The Future Fund of Central New York is a giving circle established to involve and empower emerging philanthropists to make the Central New York community a better place to live and work. Its membership is involved in building a charitable endowment and providing grants in program areas that change each year based on the vote of the membership. More information about the Fund is available on the dedicated
Future Fund webpage.
Since its inception, the Future Fund has made an annual $5,000 grant to support our community. The 2005 grant recipient was Home HeadQuarters, which used the money to support carpenters, contractors, and other building tradespeople attempting to create small businesses as independent contractors. These local entrepreneurs, many of whom are members of ethnic and racial minorities, have the professional skills to run successful home improvement businesses, but lack the back-office structure to keep a business running. The Future Fund grant supported phone systems, advertising, computerized billing systems, and other back-office support for these nascent entrepreneurs.
The 2006 recipient was Catholic Charities for a part of its Refugee Resettlement Program. The Future Fund’s grant supported summer outreach to recent immigrant teenagers, who were invited to learn about American culture and traditions before their first school year.
In 2007, the grant went to Contact Community Services’ “Living with Teens” parenting program, which promotes health and wellness among teenagers and their parents. The Future Fund grant allowed Contact to pay a parenting educator, purchase healthy refreshments, and offer childcare and other incentives to participants.
The grant application deadline for this year has passed and the grant process is closed until the next announcement of funding availability in early 2009. We invite you to view the 2008 Future Fund
Grant Guidelines and
Application, but caution that changes will be made to the guidelines before the next deadline is announced. To find out more about the Future Fund’s grantmaking, or if you have any questions, please
contact us.