named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Agency Funds
Endowment funds established by and for local nonprofits to support their missions, including organizations in health, education, animal welfare, and cultural preservation.
Donor Advised Funds
Accounts through which individual donors recommend grants to charitable organizations, supporting causes such as education, health, and community development.
Donor Designated Funds
Endowed funds created by donors to support specific organizations or causes, with annual grants distributed according to donor intent.
Field of Interest Funds
Funds focused on specific community needs such as women's philanthropy, youth sports, trail development, and urban beautification.
activities · 4 groups
What they do
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Local High School Scholarship Programs 1 activity
- Administers regional scholarship programs for students pursuing higher educationOperates an annual scholarship application system and awards multiple named scholarships, including the Gregory D. Spring Perseverance Scholarship, Jonathan Teuscher Scholarship, Sondra J. Fox Scholarship, and others, with recipients notified by May 30 and awards distributed through school ceremonies. Awards over $300,000 annually in scholarships to students in the Cattaraugus region.
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Community Foundation & United Way Support 1 activity
- Funds capital projects and maintenance for community infrastructure and nonprofitsSupports capital campaigns and maintenance projects for local organizations, including funding for the Olean Food Pantry expansion, SPCA in Cattaraugus County shelter renovations and kennel repairs, and ongoing support for the 5.6-mile Allegheny River Valley Trail through a dedicated fund.
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General Operating Support Grants 1 activity
- Funds grants and scholarships across education, health care, arts, community development, and human servicesProvides grants to tax-exempt organizations, governmental units, schools, and universities in Cattaraugus and Allegany counties, supporting education, scholarships, health care, the arts, community development, human services, and youth development. Also considers grants to religious institutions when programs serve broad community needs, such as food assistance.
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Endowment and Gift Fund Management 1 activity
- Manages endowment and donor-designated funds to support long-term community givingManages approximately 300 funds and scholarships with over $30 million in assets, including donor-designated funds such as the Mildred Milliman Fund that benefits 35 charities annually. Allocates 80% of annual contributions to grantmaking and 20% to the SheElevates Fund's endowment for long-term sustainability.
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financials · form 990 · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$5.42M
Contributions & grants$4.04M75%
Program service revenue$54K1%
Investment income$1.33M24%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$2.22M
Program expenses84%
Admin / overhead7%
Fundraising9%
Salaries & benefits$398K
Grants paid out$1.66M
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$41.10M
Cash$1.04M
Investments$39.98M
Liabilities$4.91M
Net assets$36.18M
Liquid reserves221.7 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue +42.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| KIRK WINDUS | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 35 | $106K |
board members · 21
- AUDRA STEVENS — SECRETARY
- BRENT DRISCOLL — DIRECTOR
- CAROL STITT — DIRECTOR
- DENNIS PEZZIMENTI — DIRECTOR
- DOUG PRICE — DIRECTOR
- DR TONY EVANS — DIRECTOR
- JIM STITT JR — DIRECTOR
- LUCY BENSON — DIRECTOR
- MARY FREEMAN — 2ND VICE PRESIDENT
- MIKE HIGGINS — DIRECTOR
- MIKE KASPERSKI — TREASURER
- SANDI BRUNDAGE — DIRECTOR
- SEAN CORNELIUS — DIRECTOR
- SHABANA CHAUHDRY — DIRECTOR
- SHARON MYERS — VICE PRESIDENT
- SHELLEY JACK — DIRECTOR
- SKIP WILDAY — DIRECTOR
- THERESA RAFTIS — DIRECTOR
- TYLER THREEHOUSE — DIRECTOR
- VICKI BLESSING — DIRECTOR
- WENDY BRAND — PRESIDENT
relationships · 21
Who they work with
- Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation Network — Member of a network of community foundations
- Cattaraugus-Little Valley Central School Partner — Provides scholarships to graduating seniors from this school.
- Grant Interface Partner — Partners with Grant Interface to manage the online scholarship application portal.
- Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce Partner — Partners through a shared services agreement providing infrastructure support and office space.
- Gregory Spring Family Partner — Established the Gregory D. Spring Perseverance Scholarship in memory of Gregory Spring.
- Guidestar Network — Member profile listed on Guidestar platform.
- HomeCare & Hospice Partner — Receives grant support for mission, programming, and operations.
- IRS Government — Recognizes tax-exempt status under IRS Code Section 501(c)(3) for grant eligibility.
- KaBOOM! Partner — Partnered with the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation to design and build a new playground at Lyman Baker Park, providing staff guidance and project coordination during the build.
- Little Valley United Methodist Church Partner — Preference given to students affiliated with the church for the Eric Peters Memorial Scholarship.
- Olean Food Pantry Partner — Receives grant support from multiple donor-designated and donor-advised funds for food distribution and capital projects.
- Olean General Hospital Foundation Partner — Receives annual grant support for healthcare services and patient programs.
- Operation Warm Hearts Inc. Partner — Receives annual grant support to provide winter clothing and essentials to children in need.
- Pfeiffer Nature Center Partner — Receives grant support from multiple funds for mission and program activities.
- Portville Central School Partner — Supported the playground project by coordinating planning efforts, supplying meals during the build, and helping secure volunteers.
- Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation Partner — Provided funding support for the Lyman Baker Park playground project through its Built to Play initiative, in coordination with the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation.
- SPCA in Cattaraugus County Partner — Receives grant support for animal shelter operations, capital improvements, and kennel maintenance from multiple designated funds.
- SheElevates Fund Partner — Women's giving circle focused on empowering women and girls through collective grantmaking and advocacy.
- Town and Village of Portville Partner — Collaborated with the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation on the planning and execution of the Lyman Baker Park playground build, including site preparation and leadership.
- Tri-County Arts Council Partner — Receives annual grant support from donor-designated funds for arts programming and administration.
- United Way of Cattaraugus County Inc Partner — Receives support to advance its mission through a designated agency fund.
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Community-Empowered Philanthropymethodology: community-empowered philanthropyBy enabling community members to participate directly in philanthropy, including through pooled giving and collective decision-making, the foundation increases engagement and strengthens local ownership of community well-being, leading to more responsive and sustainable giving.
- Donor-Connected Grantmaking to Grow Regional Philanthropymethodology: donor-connected grantmakingBy aligning donors with causes they care about in the region, the foundation deepens donor engagement and increases philanthropic participation, thereby expanding the overall flow of resources to community needs.
- Education as a Pathway to Workforce Development and Community Vitalitymethodology: education-for-community-developmentBy prioritizing scholarships for trade and technical education, the foundation supports workforce readiness and economic resilience, believing that investment in education strengthens long-term community sustainability.
- Permanent Endowment Model for Sustained Community Impactmethodology: perpetual endowmentBy establishing and investing permanent, named endowment funds, the foundation ensures long-term financial sustainability and ongoing grantmaking capacity, allowing donor contributions to generate lasting community benefits through perpetual earnings.