irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $136KThe mission of WNY Compassion Connection is to help grieving children and families navigate their journey to healing and resilience through the power of peer support and grief literacy within a safe, caring environment and through building up a grief sensitive community.
- #2 $104KUltimate Compassion bereavement efforts center around an annual Remembrance Weekend retreat and funeral assistance for every child in our community who is lost to cancer.
named programs · 6 · from sources
What they call their work
Andrew’s Game Day
Offers families with a child in active cancer treatment private suite access to Buffalo Bills home games for quality time and morale-boosting experiences
Dawson’s Locker
Distributes gas and grocery gift cards, hospital parking, and cafeteria vouchers to families through hospital psychosocial partners
Field of Dreams
Offers special experiences, items, or opportunities to serve as morale boosters for children fighting cancer
Helping Hands
Provides financial assistance to help families meet basic needs during pediatric cancer treatment
Holiday Programs
Includes Adopt-a-Family and Home for the Holidays Fund to support families with gifts and rent/mortgage payments during the holidays
Ultimate Compassion
Provides bereavement support including an annual Remembrance Weekend retreat and funeral assistance for families who have lost a child to cancer
activities · 6 groups
What they do
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Recreational and Emotional Support Programs for Children with Serious Illnesses 3 activities
- Collaborating with hospital psychosocial staff to deliver timely support to pediatric cancer patientsPartners with psychologists and social workers at Oishei Children's Hospital and Roswell Park’s pediatric clinic to ensure rapid and coordinated delivery of financial, emotional, and logistical support to families from diagnosis onward.
- Offering access to a private suite at Buffalo Bills games for pediatric cancer patients and familiesProvides children undergoing cancer treatment and their families with a secure, comfortable suite to attend Buffalo Bills home games, offering quality time and emotional respite during treatment.
- Providing morale-boosting experiences and gifts to children in cancer treatment and their familiesOffers special experiences such as family getaways, trips to Great Wolf Lodge, birthday parties, and gifts like bikes and dolls through the Field of Dreams program to uplift children undergoing cancer treatment and support family well-being.
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Cancer Patient Financial and Practical Support 2 activities
- Distributing gas, grocery, and hospital expense cards to families of pediatric cancer patientsSupplies gas cards, grocery cards, and hospital parking and cafeteria vouchers to families of children undergoing cancer treatment, distributed through psychosocial staff at Oishei Children's Hospital and Roswell Park’s pediatric clinic to ease daily financial burdens.
- Providing financial assistance for basic living expenses to families facing pediatric cancerProvides financial support for rent, mortgage, utilities, car payments, and home repairs to families in Western New York affected by pediatric cancer, with payments made directly to service providers to ensure stability during treatment.
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Grief Support Groups and Counseling 2 activities
- Hosting an annual Remembrance Weekend retreat for bereaved familiesOrganizes a three-day therapeutic retreat each year for families who have lost a child to pediatric cancer, offering social and emotional support activities to honor memories and promote healing.
- Operating a bereavement program for families who have lost a child to pediatric cancerProvides emotional support, grief literacy resources, and therapeutic programming for families coping with the loss of a child to pediatric cancer, including assistance with funeral costs and participation in healing-focused retreats.
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Granting Wishes to Seriously Ill Children 1 activity
- Funding bereavement services including Remembrance Weekend and funeral assistanceProvides grants totaling $34,926 for bereavement services, including the annual Remembrance Weekend retreat and funeral assistance for children lost to cancer.
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Holiday and Seasonal Essentials Distribution 1 activity
- Operating an Adopt-a-Family program to fulfill holiday wish lists for pediatric cancer-affected familiesMatches donors with families affected by pediatric cancer through the Adopt-a-Family program to fulfill holiday wish lists for all immediate family members, ensuring comprehensive holiday support.
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Financial and Emotional Support for Bereaved Families 1 activity
- Providing funeral assistance for children who have died from pediatric cancerOffers financial support to cover funeral costs for children in the community who have died from pediatric cancer, as part of its bereavement services.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$2.21M
Contributions & grants$1.92M87%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$24K1%
Other revenue$262K
expenses
Total expenses$1.02M
Program expenses58%
Admin / overhead12%
Fundraising30%
Salaries & benefits$448K
Grants paid out$230K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$3.33M
Cash$1.58M
Investments$1.10M
Liabilities$292K
Net assets$3.04M
Liquid reserves31.6 mo
4 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +58.9%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| GWEN MYSIAK | Executive Dir. | 40 | $132K |
board members · 15
- CLAUDINE EWING — Director
- COLEEN MCCANN — Chairwoman
- DR MARTIN BRECHER — Vice Chairman
- JOHN FLANNERY — Director
- JOHN LUDTKA — Treasurer
- JULIE RODO — Director
- MARCY MUNSON — Director
- MARGARET BRAYMILLER — Director
- MARY KAMIEN — Director
- MARY SUTO — Director
- NICK GNACINSKI — Director
- RACHEL IRELAND — Director
- SEAN O'BRIEN — Director
- TERRIE CARBONE — Secretary
- TIMOTHY DOMINO — Treasurer
relationships · 30
Who they work with
- Amigone Partner — Listed as a program partner of the Ultimate Compassion program.
- Brian Moorman Partner — Co-founded P.U.N.T. Pediatric Cancer Collaborative in 2004.
- Buffalo Bills Partner — Collaborates to provide children with cancer and their families access to a private suite at games.
- Buffalo Bills Partner — Partners with current and former Buffalo Bills players to provide experiences such as access to a private suite for games through the Andrew’s Game Day program.
- Buffalo Bills Foundation Funder — Major program funder supporting P.U.N.T.'s initiatives for pediatric cancer patients.
- Dawson Knox Partner — Honored through Dawson’s Locker program in Buffalo, NY, supporting families of pediatric cancer patients.
- Essential Care for Kids/Hospice Buffalo Partner — Collaborates with P.U.N.T. in planning and executing the Remembrance Weekend retreat.
- Essential Care for Kids/Hospice Buffalo Partner — Collaborates with P.U.N.T. to deliver timely support services to pediatric cancer patients.
- Essential Care for Kids/Hospice Buffalo Partner — Provides psychosocial guidance and expertise in planning and executing the Remembrance Weekend retreat.
- Fraternal Order of Eagles Partner — Hosted gift drop-off and pick-up events for the Adopt-a-Family program in Depew, NY.
- Golisano Children’s Hospital Partner — Collaborates with P.U.N.T. to deliver timely support services to pediatric cancer patients.
- Hospital Team Partner — Collaborates with hospital teams to identify high-need families for the Adopt-a-Family and Home for the Holidays programs.
- Hospital psychologists Partner — Collaborates with hospital psychologists to identify children in need and deliver morale-boosting experiences through the Field of Dreams program.
- James Adler Partner — Serves on both the Board of Directors and the Ambassador Council, indicating cross-governing involvement.
- Lee Smith Partner — Honored through Lee’s Locker program in Knoxville, TN, supporting families of pediatric cancer patients.
- Luke Knox Partner — Honored through Luke’s Locker program in Nashville, TN, supporting families of pediatric cancer patients.
- Nixon Peabody Partner — Organizational partner supporting P.U.N.T.'s programming for pediatric cancer patients.
- Oishei Childrens Hospital Partner — Distributes Dawson's Locker program resources through psychosocial teammates on the inpatient unit.
- Oishei Children’s Hospital Partner — Collaborates with P.U.N.T. in planning and executing the Remembrance Weekend retreat.
- Oishei Children’s Hospital Partner — Provides psychosocial guidance and expertise in planning and executing the Remembrance Weekend retreat.
- P.U.N.T. Pediatric Cancer Collaborative Network — Public charity providing support to families in Western New York
- Roswell Park Partner — Distributes Dawson's Locker program resources through psychosocial teammates at the pediatric clinic.
- Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center Partner — Collaborates with P.U.N.T. in planning and executing the Remembrance Weekend retreat.
- Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center Partner — Collaborates with medical social workers at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center to identify and support families in need.
- Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center Partner — Provides psychosocial guidance and expertise in planning and executing the Remembrance Weekend retreat.
- Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center Partner — Refers families to the Game Day program through pediatric social work staff.
- Roswell Park Comprehensive Care Center Partner — Collaborates with P.U.N.T. to deliver timely support services to pediatric cancer patients.
- WNY Compassion Connection Partner — Collaborates with WNY Compassion Connection to provide a supportive space for grieving children and families in Western New York.
- Wegmans Partner — Organizational partner supporting P.U.N.T.'s programming for pediatric cancer patients.
- medical social workers Partner — Refers families and prioritizes requests for financial assistance on behalf of the P.U.N.T. Pediatric Cancer Collaborative
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.
- Comprehensive Family Support Modelmethodology: comprehensive_family_supportBy providing coordinated financial, emotional, and practical support from diagnosis through recovery or bereavement, the organization reduces non-medical burdens on families, enabling them to focus on caregiving and healing, because addressing holistic family needs improves resilience and coping during pediatric cancer treatment.
- Hospital-Partnered Collaborative Caremethodology: hospital-based_collaborative_careBy embedding support services within hospital care teams and using referrals from medical social workers and psychologists, the organization ensures timely, targeted assistance for high-need families, because clinical partnerships improve identification, trust, and integration of psychosocial support into medical treatment pathways.
- Therapeutic Retreat and Recreation Modelmethodology: therapeutic_retreat_modelBy using structured retreats and morale-boosting experiences such as professional sports events and therapeutic gatherings, the organization fosters emotional healing, normalcy, and peer connection for children in treatment and bereaved families, because shared positive experiences counteract trauma and isolation associated with pediatric cancer.