NEW YORK (WKBW) — The Health Foundation of Western and Central New York announced Friday that the organization has been awarded $9 million from philanthropist and author, MacKenzie Scott.
The funds will go towards programs addressing racial and socioeconomic health disparities and help to improve overall health in those communities. Previous examples include:
- Supporting age-friendly initiatives to create communities where older adults and people of all ages can thrive.
- Expanding the availability of trauma-informed care for children and older adults.
- Improving access to quality maternal health care.
- Strengthening the capacity of community-based organizations and their ability to work with health systems.
- Advocating for legislative and regulatory improvements to make high quality, affordable health care available to all people.
The Health Foundation was selected by Scott following a review of nonprofits across the country. Although the organization was founded in 2002, their approach enhanced during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are so appreciative of this donation from MacKenzie Scott—a landmark moment in our 20 years of service to the community. We all deserve to live in healthy, thriving communities and have the same opportunities for good health. But tackling the system-level causes of unequal health outcomes—including barriers to quality, affordable health care and other social determinants of health—is important and urgent work that warrants significant investment. These funds will bolster our ability to partner with the community in developing and advocating for long-term solutions to the many inequities that drive health disparities.”
In total, the Health Foundation assists 16 counties. These include Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, Wyoming, Cayuga, Cortland, Herkimer, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, and Tompkins.
More information on the organization can be found here.
