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YOUNG AUDIENCES OF WESTERN NEW YORK INC D/B/A ARTS FOR LEARNING WNY

BUFFALO, NY · EIN 160916472 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE A250 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Small ($100K-$1M) · artsforlearningwny.org
revenue
$878K
expenses
$803K
net assets
$361K
employees
41
volunteers
14
program ratio
80%
mission · from form 990

TO INSPIRE, EXPAND LEARNING, AND STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ARTS.

profile · synthesized from sources

Arts for Learning WNY delivers arts-integrated education programs to young people across Western New York. Through performances, workshops, and residencies in schools and community centers, the organization partners with professional artists to connect the arts with academic learning. It focuses on expanding access for youth in remote communities and those involved with the juvenile justice system.

named programs · 3 · from sources

What they call their work

Arts Integration Kits
Lesson plans based on children's books that combine arts activities with academic content for grades K-12, designed for use by educators and caregivers.
In-School Programming
Provides assembly performances, workshops, and residencies that integrate the arts with academic subjects in schools and community centers across Western New York.
MTA Training
Professional development program for teaching artists focused on arts integration and educational best practices.
activities · 4 groups

What they do

  • Community Art Education Workshops 2 activities
    • Collaborate with schools and cultural partners
      Partners with school districts such as Letchworth Central School District and engages administrative staff, teaching artists, and cultural organizations to deliver arts-in-education programs. Participates in a national network serving over 5 million children and youth annually in 7,000 schools and community centers.
    • Deliver arts-integrated education programs to students
      Provides hands-on, curriculum-aligned arts education programs in visual, literary, media, and performing arts for K-12 students through workshops, residencies, and long-term collaborations in schools and community centers. Served 27,567 individual students directly and reached tens of thousands more through school residencies and out-of-school programs annually across Western New York.
  • Arts Education Access Programs 1 activity
    • Expand access to arts education across Western New York
      Has delivered arts education programming to over 3 million children and families across the 8 counties of Western New York over 60 years, impacting more than 45,000 educators, parents, and patrons annually through community-wide outreach and partnerships.
  • Comprehensive K–12 Arts Education 1 activity
    • Implement multi-day artist residencies in schools
      Conducts in-depth artist residencies of three or more days with professional teaching artists, including curriculum alignment and planning meetings with educators. Delivers dozens of such residencies annually as part of ongoing school partnerships.
  • Youth Workforce Readiness Programs 1 activity
    • Operate youth job training and college readiness program
      Runs ArtWorks, a paid after-school program for high school students (ages 14–18) in Buffalo or Erie County, providing job training and college readiness through engagement in the arts.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$878K
Contributions & grants$640K73%
Program service revenue$228K26%
Investment income$8K1%
Other revenue$3K
expenses
Total expenses$803K
Program expenses80%
Admin / overhead12%
Fundraising9%
Salaries & benefits$396K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$417K
Cash$357K
Investments$0
Liabilities$55K
Net assets$361K
Liquid reserves5.3 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +15.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
AMELIA SCHRADER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 40 $90K
board members · 10
  • AMY WOLSINSKI — BOARD MEMBER
  • ARLOW LINTON — BOARD MEMBER
  • HEATHER KIMMINS — BOARD MEMBER
  • JASON DESIDERIO — BOARD MEMBER
  • JIM HOWE — SECRETARY
  • KAREN CAMP — VICE PRESIDENT
  • LAURA DOUGLAS — BOARD MEMBER
  • MICHAEL LESLIE — BOARD MEMBER
  • MICHAEL THOMAS — PRESIDENT
  • ZACHARY THOMAS — TREASURER
relationships · 71

Who they work with

  • 716 Foundation Funder — Foundation providing financial support to Arts for Learning WNY.
  • Albion Central School District Partner — Rick Recckio II, board member, is the Assistant Superintendent for Finance at Albion Central School District
  • Americans for the Arts Network — References data and facts from Americans for the Arts to support advocacy efforts for arts education.
  • B.Flo Girls Partner — Teaching artists who lead creative programs in schools and communities.
  • BestSelf Behavioral Health Partner — Collaborates to provide after school and Saturday programming for youth.
  • Bryan Bollman, Buffalo Common Council Funder — Financial supporter of Arts for Learning WNY during fiscal year 2024–2025
  • Buffalo & Erie County Public Library Partner — Former host of organizational offices for over ten years; ongoing collaborative relationship anticipated in new forms.
  • Buffalo & Erie County Public Library Partner — Partners on Creative Family Programming to offer family-friendly arts learning and engagement.
  • Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village Partner — Cultural partner that contributes expertise and resources to enrich arts education programs.
  • Buffalo Public Schools Partner — Collaborates to provide after school and Saturday programming for youth.
  • Buffalo Teachers Federation Partner — Corporate sponsor supporting Arts for Learning WNY programs and events.
  • Children's Foundation of Erie County Funder — Financial supporter of Arts for Learning WNY during fiscal year 2024–2025
  • Chudy Paper, Inc. Partner — Jim Howe, Co-Vice President, is affiliated with Chudy Paper, Inc. as a school consultant
  • Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo Funder — Financial supporter of Arts for Learning WNY during fiscal year 2024–2025
  • Conable Family Foundation Funder — Financial supporter of Arts for Learning WNY during fiscal year 2024–2025
  • Daniel C. and Beatrice M. Fisher Fund Funder — Financial supporter of Arts for Learning WNY during fiscal year 2024–2025
  • David A. Rivera, Buffalo Common Council Funder — Financial supporter of Arts for Learning WNY during fiscal year 2024–2025
  • Erie County Department of Environment & Planning Funder — Financial supporter of Arts for Learning WNY during fiscal year 2024–2025
  • Erie County Department of Mental Health Funder — Financial supporter of Arts for Learning WNY during fiscal year 2024–2025
  • Erie County Department of Youth Services Funder — Financial supporter of Arts for Learning WNY during fiscal year 2024–2025
  • Five Star Bank Funder — Financial supporter of Arts for Learning WNY during fiscal year 2024–2025
  • Fund for the Arts Funder — Financial supporter of Arts for Learning WNY during fiscal year 2024–2025
  • Hodgson Russ LLP Funder — Financial supporter of Arts for Learning WNY during fiscal year 2024–2025
  • Hodgson Russ LLP Partner — Heather Kimmins, board member, is a tax attorney at Hodgson Russ LLP
  • Institute on Trauma and Trauma Informed Care Partner — Amy Wlosinski, Secretary, is affiliated with the Institute on Trauma and Trauma Informed Care at the University at Buffalo School of Social Work
  • James Howe Funder — Financial supporter of Arts for Learning WNY during fiscal year 2024–2025
  • Joel P. Feroleto, Buffalo Common Council Funder — Financial supporter of Arts for Learning WNY during fiscal year 2024–2025
  • Joseph Golombek, Jr., Buffalo Common Council Funder — Financial supporter of Arts for Learning WNY during fiscal year 2024–2025
  • Josephine Goodyear Foundation Funder — Financial supporter of Arts for Learning WNY during fiscal year 2024–2025
  • Key Bank Partner — Corporate sponsor supporting Arts for Learning WNY programs and events.
+ 41 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.

  • Arts Integration for Academic and Cognitive Development
    methodology: arts_integration
    By integrating the arts into core academic subjects like math, science, and language arts, students simultaneously learn artistic and academic content because creative engagement activates diverse learning styles and supports whole-brain, hands-on learning. This approach improves academic outcomes, critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills by making abstract concepts tangible and personally meaningful.
  • Collaborative Arts Education Delivery Model
    methodology: collaborative_delivery_model
    By using a collaborative model that brings together administrative staff, teaching artists, cultural partners, and educators to co-develop and deliver programming—especially through customized artist residencies aligned with school curricula—the organization increases relevance and effectiveness because shared ownership ensures instructional coherence and contextual fit across classrooms and communities.
  • Equity-Centered Arts Programming
    methodology: equity-centered_programming
    By designing arts programs specifically for incarcerated youth, communities of color, refugee and New American populations, and individuals with physical or intellectual differences, the organization improves equitable outcomes and strengthens social-emotional learning because culturally responsive and accessible programming removes systemic barriers and fosters belonging. Ongoing community reflection ensures programs remain inclusive and representative.