, sometimes, the 22-acre space comes alive for the occasional outdoor concert, but for the most part, Detroit’s West Riverfront Park is pretty desolate compared to the city’s RiverWalk, just a few miles east and home to lush wetlands vegetation, family-friendly playgrounds and volleyball courts and spacious walkways that welcome three million visitors a year […]
Read Full Article »Detroit Future City exec to lead new Center for Nonprofit Support
Detroit Future City’s deputy director, Allandra Bulger, has been named executive director of the first-of-its-kind nonprofit support and innovation center in development for Detroit, following a national search. The Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation is putting more than $5 million in grants over the next few years behind the center and has tapped the TechTown […]
Read Full Article »Right-on-Time Philanthropy at Ralph C. Wilson: Big Money Meets a Looming Problem
In 2016, NPQ wrote about the founding of the Ralph C. Wilson Foundation in Michigan. The emergence of the new philanthropy was made notable by a number of factors, including its $1.2 billion endowment and the fact that it will sunset or spend down within twenty years of its founding.
Read Full Article »Child’s Play: Why Are More Foundations Giving for Playgrounds and Skateparks?
Play is critically important to a child’s development. Kids learn how to interact with the world around them through play. It helps them learn the cognitive, physical, social and emotional skills that they need to thrive. Play is considered so essential to child development that the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights see it […]
Read Full Article »Turnaround Job: A Foundation Backs Inclusive Innovation in a “Transitioning” Region
It can be difficult for philanthropy, often based in wealthy coastal cities, to meaningfully address middle America’s ongoing economic plight. Since the 2016 election, as we’ve often observed, many funders have begun paying closer attention to those challenges. But the geographic disconnect remains.
Read Full Article »Buffalo Trailblazers Issue- Mary Wilson: Continuing the Legacy
With the impending sale of the Buffalo Bills in 2014, most fans were united in anxiety over a single question — would the team be sold to an owner who would relocate the beloved franchise? It was a question that hung in the air for several years preceding the death of Ralph C. Wilson Jr., founding owner of the hometown team, and it intensified upon his passing in March 2014 at age 95. With so much focus on the negative possibilities surrounding […]
Read Full Article »Ralph Wilson Foundation Launches STEM Initiative in New York, Michigan
The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation has announced the launch of STEM 2035, an initiative aimed at strengthening the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) pipeline in western New York and southeast Michigan.
Read Full Article »Tackling STEM gap is next goal of Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation
Under-served youths interested in careers in science, technology, engineering and math will be getting assistance through a new program announced Monday by the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation. STEM 2035 is an initiative that will grant funding and technical assistance to existing after-school and summer programs in western New York and southeast Michigan; regions that […]
Read Full Article »Finding New Ways for Kids to Play is Part of a Winning Strategy
Having room to roam, to dream about the future and to imagine a better world—that is what the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation sees as the reasons for investing in public play spaces in communities that truly need them. Recently, the organization announced Built to Play, an initiative focusing on children and youth in Western […]
Read Full Article »Detroit’s Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation Partners with MIT for Inclusive Innovation Challenge
The Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation in Detroit and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology today announced that the foundation will support the MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy and its annual Inclusive Innovation Challenge (IIC). The program seeks to identify and promote entrepreneurial organizations in North America that are using technology to improve economic opportunity […]
Read Full Article »Editorial: Wilson Foundation is working for healthier kids
If children have the opportunity to play, they will take it. That may mean running, jumping, skipping rope or hopping back and forth on lines drawn in chalk. This was the state of play so many of us grew up with and somehow got lost over the decades. Yes, video games have become ubiquitous. Few […]
Read Full Article »Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation Launches $10 Million Play Initiative
The Buffalo-based Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation has announced a $10 million initiative to provide children and youth across western New York State and southeastern Michigan with more opportunities for free play through the creation of public play spaces.
Read Full Article »Ralph Wilson Foundation to fund skate parks, playgrounds and play spaces in WNY
If you build it they will come. The Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation announced Thursday the creation of a program that will build interactive public play spaces for kids as well as skate parks in western New York and southeast Michigan. The “Built to Play’’ initiative will be funded by $5 million awards to each […]
Read Full Article »Editorial: Ralph Wilson Comes Through
Explore & More museum’s Valentine’s Day gift is a box of multimillion dollar chocolates the entire community will enjoy, thanks to the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation. The museum will appropriately be named: Explore & More – The Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Children’s Museum. The foundation’s promise to award $6 million to the project if […]
Read Full Article »Wilson Foundation gives Buffalo Scholastic Rowing Association a $1 million grant
A $1 million grant from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation has launched the Buffalo Scholastic Rowing Association’s fundraising efforts for its new rowing center one giant length closer to the finish line. The grant is the largest gift the BSRA has received for the Patrick Paladino Memorial Boathouse, based on the original donation of […]
Read Full Article »Foundation, TechTown to Collaborate on Innovation Center
The Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation is looking to fill a gaping hole in metro Detroit’s support system for nonprofits — and it’s turning to some experts in entrepreneurial cross-pollination to help. The foundation is putting more than $5 million in grants over the next few years behind what could be a first-of-its-kind nonprofit support […]
Read Full Article »Elderly care provider receives $151,000 grant
A leading elderly memory care provider in Rochester has received a $151,000 grant toward staff training. Rochester Presbyterian Home, an assisted living facility with three locations in Perinton, Chili and the 19th Ward, received the grant through the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, a community development nonprofit founded by the late businessman, famed for founding […]
Read Full Article »Detroit health partnership targets premature birth, infant mortality
Detroit health officials hope increased access to child care services and information during pregnancy will reduce premature births and decrease infant mortality, Mayor Mike Duggan said Wednesday. Make Your Date Detroit, a partnership with the city and Wayne State University (WSU), has served more than 5,800 women since launching in 2014. The effort is adding […]
Read Full Article »$2M Wilson Foundation grant will connect neighborhoods “everywhere” and to “everything”
Greenways will soon take Detroiters from 8 Mile to the Riverfront and everywhere in between. That’s the “gist” of the anticipated impact of a $2 million Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation grant announced by Mayor Mike Duggan today. Neighborhood residents, who remain largely disconnected by roadways that split neighborhoods and partial pathways that lead “nowhere,” […]
Read Full Article »$345K grant to fund West Riverfront Park design contest
The Detroit RiverFront Conservancy has received a $345,000 grant to fund a design competition to help transform the park that sits on property that was once home to the Detroit Free Press printing plant, officials said. The nonprofit dedicated to developing the city’s riverfront district and facilitate community access to the waterfront, the Conservancy said […]
Read Full Article »Op-Ed: For healthy kids and futures, we need more play
Southeast Michigan is a diverse region. It covers broad swatches of farmland, suburbs, and urban neighborhoods. Half of our state population resides in metro Detroit, which contains both affluent and low-income families of many ethnicities. In our communities and neighborhoods, it is the next generation – young people of all ages, cultures and creeds – […]
Read Full Article »Video chat device gives hospice patients peace of mind
A computer tablet capable of connecting its users to a nursing station for face-to-face communication is changing the way one local hospice reaches out to its patients. Angela Hospice in Livonia received a $2.1 million grant from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation to start a “telehospice” program that allows patients and caregivers to video […]
Read Full Article »Can Ralph Wilson’s $5 million gift be a game changer for sedentary kids?
Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and Rochester Area Community Foundation release groundbreaking report on the state of play in Greater Rochester and Finger Lakes. It will serve as a playbook on how best to use a $5 million endowment for youth sports and recreation to build a healthier, happier community.
Read Full Article »Report: Just 16% of WNY local youth are physically active
Youth sports have fundamentally changed over the generations – from casual, unstructured play to more organized programs run by adults – and the end result has been noticeable: Fewer kids playing and staying active, and more kids overweight and obese. But a new report – touted as the first of its kind nationally – outlines […]
Read Full Article »Survey: Only 13% of kids in southeast Michigan are getting enough physical activity
Michigan kids need to get moving, according to a study of youth sports released today. The study found that while 85% of parent think their children would benefit from playing a sport or being active, only 13% of kids are getting the recommended daily hour of physical activity. The study, called State of Play, was […]
Read Full Article »How former Bills owner’s fortune is being spent
Ralph Wilson won a tennis trophy when he was 12. Mary Wilson, his widow, plans to bring it along to a (State of Play) news conference in Detroit on Wednesday. She sees the tinny token as a touchstone for his 95 years.
Read Full Article »National Comedy Center Reaches Fundraising Total
The National Comedy Center in Jamestown, NY has reached its fundraising goal for completing what is to become the first cultural institution and visitor experience dedicated to comedy.
Read Full Article »Wilson Foundation grant impacting area children
The $1.8 million grant from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation was presented to Help Me Grow Western New York, an organization launched in 2011 by the Health Foundation of Western New York with more than 40 partner agencies, including Niagara University’s College of Education, to create an umbrella of access to the multitude of […]
Read Full Article »Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation gives $2 million to IT career program
The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation has made a $2 million grant to the Detroit Employment Solutions Corp. to help educate Detroiters for information technology careers. The new grant will support the regional expansion of TechHire, a White House initiative launched to expand local tech sectors by building talent pipelines in communities across the country. […]
Read Full Article »Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation to Begin Grantmaking
The foundation created by the late Ralph C. Wilson, Jr., longtime owner of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills franchise, plans to dedicate more than $1.2 billion over the next twenty years to “sustained investment in the quality of life of the people of western New York and southeastern Michigan,” the Buffalo News reports.
Read Full Article »Newer private foundations look beyond the numbers
These organizations want to discuss gaps and goals, not just dollars and cents.
Read Full Article »The Wilson Foundation will have a colossal impact on Western New York
The late Ralph C. Wilson Jr. left hundreds of millions of dollars to Western New York. His enormous generosity will have a meaningful impact on the lives of many of the region’s most vulnerable citizens.
Read Full Article »Funders provide $6.2M Early Childhood Head Start
Total investment increases to over $11 million over five years and expands geographic reach.
Read Full Article »Beautiful dilemma: Give $1.2B to worthy causes in 20 years or less
Imagine you have $1 billion to give away to worthy causes in a limited amount of time. What do you do? That’s the beautiful dilemma facing Detroit’s newest charitable foundation.
Read Full Article »