21st Century Fund

The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo administers the 21st Century Fund, a donor-led giving circle composed of more than 350 individual members. The fund was established to support transformative, high-impact projects across Western New York that create long-term benefits for communities throughout the region. Its model is participatory, with members reviewing proposals, attending presentations, and voting to select the winning project. Each cycle culminates in a single nonprofit being awarded a $100,000 grant. The Foundation’s mission is to connect resources with needs to drive sustainable, community-driven change in the eight counties it serves. The purpose of the 21st Century Fund is to identify and support projects that have the potential to create lasting, significant impact while requiring minimal ongoing grant support. Eligible proposals must demonstrate a clear plan for sustainability and meaningful outcomes for residents of Western New York. The fund’s structure emphasizes innovation and measurable community benefit, ensuring that each funded project can serve as a catalyst for regional development and quality of life improvements. Funding is limited to one $100,000 award per two-year cycle. Grants are awarded only to nonprofit organizations with active 501(c)(3) status. Applicants must be based in, or provide services within, at least one of the eight counties of Western New York—Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, or Wyoming. The program welcomes applications from diverse sectors, provided the project aligns with the fund’s mission of community transformation and sustainability. Prior recipients are eligible to reapply after successfully completing and closing previous grants. Applications are submitted electronically through the Foundant Grant Lifecycle Manager portal; paper or emailed submissions are not accepted. The 2025–2026 cycle opens October 3, 2025, with a strict deadline of December 5, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Following review, semi-finalists are announced in February 2026, and two major presentation events follow—one for member evaluation and one for the final vote in April 2026. Funds are released by June 2026 after all administrative paperwork is complete. The biennial cycle repeats every two years, with the next expected opening projected for October 2027. Applications are evaluated based on their potential to create sustainable and measurable improvements across Western New York, their capacity for community engagement, and their ability to demonstrate lasting impact. The process emphasizes transparency and collaboration between applicants and members, offering finalists an opportunity to present their projects directly to the donor group. For questions, applicants can contact Darren Penoyer, Director of Community Impact, at (716) 852-2857 ext. 206 or by email at darrenp@cfgb.org. Through this biennial competitive process, the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo continues its long-standing tradition of fostering regional vitality. Past recipients—such as Family Promise of Western New York (2024), Mercy Flight (2022), FeedMore WNY (2020), and Explore & More Children’s Museum (2014)—reflect the fund’s commitment to community development, health, and education initiatives that uplift residents and strengthen local infrastructure.

Focus on sustainability and measurable long-term regional impact; engage community benefits clearly.