2018 Biennial Report Table of Contents Stories 4 Grants 14 Funds 26 Your Guide to Easy and This year, with record assets of $492 million, your Community • A new “Livable Community” initiative will help Joyful Giving 44 Foundation became the largest grantmaking foundation in Rochester and Monroe County become a better place Central and Western New York. to grow up and grow old, thanks to the Community Philanthropy Awards 46 Foundation-convened Monroe County Aging Alliance That’s thanks to the many generous individuals, organizations, Philanthropists 48 and implementation partner United Way of Greater and families whose gifts have nurtured more than 1,300 Rochester. Financial Report 62 philanthropic funds under our nonprofit umbrella — including 171 new funds in just the past two years. • We oversaw the Rochester Safe and Efficient Homes Volunteer Leadership 64 Initiative, using government funding streams to help Since 1972, these farsighted donors have powered more than Foundation Staff 68 more than 200 low-income homeowners remove $442 million in grants and scholarships to create a vibrant asthma triggers and lead paint while improving energy Applying for Grants community for all. They gained impact, knowledge, and efficiency. and Scholarships 69 leverage by working with the Community Foundation and our many partners across the Rochester region. Our discretionary endowments — unrestricted and Acknowledgments 70 broad-purpose — generate just 2 in 15 grant dollars. Currently, your Community Foundation is working to create a Power of Endowment 71 We welcome your support so that we can do even more more equitable community and strengthen regional vitality. to strengthen our region. Among our recent milestones: Behind the scenes, our Community Foundation benefits • Our grants to build city businesses helped kickstart the from talented volunteer leaders and the devoted staff Our Mission: We empower City of Rochester’s OWN business generator and Kiva donors and community partners who work to power the dreams of so many. We operate Rochester microloan program, one of the fastest growing in to strengthen our region through at less than 1 percent of assets, and our average annual the country. philanthropy. return on endowment since 1990 was 9.3 percent net of Our Vision: We lead, inspire • Our support for the Family Independence Initiative, a pilot fees as of March 31, 2018. Learn more at racf.org. and support positive, enduring peer mentoring program at Catholic Family Center promoted Together, we channel the power of many to shape a community change. by the Rochester-Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative, is helping better future for us all. 150 families work together for job and school success. In appreciation, About the photo: Our president and • ACT Rochester issued new data for Batavia, Canandaigua, board chair pose in front of a wall of art at the 6x6 exhibit at Rochester and Geneva plus a regional “Hard Facts” report on race that Contemporary Art Center (RoCo). This inspired new conversations, including among fourth- and exhibit and fundraiser exemplifies the sixth-graders. power of many, with nearly 3,300 artists from 49 countries submitting • Our Greater Rochester After-School Alliance worked with 6,743 pieces in 2018. More than 3,000 Jennifer Leonard David A. Still were purchased to support RoCo and the Rochester City School District to secure five years of President & CEO Chair, Board of Directors its mission to advance contemporary art state funding for 750 new high-quality after-school slots for in downtown Rochester. city kids. —Photo by Erich Camping 3 Sherman Elementary School students Bailey O’Connor, Khaliat Bishi, and Simra spent many lunch periods gathering data on their school change happen.” It also dovetailed Hamad, with fourth-grade teacher Shane Wiegand. and the Rush-Henrietta Central School District. nicely with the yearlong theme of —Photo by Caleb Parker “Bridges and Barriers.” They referenced U.S. Census data and WXXI reports on the racial makeup of teachers in Monroe County, along The 30 sixth-graders’ initial reaction with ACT Rochester data on poverty. They identified just to the report was, “This is not one African American teacher in their school and fewer okay. Why are adults letting this than a dozen teachers of color throughout the very happen?” Their research went deep Raise Many Tough diverse district. The three girls assembled a PowerPoint into issues related to affordable presentation and met with their school principal and housing, poverty, and racism, and Questions the district’s two assistant superintendents to share they explored ways for Rochester to their findings. be more inclusive. They asked great questions: “Why does our community “I was very impressed,” said Nerlande Anselme, look like it does? Why are some assistant superintendent for student and family services, parts shiny and flashy and others are who is from Haiti. “They had a thesis, did their research, boarded up?” and in their presentation asked, ‘Do you see this as a After completing murals in each quadrant of Rochester, sixth-graders from Genesee Community Charter School and their mural advisor Shawn Dunwoody returned to each location to sign their In August 2017, the Community Foundation the sixth-grade class at Genesee Community Charter Before discussing “Hard Facts,” the students had problem in Rush-Henrietta?’ I said ‘Yes.’ ” “ACT Rochester shares information names. Here they are at Passaro’s Deli on Clifford Avenue. —Photo by Erich Camping School. Then a fourth-grade teacher in the Rush- studied redlining in Rochester and segregation through and provides the ‘what’ and ‘why,’ but and ACT Rochester expanded their At the urging of its school board, this suburban Monroe Henrietta Central School District called to say his the stories of Ruby Bridges and Martin Luther King, Jr. people have to figure out the ‘how,’ ” Dolgos reporting on racial inequities with a report County district is making diversity a priority. Wiegand The sixth graders also wanted to show their support for students wanted to talk about the report’s findings. They also watched and clips from told his students. The Children’s March is a member of a new 40-member Diversity Steering Rochester. With a grant from Expeditionary Learning called “Hard Facts: Race and Ethnicity in July ’64, the story of Rochester’s riots. the Nine-County Greater Rochester Area.” “These young students gave me hope,” said Johnson. Committee Education’s Better World Project — and “They care. They wanted to know why people of color One day, Khaliat Bishi, who is Nigerian-American, and that includes help from local artist Shawn Dunwoody The regional report showed wide and persistent gaps in are treated differently than whites and what we can do Simra Hamad, who is Pakistani, both commented that teachers, Why does our community look like it does? — they painted inspirational murals educational and economic outcomes among residents to change things. They ask tough questions and they they have never had a teacher who looked like them. administrators, in each quadrant of the city. At School of different racial and ethnic backgrounds, affecting are not afraid to be bold.” Together with Bailey O’Connor, who is white, these three students, Why are some parts shiny and flashy and 12, they invited their family members individuals and families throughout their lives and for parents, and several dozen students from other generations to come. Even more shocking was the more Students Look at School District Diversity community others are boarded up? —Sixth-graders from Genesee Community Rochester schools to help with ambitious severe disparity in our region compared to New York representatives, Charter School murals that cover sidewalks and several State and the country. In the fourth-grade classroom of Shane Wiegand and leaders walls. at Sherman Elementary School, students peppered that is gathering ideas and discussing strategies for With aspects of “Hard Facts” data on their minds, Community leaders thanked ACT Rochester for sharing Johnson with questions, all starting with the phrase recruitment and ways to be more inclusive. The district the students divided into four groups that visited Paul Schramm, whose 12-year-old son was in the this compelling data. Requests came in to talk with “I wonder:” recently hired its first African American superintendent. either Pittsburgh, New Orleans, Oakland, or Detroit. class, thought the conversations and research into race, groups about the findings. Community workshops Students met with city leaders and community groups poverty, and inequities were well timed. “These kids are • Why white people own the most homes? attracted hundreds interested in learning more. Hoping to Make Our Community Better to learn about that city’s problems and how they very much aware of what keeps things separate today, Discussion of the disparities was featured during the • If racism and segregation are to blame for white were being addressed. They also looked for ideas to and it’s never too early to discuss it.” celebration of Frederick Douglass’ 200th birthday people owning more homes than blacks? Genesee Community Charter School teacher Chris bring back home. Students presented their findings Learn more about the “Hard Facts” report at in 2018. Dolgos read “Hard Facts” and believed it should be to parents and the school community and created • Will African Americans catch up? What is keeping racf.org/Reports. incorporated into the sixth-grade curriculum because a “Whose Renaissance Is It?” Adobe Spark page Then something unexpected happened: ACT Rochester them from catching up? ACT Rochester’s Ann Johnson answers questions it’s important for his students who are our community’s (tinyurl.com/GCCSSpark), which outlines their research Senior Director Ann Johnson got a request to speak to • Why whites are less poor today than blacks? from fourth-graders. —Photo by Mary F. Holleran future citizens “to discover what it does take to make into Rochester’s past and their hopes for its future.