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WESTERN NEW YORK GRANTMAKERS ASSOCIATION INC DBA NY FUNDERS ALLIANCE
SYRACUSE, NY · EIN 161332634 · Form 990 · FY2023 · Medium ($1M-$10M) · nyfunders.org
revenue
$1.9M
expenses
$1.8M
net assets
$815K
employees
7
volunteers
18
program ratio
86%
mission · from form 990

FORMED FOR THE PURPOSE OF SUPPORTING AND PROMOTING EFFECTIVE PHILANTHROPY THROUGHOUT OUR REGION IN NEW YORK STATE

profile · synthesized from sources

NY Funders Alliance is a membership network supporting grantmakers across New York State. It advances effective philanthropy by providing professional development, peer learning, and advocacy opportunities for foundation staff, trustees, and philanthropic organizations. The organization hosts statewide conferences, educational workshops, and affinity groups focused on issues like public policy, equity, and grants management.

named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

NYS Funders Conference
Annual two-day conference convening over 150 grantmakers from across New York State for learning, networking, and sector-wide reflection on philanthropy
Peer Networks and Affinity Groups
Facilitated groups including Grants Managers, Community Foundation CEOs, Finance Officers, and issue-specific collaboratives like Liftoff WNY and Community Food Funders
Philanthronews
Weekly curated newsletter providing updates on philanthropy, member news, research, and sector trends for grantmakers in New York
Philanthropy & Public Policy Fellowship
Initiative that connects grantmakers with local, state, and federal policy engagement opportunities and fosters collaborative advocacy efforts
activities · 5 groups

What they do

  • Professional Development for Fundraising and Philanthropy Practitioners 5 activities
    • Convening and facilitating peer learning communities for grantmakers
      Hosts quarterly and bimonthly peer learning groups for foundation leaders, finance administrators, grants managers, and executive directors across New York State, enabling exchange of insights, leadership development, and collaborative problem-solving through structured conversations and statewide networking.
    • Delivering educational programming and professional development for grantmakers
      Offers webinars, seminars, virtual member calls, and the annual "Grantmaker Toolkit Series" featuring experts, as well as skill-building workshops on race and equity, public policy, and innovative philanthropy practices to support continuous learning among foundation professionals.
    • Organizing statewide conferences and signature events for funders
      Hosts an annual two-day NYS Funders Conference and biennial conference convening approximately 150 grantmakers from all regions of New York State, featuring keynotes, breakout sessions, peer discussions, and pre-conference workshops, with high participant satisfaction as evidenced by 95% positive survey feedback.
    • Strengthening policy engagement through fellowship programming
      Operates the Philanthropy & Public Policy Fellowship to deepen collaboration among grantmakers and enhance their engagement with local, state, and federal policy issues.
    • Supporting collective learning on emerging issues in philanthropy
      Provides a collaborative learning space for funders to explore artificial intelligence in philanthropy through bimonthly conversations and peer engagement focused on emerging tools, ethical considerations, and implications for nonprofit support.
  • Policy Advocacy & Research 1 activity
    • Advancing policy engagement through federal advocacy delegations
      Leads a New York delegation to Foundations on the Hill, where foundation leaders engage directly with members of Congress on federal policy issues affecting philanthropy.
  • Nonprofit Sector Research & Data Analysis 1 activity
    • Facilitating collaborative research initiatives among foundations
      Coordinates research efforts focused on shared philanthropic priorities to advance collective understanding and inform evidence-based practices within the New York State grantmaking community.
  • Organizational Newsletter Production and Distribution 1 activity
    • Providing information resources and communications to members
      Produces a monthly newsletter and distributes weekly PhilanthroNews roundups that share updates, sector news, and event information for grantmaking members across New York State.
  • Nonprofit Capacity Building Services 1 activity
    • Supporting and promoting effective philanthropy in New York State
      Provides high-quality, cost-effective programming, resources, tools, and networking opportunities tailored to the needs of diverse foundation members to build capacity, strengthen collaboration, and maximize impact across the state.
financials · form 990 · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$1.90M
Contributions & grants$1.60M84%
Program service revenue$215K11%
Investment income$84K4%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$1.80M
Program expenses86%
Admin / overhead14%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$618K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$2.10M
Cash$1.90M
Investments$173K
Liabilities$1.28M
Net assets$815K
Liquid reserves13.8 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2023 · YoY revenue +31.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023

Who runs it

paid leadership · 3
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
RACHEL BONSIGNORE LIFTOFF WNY DIRECTOR 40 $146K
CORINNE RIBBLE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 40 $141K
KATHRYN PIERI WNY SUPPORT GROUP DIRECTOR 40 $127K
board members · 8
  • AMY PANEK — SECRETARY
  • DON MATTESON — PRESIDENT
  • JONATHAN SNOW — DIRECTOR
  • LAURA ROSSI — DIRECTOR
  • LESLIE CHEU — TREASURER
  • MATT KUHLENBECK — VICE PRESIDENT
  • MAURA DEWAN — DIRECTOR
  • TORY IRGANG — DIRECTOR
relationships · 40

Who they work with

  • Art Councils Network — Includes Art Councils as public foundations eligible for full membership in the NY Funders Alliance network.
  • Chautauqua Region Community Foundation Partner — Board member organization represented by Tory Irgang, Vice President of the NY Funders Alliance Board.
  • Community Food Funders Network — NY Funders Alliance supports and promotes Community Food Funders, a network of philanthropic organizations active in food system work.
  • Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region Partner — Member of the 2025 NYS Funders Conference Planning Committee
  • Dyson Foundation Partner — Member of the 2025 NYS Funders Conference Planning Committee
  • Foundation for Community Health Partner — Board member organization represented by Nancy Heaton.
  • Gebbie Foundation Partner — Connects foundation leaders who collaborate on significant projects through Alliance programming.
  • Grantmakers for Effective Organizations Network — NY Funders Alliance is a member of Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, providing access to shared learning and tools for effective philanthropy.
  • Greater Rochester Health Foundation Partner — Board member organization represented by Matthew Kuhlenbeck, President of the NY Funders Alliance Board.
  • Greater Rochester Health Foundation Partner — Member of the 2026 NYS Funders Conference Planning Committee
  • Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York Partner — Member of the 2026 NYS Funders Conference Planning Committee
  • Hyatt Regency Rochester Partner — Host venue for the 2026 NYS Funders Conference.
  • Independent Sector Network — NY Funders Alliance maintains membership in Independent Sector, linking it to national cross-sector nonprofit and philanthropy initiatives.
  • Junior Leagues Network — Includes Junior Leagues as public foundations eligible for full membership in the NY Funders Alliance network.
  • Liftoff Partner — Partner organization where Rachel Bonsignore serves as Director and Megan Battista as Learning and Advocacy Coordinator.
  • Liftoff WNY Partner — Partners with Liftoff WNY, a collaborative of early childhood funders in Western New York working to ensure children are kindergarten-ready.
  • Max and Marian Farash Charitable Foundation Partner — Member of the 2025 NYS Funders Conference Planning Committee
  • Mother Cabrini Health Foundation Partner — Board member organization represented by Barbara J. Zappia Ed. D.
  • Mother Cabrini Health Foundation Partner — Member of the 2025 NYS Funders Conference Planning Committee
  • Mother Cabrini Health Foundation Partner — Member of the 2026 NYS Funders Conference Planning Committee
  • NSG Partner — Collaborates with NSG, a working group focused on strengthening organizational capacity in Western New York and Monroe County.
  • NY Funders Alliance member organization Network — Peer community open to grants managers and program officers from member organizations of the NY Funders Alliance.
  • New York Community Trust – Long Island Partner — Member of the 2026 NYS Funders Conference Planning Committee
  • New York Council on Nonprofits Network — Membership in the New York Council on Nonprofits connects NY Funders Alliance to broader nonprofit sector resources and advocacy efforts.
  • North Star Fund Partner — Staff at North Star Fund direct Community Food Funders, a funder network facilitated by NY Funders Alliance.
  • Park Foundation Partner — Board member organization represented by Amy Panek, Secretary of the NY Funders Alliance Board.
  • Park Foundation Partner — Member of the 2025 NYS Funders Conference Planning Committee
  • Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation Partner — Board member organization represented by Maura Dewan.
  • Rochester Area Community Foundation Partner — Board member organization represented by Simeon Banister.
  • Rochester Area Community Foundation Partner — Member of the 2026 NYS Funders Conference Planning Committee
+ 10 more
strategies · 3

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.

  • Neutral Convening Enables Collaborative Knowledge Building
    methodology: neutral_convening
    By acting as a neutral convener across institutional boundaries, the organization enables knowledge sharing and coordinated action among diverse philanthropic actors, because impartial facilitation reduces competition, builds trust, and creates space for durable solutions to emerge from collective insight.
  • Peer-Led Design Ensures Relevance and Ownership in Programming
    methodology: peer-led_program_design
    By designing conferences and initiatives through peer-led planning processes, the organization ensures programming is relevant and effective, because involving practitioners in design incorporates frontline insight, increases engagement, and strengthens field-wide ownership of outcomes.
  • Peer-Led Learning Networks Strengthen Philanthropic Effectiveness
    methodology: peer_learning_network
    By convening funders in peer-led, collaborative learning environments, the organization strengthens individual and collective capacity, because shared professional experiences and trusted relationships foster practical understanding, problem-solving, and adoption of best practices more effectively than top-down instruction.