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CENTRAL NEW YORK COMMUNITY FOUNDATION INC
SYRACUSE, NY · EIN 150626910 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE T310 · Philanthropy & Grantmaking · Very Large (>$50M) · cnycf.org
revenue
$50.7M
expenses
$31.0M
net assets
$427.0M
employees
31
volunteers
170
program ratio
90%
mission · from form 990

THE CENTRAL NEW YORK COMMUNITY FOUNDATION IS A PUBLIC CHARITY THAT TURNS COMMUNITY DOLLARS INTO COMMUNITY CHANGE. IT RECEIVES CONTRIBUTIONS FROM DONORS, MANAGES THEM TO GROW OVER TIME AND THEN DISTRIBUTES FUNDING TO ADDRESS THE REGION'S GREATEST NEEDS. IT ALSO SERVES AS A CIVIC LEADER, CONVENER AND SPONSOR OF STRATEGIC INITIATIVES THAT FOSTER A THRIVING AND EQUITABLE REGION AND ADDRESS THE MOST CRITICAL ISSUES OF OUR TIME.

profile · synthesized from sources

The Central New York Community Foundation is a public charity that stewards charitable contributions to address regional needs through grantmaking and impact investing. It manages donor-advised funds, distributes grants to nonprofits, and supports community development via recoverable grants and program-related investments. The foundation focuses on advancing equity, education, housing, and economic inclusion in Central New York.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $16.13M
    DONOR-ADVISED FUND DISTRIBUTIONSDONOR-ADVISED FUNDS ARE ESTABLISHED BY INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES OR BUSINESSES THAT CHOOSE TO BE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE GRANTMAKING PROCESS. THEY ARE CONSIDERED A CONVENIENT WAY TO MANAGE A DONOR'S CHARITABLE GIVING BY ALLOWING THEM TO ADDRESS A WIDE VARIETY OF ISSUES AND FULFILL THEIR CHARITABLE INTERESTS AS THEY EVOLVE OVER TIME.
  2. #2 $2.31M
    SCHOLARSHIPSSCHOLARSHIP FUNDS ARE ESTABLISHED BY DONORS WHO WISH TO HELP STUDENTS PURSUE THEIR EDUCATIONAL DREAMS. THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION IS THE HOME TO SYRACUSE'S SAY YES TO EDUCATION ENDOWMENT. SAY YES GUARANTEES A PATH TO COLLEGE FOR STUDENTS OF THE SYRACUSE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT AND PROVIDES SUPPORT TO STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES THAT ENHANCES THEIR OPPORTUNITIES FOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT.
named programs · 3 · from sources

What they call their work

Donor-Advised Fund Grants
Facilitates charitable giving by individuals, families, and businesses who recommend grants to nonprofits addressing community needs.
Impact Investing Program
Deploys recoverable grants, program-related investments, and loan loss reserves to support affordable housing, small business development, and financial inclusion in Central New York.
Say Yes to Education Endowment
Manages an endowment that supports scholarships and educational support services for students in the Syracuse City School District.
activities · 10 groups

What they do

  • Charitable Grantmaking to Specific Causes 1 activity
    • Administering community grant programs for specific regions and causes
      Awards grants through various programs including Community Grants, Black Equity & Excellence Fund, Anti-Poverty Initiative, Madison County Rural Poverty Fund, Cortland Bright Ideas, and Strategic Partnership Fund, totaling millions of dollars to nonprofits and community projects in Central New York.
  • Flexible Grants to Grassroots Organizations 1 activity
    • Advancing racial equity through grantmaking and community investment
      Conducts race-informed grantmaking, supports organizations led by and serving people of color, grows resources to address racial inequity, and directs investments and procurement toward marginalized-owned businesses.
  • Nonprofit Capacity Building Services 1 activity
    • Building nonprofit leadership and organizational capacity
      Offers capacity-building programs including The Leadership Classroom, which has graduated nearly 600 individuals and awarded over $305,000 in project grants, and Nonprofit Essentials Workshops that trained 234 attendees.
  • Interest-Free Loan and Grant Support 1 activity
    • Deploying impact investments for housing and economic development
      Uses program-related investments and recoverable grants to support affordable housing construction and renovation, first-time homebuyer lending, community lending expansion, and new bank branch development, with over $6.65 million deployed through its impact investing program.
  • Donor-Advised Fund Grantmaking 1 activity
    • Funding local charities through donor-advised grants
      Distributes funding to local charities via donor-advised funds, enabling individuals, families, and businesses to direct charitable giving across a wide variety of issues in Central New York.
  • Public Awareness and Educational Outreach 1 activity
    • Implementing community outreach and public education initiatives
      Engages thousands in community outreach through events and public education efforts, including hosting the premiere of a documentary on lead poisoning attended by nearly 300 people.
  • Nonprofit Sector Research & Data Analysis 1 activity
    • Producing research and publications on community needs
      Produces annual publications that highlight the work of regional nonprofit organizations and assess community needs in Central New York.
  • Endowment and Gift Fund Management 1 activity
    • Stewarding donor-entrusted assets and investment strategy
      Manages and invests donor-entrusted assets through a diversified portfolio and offers a Sustainable Responsible Impact (SRI) investment pool aligned with ESG and UN SDG goals to preserve and grow grantmaking power.
  • Local High School Scholarship Programs 1 activity
    • Supporting education access and scholarships
      Administers scholarship funds such as the Say Yes to Education endowment and supports Say Yes Syracuse, which has distributed over $15.7 million in scholarships to eligible students since 2009.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Managing federal funds distribution as lead intermediary
      Selected as lead intermediary to manage the distribution of $65 million in federal funds under the CHIPS Act in partnership with Micron.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$50.70M
Contributions & grants$39.71M78%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$10.53M21%
Other revenue$458K
expenses
Total expenses$31.02M
Program expenses90%
Admin / overhead6%
Fundraising5%
Salaries & benefits$3.87M
Grants paid out$25.20M
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$458.33M
Cash$6.43M
Investments$434.38M
Liabilities$31.37M
Net assets$426.96M
Liquid reserves170.5 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +47.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 8
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
MELANIE LITTLEJOHN PRESIDENT & CEO 40 $358K
KIMBERLY SADOWSKI VP & CFO 40 $220K
THOMAS GRIFFITH VP OF DEVELOPMENT 40 $207K
FRANK RIDZI VP OF COMMUNITY INVESTMENT 40 $176K
KATRINA CROCKER VP OF COMMUNICATIONS 40 $172K
AHMEED TURNER VP OF SCHOLARSHIPS 40 $163K
MONICA MERANTE SENIOR DIRECTOR OF PHILANT 40 $142K
ELIZABETH HARTMAN SENIOR DIRECTOR OF FINANCE 40 $135K
board members · 17
  • BETHAIDA GONZALEZ — CHAIR
  • CATHERINE A BERTINI — MEMBER
  • DR WARREN HILTON — MEMBER
  • DUANE B OWENS — MEMBER
  • JAIME ALICEA — MEMBER
  • JOSEPH LAZZARO — TREASURER
  • KATHLEEN L WIESE — MEMBER
  • KEVIN E SCHWAB — MEMBER
  • LEYLA Z MORGILLO — MEMBER
  • LISA D ALFORD — MEMBER
  • LISA S GERMAIN — MEMBER
  • MARK S HALL — MEMBER
  • MARTIN A SCHWAB — COMPLIANCE OFFICER
  • MARTIN T DURKIN JR — MEMBER
  • REBECCA BRONFEIN RAPHAEL — MEMBER
  • STEPHEN D FOURNIER — MEMBER
  • SUSAN FURTNEY — VICE CHAIR
relationships · 23

Who they work with

  • Black Cub Productions Partner — Produced the documentary "Voices Rising: Syracuse’s Fight Against Lead Poisoning" in partnership with the Community Foundation.
  • Brad and Rebecca Raphael Partner — Individuals who hold a donor-advised fund at the Central New York Community Foundation and support local charitable causes through it.
  • CNY Vitals Partner — Collaborates with CNY Vitals to access and share data on racial equity in Central New York.
  • CenterState CEO Partner — Named as sub-intermediary in the CHIPS Act workforce development investment.
  • Come Out Central New York Partner — Connected through SOFSA’s community connector program, enabling outreach to LGBTQIA+ communities.
  • Cooperative Federal Partner — Provided a secondary capital loan to Cooperative Federal, a nonprofit credit union, to expand lending in the Syracuse community.
  • Cooperative Federal Credit Union Partner — Manages cash and short-term bonds for the SRI investment pool.
  • Crewcial Partners Partner — Investment consultant that evaluates investment managers for alignment with the SRI Pool Values Framework.
  • Home HeadQuarters Partner — Partnered with Home HeadQuarters through recoverable grants and a Program Related Investment to support affordable housing and homeownership in Syracuse.
  • Idaho Workforce Development Council Partner — Named as sub-intermediary in the CHIPS Act workforce development investment.
  • InterFaith Works Partner — Received a Madison County Rural Poverty grant to support its Senior Companion Program.
  • John Ben Snow Memorial Trust Partner — Partnered with the Greater Pulaski Community Endowment Fund to distribute grants.
  • Madison County Rural Health Council Partner — Received a $75,000 grant from the foundation for housing stability efforts.
  • Micron Partner — Named Central New York Community Foundation as lead intermediary to steward $65 million in federal CHIPS Act funding.
  • New York State Attorney General Government — Files financial reports with the Charities Bureau of the New York State Attorney General’s office.
  • Onondaga Earth Corps Partner — Partner organization using the Life Needs Assessment to understand and support community needs.
  • Oswego Health Partner — Received a $75,000 grant from the foundation for youth mental health services.
  • Pathfinder Bank Partner — Made a $500,000 deposit to support the opening and sustainability of Pathfinder Bank’s Southwest Branch in Syracuse.
  • Resilia Partner — Partnered with the foundation to strengthen Central New York nonprofits through free capacity-building support.
  • Say Yes to Education Partner — Hosts the Say Yes to Education endowment to support college access for students in the Syracuse City School District.
  • Syracuse-Onondaga Food Systems Alliance Partner — Funds and supports SOFSA’s efforts to strengthen the regional food system through the Anti-Poverty Initiative Fund.
  • The Haven at Skanda Partner — Provides grant funding to support the organization's youth program for children from income-eligible households.
  • YWCA Partner — Organization in Cortland County supported by Catherine Bertini through her fund at the Community Foundation.
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.

  • Civic Convening and Cross-Sector Collaboration for Regional Transformation
    methodology: civic_convening_model
    By acting as a civic convener and fostering cross-sector coalitions that include residents, government, healthcare, and nonprofits, the foundation drives systemic change on critical issues like lead poisoning and food inequity, because complex regional challenges require coordinated, trust-based collaboration across institutional boundaries.
  • Community-Driven, Equity-Centered Grantmaking and Systems Change
    methodology: community_driven_equity_focused_grantmaking
    By centering community voice, lived experience, and demographic data in grantmaking and strategy development, the foundation produces more equitable and responsive outcomes, because inclusive, community-driven solutions are better aligned with actual needs and root causes—particularly in Black and marginalized communities.
  • Mission-Aligned Investing to Generate Financial and Social Returns
    methodology: sustainable_responsible_impact_investing
    By using sustainable, responsible, and impact investing—including SRI pools, negative screening, and recoverable grants—the foundation generates both financial returns and positive social/environmental outcomes, because aligning capital with values amplifies philanthropic impact beyond grantmaking alone.
  • Permanently Endowed Grantmaking for Sustained Community Impact
    methodology: permanently_endowed_grantmaking
    By growing donor contributions over time through permanent endowments, the foundation enables long-term, strategic funding of local charities, because sustained investment strengthens community organizations and ensures lasting fulfillment of charitable goals.