The Syracuse City Ballet was recently awarded $36,000 to continue operating. Grant money that was given to them by the Central New York Community Foundation.

What You Need To Know

  • The CNY Community foundation has provided funding for 24 different non-profit organizations

  • The foundation created a COVID-19 community support fund that raised $1.6 million that went to nearly 80 different organizations

  • The pandemic changed the foundations restrictions on grant giving, making more non-profits eligible for funding


“We’d have to close everything and possibly lose all that we’ve gained in the past 10 years,” said Syracuse City Ballet artistic director, Kathleen Rathbun.

The Central New York Community Foundation recently awarded more than $600,000 to 24 different non-profit organizations. That money has become critical during the pandemic.

“We are very lucky in our community,” said CNY Community Foundation program and grant director Danielle Johnson. “We have incredibly generous donors and they’ve chosen to pool those funds at the community foundation.”

This year, they’ve actually seen an increase in donations.

In addition to their yearly grants, the community foundation created the CNY COVID-19 Community Support Fund that raised $1.6 million and helped nearly 80 different organizations.

“To be able to assist our non-profits now more than ever is an incredible honor. The work that happens in this community, the work with individuals that these non-profits do, day-in and day-out, is really inspiring. Anything we can do to help them, help our residents, is what we want to do,” said Johnson.

The pandemic helped even more non-profits become eligible for grants.

Instead of project fueled funding, the foundation has decided to also support operational costs.

It’s why the Syracuse City Ballet brought back three dancers to perform at Shakespeare-in-the-Park this coming weekend.

“This grant has helped us to work on certain projects that we would have never been able to do, we would have had to close for the entire season, for the entire year,” said Rathbun.