Community Foundation of Elmira-Corning and the Finger Lakes
/OVERVIEW: The Community Foundation of Elmira-Corning and the Finger Lakes supports arts, culture, education, youth, environment, animals, human services and capacity building in the New York counties of Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben and Yates.
IP TAKE: A majority of applicants receive CFECFL funding. This is a good funder to get in touch with about both urgent and ongoing needs if your organization serves communities in or around Elmira, Corning and the Finger Lakes region of New York. This funder has recently articulated a strong commitment to racial equity in the region. Application guidelines and due dates vary by program.
PROFILE: Established in the 1970s, the Community Foundation of Elmira-Corning and the Finger Lakes (CFECFL) is a community foundation based in Horseheads, New York. The funder assumed its current name in 1993 after merging the Community Foundation of Chemung County Area and the Corning Community Foundation. Today, it is led by community-based, volunteer board of directors and administered professional staff members. Through its various grantmaking programs, CFECFL helps “important community cornerstones maintain their operations and programming.” Its largest grantmaking program, the Community Grants Program, supports arts and culture, education and youth, the environment, animals and human services in Chemung and Southeastern Steuben counties. Some of the foundation’s smaller funds support health, women and girls and economic opportunity in a similar geographic range.
Grants for Early Childhood K-12 Education
CFECFL’s Community Grants Program names education as one of its main areas of focus, although this funder does not name specific goals for its educational grantmaking. In the early childhood arena, grants have recently gone to the Chemung County Childcare Council and the Horseheads Family Resource Center. K-12 grantees include the Corning-Painted Post Area School District, the Campbell-Savona Central School District, Corning’s Regional Science and Discovery Center and youth programming at the Southside Community Center in Elmira. The foundation also plans to send a cohort of teachers of grades pre-K through 12 to Finland in 2023 to “learn directly from their Finnish counterparts.” Opportunities for education funding also exist through other CFECFL funds, including the Elmo M. Royce Youth Fund, the Edith Saxton Fund for Steuben County Youth Services and the Twin Tiers Christian Service Grant.
Grants for Community Development, Public Health and Mental Health
CFECFL gives significantly for the development of communities in its geographic areas of priority and the well-being of its residents. The foundation does not name specific priorities, however, for its grants in these areas. Recent support has gone to the Arnot Health Foundation of Elmira, Chemung County Habitat for Humanity, the Chemung Valley Senior Center, the Neighborhood Transformation Center of Elmira and the Family Service Society of Corning. Other funds that offer grants for community and well-being include the Central Christian Church Fund, the Keuka Area Fund, the Schuyler County Fund and the Twin Tiers Christian Service Grant.
Grants for the Environment, Animals and Wildlife
Grantmaking for the environment, animals and wildlife represents a smaller portion of this funder’s total giving, yet opportunities do exist, stemming from the Community Grants Program and the Keuka Area Fund. The foundation does not name specific goals for these areas, but has recently given to the Chemung County Humane Society and SPCA, Friends of the Chemung River Watershed and the Tanglewood Nature Center and Museum.
Grants for Arts and Culture
Arts and culture organizations serving communities of the Elmira-Corning area have received grants from the foundation’s Community Grants Program. The foundation gives to visual and performing arts organizations, as well as efforts for historical preservation and museums. Grantees include Chemung County Performing Arts, Community Arts of Elmira, Corning-Elmira Musical Arts and the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport, New York.
Grants for Women and Girls
CFECFL manages the Fund for Women of the Southern Tier, which aims to “help girls and women achieve economic self-sufficiency and realize life goals through grants in the areas of education, health, wellness, career, and life skills.” Grants stemming from this program have supported the Finger Lakes Area Counseling and Recovery Agency, domestic violence shelters run by Family Services Society of Corning and Planned Parenthood of Tomkins County.
Grants for Racial Justice and Indigenous Rights
This funder does not name racial equity as a specific area of grantmaking but has recently added equity as a point of focus for all of its giving programs. The foundation encourages “applications from students, community members, and organizations representing all races, genders, and backgrounds” and strives to “take the concepts of diversity, inclusion, equity, and justice seriously and hold up these lenses every time we make a move, whether convening a group of community members to solve a problem or discussing funding decisions.”
Important Grant Details
CFECFL gives away about $2 million a year to are organizations, with grants ranging from about $5,000 to $118,000. This funder supports organizations of all sizes within its geographical target area. For additional information about past grants see the foundation’s recent financial and annual reports.
This funder accepts grant applications for grants and mini grants in amount less than $1,5000 through its application portal. Eligibility, guidelines and due dates vary by program. Questions about grants may be directed to the foundation’s vice president for programs via email at sep@communityfund.org or by telephone at 607-739-3900.
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