Community Impact
Fostering Change, Creating Impact.

Get Involved

In the spring of 1999, the BISON Children’s Scholarship Fund commenced a partnership with the Children’s Scholarship Fund (CSF) and became part of CSF’s national network of scholarship granting organizations. CSF and its partner programs are committed to empowering families in need with the ability to choose the K-8 schools that best meet their children’s needs, regardless of their ability to pay or where they live.

Through BISON’s partnership with CSF, donations received can be matched. For every $5 donated, CSF matches another $1, bringing the total to $6 to help WNY children, highly leveraging your investment. Since 1999, CSF has invested over $6 million into the WNY community allowing us to serve significantly more children.

To learn more about the Children’s Scholarship Fund, click here

The President’s Council is BISON’s next generation of leaders. They are young professionals who are concerned about our education system and are passionate about BISON’s mission that children have the best chance at a bright future when families have a choice in selecting the education that best fits their child’s needs.

The President’s Council seeks to raise awareness about BISON’s work; financially support BISON scholarships; and provide additional learning and mentoring activities for BISON Scholars.

Alexi Caldiero
KeyBank

Ben Burge
Rupp Baase Pfalzgraf Cunninham

Cailin Gibbons
Nestle

Cara Austin
National Fuel Gas

Catherine Sheedy
Delaware North

Chelsea Knapp
Stryker

Chelsea Luthra
Lawley Insurance

Christian Martinez
Sandhill Investment Management

Courtney Sullivan
Communities in Schools

David Conboy
M&T Tech

Ellen Wood
Little Portion Friary

Erin Schieb
Equitable Advisors

Fallon Martin
Hodgson Russ LLP

Harry Steinwald
Trubee, Collins & Co., Inc.

Jessica Smith
BestSelf Behavioral Health

Kenny Ngoopos
M&T Bank

Meg McParlane
National Fuel Gas

Michael Loffredo
Spectrum

Michael Postles
Gallagher

Mike Taboni
Crowley Webb

Mitch Ream
Lippes Mathias LLP

Neil Farrell
Farrell Financial

Nick Ingrassia
Gross Shuman P.C.

Nico Santos
Breef

Phil Scaffidi
Lawley

Sammy Sortisio
Blu Spa/DCS Development LLC

Sam Soltis
Douglas Development

Spencer Farrell
Meritas Equity Partners

Thomas Caraher
Phillips Lytle

Will Ciszewski
Hodgson Russ LLP

Giving
Change the world – one child at a time.
Empower Buffalo’s future leaders and contribute to the city’s renaissance by supporting the BISON Fund—an investment in education that directly impacts over 1,900 children across 77 diverse schools in Western New York.
Financials
The BISON Fund is proud to receive Charity Navigator’s highest rating (4 star) for our efficiency and transparency!

This is the 10th consecutive year that BISON has earned this top distinction, validating that our donor dollars directly support our mission of providing tuition assistance to low-income children in a fiscally responsible way. This “exceptional” designation differentiates the BISON Fund from our peers and demonstrates to the public BISON’s commitment to WNY’s future leaders is ingrained in everything we do.

BISON Fund Events

Find out more about BISON by attending one of our Fundraising Events

Celebrating decades of helping WNY families choose the right school for their children, members of our community like you, have allowed BISON to assist over 41,000 low-income children attend schools of their choice via tuition assistance.  

Believe in broadening educational opportunities? Join us in making a lasting impact on WNY.

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