Racial Equity
Central New Yorkers are resilient individuals who believe in the values of hard work and determination. Everyone deserves a fighting chance at success here. Today, though, not everyone in our region has an equal opportunity to succeed. Black, Latino, Native American and Asian/Pacific Islander people face undeserved and unfair obstacles due to racism that has been woven into the structures of our schools and workplaces, economic situations, and health and living conditions. By addressing structural inequities in Central New York, we‘ll move a step closer to ensuring opportunity for all.
Here is a sample of what we accomplish when we combine the generosity of our donors with the hard work of our community partners. With your help, we can do more.
Our Impact
$1,316,689
in BE&E grants awarded since 2020 to Black-led organizations
179
Black-led organizations applied to CNYCF for the first time
What We're Doing
People of color still face obstacles to advancement that White people do not. They are less likely than their White peers to be hired, professionally developed, and promoted. And their lived experience is demonstrably worse due to implicit bias and inequitable treatment in the workplace. We’ve helped:
- Educate and inspire a diverse pool of community leaders to become effective nonprofit board members
- Publicize leadership training tips and advice for young women of color
- Develop the personal and professional competencies of emerging nonprofit leaders of color
Due to a history of neighborhood segregation and discriminatory practices in healthcare systems, people of color are more likely to not have insurance, experience language-barriers with medical personnel, be exposed to environmental pollution and suffer from compounding factors that shorten their lives. We’ve helped:
- Make homes lead-safe in neighborhoods historically underinvested due to redlining and segregatory lending practices
- Provide mental health support to youth living in neighborhoods experiencing high levels of gun violence
- Diversify child therapists to be representative of the client population that they serve
- Hire Black doulas and purchase materials for Black maternal health community outreach and education
Data from the 2019 Survey of Consumer Finances show that long-standing and substantial wealth disparities between families in different racial and ethnic groups have remained unchanged over the past few years. The typical White family has eight times the wealth of the typical Black family and five times the wealth of the typical Hispanic family. We’ve helped:
- Provide wardrobe, styling and career enhancement services to potential job candidates
- Connect low-income residents with job opportunities in high-need industries
- Start up a chamber of commerce for minority-owned businesses and minority professionals
- Offer workforce training and certification assistance for Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBE)
- Create an online directory of Black-owned businesses
The arts & culture sector generates, amplifies, and reproduces stories and narratives about who belongs and who is valued. Narratives that uplift the art, culture, voices, and experiences of marginalized communities can have a significant impact on social justice movements. We’ve helped:
- Conduct workshops to bring local Black artists and entrepreneurs together
- Elevate Black voices by providing a media platform for individuals to share their stories
- Host Black-art exhibitions and virtual art classes
Building healthy, sustainable and equitable communities requires civic and social engagement of community members. We’ve helped:
- Convene public dialogue on important social justice issues such as the benefits and challenges of I-81 replacement options
- Make it easy for historically hard-to-count populations such as refugees to complete the census
- Launch a phone application that encourages civic engagement by local residents
Education disparities differ from community to community and can range from inequitable funding and budget cuts to children of color being subject to more extreme disciplinary measures. This can deny students the adequate knowledge and skills needed for a 21st century job market. We’ve helped:
- Offer students of color with tutoring and emotional, physical and life skills training
- Mentor Syracuse-area students to pursue careers in video production
- Launch an after-school mentorship program for Black youth that will guide them through career exploration in the areas of science, technology, skilled trades and manufacturing
- Provide career, college access and college success services to students living in high poverty neighborhoods
- Make higher education attainable for Syracuse City School District students
To learn more about what we are doing to incorporate diversity, equity and inclusion into the work of the Community Foundation, visit our equity commitment page.
Make a Difference with Us
Your assistance can aid us in making an even greater impact. Here are some ways you can help us do more.
News & Stories
Community Foundation Awards Grants to Lead Testing & Awareness Projects
Runners-up of the Community Foundation's participatory budgeting project received LeadSafeCNY grants.
Reflections: A Strategic Focus on Equity
Bea González, board of directors vice-chair, explains how proximate leadership is a driving element of ...
From our Outgoing President & CEO: Our New Strategic Plan and a Fond Farewell
Peter Dunn, outgoing president & CEO, introduces our new strategic plan and remarks on his ...
Cayuga Community Fund Distributes More Than $85,000 in Grants
The Cayuga Community Fund has announced its 2023 grant recipients.
CNY Community Foundation Releases New Five-Year Strategic Plan
Our new five-year strategic plan deepens our existing work and takes on new opportunities that ...
Building Bridges of Opportunity
John Winter's legacy as a devoted father, philanthropist, and advocate for marginalized communities lives on. ...
Community Foundation Announces New Board Members
Warren Hilton, Ed.D, President, Onondaga Community College and Leyla Z. Morgillo, CFP®, Financial Planner, Madison ...
Community Foundation Offering Program for Second Year to Nonprofits Led by and Serving Historically Excluded Communities
Organizations can apply to participate in our second year of Resilia.
Giving Back is Good Business
Hear from Pragya Murphy, MBA, CAP®, Senior Philanthropic Advisor, on you can help your clients ...
Community Foundation Awards Grants to Lead Testing & Awareness Projects
Runners-up of the Community Foundation's participatory budgeting project received LeadSafeCNY grants.
Reflections: A Strategic Focus on Equity
Bea González, board of directors vice-chair, explains how proximate leadership is a driving element of ...
From our Outgoing President & CEO: Our New Strategic Plan and a Fond Farewell
Peter Dunn, outgoing president & CEO, introduces our new strategic plan and remarks on his ...
Cayuga Community Fund Distributes More Than $85,000 in Grants
The Cayuga Community Fund has announced its 2023 grant recipients.
CNY Community Foundation Releases New Five-Year Strategic Plan
Our new five-year strategic plan deepens our existing work and takes on new opportunities that ...
Building Bridges of Opportunity
John Winter's legacy as a devoted father, philanthropist, and advocate for marginalized communities lives on. ...
Community Foundation Announces New Board Members
Warren Hilton, Ed.D, President, Onondaga Community College and Leyla Z. Morgillo, CFP®, Financial Planner, Madison ...
Community Foundation Offering Program for Second Year to Nonprofits Led by and Serving Historically Excluded Communities
Organizations can apply to participate in our second year of Resilia.
Giving Back is Good Business
Hear from Pragya Murphy, MBA, CAP®, Senior Philanthropic Advisor, on you can help your clients ...