2017 Grant Awards

A Message from the Executive Director

There is a time for some things,
And a time for all things;
A time for great things,
And a time for small things.
-- Don Quixote

As Executive Director of the Stewart W. and Willma C. Hoyt Foundation, I am honored to play an integral role in Hoyt's stewardship. I believe that the Hoyt Foundation's responsible management and thoughtful grant making practices are intimately linked to the preservation and successful revitalization of Broome County.

Throughout its funding history, Hoyt's grants have had an exponential impact on the City of Binghamton and Broome County and they continue to do so today. In most instances, where Hoyt provides support, change occurs. In each of the fields where it concentrates—arts, humanities, education, health, and human services—Hoyt can point to myriad examples of success and transformation. The Foundation has funded large and small organizations—neighborhood-based and countywide, urban and rural—and all these grants have made a difference. The programs described in this report illustrate the kind of growth and achievement that Hoyt funding stimulates. I am privileged to be a part of these efforts.

In 2017, the Hoyt Foundation awarded approximately $570,000 in grants to nonprofit organizations. As changes and challenges inevitably arise, the Hoyt Foundation will continue to address critical needs and support community enrichment. Often, a project needs only a few thousand well-placed dollars to succeed. In other cases, an organization may require significant donations from many sources to launch a new program or construct a building. The Hoyt Foundation provides grants to organizations that show potential for making a real difference in the community.

As the following pages illustrate, Hoyt's grants, large and small, continue to sustain Willma Hoyt's vision. Guided by our mission, the Hoyt Foundation is committed to "use its resources to enhance the quality of life of the people of Broome County..." The grants the Foundation made to the community in 2017 represent a significant contribution toward that end. This report highlights those grants and demonstrates that our mission statement guides our grant making decisions.

I am grateful to our highly committed Hoyt staff. I salute the community organizations that labor tirelessly to help make our community a better place. Most importantly, I appreciate the support of the Hoyt Foundation Board of Directors, who give so freely of their time and thoughtful deliberation. I look forward to continuing my work as part of the Stewart W. and Willma C. Hoyt Foundation's grant making history, and in turn, the continuing revitalization of this community.

Catherine A. Schwoeffermann, Executive Director
 

BROOME COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOUNDATION
$25,000

The Broome Community College Foundation's grants-in-aid provide financial assistance to students in need at SUNY Broome. The goal is to help these students complete their educations at the college while obtaining the best possible experience there. Currently, 75 percent of students at SUNY Broome receive grants-in-aid or scholarships. In 2017, the Hoyt Foundation awarded the BCC Foundation $25,000, allowing it to make awards of $1,000 each to 25 students. To be eligible for this award, the student must live in Broome County and maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or higher.

BROOME COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL
$100,000

Through its United Cultural Fund (UCF), the Broome County Arts Council (BCAC) provides essential operating support to established nonprofit arts organizations in Broome County. The UCF also supports specific projects run by community organizations and artists. Local government, foundations, businesses and individual donors all contribute to the UCF. In 2018, BCAC seeks to raise $282,283 through the UCF campaign. BCAC also plans to explore new fundraising strategies for the UCF, such as reaching out to specific community organizations for support, and implementing an active marketing plan. The Hoyt Foundation has awarded BCAC a $100,000 program/capacity building grant toward the 2018 UCF campaign.

CORNELL COOPERATIVE EXTENSION BROOME COUNTY
$125,000

In 2015, Cornell Cooperative Extension Broome County (CCE-BC) launched a project to renovate the original farm house on its property, Cutler House, and create a Taste NY Market and Agriculture Education Center there. The market provides a retail outlet for New York State agricultural products. The education center will house programs to help local farmers and producers bring their products to market. CCE-BC is developing these facilities as part of a larger program to create a Food Innovation Cluster and a small scale Food Hub for the Southern Tier. The hub also includes CCE-BC's offices, a Regional Farmers' Market, a commercial production kitchen and a conference center. A $125,000 capital grant from Hoyt will help complete the renovation of Cutler House.

MERCY HOUSE OF THE SOUTHERN TIER
$6,246

Mercy House opened in Endicott in 2016 to provide a safe, home-like residence where people with terminal illnesses can spend their last days under Hospice care, attended by family and friends. Providing a private bedroom, baths and meals, plus physical, emotional and social support, Mercy House offers an alternative to costly end-of-life care in a hospital or nursing home. In 2017, the Hoyt Foundation awarded Mercy House $6,246 to replace the hospital beds in residents' rooms. The new beds will allow aides to reposition residents to help reduce bedsores. The grant also supports the purchase of two bariatric beds, to ensure the comfort of larger residents.

NEW YORK COUNCIL OF NONPROFITS
$10,000

Each year, the Hoyt Foundation collaborates with four other local foundations, plus United Way of Broome County and the New York State Council of Nonprofits (NYCON), to conduct the Southern Tier Capacity Building Program. Organized and run by NYCON, the Capacity Building Program helps nonprofit organizations in Broome County strengthen their management and governance, putting them in a better position to fulfill their missions. The program includes: a series of capacity-building workshops, a mini-grant program to help organizations with specific concerns; and a "building your organizational road map"� program, to help nonprofits identify and address basic challenges. The Hoyt Foundation has given NYCON $10,000 to support the Capacity Building Program in 2018.

NEW YORK COUNCIL OF NONPROFITS
$10,000

In 2017, the board and staff of the Cider Mill Playhouse, after thoughtful deliberation, concluded that the organization would have to cease operations and dissolve. To help with this complex and delicate process, the organization's board contacted the Legal Services Group of the New York Council of Nonprofits (NYCON). This group connects nonprofits with attorneys who specialize in nonprofit law. NYCON will work closely with the Cider Mill Playhouse to develop a dissolution plan that outlines how the organization will address its liabilities and distribute any remaining assets. It will then help the Cider Mill Playhouse prepare a dissolution application, submit it to the New York State Attorney General (AG) for approval, and conduct any necessary follow-up before the AG's office confirms the dissolution. The Hoyt Foundation is supporting this process with a $10,000 grant to NYCON.

OUTREACH MINITRIES OF THE SOUTHERN TIER
$5,000

Inspired by Pope Francis, who built a place in the Vatican's St. Peter's square where the homeless could get a shower and a haircut, in 2017 members of several Broome County churches launched an initiative called Showers of Hope. Working through the nondenominational Outreach Ministries of the Southern Tier, volunteers made plans to buy a vehicle that would house a shower and a washer-dryer unit, which they can drive to various locations where homeless people need services. They also plan to use the mobile units to offer food and personal care items. Hoyt has granted the project $5,000 to help buy and modify the shower trailer, install the washer-dryer and purchase related supplies.

ROBERSON MUSEUM AND SCIENCE CENTER
$5,000

A $5,000 grant from Hoyt to the Roberson Museum and Science Center allowed the museum to host Russian artist Svetlana Gorbachova in the fall of 2017. A painter, sculptor, weaver and quilter from Borovichi, Binghamton's sister city, Gorbachova served as artist-in-residence for Roberson's NatureTrek exhibit, which highlighted local wildlife habitats. Gorbachova's art is infused with her love of nature, making her work a perfect complement for that exhibit. During her stay, Gorbachova provided art programs to children and adults, shared her own work-in-progress with museum visitors and spent time with local artists.

SAMARITAN COUNSELING CENTER OF THE SOUTHERN TIER
$120,000

From its offices in Endicott, Owego and Windsor, Samaritan Counseling Center (SCC) provides counseling to individuals, couples and families from throughout the Southern Tier. In 2016, it conducted more than 6,000 counseling sessions. Facing growing demand for its services, SCC decided to purchase the property next door to its main office in Endicott, demolish the buildings and use the space to create much-needed additional parking. The Hoyt Foundation provided $120,000 towards this project, which will produce 55 percent more parking capacity for clients, staff, volunteers and board members.

TRI-CITIES OPERA COMPANY, INC.
$70,000

A longstanding cultural treasure in Broome County, Tri-Cities Opera (TCO) operates from a building that is a treasure in its own right, the 100-year old Lithuanian National Hall on Binghamton's Clinton Street. TCO has been working for several years to rehabilitate this building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In the latest phase of the renovation, TCO will repair the masonry of the building's façade, stabilizing and securing it to the main building and replacing or repointing loose bricks. This work will help restore the building to its original beauty and also improve safety for employees and opera patrons. Hoyt is supporting this latest renovation with a $70,000 capital grant.

VESTAL HISTORICAL SOCIETY/VESTAL MUSEUM
$70,000

Located in front of the Vestal Public Library, the Vestal Museum offers exhibitions and programs on local history, including a semi-permanent exhibition on Native American culture and archaeology. It also offers a live music series and other programs. The building which houses the museum was originally a train station, and now the Vestal Museum and Vestal Historical Society plan to move that building back to its original location, on what is now the Vestal Rail Trail. They hope this move will help them to accomplish several goals: draw more visitors; provide opportunities to receive National Historic Status and the chance to compete for state and national grants; join the Vestal Coal House as part of the rail trail historic hub; and avoid disruptions that will occur when the Town of Vestal turns the current location into an emergency vehicle site. To help with the planned move, the Hoyt Foundation has provided a $70,000 capital/capacity building grant.

WILLOW'S WINGS ANIMAL SANCTUARY
$38,122

Willow's Wings Animal Sanctuary cares for animals that need special attention because of disability, health issues or advanced age. The Sanctuary is located on 17.5 acres and houses dogs, cats, birds, tortoises, horses, pigs, goats, donkeys, ducks, geese and chickens. While efforts are made to find adoptive homes for the animals, many of them end up spending the rest of their lives at the sanctuary. Willow's Wings operates on a modest budget that depends entirely on public support. Thanks to a $38,122 grant from the Hoyt Foundation, the sanctuary is installing a set of solar panels that will meet 100 percent of the organization's power needs. This will allow Willow's Wings to devote more of its budget to the care of the animals.

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