In February 2001, Tom Golisano made a $14 million gift to Rochester Institute of Technology, enabling that university to launch a new college that incorporates computing and the Internet with information sciences. This was the first-of-its-kind college created in the United States. Computing has been an integral part of RIT's curriculum since 1972 with the launch of one of the first undergraduate computer science programs in the country. The new college, which joins RIT's other seven colleges, will launch with bachelor's and master's degree programs in computer science, software engineering and information technology. The B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences, named for its founding donor, officially opened in May 2003. It offers students opportunities to earn Bachelor's and Master's degrees. Mr. Golisano honorary chaired RIT's capital campaign, "Powered by the Future." He is also a trustee of RIT. The gift was the largest gift in RIT history from an individual and believed to be the largest given at the time to any university or college in the Rochester area. Golisano said, "I believe what RIT is doing by establishing this college is not only good for RIT, but it will be great for the entire Rochester community and upstate New York because it makes RIT and Rochester a national focal point in this type of education." Announcement Press Release
In September 2007, Mr. Golisano donated $10 million to Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) to create the Golisano Institute for Sustainability. The Institute, one of the first of its kind in the nation, focuses on research and education in sustainable design, pollution prevention, re-manufacturing and alternative energy development. It offers the premiere platform for universities, corporations and governments around the globe to collaborate in the creation of innovative education and technology development systems related to sustainable design, life-cycle engineering, remanufacturing and pollution prevention. RIT also expects to become the first technological university to provide a full spectrum of career-focused, integrated and interdisciplinary programs that embody the principles of sustainability in product development. Golisano said, “It is imperative that we accelerate strategies to promote a sustainable society and ensure future generations the opportunity to address their own needs. For that reason, it is my desire for The Golisano Institute for Sustainability to produce the first generation of professionals with the vision and know-how to deliver on the promise of sustainability, and I am very proud to be associated with this exciting endeavor.” Announcement Press Release
In October 2008, Mr. Golisano committed $10 million to Niagara University to support construction of a new science building, the B. Thomas Golisano Center for Integrated Sciences, to radically alter the teaching and research environment at the university. It is the largest gift the institution has received in its 152-year history. This marks the first major gift Mr. Golisano has made in Western New York outside of the Rochester region.
On October 9, 2013 Niagara University formally dedicated the state-of-the-art, $33 million B. Thomas Golisano Center for Integrated Sciences facility, which opened to Niagara University faculty and students at the beginning of the fall 2013 semester and changes the scientific research and teaching that happens on the campus.
In July of 2004, he made a $5 million gift to Hartwick College of Oneonta, NY, which will be used to build a new academic building for the social science and management programs.
RBJ | Oneonta Daily Star
| Philanthropy News Digest
B. Thomas Golisano Academic Complex
October 2003, Mr. Golisano donated $5 million to Nazareth College, a private college in Rochester, NY. The gift was the largest gift to the college by living donor and was used to help create the B. Thomas Golisano Academic Complex.
Golisano Training Center
On September 21, 2016 Tom Golisano committed $7.5 million to Nazareth College for the new Golisano Training Center to create a model of inclusion, fitness & wellness. Groundbreaking for the Golisano Training Center took place June 14, 2018 including Tom Golisano; Golisano Foundation trustees and Director Ann Costello; Stacey Hengsterman, President & CEO of Special Olympics New York (SONY); local Special Olympians; and International Special Olympics Chairman Dr. Timothy Shriver. On October 21, 2019 the grand opening was celebrated. The Center provides an indoor track, field, courts, and training facilities. The center is the first of its kind collaboration of inclusion, fitness, and wellness for athletes of all abilities. Nazareth is poised and ready to be a national model of “Wellness for All” as the only college or university that has ever developed an inclusive training center that levels the playing field for athletes of all abilities and ages.
On October 30, 2018, St. John Fisher College, Tom Golisano and the Golisano Foundation announced the creation of the Golisano Institute for Developmental Disability Nursing thanks to a $5.8 million gift, $5 million from Tom Golisano and $800,000 from the Golisano Foundation. The Institute will be fully integrated into Fisher’s Wegmans School of Nursing and is designed to transform the health care and support of individuals with developmental disabilities. It will be the first institute of its kind in the country, and will have local, national, and international impact.
On January 23, 2023 the Golisano Community Engagement Center officially opened with a ribbon cuting ceremony. The new $13.9 million Center serves as a hub for connection, community interaction and student life resources on campus. The modern 26,167-square-foot, two-story center reflects Roberts Wesleyan’s deeply rooted spiritual and community ties, serving as the first building on campus to provide centralized space for both students and the community to gather and interact. Upon entering through the Parris Family Welcome Center, which includes a visual timeline of the institution’s storied 157-year history, the first floor encompasses 3,000 square feet of event space available for campus functions and rental opportunities. Read more
On May 18, 2021, a Virtual Groundbreaking was held ground on the new Golisano Community Engagement Center. The center will be housed on the north side of the Roberts campus. Construction kicked off following the groundbreaking and is expected to take 14 months. The official grand opening for the Golisano Community Engagement Center is anticipated to happen in summer 2022 for the start of the 2022-23 academic year. See story, photos and take virtual tour
On August 29, 2019 Tom Golisano announced that he was making a gift of $7.5 million to the college to build the innovative new Community Engagement Center. The 25,000-square-foot two-story, center will serve as a hub for connection, community interaction and student life resources, as well as a workplace for Roberts’ growing custom training and education programs. Read more
In October 2001, Mr. Golisano made a $5 million contribution to Roberts Wesleyan College, the largest gift in the history of the small liberal arts college, located in Rochester, NY. The college used the funds to construct the B. Thomas Golisano Library and Information Resource Center.
Mr. Golisano made his first gift to an organization outside New York State in November 2009. His gift of $4 million to Ave Maria University in Ave Maria, Florida, funded the construction of the University's first indoor athletic facility, the Tom Golisano Field House.
In March 2006, he made an unprecedented $6 million gift to Our Lady of Mercy High School and Bishop Kearney High School. The gift represented the largest donation ever received from an individual or family by either private school located in Rochester.
