To inform Aspen’s work across this 6-county region, we engaged Rochester Area Community Foundation to create a local taskforce of youth sports practitioners and leaders who provided insights, expertise and feedback throughout the research process.

The following report represents thousands of local voices—young and old across the region—gathered through interviews, roundtables, focus groups and online surveys. When asked the question, what grade would you give Greater Rochester & the Finger Lakes in getting kids active though sports, surveyed stakeholders gave the region an average grade of C+. We can do better!

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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 land from the Paladino family, and will be used for the construction and management of the center located at 405 Ohio St. on the Buffalo River.

Read the full article at The Buffalo News »

The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation Highlights 2017 Grants-to-Date

Foundation has committed nearly $24 million in grants across 40 organizations impacting its four areas of focus

 

Detroit, MI /Buffalo, NY (Oct. 19, 2017) – Just one year after the launch of its official grant application portal, the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation today highlighted nearly $24 million in grants awarded to 40 organizations throughout Western New York and Southeast Michigan since January 2017.

 

“Since opening the grant portal last year, our team has invested a significant amount of time learning about the many organizations that serve the Western New York and Southeast Michigan communities,” said David Egner, president and CEO, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation. “Many of the grants we made this year allow organizations to scale proven and successful programs, while some are helping to implement or pilot new programs in one of our regions.”

 

In addition to the learnings and findings that will come from these grants, the Foundation continues to conduct studies and scans to better inform its funding strategies within each of its core funding areas. Determined by its trustees, the four focus areas are consistent with many of Mr. Wilson’s philanthropic interests. They include:

 

·       Children and Youth – Focus is on strengthening young minds and bodies with early childhood initiatives, sports and recreation programs, and afterschool youth development programs.

 

·       Young Adults and Working Class Families – Focus is on skills training and education initiatives that lead to sustainable career pathways and good paying jobs.

 

·       Caregivers – Focus is on those caring for others – whether family members, friends or professionals – through efforts that provide needed skills, resources, education and respite. Early opportunities are primarily for those caring for older adults.

 

·       Livable Communities – Focus is on contributing to strong and sustainable communities by supporting: community access and design to public spaces that support healthy living; non-profit support and innovation; and economic development levers that spur regional growth, innovation and equity.

 

The following organizations, spread across all four focus areas, received grants between January and September 2017:

 

Children and Youth:

·       Allegany County Community Opportunities and Rural Development (ACCORD): $100,000 to support ACCORD’s essential programming, while developing alternative sources of long-term funding for programs after its loss of 21st Century grant funding.

·       Aspen Institute: $1,050,000 over three years, for continued investment in the expansion of quality youth sports opportunities in Western New York, Greater Rochester and Southeast Michigan.

·       Bing Youth Institute: $200,000 to support the BINGO (Boys Inspired through Nuturing, Growth and Opportunities) Mentoring Program in Detroit.

·       Community Connections of New York, on behalf of the WNY Mentoring Collective: $2.15 million to support the WNY Mentoring Collective, a cohort of nine mentoring programs collaborating to strengthen the youth mentoring field in WNY.

·       Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan: $675,000 over three years, to implement the PEDALS (Positive Emotional Development and Learning Skills) early childhood program in Southeast Michigan.

·       Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan: $580,000 over three years, to support its work sharing and applying the framework from the State of Play report to local communities across Southeast Michigan, in partnership with the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and the Aspen Institute.

·       Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo: $580,000 over three years, to support its work sharing and applying the framework from the State of Play report to local communities across Western New York, in partnership with the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and the Aspen Institute.

·       Detroit PAL: $575,000 over three years, to provide capacity support to transition the organization into a new and expanded facility.

·       Detroit Food and Entrepreneurship Academy: $126,000 to expand the reach and depth of afterschool and summer programs and to support long-term strategic planning for Small Batch, its earned revenue business.

·       Diocese of Buffalo Department of Education: $87,000 one-year bridge grant to support its afterschool programs, which have been compromised by recent cuts in funding to its 21st Century grant.

·       Independent Health Foundation: $650,000 over three years, to support the expansion of the Soccer for Success program in Western New York.

·       Southeastern Michigan Health Association, on behalf of the Detroit Health Department: $2 million over three years, to establish and operate SisterFriends, an effort to reduce preterm birth and infant mortality in the city of Detroit.

·       Teach for America: $225,000 to support Teach for America’s effort to recruit and train early childhood educators who will lead some of Detroit and Buffalo’s highest need pre-kindergarten classrooms.

·       Women’s Sports Foundation: $1 million over four years, to bring the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Sports 4 Life program to Western New York and Southeast Michigan to strengthen and grow eight local youth sports organizations in order to attract and retain more girl participants.

 

Young Adults and Working Class Families:

·       Ann Arbor SPARK: $100,000 to support plans for the American Center for Mobility at Willow Run.

·       Buffalo Center for Arts and Technology (BCAT): $150,000 to support increased enrollment and job placement of adult participants in its medical coding and pharmacy technician training programs.

·       Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation: $1.5 million to support the transformation of the A. Philip Randolph Technical Education Center into a state-of-the-art construction and skilled trades training facility for youth and adults in metro Detroit.

·       Focus: HOPE: $725,000 to support organizational restructuring and compensation for key new hires.

·       Macomb Community College Foundation: $1,152,000 to support a workforce development training program in advanced manufacturing and information technology.

·       Operating Engineers Local 324: $450,000 to support the purchase and deployment of six equipment simulators for both classroom and career event environments.

·       Say Yes to Education: $800,000 over three years, to support Say Yes Buffalo and advance the city as a place of opportunity for boys and young men of color.

 

Caregivers:

·       Altarum Institute: $175,000 over two years, to support the evaluation of caregiver grants to help shape the Foundation’s grantmaking strategies.

·       Alzheimer’s Association Greater Michigan Chapter: $240,000 to support informal and professional caregivers by funding the development of the ‘train-the-trainer’ model.

·       Hearts and Hands: $31,000 to provide general programmatic support during a capacity building process and review.

·       Hunter’s Hope: $25,000 to support the 2017 Family and Medical Symposium.

·       Livingston County Catholic Charities: $90,000 to support the operations of four programs that provide resources and respite to caregivers.

·       Research Foundation at SUNY (UB): $135,000 over two years, to connect occupational therapist graduate students with caregivers to provide them with practical, customized solutions for their unique caregiving challenges.

·       Rochester Presbyterian Home: $151,000 to support the implementation of a new professional development curriculum designed to empower staff and improve quality of life for residents.

 

Livable Communities:

·       Causewave Community Partners: $150,000 to support strategic development and marketing for nonprofits with missions serving the Foundation’s four focus areas in Monroe, Genesee and Orleans counties.

·       Council of Great Lakes Governors: $50,000 to support the Council of Great Lakes Governors’ and Premiers’ 2017 Leadership Summit.

·       Council of Michigan Foundations: $60,000 to support and expand Learning to Give, a K-12 program that teaches philanthropy as part of daily curriculum in Wayne County.

·       Detroit Economic Growth Association: $2,003,745 to support comprehensive design and construction planning for the remaining unconstructed segments of the City of Detroit’s Inner Circle Greenway.

·       Detroit Economic Growth Association: $175,000 to support development of a Sustainability Action Agenda for the City of Detroit’s new Office of Sustainability.

·       Detroit RiverFront Conservancy: $345,000 over 18 months to support a design competition for West Riverfront Park.

·       Fair Food Network: $1,500,000 over three years, to expand Double Up Health Food Incentives through innovative technology and communications in Southeast Michigan and Western New York.

·       German Marshall Fund “BUILD” Conference: $30,000 grant for its BUILD conference, a unique transatlantic urban and regional policy and leadership conference, that will take place in the U.S. for the first time this November in Detroit.

·       Independent Sector: $100,000 to support the Independent Sector 2017 National Conference this October in Detroit.

·       Invest Detroit: $250,000 to support the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition  to create jobs and support high-growth company development in Southeast Michigan.

·       National Comedy Center, Inc: $3 million to support the development of the National Comedy Center to increase tourism and economic development in Western New York.

·       43North: $250,000 to support the prototyping and refinement of a strategic partnership project in connection with the Western New York-based startup competition.

·       NY Funders Alliance: $50,000 to support its bienneial NYS Funders Conference in Buffalo this November.

·       Research Foundation for the SUNY (UB): $70,000 to the University of Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning to support Turning the Corner, a national pilot research effort combining national expertise with local knowledge base, to assess neighborhood change and inform action in post-industrial city neighborhoods.

 

“Our staff continue to review incoming applications and will also be gearing up to advance another round of grants planned for the remainder of this year,” said Egner. “On the operations front, the Foundation will reach another significant milestone in our limited life, as we move into our new headquarters in Detroit by the end of this month.”

 

Grant applications are accepted through the Foundation’s website on an ongoing basis. The web-based application allows for an easy, transparent and efficient grantmaking process from start to finish. For more information on the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and its giving policies, visit RCWJRF.org

 

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About the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation:

The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation is a grantmaking organization dedicated primarily to sustained investment in the quality of life of the people of Southeast Michigan and Western New York. The two areas reflect Ralph C. Wilson, Jr.’s devotion to his hometown of Detroit and greater Buffalo, home of his Buffalo Bills franchise. Prior to his passing in 2014, Mr. Wilson requested that a significant share of his estate be used to continue a life-long generosity of spirit by funding the Foundation that bears his name. The Foundation has a grantmaking capacity of $1.2 billion over a 20-year period, which expires January 8, 2035. This structure is consistent with Mr. Wilson’s desire for the Foundation’s impact to be immediate, substantial, measurable and overseen by those who knew him best. For more information visit www.rcwjrf.org.

 

Media Contacts:

 

Kailey Kolozsvary

Martin Davison Public Relations

585-705-8618

kkolozsvary@martingroupmarketing.com

 

Carly Strachan

Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation

313-460-8100

carly.strachan@rcwjrf.org

 

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The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and First Niagara Foundation Partner

to Strengthen and Grow Mentoring across Western New York

$2.4 million grant to support collaborative of nine mentoring programs in the region

 

Buffalo, N.Y. (Aug. 23, 2017) – The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and the First Niagara Foundation, in partnership with KeyBank, today announced a $2.4 million grant to support the Western New York (WNY) Mentoring Collective, a cohort of nine mentoring programs throughout the region.

 

The WNY Mentoring Collective is an ambitious effort to expand and strengthen the field of mentorship programs across the region, ultimately connecting more children with mentors. The organizations collaborating in this initiative include: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Erie County, Buffalo Prep, Classroom Champions, Chautauqua Striders, Compeer, Edge Foundation, Hillside Work-Scholarship, Say Yes Buffalo, and Youth Mentoring Services of Niagara County.

 

This large-scale investment in mentorship will utilize the expertise of MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership and its statewide affiliate Mentor NY to help create a learning community among these proven local mentoring programs. The collective will benefit together from shared best practices, capacity building, mentor training, education and assessment support over the next two years.

 

“There’s tremendous value for children to have a caring adult role model, beyond their parents or guardians, to support, guide and empower them on their journey into adulthood,” said David Egner, President & CEO, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation.  “We applaud the cohort organizations for their commitment to work together and help close the mentoring gap in Western New York.”

 

“The funding from this grant will contribute to improved quality of programs in the region, while also helping to increase the number of mentors working with young people,” said Elizabeth Gurney, Executive Director, First Niagara Foundation. “We hope this investment will also serve as an invitation to professionals across all sectors in Western New York to get involved in the mentorship movement, serving as mentors and advising our youth on the path to success.”

 

Community Connections of NY (CCNY), a nonprofit management services organization, is overseeing the $2.4 million grant on behalf of the WNY Mentoring Collective. CCNY will be responsible for convening and connecting the nine organizations to MENTOR and Mentor NY throughout the process and Equal Measure of Philadelphia, PA will lead the evaluation and continuous quality improvement process for the collective.

 

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About the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation

The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation is a grantmaking organization dedicated primarily to sustained investment in the quality of life of the people of Southeast Michigan and Western New York. The two areas reflect Ralph C. Wilson, Jr.’s devotion to his hometown of Detroit and greater Buffalo, home of his Buffalo Bills franchise. Prior to his passing in 2014, Mr. Wilson requested that a significant share of his estate be used to continue a life-long generosity of spirit by funding the Foundation that bears his name. The Foundation has a grantmaking capacity of $1.2 billion over a 20-year period, which expires January 8, 2035. This structure is consistent with Mr. Wilson’s desire for the Foundation’s impact to be immediate, substantial, measurable and overseen by those who knew him best. For more information visit www.rcwjrf.org.

 

About The First Niagara Foundation

Founded in 1998, the First Niagara Foundation will carry out the philanthropic legacy of First Niagara Bank and its predecessor Lockport Savings Bank by supporting not-for-profit organizations dedicated to empowering individuals and neighborhoods primarily in Western New York.  The Foundation also continues a focus on supporting select quality youth mentoring in legacy markets previously served by First Niagara Bank.  

 

Media Contacts:

 

Christine Denham

Martin Davison Public Relations

281-433-5067

cdenham@martingroupmarketing.com

 

Carly Strachan

Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation

313-460-8100

carly.strachan@rcwjrf.org

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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 the Buffalo Bills.

The care facility received the grant as a response to their innovative approaches to dealing with residents suffering from memory disorders such as Alzheimer’s Disease. Utilizing The Eden Alternative, a technique used to ease the burden of loneliness and helplessness, residents are allowed pets, given an array of stimulating activities and are attended to closely by staff. The grant funding will go toward training and certifying staff as memory care specialists.

Read the full article at Rochester Business Journal »

Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo unveil ‘State of Play’ report on youth sports in the region

More than 1,000 local voices informed Aspen Institute analysis, which reveals the bright spots, gaps and opportunities to get more kids in the game

Buffalo, NY (June 29, 2017) – Today, the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo released “State of Play,” an independent assessment conducted by the Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program that examines access, quality, and participation in youth sports in Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, and Wyoming counties.

“Research shows active children do better in life,” said Tom Farrey, executive director, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program. “They’re healthier, more often go on to college, and as they move into adulthood are more likely to raise active kids. So how do we get more kids off the couch, without running them into the ground? It starts with a clear-eyed account of how well a community is currently serving kids through sports. We hope this report — the first of its kind nationally — provides valuable insights that can help mobilize stakeholders.”

Among the 40-plus findings in the report, which can be downloaded at RCWJRF.org/StateofPlay:

• Not Enough Kids Active at a Healthy Level: While 84 percent of parents believe it’s important to have their children regularly involved in sports, only 16 percent of youth across Western New York are physically active one hour a day, the level recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• It’s About More than Sports: A Johns Hopkins University analysis projects that if stakeholders in the region can get and keep just 25 percent of youth active daily, 7,488 fewer youth would be overweight and obese, saving the region more than $262 million in direct medical costs and workplace productivity losses.
• Where Have the Neighborhood Games Gone?: The sports experience has changed dramatically over the past generation or so, with children participating in fewer sports and activities near their homes. Casual/pick- up play has become far less common, with more youth primarily playing in organized team settings.
• Many bright spots, but we can do better: Youth sport providers and other stakeholders across Western New York gave the region a C+ in getting kids active through sports, according to an online survey. The grade aligns with research by the Aspen Institute, which found many innovative organizations and grassroots champions dedicated to youth, but also gaps in program access, especially in low-income and rural areas.

“Our vision is to have a Western New York community in which all children, regardless of ZIP code or ability, have the opportunity to be active through sports,” said David O. Egner, President & CEO, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation. “The State of Play report identifies the challenges we face as a region, but more importantly, it also shares the opportunities that all of us in the community – parents, educators, funders, and leaders – can pursue for improvement.”

The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation commissioned the report and partnered with Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo to create and oversee a local task force of youth sports practitioners and leaders who provided insights, expertise and feedback throughout the eight-month research process.

“For the first time ever, we have a clear picture of what the state of youth sports looks like in our region,” said Clotilde Perez-Bode Dedecker, President and CEO, Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. “State of Play is a playbook that will drive community conversation and action on how we can collectively address youth sports for years to come.”

More than 1,000 local adults and youth informed the State of Play report through interviews, roundtables, focus groups and surveys. With the help of a George Washington University research team, the Aspen Institute analyzed the region through its existing framework of eight strategies, or “plays,” designed to increase sport participation with urban, suburban and rural youth.

The eight “plays” include:

1. Ask Kids What They Want: Understanding the needs of kids by building their voice into the decision-making process around sports
2. Reintroduce Free Play: Making room for less-structured activity
3. Encourage Sports Sampling: Exposing kids to a variety of sports, and not asking them to specialize early in any one sport
4. Revitalize In-Town Leagues: Supporting community-based options
5. Think Small: Being creative in the use and development of play spaces
6. Design for Development: Delivering age-appropriate programs
7. Train All Coaches: Training in key competencies in safety and working with kids
8. Emphasize Prevention: Preventing brain and other injuries

While the State of Play report will help to inform grantmaking strategies for the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, the broader hope is that the region’s communities will begin to engage in this early conversation and collectively rally around our youth. Beginning this fall, the two foundations will partner to host a series of community roundtables and discussions to improve youth sports.

Western New York’s State of Play is one of three regional youth sports and recreation studies commissioned by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and conducted by the Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program, in partnership with local community foundations. Studies were also conducted and reports were developed in Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes and Southeast Michigan, the Foundation’s primary regions for investment. These communities were the home and adopted home of the Foundation’s namesake and founder, the late Ralph C. Wilson, Jr., a Detroit area native and lifelong resident, and founder and long-time owner of the Buffalo Bills professional football team.

To view the full State of Play report, and to receive updates and learn more about upcoming efforts to improve the local state of play, visit RCWJRF.org/StateofPlay.

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About the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation

The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation is a grantmaking organization dedicated primarily to sustained investment in the quality of life of the people of Southeast Michigan and Western New York. The two areas reflect Ralph C. Wilson, Jr.’s devotion to his hometown of Detroit and greater Buffalo, home of his Buffalo Bills franchise. Prior to his passing in 2014, Mr. Wilson requested that a significant share of his estate be used to continue a life-long generosity of spirit by funding the Foundation that bears his name. The Foundation has a grantmaking capacity of $1.2 billion over a 20-year period, which expires January 8, 2035. This structure is consistent with Mr. Wilson’s desire for the Foundation’s impact to be immediate, substantial, measurable and overseen by those who knew him best. For more information visit www.rcwjrf.org.

About the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo

The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, a 501(c)(3) organization, was established in 1919 to enhance and encourage long-term philanthropy in the Western New York community. The Community Foundation’s mission is: Connecting people, ideas and resources to improve lives in Western New York. Since 1919, the Community Foundation has made the most of the generosity of individuals, families, foundations and organizations who entrust charitable assets to the Community Foundation’s care. For more information visit www.cfgb.org

About the Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program

The Sports & Society Program convenes leaders, facilitates dialogue and inspires solutions that help sport serve the public interest. Its signature initiative is Project Play, which provides stakeholders with resources and opportunities to build healthy communities through sports.
More: www.SportsAndSociety.org

Media Contacts

Kailey Kolozsvary
Martin Davison Public Relations
585-705-8618
kkolozsvary@martingroupmarketing.com

Carly Strachan
Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation
313-460-8100
carly.strachan@rcwjrf.org

Download Press Release

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 the full article at Democrat & Chronicle »

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 some of the specific problems and solutions for the Buffalo region, so it can get more kids off the couch.

Read the full article at The Buffalo News »

Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and Rochester Area Community Foundation Unveil ‘State of Play’ Report on Youth Sports in the Region
More than 1,000 local voices informed Aspen Institute analysis, which reveals the bright spots, gaps and opportunities to get more kids in the game

Rochester, NY (June 29, 2017) – Today, the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and Rochester Area Community Foundation released State of Play, an independent assessment conducted by the Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program that examines access, quality, and participation in youth sports in Livingston, Ontario, Monroe, Wayne, Seneca, and Yates counties.
(more…)

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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 the full article at USA Today »