WNY Forward Fund/Strategic Alliances & Nonprofit Resiliency
The WNY Forward Fund supports Western New York nonprofits in researching and planning formal collaborations or restructuring to foster innovation, efficiency, and long-term resilience in the sector.
Funder: Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo
Due Dates (Anticipated): December 2026
Funding Amounts: Grants typically range from $2,500 to $25,000 for exploration of strategic alliances; total fund pool is multi-year and over $2.3 million.
Summary: Supports Western New York nonprofits in exploring formal strategic partnerships, shared services, mergers, and dissolution planning to increase innovation, efficiency, and sector resilience.
Key Information: This is a forecasted opportunity; all deadlines are projected and subject to confirmation.
Description
This grant opportunity, part of the WNY Forward Fund, aims to strengthen the Western New York nonprofit sector by supporting organizations as they explore strategic alliances, shared services, mergers, resource partnerships, and dissolution planning. The initiative is a collaboration among 14 regional funders, responding to major shifts in federal funding and priorities that have created financial strain and uncertainty for nonprofits since 2025. The fund encourages the creation of innovative, formal collaborations to improve operational efficiency, adapt to changing environments, and build long-term resilience in the nonprofit community.
Priority is given to projects that lead to structural change, such as formal partnerships, administrative consolidation, mergers, and resource sharing, as well as planning for organizational dissolution when appropriate. The fund is not intended to replace lost federal dollars, but rather to spark innovation and adaptive strategies for sustainable service delivery.
