OVERVIEW: The Golisano Foundation’s main focus is improving the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, but the foundation also makes grants for health and animal welfare. Western New York and the southwestern region of Florida are geographic priorities.
IP TAKE: According to IP’s coverage of this funder, in 2024 Tom Golisano announced a commitment to distribute $360 million in unrestricted grants to Upstate New York organizations working across the foundation’s focus areas. The Golisano Foundation’s interests and geographic priorities are somewhat narrow, but organizations working with disabled people in the western or northern regions of New York stand an excellent chance here. Submit a letter of inquiry at any time. This is not an accessible funder as full proposals are accepted by invitation and reviewed four times a year. However, if your work closely aligns with this funder and is laser-focused on improving Upstate New York or SW Florida, don’t hesitate to contact them and make an introduction, but make certain that you have data to back up your claims.
PROFILE: The Golisano Foundation was established in Victor, New York in 1985. It is the philanthropic vehicle of Paychex founder Tom Golisano. Golisano also owned Greenlight Networks, an internet provider in the western part of New York, and several upstate New York sports teams. Golisano is married to the tennis player Monica Seles. Born in the Rochester, New York area, Tom Golisano graduated from Alfred State College in 1962 with a degree in general business management. Golisano founded payroll giant Paychex in 1971 with just $3,000 and a credit card. He served as CEO until 2004. Golisano once owned NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, and ran for governor three times in New York.
The Golisano Foundation’s mission is to make “the world a better place for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).” Grantmaking and signature initiatives pursue a commitment to make “transformational investments in organizations working to create inclusive communities where all citizens are valued as productive members of society.” Areas of focus within the field of disabilities include health, mental health, social justice, education, work, housing and support services. The foundation also supports health organizations and hospitals in specific regions of New York and Florida.
In addition to its disabilities work, a component of the Golisano Foundation, Bailey and Friends, supports animal welfare organizations that nurture the “bond that exists between animals and humans in personal, occupational, and therapeutic capacities.”
Grants for Disabilities
Golisano’s grants and initiatives support a range of causes within the disabilities field. The foundation names six main areas of focus for its disabilities grantmaking:
- The foundation makes grants to organizations and agencies that work to protect and expand the rights of disabled people to participate fully in society and “reach their full potential.”
- Grants target collaborative and coalitions that “bring together the expertise and perspectives of various disciplines,” including but not limited to education, vocational training, therapeutic services and health sciences.
- Funding is earmarked for organizations that serve “individuals with IDD who are underserved, isolated and/or have difficulty accessing services and programs.”
- The foundation also supports the expansion of successful programming and community strategies and the sharing of research and best practices with the disabilities field.
- Funding provides support for “programs, capital projects and community planning initiatives” for disability-oriented organizations and agencies.
- Another area of interest concerns initiatives for “[p]erson-directed services and planning” for disabled people and their families.
- The foundation also supports direct services for individuals with IDD including health, mental health, education, vocational services, housing, transportation, assistive technology and more.
IDD grants have supported organizations including the Child Care Council of Rochester, Syracuse University’s Inclusive U program, Guardian Angels for Special Populations and EquiCenter, which runs indoor equine-assisted therapy programs in Honeoye Falls, New York.
In addition to its grantmaking, the foundation runs several signature initiatives in the disabilities field:
- The foundation’s Inclusive Health initiative is the foundation’s $100 million commitment to improve health outcomes for people with IDD around the world. The foundation partners with Special Olympics to expand its global Healthy Communities program and many other “innovative community health centers and educational initiatives.”
- Move to Include is the foundation’s partnership with Rochester’s public media outlet WXXI “to promote inclusion in all facets of life for people with intellectual and physical disabilities.” Since its establishment in 2014, the initiative has produced inclusion-focused programming and events and expanded to several other PBS affiliate stations across the U.S.
- With the Special Olympics, Best Buddies and other advocacy organizations across the U.S., the Golisano Foundation provides backing to Spread the Word: Inclusion, a grassroots movement to end the derogatory use of the word “retarded” and to broadly promote “inclusion for all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”
- The Golisano Institute for Developmental Disability Nursing was established at St. John Fisher University Wegmans School of Nursing in 2018 with funding from Tom Golisano and the Golisano Foundation.. The institute receives ongoing support.
- The Golisano Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Institute at the University of Rochester Medical Center was also established with Golisano funding. This program “brings together a multidisciplinary team dedicated to innovation and bettering the lives of people with an intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) and their families.”
- The foundation also runs two award programs:
- The Move to Include Award recognizes people and organizations who demonstrate bold efforts for inclusion of disabled people and others.
- The Golisano Health Leadership Award is given to individuals or organizations who contribute significantly to “equal access to health, fitness or wellness for people with intellectual disabilities.”
Grants for Public Health and Diseases
The Golisano Foundation does not name public health as a specific area of giving, but tax filings and press releases indicate that healthcare organizations in New York and Florida have received significant support from this foundation. It is worth mentioning that many of these programs overlap with the foundation’s primary funding interest in supporting IDD individuals. Ongoing support goes to named hospitals and clinics including the Golisano Children’s Hospital in Rochester, the Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida, the Golisano Medical Oncology Center at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center, the Golisano Behavioral and Mental Health and Wellness Building in Rochester and the Golisano Center for Community Health in Niagara Falls.
The foundation began by partnering with the Special Olympics. And through the years it has backed community-based innovative centers that promote inclusive health. The foundation made a $5.8 million gift to create the Golisano Institute for Developmental Disability Nursing at St. John Fisher College in Rochester. Tom Golisano also made a $7.5 million gift towards the Golisano Training Center at Nazareth College, a $5 million gift to create the Golisano Pediatric Behavioral Health & Wellness Center, and a $3.5 million gift to create the Golisano Autism Center Rochester, among other efforts.
Grants for Animal Welfare
According to IPs coverage of this funder, Monica Seles has been involved in animal advocacy and brought her interest in animal welfare to the foundation. The foundation’s Bailey and Friends focuses on dogs, cats and nurturing “the bond that exists between animals and humans in personal, occupational, and therapeutic capacities.” Grantmaking mainly stays in the foundation’s target geographical regions in western New York and southwestern Florida. Past grantees include the Gulf Coast Humane Society, the Cape Coral Animal Shelter, Buffalo Pug and Small Dog Breed Rescue and Headed for Furever of Scottsville, New York.
Important Grant Details:
Grants range from $1,500 to $100,000, although organizations, hospitals and institutes bearing the Golisano name may receive larger sums.
- With the exception of named programs and initiatives, the foundation tends to give to small- and medium-sized organizations with strong reputations in target funding regions.
- Information about the foundation’s specific geographic priorities is available here.
- This funder accepts letters of inquiry for its IDD grants from eligible organizations at any time. Letters must be submitted through the foundation’s grant portal. Full proposals are accepted by invitation only.
- Animal welfare grants are awarded in amounts of up to $10,000. Find application guidelines here.
- For information about past grants, see the Golisano Foundation’s grants database.
Submit questions for the Golisano Foundation via its contact page or by telephone at (585) 340-1203.
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