Philanthropist

In March 2006, he made gifts of $3 million each 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 at that time.

In May 2011, Tom Golisano provided $1.5 million to support the Capital Campaign at Mercy High School to upgrade buildings and athletic fields and faculties. The Science Wing was named for Mr. Golisano.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 December 4, 2023, a second $5 million gift was announced from B. Thomas Golisano and the Golisano Foundation to support the continued growth and expansion of the Golisano Institute for Developmental Disability Nursing at St. John Fisher University’s Wegmans School of Nursing. The gift, $4 million from Golisano and $1 million from the Foundation, will bolster the Institute’s efforts to positively impact more than one million health encounters for patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) over the next 10 years. Read more

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.

In April 2002, Mr. Golisano contributed $14 million to Strong Children’s Hospital in Rochester, NY, enabling the hospital to begin a comprehensive fundraising campaign. In honor of the gift, the hospital, which is part of the University of Rochester Medical Center, is now known as Golisano Children’s Hospital.

In July 2011, Mr. Golisano provided a $20 million gift to expand and modernize the existing Golisano Children’s Hospital enabling the University of Rochester Medical Center to construct a new next-generation hospital for children. This gift, along with a previous gift of $14 million in 2002, totals $34 million to the Children’s Hospital.

On May 27, 2015 the new Golisano Children’s Hospital at the University of Rochester Medical Center was dedicated.

Mr. Golisano’s combined gifts are the largest ever given to the Children’s Hospital or the University of Rochester Medical Center by a living donor.

In April 2010, Mr. Golisano supported the creation of a new Center for Restorative Neurology and Rehabilitation at Unity Health System in Rochester, NY, with a gift of $10 million. The Center will serve adults and children in need of both inpatient and outpatient care for conditions that range from brain and spinal cord injuries to joint replacements to diseases such as multiple sclerosis

In June 2008, Mr. Golisano announced a gift of $4 million to the American Cancer Society and Colgate Rochester Crozier Divinity School to establish a new Hope Lodge and Hospitality House to accommodate cancer and transplant patients and their families from area and regional hospitals.

Niagara now has another Golisano Center – one in which lives will be saved and where inclusive health is a priority. Tom Golisano committed $1.5 million on November 20, 2019 to support the new $2 million medical oncology center at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center to improve access to cancer treatment for people in Niagara County. The new center was dedicated in a virtual ceremony on July 16, 2020 and is open to patients. The Center is operated by Memorial in affiliation with Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, one of the top cancer centers in the United States. The $2 new Golisano Medical Oncology Center makes Roswell’s expertise – including immunotherapy, hematology, chemotherapy infusion, clinical trials and the newest cancer curing drugs – readily accessible to those who live and work in Niagara County. The 6,085-square-foot facility is located on Memorial’s fourth floor. The new Center also provides cancer care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, a population that often falls through the cracks of complex health care systems, and specialty care including early detection, cancer screening and treatment. 

In March 2005, Mr. Golisano continued his commitment to health care with a $9 million gift to Rochester General Hospital (part of Rochester Regional Health), helping to establish the B. Thomas Golisano Pavilion and Emergency Center.

Mr. Golisano made a challenge grant of $5 million in May 2010 for the new Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples, which opened in March 2012 in Naples, Florida. The 30,000-square-foot Museum features ten spectacularly designed, child-scaled exhibits to invite sensory and intellectual exploration.

In October 2006, Mr. Golisano donated $1.5 million to Mercy Flight Central of Canandaigua, NY, helping to kickoff the drive to purchase a new Mercy Flight helicopter.

On September 17, 2014, Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center received a $3.5 million gift, the largest in its history, from businessman and philanthropist Tom Golisano to support construction of an innovative new Golisano Center for Community Health. The Center will provide comprehensive integrated health care services to adults with special needs and their families, breaking down barriers to care, preventing individuals from falling through the cracks and helping them live with dignity. It is one of the few centers of its kind in the country.

On November 20, 2019 Tom Golisano committed $1.5 million to support the new $2 million medical oncology center at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center to improve access to cancer treatment for people in Niagara County. The Center is operated by Memorial in affiliation with Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, one of the top cancer centers in the United States. The Golisano Medical Oncology Center makes Roswell’s expertise – including immunotherapy, hematology, chemotherapy infusion, clinical trials and the newest cancer curing drugs – readily accessible to those who live and work in Niagara County. The 6,085-square-foot facility is located on Memorial’s fourth floor. The new Center also provides cancer care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, a population that often falls through the cracks of complex health care systems, and specialty care including early detection, cancer screening and treatment. Read more

In November 2005, Mr. Golisano donated $6 million to Central New York Children’s Hospital at University Hospital in Syracuse, NY. In honor of the gift, the hospital was renamed the Golisano Children’s Hospital of Central New York at University Hospital. This was the largest gift ever from an individual donor in SUNY history.

In November 2006, Mr. Golisano contributed $750,000 to the Veterans Outreach Center of Rochester, NY. The gift was used to create the Charles P. Golisano Campus in honor of Mr. Golisano’s brother who was killed in the Korean War.

In January 2004, Mr. Golisano contributed $2 million to WXXI Public Broadcasting in Rochester. The gift will help WXXI meet the federal mandate to begin digital broadcasting.

On July 20, 2016 WXXI Public Broadcasting announced that a $2 million gift from Rochester entrepreneur and philanthropist B. Thomas Golisano helped the station exceed its goal in its multi-year “Go Public” campaign to secure the future of public media in Rochester and to upgrade studios and facilities.

On September 16, 2021 Special Olympics announced it received $30 million, its largest single private gift in the organization’s 53-year history from Tom Golisano. This is Tom’s third major gift to Special Olympics and his largest single gift to any organization. His support for Special Olympics Health now totals $67 million.

Funds will used to expand the Special Olympics Healthy Communities program, which provides health services globally for people with intellectual disabilities (ID), a population that has been critically underserved, especially during the pandemic. “I am pleased to continue financial support for Special Olympics’ extraordinary health work, which is giving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities improved access to health services and the opportunity to live happier, more productive lives,” said Golisano. “Special Olympics’ impact on the health of people with ID is impressive – as is its strategy on how to build on this success over the next several years. The focus on measurement, standardization of practices, early diagnosis, a trained workforce, and health systems that demonstrate inclusive policies, will effectively position Special Olympics to further our mutual goal of health equity.”  Read more

Tom Golisano was the Major Underwriter of the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting held in September between 2005-2013. The annual meeting held in New York City is a non-partisan effort to bring together community of global leaders to devise and implement solutions to some of world’s most pressing challenges.

In April 2010, Mr. Golisano supported the creation of a new Center for Restorative Neurology and Rehabilitation at Unity Health System in Rochester, NY, with a gift of $10 million. The Center will serve adults and children in need of both inpatient and outpatient care for conditions that range from brain and spinal cord injuries to joint replacements to diseases such as multiple sclerosis

In November 2002, Tom Golisano donated $5 million to Thompson Health in Canandaigua, NY. The gift will be used to create the Golisano Center for Emergency and Diagnostic Medicine.

On June 13, 2024, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and civic leader B. Thomas “Tom” Golisano made a historic $50 million commitment, making it possible to build the Golisano Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Institute at the University of Rochester Medical Center. The new world-class transdisciplinary center will provide solutions to the health and quality of life issues that affect people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Those with IDD are a traditionally underserved population, with approximately 19,000 people affected locally, 120,000 regionally, and 200 million worldwide. Golisano’s transformational gift also names the Golisano Specialty Clinic at Eastman Dental Center, which serves nearly 2,000 people with IDD each year.

This gift is the largest single gift in University history and the largest single gift made by Golisano. Between his personal giving and his foundation, Golisano’s total philanthropy to the University of Rochester Medical Center now nears $100 million. 

Tom Golisano has provided more than $67 million to Special Olympics to help create a world where people with intellectual disabilities have the same opportunities and access to health care as people without intellectual disabilities. As the world’s largest public health organization for people with intellectual disabilities, Special Olympics is uniquely poised to address and improve the unmet health needs of people with intellectual disabilities. It is working to create a tipping point where health becomes inclusive for people with intellectual disabilities globally by changing curriculum, training health care professionals and policymakers, influencing policy, advocating for inclusive health programming, building partnerships for follow up care and harnessing the power of the Special Olympics Movement to build awareness.

In 2015, Tom’s gifts to Special Olympics Health were recognized as one of Philanthropy’s Big Bets for Social Change, a goal estimated by the Bridgespan Group that only 20% of philanthropic donations seek to achieve.

The new Golisano Autism Center Rochester, expands and enhances autism services to serve the more than 10,000 people diagnosed with autism in the Greater Rochester and surrounding areas. The new 33,000 sq.ft. Center is named for Tom Golisano, who announced on May 16, 2017 that he was making a matching challenge grant of $2.5 million to help build the Center. The establishment of the Golisano Autism Center in Rochester will transform the delivery of autism services by co-locating and coordinating resources offered by multiple autism providers, each of which, has specialized areas of expertise.

The Golisano Center for Community Health is the only outpatient center of its type in Western New York and one of very few in the United States.

Dedicated in June 2016, the $7 million, two-story, 23,000-square-foot building was supported by a $3.5 million gift from Tom Golisano. The Center provides comprehensive integrated health care services to adults with special needs and their families, breaking down barriers to care and supporting the Tom Golisano and the Foundation’s vision of inclusive healthcare for all—ensuring that people with intellectual or developmental disabilities are in no way excluded from healthcare systems within their communities

On September 27, 2019 in Syracuse, New York, The Upstate Foundation announced a gift of $3 million from Tom Golisano to establish the Golisano Center for Special Needs at Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital. The center will provide comprehensive, coordinated and scientifically based medical and behavioral care for children and adolescents with all types of intellectual and developmental disabilities. The center will act as the umbrella, creating a framework to increase collaboration resulting in better patient care. Read more

In October 2017, Tom Golisano announced his donation of $5 million toward this new center, which will open in 2019, will provide the greater Rochester community a new, critically-needed home base for child and adolescent behavioral health services. The new building will be the primary outpatient location for the children’s hospital’s Pediatric Behavioral Health & Wellness program, which treats children with depression, anxiety, psychosis, substance abuse, PTSD, and other behavioral and emotional conditions, and will be staffed by a multidisciplinary team that includes child psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, mental health counselors, nurses, and more.

In July of 2004, Mr. Golisano donated $1 million to Heritage Christian Services of Rochester, a human service agency supporting those with disabilities.

On April 12, 2024, a groundbreaking $5 million leadership gift from Tom Golisano toward STARability Foundation’s permanent future home was announced. This transformative support will elevate STARability’s mission to empower individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through vocational training, continuing education, teamwork, social engagement, and community involvement and pave the way for expanded programs, addressing the increased demand for support and services in Collier County.

On September 21, 2016 Tom Golisano committed $7.5 million to Nazareth College for the new, 91,000 sq.ft. Golisano Training Center to create a model of inclusion, fitness & wellness. This is the largest gift the University has received.  Groundbreaking for the Golisano Training Center took place June 14, 2018 and 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.

In June, 1999 Tom Golisano made the lead gift of $2 million in the Gathering Hearts Capital Campaign. Al Sigl Center is a shared resource organization supporting those with disabilities and their families.

On November 25, 2015 a $3 million gift from Tom Golisano helped the Al Sigl Community of Agencies transform its facilities to meet 21st century needs.

Al Sigl is a collaborative community network that provides high-quality, cost-effective real estate and business services, while fostering community awareness and philanthropic support to a growing array of nonprofit organizations that serve children and adults with disabilities® and special needs.

In December 2013 Tom Golisano made a personal gift to establish the Golisano Life Enhancement Fund for individuals with disabilities in upstate NY to be administered through the Future Care Planning Community Pooled Trust. The Funds will provide financial assistance needed for items and other supports to enhance quality of life.

In August 2007 Mr. Golisano made a gift of $2.5 million to Springbrook Upstate Home for Children, in Oneonta, NY that is a residential school for children with developmental disabilities. The gift is part of the agency’s Coming Home Campaign. The gift helped renovate and expand current facilities.