The WNY Forward Fund, a group of local funders who joined together to support the Western New York community and the local nonprofit sector, is accepting grants through July 24 at 4 p.m.

has announced its second round of grant opportunities for the exploration of strategic realignment and nonprofit resiliency in the WNY area.

Grant awards, intended to spur reimagining of service delivery and innovation within the nonprofit sector, will be between $2,500 and $25,000 and will be awarded in early fall. Nonprofits in the eight counties of Western New York (Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, Wyoming) are eligible to apply. In early 2026, the WNY Forward Fund allocated a total of $368,690 to 18 organizations ranging from $2,250 up to $25,000.

Exploration of Strategic Realignment and Nonprofit Resiliency is one of three priority areas designated by the collaboration. A grant application process will open immediately for nonprofit organizations interested in exploring and/or pursuing strategic realignment in varying levels including partnerships, shared services, mergers, and other collaborative models to help organizations adapt to the evolving environment and remain resilient and responsive to community needs. More information and the application can be found at www.WNYForwardFund.org. The deadline to apply is Friday, July 24, at 4 p.m.

To date, 14 local funders have contributed $2.3 million to the fund, created to spark innovation, strengthen capacity, and support nonprofits as they adapt to shifting conditions and explore how to deliver services in partnership.

The WNY Forward Fund has most recently awarded $1 million over two years to seven organizations working to improve civic health and build common ground. The priority area is intended to fund and support initiatives that protect access to justice, due process, and legal defense and build deeper connections between public institutions and the stakeholders they serve. As part of this priority area, WNY Forward Fund also provided support to the Erie County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project. The $150,000 grant was for their participation in the Upstate Immigration Pro Bono Collaborative that recruits, trains, and mentors private attorneys to take on immigration cases and ensure that all litigants are adequately represented in the justice system.

WNY Forward Fund collaborators include The Buffalo Bills Foundation, The Celia Lipton & Victor W. Farris Foundation, Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, the Health Foundation for Western & Central New York, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Fund, James H. Cummings Foundation, The John R. Oishei Foundation, KeyBank, Margaret L. Wendt Foundation, M&T Bank, The Peter & Elizabeth Tower Foundation, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, United Way of Buffalo and Erie County, and The Western New York Foundation. The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo will manage the fund.