The BISON Children's Scholarship Fund

08/24/2021

Meet Glaw, a senior at St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute and the recipient of the Thomas C. Comer Memorial Scholarship. Glaw is involved in many things at St. Joe’s including the Equity & Justice club. After graduation, Glaw is planning to study business in college.

Meet Glaw, a senior at St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute and the recipient of the Thomas C. Comer Memorial Scholarship. Glaw is involved in many things at St. Joe’s including the Equity & Justice club. After graduation, Glaw is planning to study business in college.

08/17/2021

Congratulations to our Executive Director, Amy Popadick for being selected for Business First’s Power 200 Women list! Great organizations like BISON start with strong leadership and Amy is a great example of that. Congratulations on this well-deserved acknowledgement!

Congratulations to our Executive Director, Amy Popadick for being selected for Business First’s Power 200 Women list! Great organizations like BISON start with strong leadership and Amy is a great example of that. Congratulations on this well-deserved acknowledgement!

08/12/2021

Mark your calendars for another powerful event to celebrate BISON and its impact on our community. We hope you can join us on October 21st! For more information, click here: https://bisonfund.com/2021-annual-celebration-luncheon/

Mark your calendars for another powerful event to celebrate BISON and its impact on our community. We hope you can join us on October 21st! For more information, click here: https://bisonfund.com/2021-annual-celebration-luncheon/

08/11/2021

BISON Scholar Spotlight: Meet Mary, a senior at Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart. Mary has been a BISON Scholar since kindergarten at SS. Peter and Paul School, Williamsville. This summer she was chosen to participate in the “Women in Business” program, sponsored by M&T Bank. Upon graduation, Mary plans on attending the University at Buffalo and has aspirations to become a lawyer focusing on international law. We are proud to support Mary’s academic journey since kindergarten! @buffaloacademyofthesacredheart

BISON Scholar Spotlight: Meet Mary, a senior at Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart. Mary has been a BISON Scholar since kindergarten at SS. Peter and Paul School, Williamsville. This summer she was chosen to participate in the “Women in Business” program, sponsored by M&T Bank. Upon graduation, Mary plans on attending the University at Buffalo and has aspirations to become a lawyer focusing on international law. We are proud to support Mary’s academic journey since kindergarten! @buffaloacademyofthesacredheart

08/04/2021

“Without the BISON scholarship, my daughter would not have been able to attend school this year, and five days a week no less! Children need that stability, and we are forever grateful for the kindness and generosity of others. Thank you!” - A BISON parent

“Without the BISON scholarship, my daughter would not have been able to attend school this year, and five days a week no less! Children need that stability, and we are forever grateful for the kindness and generosity of others. Thank you!” - A BISON parent

08/02/2021

Meet one of BISON’s 8th grade graduates, Derrick. He graduated from Catholic Academy of Niagara Falls and is now a member of the Canisius High School Class of ’25. This year BISON had nearly 200 8th grade graduates in over 60 schools across WNY. We are so proud of their amazing accomplishments and look forward to supporting their continued success in high school! @canisiushs

Meet one of BISON’s 8th grade graduates, Derrick. He graduated from Catholic Academy of Niagara Falls and is now a member of the Canisius High School Class of ’25. This year BISON had nearly 200 8th grade graduates in over 60 schools across WNY. We are so proud of their amazing accomplishments and look forward to supporting their continued success in high school! @canisiushs

07/29/2021

Who doesn’t love these long summer days?! Check out some of the fun adventures our BISON Scholars are having!

07/19/2021

We love seeing these smiles and celebrating our littlest graduates! BISON is proud to support these young minds and we look forward to continuing their academic journey with them.

07/14/2021

Did you know? This past school year, BISON supported 1,939 K-12 scholars residing in 109 zip codes across WNY!

Did you know? This past school year, BISON supported 1,939 K-12 scholars residing in 109 zip codes across WNY!

07/08/2021

"In-person learning made all the difference in my son's grades and mental health. BISON has made it possible to attend an exceptional school with a wonderful teaching staff that really cares about its students. We would not have been able to pay for tuition without the help of BISON. It has made all the difference in our lives and my son's education" - BISON Parent

"In-person learning made all the difference in my son's grades and mental health. BISON has made it possible to attend an exceptional school with a wonderful teaching staff that really cares about its students. We would not have been able to pay for tuition without the help of BISON. It has made all the difference in our lives and my son's education" - BISON Parent

06/25/2021

Another Voice: BISON Fund empowers children in low-income families

On Thursday, an op-ed titled, “BISON Fund empowers children in low-income families,” by BISON cofounder Tom Beecher was published in The Buffalo News. The piece reflects on the past school year and the lack of school choice for low-income families in our community. For 27 years the BISON Fund has been providing school choice options for these families. "If ever evidence was needed to justify an organization like BISON, the pandemic - and its resulting demands on families - provided it."

https://buffalonews.com/opinion/another-voice-bison-fund-empowers-children-in-low-income-families/article_27d9bb56-d37c-11eb-90b5-ff439986960d.html

Providing these children with better educational opportunities while absorbing values would go a long way toward addressing disparities.

02/12/2021

Through trying times, hope and resilience prevail

Through trying times, hope and resilience prevail

Meet BISON Scholars Abigail and Lindsay "It's hard to put into words what the BISON Fund has meant to our family. We are so blessed and we never take it for granted. We make sure that our girls unders

02/08/2021

Catholic Schools Shine a Light Amid Pandemic Struggles

We are so proud of our partner schools as they continue to adapt knowing that in-person instruction is best for children, allowing them to flourish both academically and socially.

https://www.ncregister.com/news/catholic-schools-shine-a-light-amid-pandemic-struggles

Parents are grateful for parochial schools, the closings of which number more than 200 during the course of COVID-19.

12/29/2020

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Here we come 2021! May we reflect upon the extraordinary year that was 2020 with gratitude and enter 2021 with hope and promise! On behalf of our Scholars and families, we thank you for your considera

12/01/2020

Giving Tuesday; Give the gift of education

Giving Tuesday; Give the gift of education

Rising to the Challenge During this challenging year, our BISON Scholars remain a beacon of hope and resilience. We have been so incredibly impressed by our BISON families' commitment to providing the

11/09/2020

Thank you! We couldn't have done it without you.

We would like to take a moment to thank all who attended our 2020 Virtual Celebration Event. Together, we raised over $450,000, a testament to the empathy and generosity of our loyal donors. We can’t tell you how much your support means to us, and—more importantly—to our community’s students.

Thank you! Dear friends, On behalf of the BISON Children’s Scholarship Fund board members and staff, we sincerely THANK YOU for making our first ever Virtual Celebration Event a huge success! With you

10/22/2020

BISON families are among those most impacted by COVID-19 and job loss, and they need our help. Give to the BISON Children’s Scholarship Fund to provide new educational opportunities for students and families facing these new hardships: https://bisonfund.com/donate/

10/21/2020

To all who attended our 2020 Virtual Celebration Event: Thank you! There’s still time to support and make an impact with a donation to the BISON Fund with our Day of Giving ending tonight: https://bisonfund.com/donate/

10/20/2020

Tonight kicks off our 24-hour day of giving! Help us change the trajectory of our children’s lives for the better: https://bisonfund.com/donate/

10/19/2020

Today is your last chance to purchase tickets for our 2020 Virtual Celebration Event , which starts tomorrow at 6PM. RSVP to help us change the trajectory of our children’s lives for the better: https://bisonfund.ticketspice.com/bison-luncheon-2020

10/16/2020

Next week is our Virtual Celebration Event. And with 97% of BISON families experiencing financial hardships as a result of COVID-19, arising from hours reductions or job losses, we need your support more than ever! Help us help our community’s less fortunate:
https://bisonfund.ticketspice.com/bison-luncheon-2020

10/13/2020

Join us live October 20th for our 2020 Virtual Celebration Event. Together, we’ll celebrate over 25 years of giving parents a choice and children a chance. RSVP today: https://bisonfund.com/2020-luncheon/

10/09/2020

Without the generosity of our loyal donors, BISON would not be the catalyst for change it is today. In 1995, we raised $100,000 to support 200 scholarships. Today, BISON raises over $3million to support 1,950 scholarships!

RSVP for our 2020 Virtual Celebration Event to help us make futures brighter for WNY students: https://bisonfund.ticketspice.com/bison-luncheon-2020

10/08/2020

2020 Annual Celebration Event - October 20!

Please join us on October 20th!

10/06/2020

Sign up for one of our sponsorship packages to claim a $200 gift card to host friends for our Virtual Celebration Event on October 20th . Learn more:https://bisonfund.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/BISON-2020-Luncheon-Digital-Sponsor-Packet.pdf

10/02/2020

In honor of World Smile Day, help us put smiles on the faces of young students across Western New York. Join us for our first-ever Virtual Celebration Event to help give families a choice and children a chance: https://bisonfund.com/2020-annual-celebration-luncheon/

09/28/2020

Almost 45% of children in the City of Buffalo live below the poverty line, ranking it the second-worst among major American cities. The access they are given to safe, high-quality education is just as dismal. But with your help, we can give families the power to choose the school that’s right for them, regardless of income: https://bisonfund.com/our-impact/

09/24/2020

Possibly the best investment you can make in your community is in the education of its youth. This year alone, the BISON Fund is allowing 1,900 students to attend the school of their choice. Learn more about BISON’s impact: https://bisonfund.com/our-impact/

09/23/2020

Generous philanthropists like Maritza and Jack understand that the BISON Children’s Scholarship Fund is a way to pay it forward. It’s an opportunity to give students better opportunities than we had, whatever those were. Because BISON students—and students at-large—are our future. Learn More: https://bisonfund.com/aboutus/

09/18/2020

Thanks to the contributions of generous donors, BISON’s K-8 and High School programs have given families the power to choose the school that best fits their child’s needs, regardless of income or zip code. On Tuesday, October 20, we’ll once again call on the generosity of donors at our first-ever virtual Annual Celebration event. Learn more about BISON’s programs: https://bisonfund.com/our-program/

09/17/2020

After moving her family from Rwanda to the U.S., Cynthia’s mother never stopped instilling in her a passion for learning. With help from the BISON Scholarship Fund, Cynthia and her four siblings attended Our Lady of Black Rock. Cynthia went on to graduate from Hobart and William Smith Colleges with a degree in public policy and biology.

After joining the Peace Corps for two years, Cynthia accepted a position at an international development firm, where she still works today. Learn more about the students BISON has empowered to pursue their dreams: https://bisonfund.com/success-stories/

09/16/2020

We love this creativity! We are proud to partner with 80 schools across WNY dedicated to making this school year great! Thank you!

Miss Webb turned her desks into “Magic School Buses”. These students are ready to go on an educational journey. #tigerstrong #stbenedictamherst #catholicschoolproud

09/13/2020

From this year’s alumni surveys, we learned that 87% of students from BISON’s class of 2020 went on to study at 4-year colleges, and 11% attended 2-year colleges. As if their accomplishments were not reward enough, their success has earned them entry into some of the country’s most prestigious colleges and universities such as University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins University, Bucknell University and many more! It’s outcomes like these that fill us with pride every single day: https://bisonfund.com/outcomes/

09/10/2020

Our hearts are full! We love the excitement of a new school year and this year feels extra special!

We are proud to support 1,900 K-12 BISON Scholars who started school this week. We also want to applaud our 81 partner schools across WNY who worked tirelessly on their reopening plans to ensure that they could welcome students this fall. We wish everyone a happy and healthy year!

09/07/2020

After SaMari lost her father, the BISON Scholarship Fund stepped in to help her mother cover the cost of SaMari’s continued education at St. Joseph’s University School. Persistent in her studies, SaMari went on to Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart, and today, is studying to become an Epidemiologist at Cornell University. Read more success stories like SaMari’s: https://bisonfund.com/success-stories/