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2008 Grant Awards
ACHIEVE:
$250,000 grant
Each year, ACHIEVE provides residential, day, family support, and
employment opportunities to more than 1,200 individuals with
developmental disabilities. So much has demand for its services grown,
the organization’s Cutler Pond Road site in Binghamton is no longer big
enough to meet all the needs of consumers and staff. The cramped
quarters impose limits on programs and also pose potential safety
hazards. Aided by a $250,000 capital grant from the Hoyt Foundation,
ACHIEVE will renovate and expand the Cutler Pond Road site, relieving
the crowding and making room to expand its programs.
Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park:
$20,000 grant
At more than 25 years old, the Lemur Exhibit at the Binghamton Zoo at
Ross Park no longer meets the standards of the Association of Zoos and
Aquariums. By renovating and enhancing this exhibit, providing a
healthier, more stimulating environment for these primates, the Zoo will
bring the facility up to AZA standards. An updated exhibit also will
make the lemurs available for viewing year-round, helping the Zoo toward
its goal of extending seasonal hours and increasing attendance. A
special project grant of $20,000 from the Hoyt Foundation is helping the
Zoo to achieve these goals.
Broome Community College Foundation:
$35,000 grant
Approximately 85 percent of students who attend Broome Community
College (BCC) require financial aid. After the college’s financial aid
office has distributed available federal and state funds, many students
remain with unmet needs. BCC Foundation’s Grants-in-Aid Program helps to
make sure they can continue their education. The Foundation’s Hoyt
Teaching Grants, part of the Faculty Professional Development Program,
help faculty to develop and implement projects that lead to greater
student success. In 2008, the Hoyt Foundation provided $25,000 to the
Grants-in-Aid Program and $10,000 for Faculty Development Grants.
Broome County Arts Council:
$107,000 grant
Through its United Cultural Fund, the Broome County Arts Council
helps to keep the cultural life of our community vibrant and strong. The
fund gives crucial support to seven large, not-for-profit arts and
cultural organizations; it also makes small project grants to community
groups and individual artists. With a $107,000 grant to the 2009 United
Cultural Fund Campaign, the Hoyt Foundation helps to ensure that the
people of Broome County will continue to enjoy a broad variety of
cultural opportunities.
The Broome Review:
$4,794 grant
The Broome Review, a new national literary magazine, seeks to
draw further attention to Broome County’s arts community by publishing
the work of writers and artists from across the U.S. and around the
world. The volunteer staff also offers local creative writing workshops.
Staff members are working hard to establish a reputation that will win
the Review wider recognition and make it eligible for funds from the New
York State Council on the Arts. A $4,794 grant from the Hoyt Foundation,
supporting a second issue plus workshops and programs, takes the
magazine closer to that goal.
CCSNYS:
$13,000 grant
Nonprofits Boost Their Business
Skills
At nonprofit organizations, often the staff and board are so busy
serving their constituents, they don’t have time to sit back and take
stock. So there’s rarely a chance to ask how well they’re performing as
a business and how they could do better. When nonprofits invest in their
business operations, though, in the long run they’re able to provide
better service.
The Council of Community Services of New York State (CCSNYS) offers
guidance to nonprofits of all sizes, helping them to achieve more with
limited resources. In 2008, with support from the Hoyt Foundation,
CCSNYS launched the Southern Tier Capacity Building Program, an effort
to encourage nonprofits in the region to improve their business
operations. A $13,000 Hoyt Foundation grant will help CCSNYS continue
that program in 2009.
“Capacity building” means implementing better financial procedures,
creating a more effective board of directors, deploying new software to
streamline the operation or otherwise putting the organization on a more
solid business footing. “If they can strengthen those pieces, that puts
them in a position to provide more programs and improve their services,”
said Andrew Marietta, Central New York Regional Manager at CCSNYS.
This year, the Southern Tier Capacity Building Program will offer two
seminars. After each session, participants may apply for mini-grants to
fund capacity building projects.
One seminar will focus on strategic planning. “Although many
organizations develop strategic plans, they don’t all use them to govern
their day-to-day operations,” Marietta said. “The seminar will define
strategic planning, explain how it works, and outline best practices.”
The second seminar will focus on succession planning, a critical
topic as many executive directors and board members reach retirement
age. With fewer young people stepping up to fill the gap, nonprofits
working to recruit new leaders face a serious challenge. “There’s a lot
of work that needs to be done in terms of making that transition, and
making it a successful transition,” Marietta said.
Organizations that receive mini-grants may use them to hire
consultants or make other investments to improve their operations. Such
investments are more important than ever in an era of severe budget
cuts. To continue to carry out their missions, nonprofits must grow
leaner and stronger.
“To have to do that on your own, without any kind of expert to turn
to, will be difficult,” Marietta said. “A thousand dollars can go a long
way toward securing help.”
College of Community and Public Affairs, Binghamton University:
$1,250 grant
A nonprofit organization that has been serving the community for
years faces different challenges than does a recent startup. To help
local organizations at all stages of growth succeed in their missions,
last September the Center for Applied Community Research at Binghamton
University’s College of Community and Public Affairs hosted the forum,
“Organizational Lifecyles and Nonprofit Strategy.” A $1,250 grant from
the Hoyt Foundation supported a keynote address by Susan Chambre, a
researcher from Baruch College in New York, who outlined strategies for
addressing the challenges at each stage in an organization’s lifecycle.
Endicott Performing Arts Center:
$4,890 grant
In 2007, the Endicott Performing Arts Center (EPAC) drew more than
20,000 people to downtown Endicott for plays, concerts, youth theater
workshops, and dance and music lessons. Last year, one of the boilers
that heats the EPAC building—the historic Towne Theater on Washington
Avenue—broke, due to an inadequate water circulation system. Thanks to a
$4,890 grant from the Hoyt Foundation, EPAC was able to hire a
contractor to fix the boiler and install proper pumps and flow meters.
Now, performers, students, audiences, and volunteers at EPAC will stay
warm during the cold half of the year.
Family Enrichment Network
$18,594 grant
More than 400 children attending programs sponsored by the Family
Enrichment Network (FEN) receive nutritious meals and snacks at the
organization’s facility in Johnson City. Ninety percent of these
children live at or below the poverty level. Until recently, FEN was
using a 20-year old machine to wash dishes and utensils used to prepare
and serve food. That unit broke down often, costing FEN money to repair
and requiring extra work to comply with Health Department regulations. A
Hoyt Foundation grant of $18,594 recently purchased FEN a new,
industrial-quality dishwasher.
Good Shepherd Fairview:
$200,000 grant
In 2006, Good Shepherd Fairview Home, Inc. received a grant from New
York State for half the cost of converting part of its nursing home in
Binghamton into an assisted living center. Demand for assisted living
programs is growing, and this kind of care costs less to deliver than
nursing care. A $200,000 grant from the Hoyt Foundation helped Good
Shepherd Fairview meet its obligation to match the state grant. Thanks
to the conversion, the State and Broome County could save as much as
$438,000 per year in Medicaid costs, and residents will have greater
choice in the level of care they receive.
Handicapped Children’s Association:
$35,900 grant
About 140 children, ages 18 months through five years old, attend
educational and therapeutic programs each week at the Handicapped
Children’s Association (HCA) in Johnson City. Until recently, many of
these children faced problems on the HCA’s playground. The uneven
surfacing posed a hazard; much of the equipment wasn’t wheelchair
accessible; there was no interesting equipment for four and five year
olds in the regular education programs; and there was no shade. With
help from a $35,900 Hoyt Foundation grant, HCA has installed a new, safe
playground that gives all the children a chance to move, explore, and
play together.
Lourdes Hospital Foundation:
$250,000 grant
To remain on the cutting edge of health care delivery and help in its
efforts to attract new physicians, Lourdes Hospital in Binghamton has
developed a plan for renovation, expansion, and new construction. The
Hoyt Foundation has provided $250,000 toward this initiative. The work
will give Lourdes a new Ambulatory Care Center with a parking garage; a
new main entrance, lobby, and admitting area; and a new flood wall to
protect it from future damage. The hospital also will renovate and
expand its Emergency, Diagnostic Imaging and Surgery Departments.
Rural Health Network of South Central New York:
$5,000 grant
Many consumers are coming to understand that eating locally-produced
foods can benefit their health and strengthen their communities. But the
people who purchase and prepare food for schools, hospitals, and other
organizations don’t always understand the benefits or know where to
obtain locally-produced foods. With a $5,000 grant from the Hoyt
Foundation, last year the Rural Health Network of South Central New York
sponsored “The Growing Health Forum,” an educational event where
personnel from local agencies got a chance to learn about the local
foods movement from some of the leading practitioners in our region.
Sky Lake Camp and Retreat Center:
$5,000 grant
The United Methodist Church’s Sky Lake Camp and Retreat Center in
Windsor hosts numerous summer camp programs, including camps for
developmentally disabled children and adults. Local school districts,
scout troops, and other nonprofit organizations also use the camp
throughout the year for meetings. Managers had been worried about the
20-year old pumps that drove the camp’s septic system. Using a $5,000
grant from the Hoyt Foundation, Sky Lake installed a new primary pump
and a control panel, helping to protect water quality in the lake and
make sure that programs at the camp can continue uninterrupted.
Tri-Cities Opera:
$17,470 grant
New Software is Just the Ticket for
Tri-Cities Opera
Binghamton’s renowned Tri-Cities Opera (TCO) has gained a more
efficient, cost-effective, and adaptable box office operation, thanks to
a $17,470 grant from the Hoyt Foundation. TCO used the grant to replace
an obsolete ticketing system with a state-of-the-art solution.
TCO purchased its last ticketing system in 1996. The company that
supported the software subsequently went out of business, leaving the
opera company with no place to turn if something should go wrong with
the technology. Also, as time passed, TCO’s leadership discovered that
the system couldn’t perform all the functions that a modern box office
operation requires. Software on the market today offers many more
features than users had available in the mid-1990s.
Thanks to the Hoyt grant, TCO has installed a new system that will
ease the work and cut the cost of managing the box office. For example,
the new system: supports online credit card purchases; quickly verifies
credit card transactions over a high-speed network; allows three staff
members to enter ticket orders at the same time at different
workstations; provides a way to block off areas of seats for groups,
students, or special guests; and automatically prints the name and
address when mailing tickets to customers.
An added advantage is that the Binghamton Philharmonic employs the
same ticketing system. Now, if either organization needs extra help
during a critical time, it can borrow trained personnel from the other.
The staff and Board of the TCO expect the new system to give them
greater flexibility in ticketing schemes. With its database and date
tracking capabilities, the system also will help them keep better
records on ticket sales, donations, and volunteer hours. All these new
capabilities will help to improve the TCO’s development, fund raising,
and marketing and, of course, will provide better service to opera
lovers in the community.
Waterman Conservation Center:
$20,380 grant
Conservation Center Gets a Bright
Idea
A conservation education center needs to set a good example. What
better way to “walk the walk” than by using a renewable energy source to
power your own building? That’s what leaders at the Waterman
Conservation Center were thinking last year when they installed a solar
electric system at their property on Hilton Road in Apalachin.
“We needed to show that there are systems available off the shelf
that not only are good for us financially but are good for the country
and for the world,” said Scott MacDonald, the Center’s Executive
Director.
With help from a $20,380 Hoyt Foundation grant, Waterman installed a
48-panel solar array on the roof of its education building. It also
installed equipment to convert the sun’s energy into alternating current
and distribute that power throughout the facility. Electricity derived
from this system will replace 90 percent or more of the power that
Waterman formerly purchased from New York State Electric and Gas.
“Converting to solar brings two major benefits,” MacDonald said. “For
one, the move will save the Waterman Center $4,000 to $5,000 a year.
Second, it is lowering our carbon footprint, which affects everybody
else on the planet.”
The new system also provides a valuable teaching tool. Waterman now
can offer programs on solar energy to schools and community groups, with
a model to demonstrate the Center’s system in action. “We’ll say, look,
this is what’s available, this is how it works, this is why it’s a good
thing to have,” MacDonald said. The Center also will offer tours, so
visitors can see the equipment for themselves.
The solar electric system is the first of several technologies
Waterman plans to implement over the next few years to reduce its impact
on the planet. The Center is installing carbon fluorescent light bulbs,
making plans to replace its windows with units that have better
insulating properties, and looking into deploying a geothermal heat
pump.
Taken together, these improvements will allow the Waterman Center to
teach the principles of environmental sustainability by example. “As an
education facility,” MacDonald said, “that’s part of our mission.”
Windsor Pool Association:
$100,000 grant
Since 1962, the Windsor Village Pool in Klumpp Park has been a
popular gathering spot for Windsor residents and their guests. By 2008,
though, the pool had endured so much wear and tear that the Village
Trustees were forced to close it. They simply could not afford to make
the repairs required to meet the standards of the Broome County Health
Department. The Windsor Pool Association is making plans to replace the
Village Pool. A $100,000 grant from the Hoyt Foundation will fund a
portion of that work and also will provide a match to attract additional
funds from other sources.
YMCA:
$98,159 grant
YMCA Combats Childhood Obesity with
Fun
Overweight and obesity have reached crisis levels in the U.S.,
touching 60 million adults and 9 million children. Researchers link
excess weight to a host of health problems such as diabetes,
hypertension, heart disease, arthritis, stroke, and cancer.
Broome County’s children have not escaped this danger. For instance,
a study of 85 third grade students in the Binghamton City School
District found that 32 percent were at risk due to excess weight. By the
time that same group reached fourth grade, 42 percent had reached
weights that put them at risk.
Keeping with its mission to promote good health, in 2008 the Broome
County YMCA unveiled a new weapon against childhood obesity, the Youth
Wellness Center. A fun environment designed for kids 7 to 13 years old,
the Center allows young visitors to the Y’s Binghamton branch to get a
complete cardiovascular workout while their parents use the conventional
exercise room.
A $98,159 special project and capital/equipment grant from the Hoyt
Foundation provided most of the funding needed to create the Wellness
Center.
Along with the resistance and cardiovascular machines found in any
gym, the Youth Wellness Center features equipment designed to appeal to
youngsters—stationary bikes attached to video consoles with racing
games, Dance Dance Revolution units, and Nintendo Wii machines.
“While games of this sort are an obvious draw, kids also have shown
themselves eager to try the conventional workout equipment,” said Martin
Dyson, Fitness Director at the Y. “For the most part, everybody has been
using everything.”
The new Center is open to children whose families belong to the Y, to
their guests, and to anyone who purchases a day pass. “Inability to pay
is no bar,” Dyson said. “If somebody comes and wants to be a part of it
but can’t afford it, we do have financial assistance.”
Parents are welcome to use the facility along with their children. To
complement the exercise program, the Center offers a wellness library,
and at least four times a year it will sponsor nutrition education
seminars for parents. Along with talks by a variety of speakers, these
sessions will feature prize giveaways. “We’re going to use those as
incentives to complete the seminars,” Dyson said.
For the kids in the Youth Wellness Center, though, physical play
seems to be its own reward. “It’s a very fun environment,” Dyson said.
“Half the time they don’t actually realize they are exercising. They are
having a good time.”
Your Home Public Library:
$4,858 grant
At Your Home Public Library in Johnson City space is at a premium.
Thanks to a $4,858 grant from the Hoyt Foundation, the library is making
better use of the available room, having created a comfortable, friendly
work area equipped with a wireless Internet connection. The grant paid
for wireless equipment and an electrical upgrade, plus a small sofa, an
end table, a work table, and several chairs. The cozy area gives the
community a new venue in which to enjoy free wireless Internet access
and, through the library’s subscription, a broad suite of online
publications.
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