Better Communities for All Since 1944
Our Rochester Area Foundation
Rochester Area Foundation is a place where generous people from diverse backgrounds come together to make our communities better places.
As the Rochester area’s philanthropic leader, we award grants each year that are made possible by financial gifts from donors—people who care about the greater Rochester community and want to see it thrive. Our endowment relies on donor gifts and market growth for its success.
We lead by bringing people together to solve complicated community problems, realizing that for some issues there are no immediate solutions or simple answers.
Recent News
RAF Awards $146,000 in Fall Better Communities Grants
Rochester Area Foundation awarded $146,000 in grants to 18 community nonprofits in the 2019 fall cycle of Better Communities Grants. Each year, Rochester Area Foundation awards grants in two competitive cycles, which are supported by the Better Communities Fund and...
Overwhelmed by your charitable giving options? We’re here to help.
Rochester Area Foundation offers local solutions to simplify your year-end giving dilemmas. Looking to receive maximum tax benefits for your charitable contributions? Consider combining several years’ worth of planned giving into a single tax year by opening a Donor...
Fall Grant Showcase Recognizes 18 Nonprofit Finalists
Rochester Area Foundation recently hosted our Fall Better Communities Grants Showcase. The Grants Showcase celebrates philanthropy in action by giving donors and community members a chance to connect with the nonprofits selected as grant finalists by the RAF Grants...
October Community Choice Grants – Voting is Open!
To celebrate 75 years of Rochester Area Foundation’s impact on our communities, we are giving special grants all year long! We’re highlighting a different aspect of “better communities” each month – and October’s theme is CREATIVE. The following nonprofits have been...
In the News: A Win for Affordable Housing
(ABC 6 News) -- Affordable housing is an ongoing issue in our community and communities across the country. “It’s very difficult to buy a house in this county if you make less than $75,000 a year because there just isn’t a lot of inventory,” said Steve Borchardt,...
It’s Time to Vote for our September Community Choice Grants
To celebrate 75 years of Rochester Area Foundation’s impact on our communities, we are giving special grants all year long! We’re highlighting a different aspect of “better communities” each month – and September’s theme is LEARNING. The following nonprofits have been...
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