Rochester Area Community Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Rochester Area Community Foundation supports a wide variety of local nonprofits in Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne, and Yates counties in upstate New York.
IP TAKE: This is a huge grantmaker with hundreds of opportunities for Rochester area organizations of all sizes. This is a funder that is not afraid to take risks on newcomers; many small upstarts have received funding recently, especially in the areas of arts and culture. RACF runs a consolidated application portal for all opportunities, but be sure to read up on current funding programs and reach out to staff with questions and ideas. This is a responsive and accessible funder whose work spans the city of Rochester and eight surrounding counties.
PROFILE: Established in 1972, the Rochester Area Community Foundation (RACF) is a community foundation based in Rochester, New York. Originally known as the Greater Rochester Community Foundation of the Genesee Valley, RACF works in the upstate New York counties of Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne and Yates. Its two overarching goals are to create an equitable community and strengthen the region’s vitality through more than 1,300 funds and giving circles. RACF funds local efforts related to equity, economic opportunity, arts and culture, education, the environment, housing, women and LGBTQ causes.
Grants for Racial Equity, Work and Opportunity
The Rochester Area Community Foundation aims to “create an equitable community” in its region and names racial and ethnic understanding and fighting poverty as key components of its grantmaking. The foundation conceptualizes these giving areas as overlapping and cites local statistics about poverty and race as guiding its work. One recent grant supported the work of the Empire Justice Center, which helps low-income residents of Monroe County with “tax preparation, asset building opportunities, and referrals to community resources.” Another grantee, the Greater Rochester Enterprise Foundation, provides strategic support to businesses that are “poised for expansion” with the goal of job creations in local economies. Other racial equity and economic development grants have supported the PathStone Foundation and 540WMain, both of which provide educational programming that aim to dismantle structural racism and promote social equity.
Grants for Education
RACF’s equitable community grantmaking names “making a significant and sustainable reduction in academic achievement and opportunity gaps” as grantmaking priorities. During the COVID-19 school closures, the foundation funded the ROC Learning Pods program, through which children were able to meet in small groups and receive learning support from paraprofessionals. Other recent education grants have gone to the Greater Rochester Summer Learning Association, Quad A for Kids and the Children’s Institute, which used funding to evaluate and improve area pre-K programs.
Grants for Arts and Culture
Grants for arts and culture comprise a significant portion of RACF’s annual giving. The foundation names arts and culture and historical preservation as important areas of giving. Grantmaking in these areas appears to prioritize programs with broad appeal and high accessibility; the foundation has funded many low-cost or free arts events, festivals and participatory programs. Grantees include Blackfriars Theatre, the Finger Lakes Opera, Rochester’s Gateways Music Festival and the Livingston County Historical Society.
Grants for the Environment, Climate Change and Clean Energy
Environmental conservation and justice are key components of this funder’s giving for regional vitality, although this has been a smaller area of giving recently. One recent grant supported the area’s Climate Solutions Accelerator, which is supporting local stakeholders in their efforts to reduce emissions in accordance with New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. Grants have also supported the Canandaigua Lake Watershed Association, Rochester Ecology Partners and Rochester ENergy Efficiency and Weatherization, which helps low- and middle-income residents make their homes “more energy-efficient, healthier, and safer.”
Grants for Housing, Homelessness and Community Development
RACF has made grants for housing and homelessness via its equitable communities grantmaking program, as well as some of its donor-advised funds and giving circles. The foundation does not name specific priorities for its housing grants, but recent recipients include the Keuka Housing Council and Connected Communities, a Rochester-based organization that has worked to revitalize the struggling neighborhoods of Beechwood and EMMA.
Grants for Women, Girls and LGBTQ Causes
Two giving circles at RACF focus on the women’s and LGBTQ cuases. The Rochester Women’s Giving Circle aims to “help women and girls gain the necessary education, training, and skills that lead to economic independence.” It has recently made grants to organizations including the Willow Domestic Violence Center of Greater Rochester and Calvary Women’s Services. The LGBT+ Giving Circle supports “organizations that serve, are inclusive of, or are allied with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community to enhance and strengthen our region.” This circle has recently supported the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley and the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association.
Important Grant Details
This funder made almost $26 million in grants in a recent year, with grants mainly ranging from $5,000 to $100,000. The foundation’s average grant size is about $15,000. Overall, this community foundation gives broadly to support education, equity, opportunity and community vitality through grants to a broad range of community-based organizations.
This funder streamlines its application process through a single grant portal. However, with hundreds of funds and giving circles, grantseekers are advised to read over the foundation’s opportunities page carefully to determine eligibility and fit. Guidelines and due dates vary by program. Questions about grant opportunities and the grantmaking process may be submitted to the appropriate staff via email.
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