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September 17, 2024

Tom Golisano Makes Remarkable Philanthropic Gifts of $360 Million to 82 Non-Profits Across Upstate New York

Photo by Maria Spinelli

Monumental Announcement Doubles Philanthropist’s Lifetime Giving

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ROCHESTER, N.Y., September 17, 2024 — Tom Golisano, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and civic leader, today announced an unprecedented and historic series of major awards totaling $360 million to 82 non-profit organizations in Rochester, Buffalo, and Syracuse, New York. This commitment nearly doubles Golisano’s lifetime giving, bringing the total to $775 million, with more to be expected.

The unrestricted, multiyear awards range from $250,000 to $20 million each, paid over four to five years, spanning healthcare, education, animal welfare, disability services, and other crucial community needs. Almost all of the organizations who learned today that they are receiving a major award have been recipients of prior awards by Mr. Golisano and/or the Golisano Foundation. This significant financial commitment represents support for a diverse range of causes, all of which are meaningful to Tom and follow suit with prior awards given. Awards received may be used at each organization’s discretion.

Capping the monumental nature of this initiative, Mr. Golisano is also making a transformative $52 million award to the Golisano Foundation by increasing the total investment assets to $120 million. This infusion of funding will increase the Golisano Foundation’s giving from approximately $3 to more than $5 million annually allowing even more opportunities for new and current organizations to access crucial grant funding that falls within the Foundation’s established mission.

“I’m thrilled to provide support to the Upstate New York community, to the region where I built my life and my business,” said Mr. Golisano. “I know that there are many organizations doing great work and understand that running a nonprofit is not easy, facing both opportunities and challenges, like raising money. These awards are the result of relationships I’ve formed over the years. I am impressed with these organizations’ dedication and innovation. It is extremely rewarding to see what they have been able to accomplish with my financial support over the years. I hope this unexpected, unrestricted funding helps them build on their successes and broaden their impact.”

“One of my favorite sayings is ‘the only wealth you keep is that which you give away,’ and I’m so lucky to be able to live that out. The success of Paychex and the hard work of the employees there are ultimately what makes these donations possible, and I am beyond grateful that I have the ability to do so. I look forward to seeing how this will be used to strengthen their organizations and better the communities they serve.”

The $360 million commitment announced today brings Mr. Golisano’s overall philanthropy to $775 million. Prior to today, his personal philanthropy totaled over $374 million. In addition, The Golisano Foundation, which he founded in 1985, has awarded more than $41 million in grants, primarily to organizations devoted to supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). It also helps animal welfare organizations through Bailey and Friends, an initiative of the Golisano Foundation founded in honor of Golisano’s two dogs, both of whom were named Bailey.

“We encourage non-profit organizations to visit our website to learn more about Tom’s personal giving and the Foundation’s mission,” said Erica Dayton, executive director of the Golisano Foundation. “We look forward to the new influx of agencies we’ll be introduced to through the widespread news of Tom’s most recent giving. Understanding the needs of the communities we support and the organizations that devote their expertise to serving them is a constantly evolving process. We are always looking to learn more and determine how we can be supportive with the resources available.”

Today’s announcement follows Mr. Golisano’s June 2024 commitment of $50 million to the University of Rochester Medical Center to establish the Golisano Intellectual and Development Disabilities Institute—his largest single gift to date.

$360 Million in Awards Announced on September 17, 2024 to 82 Organizations

  • Rochester $201 Million
  • Buffalo $66.5 Million
  • Syracuse $40.5 Million
  • $52 Million to the Golisano Foundation, which serves Upstate New York and Southwest Florida

Community – 8 Organizations – $25 Million
Education – 16 Organizations – $86 Million


Health – 9 Organizations – $69 Million

Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities (IDD) – 26 Organizations – $104 Million


Animal Welfare – 23 Organizations – $24 Million

 

In the Words of our Gift Recipients

“We’re grateful to Tom Golisano and his caring heart and generosity that has helped Upstate improve the lives of many children through our facilities and services that bear his name. He has helped us transform medical care for children through this region and elsewhere. How fitting that this latest gift from Tom comes as we celebrate the 15th anniversary of the opening of Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital. On behalf of the children, their parents, and our staff, thank you.” – Mantosh Dewan, MD, Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital President 

“We are overwhelmed to be the recipient of this monumental gift to OCH! With Tom Golisano’s gift, the largest single gift we have ever received from an individual, we will make a profound and lasting impact FOR our patients, families, and care teams.” Oishei Children’s Hospital

“I was in tears. And he had tears in his eyes too. The man is an angel. This is by far the largest single gift in Memorial’s history. We extend our deepest gratitude to Tom Golisano for his extraordinary generosity and dedication to Memorial’s mission. His incredible support—$3.5 million to build the Golisano Community Health Center, $1.5 million for the Golisano Medical Oncology Center, and a recent $10 million gift—totals $15 million to advance healthcare in the Niagara region. Thank you, Tom, for making a lasting impact on the lives of our community members.” – Joe Ruffalo, Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center President & CEO

“Your generosity and partnership over the years have blessed us as you’ve supported countless people to experience lives of endless possibility. We can’t thank you enough for the many ways you’ve benefitted children and adults at HCS and in our community! – Marisa Geitner, Heritage Christian Services President and CEO

“I was completely blown away.“\It was really such an incredible moment to be sitting there with other health care leaders and agencies throughout our region, to hear this incredible news that we were being awarded $5 million.” – Anne McCaffrey, CEO of People, Inc.

“Tom Golisano has been a magnificent supporter of the Rochester community and today’s announcement strongly reinforces his love for the nonprofit sector that benefits the people in our region so greatly. “We are truly appreciative of this wonderful and unexpected gift to RIT. We cannot thank Tom enough.”– David Munson, RIT President

“The surprise, delight, and appreciation Nazareth University feels in being selected for this gift and for the support that is being provided to our valued partners is immeasurable. Nazareth is humbled and deeply touched that Tom Golisano believes in our efforts to foster integrated learning through action and reflection, educating whole persons who are guided by empathy, committed to equity, and prepared to lead innovation for our time.” – Nazareth University

“We express heartfelt gratitude for Tom Golisano’s unwavering support of the organization’s mission. We are grateful to Tom for his generous gift. His generosity has helped the organization improve the lives of many children who come to the Golisano School program. On behalf of Springbrook, the children and individuals we support, and the board, we thank him!” – Patricia Kennedy, CEO of Springbrook

“Words cannot express how grateful we are to Mr. Golisano for his incredible generosity. This gift is unprecedented, one that will be used to increase the depth and breadth of services at Summit and strengthen our financial independence. We’ll be taking some time to examine ways to maximize these funds over the short- and long-term.” – Lisa A. Foti, CEO, The Summit Center,

“Words cannot adequately express our gratitude to Tom Golisano and the Golisano Foundation for what is truly a transformational gift. The impact this will have on the tens of thousands of individuals and families for whom we provide programs and services – from emergency lodging, food, and essentials for those displaced by home fires or other disasters to critical programs for active and retired military members and their families – is immeasurable.  On behalf of our dedicated volunteers and staff and, more importantly, the people we serve and who will benefit from his compassion and generosity, we sincerely thank Tom Golisano for his wonderful spirit of philanthropy.” – Nick Bond, CEO of the American Red Cross of WNY Region

“We are incredibly grateful to Mr. Golisano for this significant gift. This donation will have a lasting and profound impact on our ability to provide an exceptional, values-based education for future generations of Aquinas students. Thanks to Mr. Golisano’s generosity, we can continue to foster academic excellence, expand opportunities, and further the mission of the Basilian Fathers to educate young men and women of faith, character, and service. This gift will empower Aquinas to build on our legacy of academic excellence and prepare our students to be “College Prepared. Life Ready” for years to come.” – Aquinas Institute

Mr. Golisano, from thousands of SPCA animals and the people who love them, we thank you for this extraordinary generosity! – SPCA Erie County

Better Together Pet Resource Center is grateful beyond belief for your donation and belief in our innovative, community-based, collaborative, hard-working group. We aim to keep animals with the people who love them and avoid surrender of pets to shelters and rescue organizations. Your investment will yield healthy, happy pets and people! – Better Together Pet Resource Center

“It’s a huge day for Hillside, and the communities we serve! We’re so grateful to Tom Golisano for his transformational $5 million gift to Hillside, announced this morning. Thank you, Mr. Golisano, for your visionary commitment to our life-changing work with youth, adults and families! – Hillside Family of Agencies

“This is a pivotal moment in our school’s history. I urge the BK family—parents, alumni, and staff—to unite and support the growth that this gift makes possible. Together, we can ensure a bright future for generations of BK students.” – Brendan Tydings, Chair of the Bishop Kearney Board of Trustees

“It is truly an exceptional day at Niagara University and an exceptional day for the region. Mr. Golisano has shown an impressive commitment to helping those who help others – hospitals, not-for-profits that provide direct services to individuals, and educational institutions. These organizations, many of which are our partners, are working to transform the lives of the underserved and marginalized in Niagara County and across our entire region. We are humbled to be among the incredible institutions and organizations that are the beneficiaries of Mr. Golisano’s generosity, and we are honored by this show of confidence in the vision and future of Niagara University.” – Rev. James J. Maher,  C.M.,  president of Niagara University

“I can’t even speak. I’m still in disbelief that this is real. I can’t thank the Golisano Foundation enough for this life-changing gift. This is going to make a huge impact for animals all over Rochester.” Kaitlyn Fitzgerald, Headed Fur Forever Inc.

We are incredibly grateful to Tom Golisano for his generous gift of $5 million. Mr. Golisano’s faith in our work is both humbling and inspiring. We pledge to be excellent stewards of this incredible donation as we fulfill our mission to serve the community with care and compassion.” – Catholic Charities Family and Community Services! Lori VanAuken, President and CEO

“No single person has had such an impact on our organization or this community. Tom has always believed in the mission of public media and we are grateful for his support of our work.”– WXXI President & CEO Norm Silverstein

“Mr. Golisano’s longstanding commitment to building opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and supporting their inclusion has improved the lives of people, the agencies that support them, and their communities for many years. Mr. Golisano’s dedication to securing the dignity, health, and quality of life for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities is truly awe-inspiring.” – Arc Allegany-Steuben Executive Director Michael Damiano

“Tom has been with us every step of the way in our journey to provide the best care for our kids. The Golisano name is synonymous with great pediatric care, and I cannot thank him enough for his support.” –  Dr. Gregory Conners, Chair of Pediatrics, Upstate Medical University

“The entire Arc Chemung-Schuyler family is beyond grateful for the generous and completely unexpected donation from Tom Golisano. Through this funding, we can expand our efforts at improving the quality of life for the people we support and helping the service delivery system address the complex care needs of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.” – Salvatore Garozzo, CEO of The Arc Chemung-Schuyler

“On behalf of the entire Canisius community, I want to extend my sincerest gratitude to Mr. Golisano for his commitment, his generosity, and his investment in Canisius University. This gift will significantly bolster our ability to deliver meaningful and transformative educational experiences for our students in furtherance of our mission of forming and transforming the next generation of great leaders who will serve the community of which we are all a part … It is indeed a great day to be a Griff.”  Canisius University President Steve Stoute

 

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, providing integrated human capital management solutions for payroll, benefits, human resources, and insurance services for more than 745,000 clients in the U.S. and Europe. 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, voter policies, politics, and tax reform. His continuing investments are helping to advance entrepreneurship through the 2023 establishment of the Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship as well as driving the success of numerous businesses and start-ups. His personal philanthropic contributions to hospitals—including three children’s hospitals that bear his name—and numerous educational institutions, his Foundation, and other organizations now exceed $775 million. He has dedicated more than $145 million to advancing inclusive health around the world, helping to close the substantial gap in access to care for people with intellectual disabilities.

A fierce advocate for dignity and inclusion, in 1985 Mr. 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 now 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 about $5 million annually to non-profit organizations in Western New York and Southwest Florida.

Mr. Golisano is the author of two Books, “Built Not Born,” a Wall Street Journal bestseller, and “The Italian Kid Did It.” He is listed on the Forbes 400.

Connect with us at Golisanofoundation.org, @GolisanoFdn, @ThomasGolisano

About Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship
Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship is a leader in alternative post-secondary business education. Delivering a high-quality and accelerated business experience for students of all ages, Golisano Institute leverages an expansive roster of higher education partners, entrepreneur advisors, and business connections to help professionals reach their full potential. Thanks to the generosity of founder Tom Golisano, qualified students can access the Institute’s benefits at a significantly lower cost than the average higher education institution. For more information, visit us at LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, or golisanoinstitute.org.

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