Grantmaking in Yates County continues to grow with the combined efforts of the Yates Community Endowment and Rochester Area Community Foundation. Together in 2024, they awarded $155,300 grants to 22 nonprofits serving Yates County.
Since its beginning in 2011, the Yates Community Endowment has distributed more than $700,000 in grants to nonprofit organizations serving Yates County residents. These grants have provided scholarships for summer camp, helped with disaster relief efforts after the flood in 2014, and assisted in the creation of the HOPE Center. Grantmaking from the Yates Community Endowment and several other related funds is carried out by an all-volunteer advisory committee made up of Yates County residents. Residents on the advisory committee use their knowledge of area needs and challenges to review applications submitted by local nonprofits and make grant recommendations on behalf of the Yates Community Endowment. The average grant size is $5,000.
“Thanks to a growing number of donors, we have been able to increase our investments and expand support for worthy endeavors in the Yates County community. We are very grateful for this show of generosity and concern for our neighbors,” says Ann McMullen, co-chair of the Yates Community Endowment.
Rochester Area Community Foundation’s focus on investment in Yates and the surrounding counties has made more dollars available to fulfill these requests and to award some grants that are significantly larger.
“We’ve seen how a few thousand dollars can be put to incredible use in Yates County, to boost a vital program or serve more residents,” says Community Foundation Senior Program Officer Sara Bukowiec. “But to address large-scale issues like food insecurity, transportation, or housing, we know sometimes larger dollar amounts are needed.”
This year, a $40,000 grant was awarded to Dundee Fresh Grocery to increase access to local produce in Southern Yates County. Even in a vibrant farming community, many residents have transportation and economic barriers that make it hard to access the fruits and vegetables grown nearby. This grant will help establish a full-service grocery store in the Village of Dundee with fresh produce sourced from the Finger Lakes Produce Auction.
These grants are made possible through the Yates Community Endowment Fund and affiliate funds, which include the Spring Hill Fund, Robert F. Flickinger Memorial Fund, Willie Taaffe Memorial Fund, and McMullen Family Fund. This year, additional funding came from Rochester Area Community Foundation’s Community Impact Fund, which pools contributions from more than 100 permanent funds established specifically to support changing community needs, along with the Rachel Susan Beimler Campership Fund, Mary Elizabeth Conlon Fund, Children’s Fund, Winona E. Moore Fund, Miles and Lizzie Houck Fund, Kathleen E. and Thomas S. D’Antonio Charitable Fund, Jonathan D. Foster Fund, Simmons Family Fund, and Gerald P. and Karen S. Kral Fund.
The 2024 grantees are:
Black Brown and Diverse Plant-Based People for Equity: To expand plant-based food education, food distribution, and collaboration with organizations addressing food insecurity in Yates County. $1,000
Catholic Charities of the Finger Lakes: To respond to immediate, basic housing needs, and meet long-term stability goals of families in Yates County. $5,000
Cornell Cooperative Extension: To expand current family life skills programming and continue youth outreach programming efforts. $5,000
Court Appointed Special Advocates of the Southern Tier, Inc.: Supports this advocacy program for children, birth to age 21, who are involved in the Family Court System due to a neglect or abuse situation by a parental figure. Assigned volunteers remain with the child(ren) until a safe, stable, and nurturing home is secured. $7,500
Dundee Fresh Grocery: Supports increased access to fresh produce for food-insecure residents in Yates County. $40,000
Keuka Housing Council, Inc.: To expand the affordable housing program addressing more home ownership and independent living. $15,000
Literacy Volunteers Ontario Yates: To expand and improve one-on-one tutoring services by supporting the redesign and purchase of new furniture to better meet learners’ needs. $5,000
The Living Well: Provides operating support for the agency’s food insecurity programming. $1,000
Manor Crest Foundation: Supports the lease of an aquarium to help create a tranquil sensory experience to benefit individuals who are experiencing anxiety, agitation, memory loss, and/or depression. $2,500
Milly’s Pantry: For a pilot youth cooking and nutrition education program to help reduce food insecurity and improve academic readiness. $11,500
Our Town Rocks: Supports ongoing operational costs for this organization to continue to preserve and improve the physical, social, and economic health of Barrington/Starkey/Dundee neighborhood. $4,500
Pennsylvania Yankee Theatre Company: Supports operations of the Summer Youth Camp, which provides a safe and educational summer activity for area youth. $3,500
Pro Action of Steuben and Yates, Inc.: Supports the Hope Center Keuka Food Pantry, which is located within walking distance of many low-income housing units and offers case managers who help with customer referrals to wraparound services. $8,800
Rochester Folk Art Guild: Provides operational support to strengthen community outreach and cultural programming. $5,000
Safe Harbors of the Finger Lakes: Supports the “Kids Right to Personal Safety” educational program for pre-K to 6th grade students in Yates County schools. $1,500
Saunders Finger Lakes Museum: Provides gap funding for the Wetland and Wildlife Enhancement Project expanding access to wetlands, adding picnic areas and a permanent dock for non-motorized boat usage. $8,000
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church: Supports this Penn Yan church’s 24/7 emergency food and supplies program that provides non-perishable goods to those in need. $3,000
Sweet Farm Foundation: Supports the Healthy Vegetables Program by providing fresh produce for food-insecure residents of Yates County. $5,000
Yates Christmas Program: Provides operating support for year-round emergency supply provision to Yates County residents. $5,000
Yates County History Center: Provides operating support for the center to continue to provide free admission and educational programs at a low cost to the community. $2,500
Yates Cultural & Recreational Resources: Supports operations at the Yates Community Center, particularly for residents who cannot afford memberships and/or programming. $5,000
YMCA of Greater Rochester: For scholarships for Yates County youth ages 3 to 15 to attend the YMCA’s Camp Cory day camp. $10,000
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