~Historic $25 Million Gift Will Transform Education for Mary Cariola Students with Intellectual Developmental Disabilities~
ROCHESTER, NEW YORK — NOVEMBER 21, 2025— Philanthropist and Paychex Founder B. Thomas Golisano has announced a transformational $25 million gift to the Mary Cariola Foundation, reinforcing his ongoing legacy of elevating opportunities and quality of life for children, youth, and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This historic investment will allow Mary Cariola Center to significantly expand and modernize the services it provides to students, families, and staff across the region.
This gift accelerates Mary Cariola Center’s vision to own and build a unified, state-of-the-art school campus, replacing current facilities with a customized facility meeting the complex needs of its students. The new space will allow for enhanced therapies, advanced technology, sensory-supportive environments, clinical and medical services, social work support, and flexible classrooms designed for students with a wide range of abilities and medical profiles.
“This is not just an investment in property or a building,” said Golisano. “It’s an investment in people and the belief that every child has potential and deserves the opportunity to succeed.”
“Tom’s extraordinary generosity comes at a pivotal moment for Mary Cariola,” said Erica Dayton, Director of the Golisano Foundation. “The students served by this agency have some of the most complex needs in our region. Every child deserves access to the best possible care and education, which will be accomplished through this investment.”
Mary Cariola Center President and CEO Karen Zandi emphasized the profound impact this investment will have for generations to come. “This gift is life-changing,” said Karen Zandi, President and CEO of the Mary Cariola Center. “It ensures that our students, current and future, will have a school where the quality of the facilities matches the quality of the programs; where their potential is celebrated, and their futures are bright. It is a wonderful progression of our agency’s mission.”
For Cariola families, this gift means more than bricks and mortar—it means peace of mind, knowing their children will receive the education and support they deserve and have expected of Mary Cariola Center for over 75 years. For the Cariola community, it represents a powerful statement that every child matters and has potential.
Why This Investment Matters: The Critical Role of Mary Cariola Center
Mary Cariola Center is one of the region’s most essential — yet often least visible — service providers for children with severe, multiple, and complex disabilities. The Center serves students whose needs often exceed the capabilities of their home school districts due to:
- Significant intellectual and developmental disabilities
- Complex medical challenges requiring daily on-site nursing support
- Communication and mobility challenges requiring adaptive technologies
- Behavioral, sensory, or neurological needs that demand specialized environments
Programs at Mary Cariola integrate education, medical care, therapies, behavioral support, social work services, family resources, nutrition support, and specialized assistive technology, all within a coordinated framework. This comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach allows children not only to attend school, but to thrive, communicate, learn, and build independence in ways families are often told may never be possible.
Many of the Center’s current buildings, however, were not designed for these highly specialized demands. A modern, purpose-built campus will allow:
- Larger, safer classrooms tailored to mobility, sensory, and behavioral needs
- More therapy rooms and accessible equipment
- Clinical spaces that reflect current medical and therapeutic standards
- Improved opportunities for inclusion, recreation, and adaptive physical education
- Technology access that supports communication devices and specialized learning tools
Tom Golisano’s gift positions the agency to fundamentally reimagine the learning environment for students who have historically faced significant barriers to receiving appropriate education.
For families, this investment represents more than improved facilities — it symbolizes hope, stability, and a promise that their children will receive the exceptional support they deserve.
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About Mary Cariola Center & School
Mary Cariola Center was founded in 1949, and for 76 years, the independent, non-profit agency has served students and residents with intellectual developmental disabilities and complex medical challenges and their families.
The Cariola school is currently located on three separate campuses, educating and caring for nearly 450 students from 58 different school districts and 11 counties. Mary Cariola Center is one of the top 50 employers in Rochester with nearly 750 staffers.
The school provides multiple services in addition to education. Therapies include physical, occupational, speech, music, nutrition, vision and more. Additionally, each school has a medical suite where nurses work to care for students, and each Cariola family is assigned a social worker to assist them in finding the other services and organizations that they require.
Mary Cariola Center also operates six residential group homes in the Rochester area, where 44 individuals call Cariola home and have the opportunity to participate in all that our community has to offer.
About Mary Cariola Foundation
Mary Cariola Foundation was established in 2021 for the sole purpose of raising and managing funds for the long-term sustainability of Mary Cariola Center and in support of the Center’s mission to serve as the regional leader in personalized, interdisciplinary, evidence-based education and life skill solutions that inspire and empower individuals and the families of those with complex disabilities.
About Tom Golisano and the Golisano Foundation
Tom Golisano, — entrepreneur, philanthropist, and civic leader — is the founder of Paychex, Inc., the nation’s largest human resource company for small to medium-sized businesses. Mr. Golisano’s vision, perseverance, and action have left an indelible mark on a broad spectrum of issues that touch our lives in business, healthcare, education, animal welfare, voter policies, politics, and tax reform. His investments are advancing entrepreneurship and driving the success of numerous businesses and start-ups. His philanthropic contributions to education, hospitals – including multiple children’s hospitals across the country that bear his name and numerous other organizations exceed $1 billion.
A fierce advocate for dignity and inclusion, in 1985 Tom Golisano applied his pioneering spirit to establish the Golisano Foundation to make the world a better place for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. With more than $120 million in gross assets, it is one of the largest private foundations in the U.S. devoted to supporting programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, awarding grants to non-profit organizations in Western New York and Southwest Florida.
