Communities of Giving Legacy Initiative

11/11/2020

Communities of Giving Legacy Initiative's 2020 Pay It Forward Awards Celebration

On November 5, the Communities of Giving Legacy Initiative (CGLI) hosted its 2020 Pay It Forward Awards. We congratulate the 2020 honorees - Zandra Cunningham, Tommy McClam, Daniel Robertson, Renee Mapp, and Marilyn Young. They exemplify the mission of CGLI - which is to cultivate positive change in the lives of trailblazing youth of color in Western New York. Click the link to watch the entire celebration!
https://youtu.be/XhoA6xBn5tc

The Communities of Giving Legacy Initiative at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo hosted the 2020 Pay It Forward Awards on November 5, 2020. This a...

11/04/2020

Communities of Giving Legacy Initiative's cover photo

11/03/2020

The 2020 Pay It Forward Awards are just two days away! Learn more and register here: https://www.cfgb.org/community-change/initiatives/cgli/

11/02/2020

CGLI Council member Robert Lowery was introduced to CGLI in 2011, when he chaperoned students on the first Close Up trip to Washington, D.C. During that time, he was able to see the impact of the program— students traveling for the first time, meeting others with different views and backgrounds, and watching how youth developed because of it.

Having grown up in a neighborhood with limited resources and opportunities, Robert knows how one program can change a youth’s trajectory. “When you witness the growth of so many students in the CGLI program through leadership development, positive peer interaction, educational opportunities and increased awareness of philanthropy, it changes the narratives of many of our youth of color,” Robert said. “To now have the opportunity to be a Council member and play a pivotal role in helping to create change in the lives of youth of color means so much to me. CGLI allows me to pay it forward.”

10/28/2020

The CGLI is hosting its annual Pay It Forward Awards virtually on Thursday, November 5 at 5 p.m. and we hope that you will join us! Learn more and register here: http://mailchi.mp/7cb4817430d8/2020payitforwardawardscgli

10/22/2020

Over the next several weeks, we will be featuring some of our Council members who are dedicated to carrying out the mission of CGLI to cultivate positive change in the lives of trailblazing youth of color living within Western New York. Meet Ruth D. Bryant!

CGLI Council member Ruth D. Bryant was introduced to the concept of the Communities of Giving Legacy Initiative at a national Council of Community Foundations meeting in Denver, Colorado. A few years later, in 2009, she was happy to receive an invite for the newly formed CGLI by Clotilde Perez-Bode Dedecker, President and CEO of the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo.

Today, Ruth continues to pay it forward. “My involvement with CGLI is about giving; helping youth of color to realize that dreams and a brighter future are attainable,” Ruth said. “Making an impact on the lives of youth is about sharing your knowledge and resources for the greater cause.”

10/16/2020

Please join us for the 2020 Pay It Forward Awards. Learn more here: http://mailchi.mp/2e5a0a2630b5/2020payitforwardawards

09/30/2020

Join us in congratulating CGLI Council Secretary Tanya Staples for receiving the 2020 Mayor's Youth Award.

09/25/2020

Graspie CEO sees Black Founders Exchange as chance to grow Buffalo startup

Good news! CGLI Council Vice Chair Derrick Parson was featured in The Buffalo News earlier this week for his participation in the Black Founders Exchange, currently focused on helping Black-owned startups cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Click the link to read the full piece...
https://buffalonews.com/news/local/graspie-ceo-sees-black-founders-exchange-as-chance-to-grow-buffalo-startup/article_2bc3ff48-fcdf-11ea-9607-67604d968da3.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share

The annual national Black Founders Exchange promotes development of Black-founded startups, with input from experts and investors.

09/24/2020

CGLI Council members Oswaldo Mestre, Jr., Michele Agosto, M.Ed., and Tamara Alsace, Ph.D., are all panelists on this upcoming conversation about Colorism and Race in the Latino/a/x Community. Join them and other community leaders on October 6.

07/07/2020

We are honored to share this story of Bonita and Henry Durand, who have set an example of paying it forward and generosity through their work with CGLI.

#100StoriesFor100Years

➤ Story 95 of 100: Henry and Boni Durand

It was the 1960s and Bonita Cobb was in her middle school modern history class in Cincinnati, Ohio. She sat in front of a shy, athletic student named Henry Durand. Little did she know then that she had found her soulmate.

The high school sweethearts were awarded scholarships to separate colleges – Boni to Kent State and Henry to Denison University, where he was one of only five black students to enter the college in 1966. Henry was a varsity team starter playing offense and defense for his four year career and holds the distinction of being the first black captain of the otherwise all-white Denison University football team.

After college, Boni and Henry married and started a family, moving to Western New York in 1990 when Henry was offered a job at the University of Buffalo as director of its Educational Opportunity Program. Boni later secured a position as Chief of Staff to the President at Buffalo State College. Seeing the need to provide cultural support to students of color, the Durands began to help in any way they could, such as hosting Thanksgiving dinners for students that could not afford to return home for the break.

Boni was introduced to the Community Foundation by Board member Alphonso O’Neil-White and learned about the Communities of Giving Legacy Initiative (CGLI). “I found it fascinating that there was an initiative like CGLI that was committed to the group that Henry and I worried about all the time,” Boni said.

She joined the Community Foundation Board in 2015, and the Durands began contributing to the CGLI endowment. “It is kind of an extension and a more formal way of continuing to do the work that we always did,” explained Boni.

Henry passed away in 2018, but Boni knows that through the Community Foundation, the good he always did will live on forever. “People took a chance on us. People saw potential when we did not see it ourselves, and now it is our time to do that for someone else,” she said. “It is important to pay it forward.”

06/10/2020

The Communities of Giving Legacy (CGLI), a fund of the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, exists to support trailblazing youth of color in Western New York. We invite you to engage in these guided conversations with youth participants from programs supported by CGLI. Register here: https://forms.gle/GcCJDg9YUCP3XbpC8

06/10/2020

The Communities of Giving Legacy Initiative (CGLI), a Fund of the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, is committed to cultivating positive change in the lives of trailblazing youth of color living within Western New York.

The CGLI family includes high school students, emerging professionals and experienced leaders of color who are intentional about empowering our youth and young adults to be agents of change in our community, the country and the world. We accomplish this through collective giving and the sharing of our experiences and connections.

We are heartbroken and enraged as we live through the most recent series of injustices, sickness and loss of life. We stand in solidarity to put an end to hundreds of years of oppression and injustices disproportionately felt by African Americans and other communities of color.

As we continue to mourn the most recent losses of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, we also continue to stand in solace with our African American community. We pledge our resources toward addressing the needs of our youth of color in Western New York to help them get through both current crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

We are hopeful that the frustration, anger, anxiety, hurt, harm, hopelessness, and fear being experienced during this time gives way to equitable justice and meaningful, sustainable social and economic change for communities of color everywhere.

The CGLI Council is currently assessing needs with organizations serving youth of color in our community to find meaningful ways to support them during these challenging times and we will share an update on our actions in the coming weeks.

Bonita R. Durand, Ph.D.
Chair, Communities of Giving Legacy Initiative

“We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes”
-Ella Baker 1903-1986

04/01/2020

2020 Census | Respond Online

2020 Census | Respond Online

Your response matters!

03/25/2020

Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo

At this time of unprecedented need in our community, the Community Foundation is honored to be working with nearly 20 philanthropic organizations to date, including our partners at the Health Foundation for Western and Central New York, The John R Oishei Foundation and the United Way of Buffalo & Erie County, to address immediate needs related to the COVID-19 crisis. To join us in this effort, visit https://www.cfgb.org/news/western-new-york-philanthropic-community-announces-fund-to-support-immediate-needs-in-response-to-covid-19/

02/12/2020

We are in the process of selecting the Western New York students who will be participating in the 2020 Close Up Washington DC experience! The CGLI has been participating in Close Up since 2011. This program provides students with opportunities to engage with fellow high school peers from around the country and the world. They also learn about our government and democracy during the week-long civic engagement trip in June. Stay tuned as we follow this cohort throughout their journey!
Learn more here: https://www.cfgb.org/community-change/initiatives/cgli/

01/22/2020

Thank you to all of those who have contributed to the CGLI endowment to make a difference in the lives of youth of color in Western New York! Your gift will help transform the current generation of students of color and prepare them to fully participate in our region’s resurgence.

There’s still time to magnify your gift in 2020. Every $2 contributed to the CGLI endowment will be matched by $1 up to the first $150,000. Help us continue the momentum of removing access barriers for our youth by making a gift today!
Just click the link below and make sure to select “Communities of Giving Legacy Initiative” in the Donation Designation dropdown menu.
https://www.cfgb.org/donors/give-now/?fbclid=IwAR0I0lhcelevkI51Qz3ryiw1e00uVo0po_eqOlH1LgukAHe7mXlPQ3WvCz4

We thank you for your support!

12/17/2019

Cultivate Positive Change for Youth of Color in WNY

Last chance to make your 2019 donation! Every $2 raised for the Communities of Giving Legacy Initiative will be matched by $1 for a limited time only...

The Communities of Giving Legacy Initiative (CGLI) is committed to positioning youth of color for success now and in the future. Help us continue the momentum of removing access barriers for our youth by making a gift today!

Your gift will help transform the current generation of students of color and prepare them to fully participate in our region’s economic recovery.

Every $2 contributed to the CGLI endowment will be matched by $1 up to the first $150,000. Please do not delay in pledging your support. The opportunity to magnify your gift ends soon!

➤ Just click the link below & make sure to select “Communities of Giving Legacy Initiative” in the Donation Designation dropdown menu.

We thank you for your support!

12/03/2019

Cultivate Positive Change for Youth of Color in WNY

To celebrate Giving Tuesday, every $2 raised for the Communities of Giving Legacy Initiative will be matched by $1, for a limited time only!

The Communities of Giving Legacy Initiative (CGLI) is committed to positioning youth of color for success now and in the future. Help us continue the momentum of removing access barriers for our youth by making a gift today!

Your gift will help transform the current generation of students of color and prepare them to fully participate in our region’s economic recovery.

Every $2 contributed to the CGLI endowment will be matched by $1 up to the first $150,000. Please do not delay in pledging your support. The opportunity to magnify your gift ends soon!

➤ Just click the link below & make sure to select “Communities of Giving Legacy Initiative” in the Donation Designation dropdown menu.

We thank you for your support!

11/27/2019

Communities of Giving Legacy Initiative | Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo

Are you interested in philanthropy but don’t know where to start? Emerging Philanthropists of Color (EPC) is a unique giving circle of the CGLI. EPC provides opportunities to learn about why philanthropy is necessary in our communities and put it into practice through the award of mini-grants to different causes and organizations. If you or someone you know is interested in EPC, please visit our webpage at the link below.

https://www.cfgb.org/community-change/initiatives/cgli/

The Communities of Giving Legacy Initiatives (CGLI) inspires philanthropy for and within communities of color, and drives change in our youth. Learn more.

11/27/2019

Communities of Giving Legacy Initiative's cover photo

11/21/2019

In honor of Native American Philanthropy month the CGLI is throwing it back to August when author and chair of the Native Americans in Philanthropy board Edgar Villanueva came to the Frank E. Merriweather Library to discuss philanthropy and his book "Decolonizing Wealth."

11/15/2019

The mission of the CGLI is to promote endowment building for and within communities of color. During National Native American Heritage Month, the CGLI wants to take this time to acknowledge and thank those members of the Native American community working in philanthropy.

11/13/2019

Thank you to all those who came out for our annual Pay it Forward Awards! It was an honor to celebrate the contributions of some of the philanthropic champions in our communities! Check out some photos from the event below.

11/08/2019

Great things happen when our youth become involved in our community! 😃

Since 2011, we have been participating in Close Up Washington DC. This is an eight-month journey into civic education highlighted with a trip to our Nation’s Capital in June!

On the trip, students are given special access to people, processes, and places, making this a truly unique experience.

This video was produced, shot and edited by students who participated in this program...

11/07/2019

Tonight is a big night for the CGLI – it’s our annual Pay it Forward Awards! The Pay It Forward Award recognizes personal and professional accomplishments and how those actions increased philanthropy in communities of color. Emphasis is placed on service to the community and educating the next generation, with a focus on profiling community champions that reflect the multicultural and ethnic diversity of the CGLI mission. Congratulations to all of our awardees and we look forward to honoring your work!

10/29/2019

You're invited to join us in honoring our Community Champions at the Pay It Forward Awards! 😃

- Thurs. Nov. 7th @ 5:30pm
- The Westin Buffalo (250 Delaware Ave.)

The Pay It Forward Award recognizes personal & professional accomplishments and how those actions increased philanthropy in communities of color. The Award is the highest honor the Communities of Giving Legacy Initiative (CGLI) bestows upon an individual or organization!

The 2019 Pay It Forward honorees are:
→ Herbert Bellamy, Jr (CEO of Bellamy Enterprises & Buffalo’s Black Achievers, Inc.)
→ Willie Hutch Jones Educational and Sports Programs
→ Brenda W. McDuffie (President & CEO of The Buffalo Urban League, Inc.)
→ Karen Lee Spaulding (Vice President of Philanthropic Support, The John R. Oishei Foundation)

10/28/2019

Congratulations to Cindy Odom, our Chief Community Impact Officer, for receiving the President's Award from the Women's Bar Association of the State of New York, Western New York Chapter!

10/17/2019

Communities of Giving Legacy Initiative | Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo

Are you interested in philanthropy but don’t know where to start? Emerging Philanthropists of Color (EPC) is a unique giving circle of the CGLI. EPC provides opportunities to learn about why philanthropy is necessary in our communities and put it into practice through the award of mini-grants to different causes and organizations. If you or someone you know is interested in EPC, please visit our webpage at the link below.
https://www.cfgb.org/community-change/initiatives/cgli/

The Communities of Giving Legacy Initiatives (CGLI) inspires philanthropy for and within communities of color, and drives change in our youth. Learn more.

10/15/2019

In honor of Hispanic Heritage month and the upcoming Pay It Foward Awards, we wanted to highlight some of our prior Hispanic honorees! Francisco Guzman was awarded a PIFA at last year's ceremony for his work with the youth in the Hispanic community. Mr. Casmiro D. Rodriguez, Sr. was honored in 2017 for his continued advocacy for Buffalo's Latino Community in areas of education, health, social and economic equality. Thank you to both of these men for their tireless work in our communities!