The Bonafiglia Family Foundation has made a significant investment in the local community, distributing $94,622 to various projects and initiatives through its Call for Ideas Grant opportunity. This responsive grant, which accepted proposals from January through February, aimed to better understand the needs within local communities and identify how best to support organizations that align with the foundation’s mission, values, and focus areas.
This month, the foundation awarded grants to 17 organizations serving Seneca County, focusing on themes such as food insecurity, promoting community events, education and workforce development, and sustainability of programs for youth’s basic needs. Among the recipients were Mozaic-Finger Lakes Textiles, Seneca Falls Education Foundation, Community Action Program Cayuga-Seneca, Waterloo Library & Historical Society, and Seneca County Community Garden.
The most significant award, amounting to $25,000, was granted to the Seneca Falls Education Foundation. This funding will support the Seneca Falls Central School District (SFCSD) initiative to adopt the “Science of Reading” instructional approach. Dr. Michelle Reed, Superintendent of SFCSD, expressed gratitude for the foundation’s recognition of the need to improve student literacy. “Supporting our literacy initiative to provide current research-based reading instruction will benefit not only individual students but our whole community,” said Dr. Reed. “The children we grow now will become the future members of our towns. The Bonafiglia Family Foundation has made it possible for elementary teachers to gain knowledge in the Science of Reading so they can support our students.”
Judy Wentzel, Executive Director of the Bonafiglia Family Foundation, highlighted the value of the grantmaking process in building relationships and understanding the challenges and goals of the recipient organizations. “The biggest takeaway from this grantmaking process was relationship building; the opportunity to listen and learn from these organizations and have intimate conversations around their challenges and goals,” Wentzel said. “It’s been a humbling and valuable experience for the Bonafiglia Family Foundation to begin recognizing ways to strategically support and impact the people and places we love.”
The foundation’s commitment to supporting local initiatives reflects its dedication to fostering community development and addressing critical needs. By investing in projects that promote education, community engagement, and basic needs sustainability, the Bonafiglia Family Foundation aims to create a lasting positive impact on the communities within Seneca County.
As the Bonafiglia Family Foundation continues to support local organizations, it hopes to inspire other charitable entities to engage in similar responsive grantmaking efforts, further strengthening the fabric of the community.
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