Who We Are

Community Foundation for South Central New York was established in 1997 with a $1 million challenge grant from the Binghamton-based Stewart W. and Willma C. Hoyt Foundation, a private foundation whose Board had noted the lack of a community foundation to serve Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware and Tioga counties. Bolstered by the success and strong presence of the community foundation model in other parts of the country, the idea to create such an organization for our region took hold, and a Board of Directors comprising active community volunteers was formed. Within a short time the Hoyt Foundation’s challenge grant was met, and the Community Foundation was off and running. At the end of its first full year in operation it had achieved $3,396,488 in assets and had awarded $102,500 in grants. The Hoyt Foundation has continued to be a strong supporter of the Community Foundation since 1997, making grants for both its grant program and operations in subsequent years.

The founders chose the community foundation model in part because it was their vision to establish a permanent fund, or endowment, that would benefit the communities in our area for generations to come. But as part of its mission they also wanted to ensure that anyone who lived in or loved the region could always make a donation, large or small, to the endowment. In addition, they wanted to provide a convenient, cost-effective and accessible means through which larger donors could pursue a variety of options – in the form of special charitable funds – to realize their own charitable goals and dreams. The organizational structure that met all those requirements was the community foundation.

What Distinguishes a Community Foundation from Other Foundations?
Community foundations are:
	publicly-supported charities that offer to the donor the maximum tax benefits allowable by law
	usually defined by a specific geographical region
	governed by a board of private citizens who are familiar with the community and representative of the public interest

Community foundations serve donors by providing a variety of funds through which they can contribute to the foundation’s endowment while at the same time achieving their individual charitable goals. They serve the nonprofit sector by making grants to agencies in the specified region from the various funds within the endowment. And they serve the broader community by promoting philanthropy within the region and focusing attention on peoples’ efforts to improve its quality of life. There are currently more than 700 community foundations operating within the United States.

In its first ten years the Community Foundation has established itself firmly in the region, receiving more than $14 million in contributions from donors to help grow the endowment, which now stands at $17.4 million. More than $3.4 million in grants has been awarded so far to agencies in Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware and Tioga counties – dollars that are working in our communities in response to the needs of our fellow residents. And in June 2007 the Foundation added Otsego County to the roster of counties served by the Community Foundation.

Help build an enduring legacy for our region! To find out more:
• Benefits of becoming a donor
• How to give

Looking for a Speaker?

We’re always happy to share information about the Community Foundation for South Central New York and about the many ways we can help donors who want to make a meaningful, lasting contribution to our community. If you’d like someone from the Community Foundation to speak to your group or service organization, let us know! You can reach us by telephone, mail, or by our Contact Us page.

Regional photos on this site have been provided courtesy of:
Chenango County Chamber of Commerce
Cortland County Chamber of Commerce
Delaware County Chamber of Commerce
Tioga County Chamber of Commerce
Ed Aswad, Carriage House Photography
Graphics Plus Printing, Inc.