irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $55KPROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE,RESEARCH AND EVALUATION IN REGARDS TO VARIOUS HEALTH AND EQUITY ISSUES
- #2 $114KCONDUCTED COMMUNITY BUIDLING ACTIVITES RELATED TO HEALTH, WELLNESS AND EQUITY ON A FAMILY COMMUNITY, ORGANIZATION AND INSTITUTIONAL LEVVEL
named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
Community Building Activities
Conducts grassroots community-building initiatives focused on health, wellness, and equity at multiple levels including family, community, and institutions.
Community Health Worker Training
Trains Community Health Workers from local communities to support holistic well-being and transform lived experience into community power.
Technical Assistance and Research
Provides technical assistance, research, and evaluation on health and equity issues affecting communities.
activities · 9 groups
What they do
-
Community Health Equity Initiatives 2 activities
- Conduct community-building and outreach programsEngages in grassroots community-building activities focused on health, wellness, and equity across family, organizational, and institutional levels. Organizes outreach events, community cleanups, food giveaways, and rapid-response mobilizations such as the ANCHOR initiative launched during the pandemic.
- Provide technical assistance and capacity-building in health equityOffers technical assistance, research, evaluation, and training to professionals and organizations on health equity, trauma-informed practices, cultural competency, health literacy, and asset-based community development. Hosts workshops, events, and conferences and has trained thousands of healthcare providers, educators, and caregivers.
-
-
Food Policy Advocacy & Nutrition Education 1 activity
- Advocate for school discipline and food policy reformLeads the "Solutions not Suspensions" campaign to reduce student suspension rates in Buffalo Public Schools and collaborates with school food services to implement salad bars, Farm to School programming, and culturally responsive menus.
-
-
Education Policy Advocacy & Reform 1 activity
- Conduct research and advocacy for school health policyConducts research and advocacy to advance policy, best practices, and programming in school health and wellness, including supporting the adoption of a District Wellness Policy.
-
-
After-School Academic and Enrichment Programs 1 activity
- Deliver youth and family support through Freedom Schools BuffaloOperates Freedom Schools Buffalo under the ANCHOR initiative to provide community-based educational and social support to children, youth, and families during school closures and periods of social unrest.
-
-
Self-Sufficiency Empowerment Workshops 1 activity
- Empower community-led action and self-determinationSupports community members in identifying challenges and opportunities and taking action to shape their own futures through outreach, education, informal counseling, social support, and advocacy grounded in lived experience.
-
-
Community Capacity Building & Leadership Networks 1 activity
- Lead multisector initiatives and coalitionsLeads and coordinates initiatives, projects, and coalitions addressing health, education, housing, and youth employment by bridging systems, organizations, and grassroots efforts to address both immediate needs and root causes.
-
-
Urban Park and Public Space Conservation 1 activity
- Secure and support federal grant partnershipsServed as a statutory partner with PUSH Buffalo in securing a $20 million EPA Community Change Grant, demonstrating a role in enabling large-scale community development funding.
-
-
Youth Health and Wellness Education 1 activity
- Support school health and wellness initiativesTrains and supports parent and student Community Health Workers in Buffalo Public Schools, facilitates participation in School Wellness Teams, and organizes collaborative meetings, events, and learning opportunities focused on school health and wellness.
-
-
Healthcare Workforce Training & Career Pathways 1 activity
- Train and support Community Health WorkersDevelops and delivers training programs for Community Health Workers, including a 28-hour summer program for parents and high school students, a 4-day in-person curriculum, and a certificate program in partnership with Canisius College and D’Youville College. The organization has trained hundreds of Community Health Workers in Buffalo and received a $2.9 million award from HRSA/HHS to fund this training initiative.
-
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$372K
Contributions & grants$89K24%
Program service revenue$283K76%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$327K
Program expenses85%
Admin / overhead10%
Fundraising5%
Salaries & benefits$118K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$273K
Cash$240K
Investments$0
Liabilities$97K
Net assets$177K
Liquid reserves8.8 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +28.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 2
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JESSICA BAUER WALKER | EXEC DIRECTOR | 40 | $75K |
| BRENDA MCDUFFIE | BOARD CO CHAIR | 2 | $9K |
board members · 3
- BREONNA NORWOOD — SECRETARY
- DIANE TIVERSON — LEGAL COUNSEL
- MARK KING — BOARD CO CHAIR
relationships · 37
Who they work with
- BPPN Partner — Supporting partner of CoNECTINC
- BPS Government — Institutional partner of CoNECTINC
- BPTO Partner — Supporting partner of CoNECTINC
- Buffalo Center for Health Equity Partner — Supporting partner of CoNECTINC
- Buffalo Public Schools Partner — Collaborates with Buffalo Public Schools on student and family advocacy, wellness initiatives, and food service improvements.
- Buffalo Public Schools Partner — Collaborates with Buffalo Public Schools to recruit students and parents for community health worker training.
- Buffalo Schools Partner — Collaborates on initiatives such as the commissary lease with McGuire.
- CAC of WNY Partner — Supporting partner of CoNECTINC
- CHWCRE Partner — Supporting partner of CoNECTINC
- Canisius College Partner — Partnered with CoNECT to offer a certificate program for community health workers.
- City of Buffalo Government — Institutional partner of CoNECTINC
- Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo Funder — Funding partner of CoNECTINC
- Community Pharmacy Partner — Funding partner of CoNECTINC
- DPCC Partner — Supporting partner of CoNECTINC
- DYU Partner — Partnered with CoNECT to win a $2.9 million US HRSA/HHS award for a Community Health Worker training program.
- D’Youville College Partner — Partnered with CoNECT to offer a certificate program for community health workers.
- ECRJC Partner — Key strategic partner of CoNECTINC
- Erie County Government — Institutional partner of CoNECTINC
- Facebook Partner — Platform used to build community and share resources with practitioners and caregivers.
- Health Foundation for Western and Central New York Funder — Provided initial funding to the Community Health Worker Network of Buffalo when it was incorporated in 2011.
- International School #45 Partner — Partners with International School #45 to support Youth Community Health Workers as mentors.
- John R. Oishei Foundation Funder — Funding partner of CoNECTINC
- Lyceum Silo City Partner — Key strategic partner of CoNECTINC
- MVP Partner — Key strategic partner of CoNECTINC
- NACS Partner — Key strategic partner of CoNECTINC
- National Association of Community Health Workers Network — CoNECTINC is linked to the National Association of Community Health Workers through resource sharing and alignment.
- PUSH Partner — Key strategic partner of CoNECTINC
- PUSH Buffalo Partner — Statutory partner with CoNECT in securing a $20 million US EPA Community Change Grant.
- Solutions not Suspensions NY Coalition — Co-founded and leads the "Solutions not Suspensions" campaign to address school discipline policies in New York.
- Tower Foundation Funder — Funding partner of CoNECTINC
+ 7 more
strategies · 5
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.
- Asset-Based and Community-Driven Developmentmethodology: asset-based community developmentBy supporting communities to identify their own assets and define their challenges and solutions, the organization fosters self-determination and sustainable change, because this approach builds localized capacity, trust, and ownership that external interventions cannot replicate.
- Community-Led Change Through Lived Experiencemethodology: lived-experience engagementBy engaging community health workers and leaders with lived experience in program design and delivery, the organization builds trust and effectiveness in health and social services, because shared experience strengthens relationships, increases cultural relevance, and fosters collective ownership of solutions.
- Popular Education and Experiential Learning Modelmethodology: popular-educationBy using popular education rooted in liberation movements and experiential learning, the organization fosters deep engagement and critical consciousness among participants, because this approach centers community knowledge, encourages co-creation of solutions, and transforms participants into change agents.
- Trauma-Informed and Culturally Responsive Practicemethodology: trauma-informed_practiceBy equipping practitioners with trauma-informed, restorative, and culturally responsive tools, the organization advances healing and service effectiveness, because these frameworks create safer, more trusting relationships that support long-term engagement and resilience.
- Whole-School, Whole-Community Engagementmethodology: whole-school-whole-community-whole-childBy integrating the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child framework, the organization creates healthier school environments, because it centers students and parents as leaders, aligning institutional resources with community-driven priorities for holistic well-being.