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SOCIETY OF ST VINCENT DE PAUL OF BUFFALO & WESTERN NEW YORK INC
BUFFALO, NY · EIN 160747359 · Form 990 · FY2024 · Medium ($1M-$10M) · svdpwny.org
revenue
$2.9M
expenses
$2.6M
net assets
$2.7M
employees
30
volunteers
963
program ratio
83%
mission · from form 990

SERVING THE NEEDY OF WESTERN NEW YORK. THESE SERVICES INCLUDE A DINING ROOM AND DISCOUNT STORE.

profile · synthesized from sources

Operational nonprofit serving the needy of Western New York through a network of donation bins, a discount store, and a dining room. Provides reconditioned clothing, household goods, and meals to low-income individuals and families. Operates with volunteer support and relies on donated goods and planned giving to sustain services.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $553K
    DISCOUNT STORE- PROVIDES RECONDITIONED CLOTHING AND HOUSEHOLD ITEMS AT LITTLE OR NO COST TO THOSE IN NEED.
  2. #2 $507K
    WAREHOUSE- COLLECTION AND SORTING OF USED CLOTHING AND OTHER ITEMS TO BE DISTRIBUTED OR RECYCLED.
named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

Clothing Donation Bins
Network of bins placed at parishes across Western New York for collection of used clothing; supports efficient donation processing and reduces transportation costs
Dining Room
Provides meals to guests; volunteers assist with meal preparation, serving, and clean-up on multiple days per week
Discount Store
Provides reconditioned clothing and household items at little or no cost to those in need; located at 1298 Main Street, Buffalo
Warehouse
Facility for collecting, sorting, and preparing donated clothing and household items for distribution or recycling
activities · 5 groups

What they do

  • Food Distribution and Hunger Relief 2 activities
    • Providing food assistance through a Dining Room program
      Operates a Dining Room that serves hot meals to individuals in need, with open access and no denials. Served over 74,400 hot meals in 2024, including 63,455 meals at the Buffalo Main Street location, with service offered five days a week between 11 a.m. and noon.
    • Supporting organizational operations through volunteer and administrative services
      Engages volunteers in a range of operational roles including meal preparation, donation processing, building maintenance (painting, plumbing, carpentry), call handling, scheduling pickups, data entry, and special projects such as literacy instruction and job mentoring. Temporarily hires workers when volunteer capacity is insufficient.
  • Faith-Based Integrated Support Services 1 activity
    • Conducting home visits to deliver essential goods and spiritual support
      Performs home visits—typically with two members present—to provide material and spiritual assistance to people in need, including the elderly, isolated, disabled, chronically ill, and housebound. Conducted over 6,200 home visits in 2024 to deliver essential goods.
  • Discount Retail for Reuse 1 activity
    • Distributing clothing and household items through retail stores and warehouses
      Operates a Discount Store and warehouse facility in Buffalo, as well as a store in Olean, to distribute reconditioned clothing and household items at little or no cost. The warehouse supports sorting, testing, and repair of donated goods, including bale operations, while retail locations are staffed by volunteers who assist customers and maintain displays.
  • Holiday and Seasonal Essentials Distribution 1 activity
    • Managing donation collection infrastructure
      Operates a network of clothing donation bins at parishes across the Diocese and participates in a national vehicle donation program. Also accepts direct in-kind donations of clothing, personal care products, and household items for processing and distribution.
  • Diaper and Baby Supply Distribution 1 activity
    • Operating food and personal care item distribution programs
      Runs a Personal Care Closet at 1298 Main St. in Buffalo, open bi-monthly on the first and third Thursday, providing WIC and SNAP recipients with up to five free personal care, baby, and household items. Accepts in-kind and cash donations to support this program.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$2.92M
Contributions & grants$1.05M36%
Program service revenue$1.45M50%
Investment income$297K10%
Other revenue$126K
expenses
Total expenses$2.61M
Program expenses83%
Admin / overhead16%
Fundraising1%
Salaries & benefits$780K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$2.78M
Cash$312K
Investments$1.35M
Liabilities$114K
Net assets$2.67M
Liquid reserves7.6 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +4.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
MARK ZIRNHELD EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 55 $108K
board members · 16
  • ADAM SUMLIN — FIRST VICE PRESIDENT
  • BRIAN CASEY — ADVISOR
  • CHERYL FRANK — PRESIDENT
  • DEACON ROBERT WAGNER — SPIRITUAL ADVISOR
  • HONORABLE JEREMIAH MCCARTHY — ADVISOR
  • JOHN WOOD — SECOND VICE PRESIDENT
  • KAREN MALONEY — TREASURER
  • KATHY ELIAS — BUFFALO DISTRICT PRESIDENT
  • LINDA BORCZYNSKI — NORTHERN ERIE DISTRICT PRESIDENT
  • MARCY STEINER — ADVISOR
  • MARGARET HOREY — NIAGARA/ORLEANS DISTRICT PRESIDENT
  • MARION KOPIN — ADVISOR
  • MARK JARNOT — GENESEE/WYOMING DISTRICT PRESIDENT
  • MICHAEL MANN — BOARD SECRETARY
  • MICHAEL REILLY — SOUTHERN ERIE DISTRICT PRESIDENT
  • VINCENT HANLEY — ADVISOR
relationships · 8

Who they work with

  • Diocesan Board Partner — Collaborates on decisions regarding warehouse operations and temporary labor underwriting.
  • Diocese Network — Hosts clothing donation bins at parishes within the Diocese for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
  • International Society of St. Vincent de Paul Network — Member of the International Society of St. Vincent de Paul, with the Buffalo conference established in 1847 as the second in the United States.
  • National Vehicle Donation Program Partner — Partner organization facilitating vehicle donations to support St. Vincent de Paul's services.
  • SNAP Government — Collaborates with SNAP program to serve eligible recipients at the Personal Care Closet.
  • St. Margaret’s parish Partner — Local parish affiliated with a Vincentian member and conference activity
  • WIC Government — Collaborates with WIC program to serve eligible recipients at the Personal Care Closet.
  • clothing bin locations Partner — Collaborates with external clothing bin locations to collect donated clothing.
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.

  • Dignity-Centered Service Model
    methodology: dignity-centered_assistance
    By treating individuals in need as equals and providing goods through a retail-like, client-choice model, we increase dignity and engagement, because being seen as equal fosters trust and self-worth, leading to more effective assistance.
  • Faith-Based Relational Outreach
    methodology: faith-based_service
    By grounding service in a shared spiritual belief that serving the poor is equivalent to serving Christ, we motivate sustained personal charity and build trust through paired home visits, because faith-based solidarity drives long-term volunteer commitment and emotional safety.
  • Self-Sustaining Social Enterprise Model
    methodology: cost-recovery_retail_model
    By operating donation depots as revenue-generating stores, we reduce reliance on external funding and increase the availability of goods, because cost recovery through retail sales enables scalable and dignified distribution.