Community Foundation For Greater Buffalo Inc
90% goes to programs $1 to raise $100 Strong reserves Declining revenue
Community Foundation For Greater Buffalo Inc is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Buffalo, New York, registered in 1987, with $48,658,362 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A, and it directs about 90% of spending to programs.
726 Exchange St Ste 525, Buffalo, NY, 14210 EIN 22-2743917 Since 1987
Revenue (FY2024)
$48.7M
▼ 11.5% vs prior year
Philanthropy median: $168K
Expenses (FY2024)
$46.6M
Net assets
$730.7M
Employees
52
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
A
A+Program efficiency40% of the rating90% to programs · $1 to raise $100
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For Community Foundation For Greater Buffalo Inc: 90% to programs · $1 to raise $100 earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
B+Financial health25% of the rating188 mo reserves · +4% margin
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Community Foundation For Greater Buffalo Inc: 188 mo reserves · +4% margin earns a B+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Governance25% of the rating6 of 6 checks met
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Community Foundation For Greater Buffalo Inc: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Transparency10% of the rating5 of 5 disclosure signals
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Community Foundation For Greater Buffalo Inc: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
To connect people, ideas and resources to improve lives in western new york.
What they do
Board directed grants & scholarships: the board of the community foundation directs the use of certain funds (as requested by the client/donor) as follows:(1) changing needs: clients/donors request that their funds be directed by the board to address the changing needs of our community over time. in 2024 the community foundation granted $820,000 to advance the priorities set by the foundation. (2) field of interest : clients/donors request that their funds be directed to a specific area of interest. the grantees receiving these funds are determined by the board of the community foundation. in 2024 the community foundation awarded $3,016,000 from field of interest funds.(3) scholarships clients/donors have established scholarship funds which the foundation awards to residents of western new york. these awards are based primarily on financial need, although the client/donor may have made additional stipulations such as field of study or graduates of a particular high school. in 2024 $2,576,000 was awarded for scholarships, excluding those awarded by say yes buffalo (listed below).
Say yes buffalo (syb): the say yes buffalo initiative is an education based, economic revitalization effort designed to strengthen the regional workforce and offer unprecedented education opportunities to urban youth. the community foundation supports and administers the say yes buffalo scholarship fund which seeks to remove all barriers to educational success through a coordinated system of support and by providing scholarships for all graduates of buffalo public and charter schools to pursue a post-secondary education. in addition to administering the scholarship fund, the community foundation has also made grants to support various initiatives spearheaded by say yes buffalo in its mission to address the financial, academic, health and social/emotional barriers to educational achievement.
Other program services: the community foundation administers designated funds, which donors create to provide ongoing support to specific charitable organizations. these grants are generally awarded to the same organizations each year, consistent with the fund agreements. in 2024, other program expenses totaled $7,624,000, including $6,219,000 in grants after netting interfund activity. grants awarded from designated funds totaled $6,880,000.
Contact & location
- Address
- 726 Exchange St Ste 525, Buffalo, NY, 14210
- City
- Buffalo
- State
- New York
- Subcategory
- Public Foundations
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $24.1M (FY2013) to $48.7M (FY2024) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2024)
Liabilities $213.4MNet assets $730.7M
Operating margin
4.2%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$944.0M
Total liabilities
$213.4M
Net assets
$730.7M
Salaries & benefits
$5.5M
12% of expenses
Board members
21
21 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $48,658,362▼11.5% | $46,615,540▲12.2% | $730,688,019▲5.3% | $944,045,975▲7.3% | 990 |
| 2023 | $54,971,299▼2.8% | $41,559,311▼24.5% | $693,950,445▲11.9% | $880,132,334▲13.9% | 990 |
| 2022 | $56,537,676▼60.7% | $55,052,109▲15.3% | $619,886,223▼12.1% | $772,638,253▼11.6% | 990 |
| 2021 | $143,802,626▲170% | $47,739,302▲6.7% | $705,414,815▲35.0% | $874,380,305▲30.8% | 990 |
| 2020 | $53,285,057▼12.1% | $44,761,679▲17.7% | $522,340,038▲15.6% | $668,671,266▲17.8% | 990 |
| 2019 | $60,605,250▲65.2% | $38,027,210▲31.3% | $451,960,065▲20.5% | $567,602,647▲25.1% | 990 |
| 2018 | $36,690,988▲3.0% | $28,972,154▲16.7% | $375,140,856▼5.5% | $453,587,642▼3.0% | 990 |
| 2017 | $35,618,700▼38.3% | $24,816,523▲13.8% | $397,043,518▲16.1% | $467,730,524▲16.8% | 990 |
| 2016 | $57,700,877▲39.2% | $21,804,285▲22.1% | $342,026,827▲17.8% | $400,591,231▲17.0% | 990 |
| 2015 | $41,439,088▲71.8% | $17,860,175▲15.8% | $290,254,404▲12.2% | $342,390,583▲14.0% | 990 |
| 2013 | $24,123,677 | $15,426,791▲8.1% | $258,675,346▲16.0% | $300,238,903▲16.1% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $14,269,609▲10.9% | $223,074,432▲15.3% | $258,705,854▲23.5% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $12,862,227▲16.5% | $193,444,973▲1.6% | $209,558,554▲3.7% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $11,041,102 | $190,458,893 | $202,118,717 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Leadership & compensation (FY2024)
Highest-paid: Elizabeth Constantine — $407,000 (0.87% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabeth Constantine | President/ceo | 55 | $407,000 |
| Maria Whyte | Chief Community Impact Off | 50 | $274,546 |
| Ellen Musialowski | Cfo | 55 | $211,667 |
| Myra Lawrence | V.p. Finance | 50 | $204,720 |
| Jean Mckeown | Special Advisor To Preside | 25 | $196,700 |
| Felicia Beard | Associate Vice President, Re Philanthropy and Stra | 50 | $180,500 |
| Halimah Madyun | Associate Vice President Administrative Operations | 50 | $178,500 |
| Cara Matteliano | Senior Director, Policy An | 50 | $169,850 |
| Alex Montante | Director | 3 | — |
| Alice Jacobs Jd | Director | 3 | — |
| Allen Pete Grum | Director | 3 | — |
| Boni R Durand Phd | Director | 3 | — |
| Cheryl Jankowski CPA | Treasurer | 4 | — |
| Darby Fishkin | Director | 3 | — |
| David Blesy CPA | Director | 3 | — |
| Dottie Gallagher | Director | 3 | — |
| Hal Payne Ph D | Director | 3 | — |
| Jeffrey Katz Esq | Director | 3 | — |
| Jennifer Balbach | Director | 3 | — |
| Jennifer Pauly | Director | 3 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2024)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Crewcial Partners LLC | Investment Consulting | $333,094 |
| Lco Building LLC | Rents | $310,772 |
| Catapult Group LLC | Professional Services | $207,400 |
| Laux Sports LLC | Sporting Goods | $136,788 |
Grants received · $14.8M total
53 grants to Community Foundation For Greater Buffalo Inc totaling $14.8M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Impactassets Inc | General support | 2024 | $250,000 |
| New Venture Fund | Environmental programs | 2024 | $40,000 |
| The Aspen Institute Inc | Aspen forum for community solutions | 2024 | $10,000 |
| Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund | General support | 2023 | $417,633 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2023 | $133,324 |
| President and Fellows of Harvard College | Daf distribution | 2023 | $60,000 |
| The Us Charitable Gift Trust | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2023 | $10,000 |
| Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2023 | $7,500 |
| The Aspen Institute Inc | Opportunity youth forum (oyf) annual assessment stipend and travel support grant | 2023 | $6,500 |
| Community Foundation For Southeast Michigan | Building/renovation | 2022 | $1,170,569 |
| Impactassets Inc | In support of the core fund (community-owned resiliency and empowerment fund) | 2022 | $500,000 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2022 | $120,811 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2022 | $89,818 |
| President and Fellows of Harvard College | Daf distribution/charitable contributions | 2022 | $60,000 |
| Cleveland Foundation | Buffalo together community response fund | 2022 | $50,000 |
Grants made · $33.4M in FY2024
562 grants totaling $33.4M in FY2024 — showing the 15 largest. All grants made by Community Foundation For Greater Buffalo Inc →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Say Yes Buffalo Scholarship Inc | Charitable support. any restrictions have been communicated to the grantee. | $1,790,661 |
| Research Foundation For the State University of New York | Charitable support. any restrictions have been communicated to the grantee. | $993,396 |
| Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Society Inc | Charitable support. any restrictions have been communicated to the grantee. | $946,103 |
| Open Buffalo Inc | Charitable support. any restrictions have been communicated to the grantee. | $737,000 |
| The Service Collaborative of Wny Inc | Charitable support. any restrictions have been communicated to the grantee. | $621,177 |
| Ralph Wilson Park Conservancy Inc | Charitable support. any restrictions have been communicated to the grantee. | $590,500 |
| Buffalo Fine Arts Academy | Charitable support. any restrictions have been communicated to the grantee. | $589,264 |
| Bryant & Stratton Inc | Charitable support. any restrictions have been communicated to the grantee. | $560,850 |
| Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences | Charitable support. any restrictions have been communicated to the grantee. | $541,625 |
| Margaret Woodbury Strong Museum | Charitable support. any restrictions have been communicated to the grantee. | $500,000 |
| Nature Conservancy | Charitable support. any restrictions have been communicated to the grantee. | $472,748 |
| The Salvation Army | Charitable support. any restrictions have been communicated to the grantee. | $392,149 |
| Connecticut College | Charitable support. any restrictions have been communicated to the grantee. | $349,644 |
| Zoological Society of Buffalo Inc | Charitable support. any restrictions have been communicated to the grantee. | $330,680 |
| People United For Sustainable Housing Incorporated | Charitable support. any restrictions have been communicated to the grantee. | $323,250 |
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Frequently asked questions
- Is Community Foundation For Greater Buffalo Inc a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Community Foundation For Greater Buffalo Inc is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 22-2743917, based in Buffalo, New York. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Community Foundation For Greater Buffalo Inc's EIN?
- Community Foundation For Greater Buffalo Inc's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 22-2743917.
- How much revenue does Community Foundation For Greater Buffalo Inc report?
- Community Foundation For Greater Buffalo Inc reported $48,658,362 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Community Foundation For Greater Buffalo Inc's spending goes to programs?
- Community Foundation For Greater Buffalo Inc spends about 90% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Community Foundation For Greater Buffalo Inc have?
- CharityIndex grades Community Foundation For Greater Buffalo Inc A, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Community Foundation For Greater Buffalo Inc's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Community Foundation For Greater Buffalo Inc's latest Form 990 is $407,000, paid to Elizabeth Constantine (President/ceo).
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Data for Community Foundation For Greater Buffalo Inc (EIN 22-2743917) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.