One hundred nonprofits awarded $1.5M on Giving Tuesday

Representatives of 100 local non-profits were awarded for their incredible work in supporting the needs of their communities and advancing community development on “Giving Tuesday,” and at an awards ceremony held on Nov. 28 at Tioga Downs Casino Resort, located in Nichols, N.Y.

The Tioga Downs Regional Community Foundation awarded $1.5 million in grants to 100 non-profit organizations across Broome, Tioga and Chemung Counties in New York, and Bradford County in Pennsylvania.

In 2022 the foundation awarded $1.1 million amongst 54 organizations.

Jill Teeter, executive director of the Tioga Downs Regional Community Foundation, and CEO of the Tioga County Boys and Girls Club, remarked, “I see some really amazing people here who do amazing work. I’ve been in nonprofit work for 22 years, so I’ve been where you are, and still am, and I know the difference a grant can make.”

Teeter continued, “I know that sometimes it’s keeping a program running that you’ve put your heart and soul into, and then providing services for those in need,” and added, “Seeing so many organizations in one room, it’s really wonderful.”

Jim Weed, director of Marketing at Tioga Downs, noted that Tioga Downs Casino Resort Owner Jeff Gural continues to share his kindness and giving nature, and stated, “Mr. Gural is not looking to put all of the money in his own pocket, and he wants to give back and support the local community.”   

A statement by Gural read, “Through the experiences shared by our award winners, we eagerly anticipate the ripple effects of these grants making a real difference close to home. There are countless organizations doing amazing work, often without the budget they truly deserve, and these grants aim to amplify their impact.”

The Tioga Downs Regional Community Foundation is dedicated to promoting economic and community development by supporting organizations that contribute to charitable, religious, literary, scientific and educational endeavors within the target counties.

In October New York lawmakers granted tax relief to Tioga Downs, enabling the Tioga Downs Regional Community Foundation to increase annual support for local charities and nonprofits.

In turn, Gural has pledged to increase grant funding to $2 million in both 2024 and 2025, a reflection of the foundation’s commitment to driving positive change locally.

For more information about the foundation and grant applications, visit www.tiogadowns.com/foundation/.

The 100 recipients of the 2023 $1.5M grants include A New Hope Center, Inc.; All Saints’ Episcopal Church Soup and Sandwich Saturday; Apalachin Library Association; Arrowhead Ministries, Inc.; Association for Vision Rehabilitation and Employment, Inc.; Athens PBA; B/S/S/T Area Agency on Aging; Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Twin Tiers; Binghamton Chapter of S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A.; Binghamton Philharmonic, Inc.; Bradford County Regional Arts Council; Bradford Sullivan County Special Olympics of PA; Broome County Council of Churches, Inc.; Broome County Habitat for Humanity; Broome County Urban League Inc.; Broome Volunteer Emergency Squad, Inc.; Bulldogs Sports Complex; Camp Ahwaga Association, Inc.; Campville Fire Department; Candor Emergency Squad, Inc.; Candor Historical Society; Candor PTSA; Capabilities, Inc.; Carrie on Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.; Catholic Charities of Broome County; Child Hunger Outreach Partners; Children’s Home of Wyoming Conference; Coburn Free Library; Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chemung County; Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tioga County; Corning Council for Assistance and Information to the Disabled, Inc.; Economic Opportunity Program, Inc.; Empire State Special Needs Experience; Family Service Society, Inc.; Fenton Free Library Association; First Baptist Church of Owego; First Presbyterian Church of Troy, Pa.; Friends of the Chemung River Watershed; Futures Community Support Services; Gemini Farm Sanctuary, Inc.; GiGi’s Playhouse Southern Tier, LLC; Girls Gymnastics – Athletic Club of Owego, N.Y., Inc.; Goodwill Theatre Inc.; Greater Valley Emergency Medical Services, Inc.; Helping Hands Food Pantry; His Haven, Inc.; Hope Foundation of Binghamton, Inc.; Horseheads Family Resource Center, Inc.; Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc.; Kali’s Klubhouse, Inc.; KIDS Can’t Fight Cancer Alone; Lockwood Volunteer Fire Company, Inc.; Mercy House of the Southern Tier; Mom’s House of Endicott, N.Y., Inc.; Neighborhood Depot Project; Newark Valley Historical Society; North Central Sight Services, Inc.; Northern Tier Unified Arts Association NYSARC, Inc.; Owego Apalachin Booster Club, Inc.; Owego Hose Teams, Inc.; Penn-York Opportunities, Inc.; Penn-York Valley Habitat for Humanity; PTA Pennsylvania Congress; Regional Science & Discovery Center; Rescue Mission Alliance of Syracuse, N.Y.; Resource Center of Candor; River Valley YMCA; Sarah’s Cause; Sassy’s Sidekicks & Rescue, Inc.; Secure Rehabilitation and Vocational Enterprises, Inc.; Shady Strong, Inc.; Southern Finger Lakes Pride; Southside Community Center, Inc.; Spalding Memorial Library; Speedsville Volunteer Fire Company, Inc.; Spencer Van Etten Community Food Cupboard; Stray Haven Humane Society; Supporting Area Families Everyday; Tanglewood Community Nature Center, Inc.; The American Red Cross – Southern Tier Chapter; The Children’s House Advocacy Center; The Foundation of the SUNY at Binghamton, Inc.; The Guthrie Clinic Veteran Support; The Neighborhood Transformation Center; The Rockwell Museum; The Salvation Army of Sayre; The Sayre House of Hope; Ti-Ahwaga Community Players; Tioga County Boys & Girls Club; Tioga County Council of the Arts, Inc.; Tioga County Rural Ministry, Inc.; Tioga County Toys for Tots; Tioga Fire Company No. 1; Troy Lions Club Foundation; Vestal Volunteer Emergency Squad, Inc.; Volunteers of America Western N.Y.; Waverly CHOW for Children; Waverly Recreation Booster Club, Inc.; Wyalusing Valley Museum Association, Inc.