Smart Giving
Spring 2016
a publication of the central new york community foundation
Goal Reached to Ensure College Promise in this issue
Oswego Foundation Awards First Grants page 3
Lee Gatta is Caring for Tomorrow page 5
On March 1, Say Yes to Education Syracuse received two major boosts that will permanently endow its scholarship promise for Syracuse City School children. Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner announced that a $400,000 contribution would be made to the Say Yes Scholarship Endowment Fund, which is administered by the Community Foundation. This completed the $5 million matching challenge issued by SRC, Inc. in 2011. Later that day, County Executive Joanie Mahoney announced in her State of the County address that a $20 million contribution towards the Syracuse College Promise, a component of the Urban Revitalization Initiative’s winning CNY Rising economic development plan, would be distributed to the fund in its entirety this year. This completes the $30 million goal needed to permanently endow the scholarship, which will guarantee a path to college for generations of Syracuse City School children, regardless of income. Seven years ago, the local community partnered with Say Yes to Education, Inc., jumpstarting a fundraising campaign to support an endowment that will create a pathway to post-secondary education for all SCSD students. More than 1,000 individual and corporate donors contributed to the endowment.
Deaf Interpretation Service Aids Refugees page 9
“Since its beginning, the Community Foundation saw this initiative as an opportunity for the community to collaborate toward a common goal – enhanced educational attainment for our city’s children,” said Peter Dunn, Community Foundation President & CEO. “It’s a signature moment, now that we can see that our investment of grant support, along with the contributions of so many donors and the significant support and encouragement of Say Yes, helped to leverage permanent capital that will support generations of children.” More than 1,000 SCSD students each year are supported through Say Yes scholarships. New “wrap around” supports for students and their families were also created or expanded to enhance opportunities for student academic achievement – from legal and health services to mental health support and afterschool programs.
Healthier Homes on the Way to Syracuse page 12
Say Yes is one piece of a strategy to address one of the most intractable problems of our time – weak urban education outcomes and limited opportunities for vulnerable youth and families. Creating a permanent source of charitable capital to support scholarships is one of the best ways to assure the ultimate sustainability of the program. We are thrilled to be a part of this landmark achievement for the benefit of our city’s future generations.