A Decade of Impact

Created in 2007, the M&T Bank/Partners Trust Bank Charitable Fund (MTPT) was established by Partners Trust Bank Charitable Foundation during the merger of Partners Trust and M&T Bank. It was decided that the generous contributions from Partners Trust Bank would be managed through a donor-advised fund at The Community Foundation and that grantmaking would be jointly advised to provide continued support for the Mohawk Valley. 

The enormous impact of MTPT’s community investments over the past 10 years is cause for celebration. Since its inception, MTPT has distributed more than $2 million locally, awarding more than 155 grants to support a variety of programs and organizations throughout Herkimer and Oneida counties. David Manzelmann, MTPT advisory committee member and M&T Bank Utica market president, recognizes the importance of collaborating with nonprofit partners to best address community needs.

“The MTPT Fund is committed to supporting nonprofit organizations and programs that work to enhance our communities’ local strengths,” said Manzelmann. “It is through these organizations that we can invest in the education of our children and improve the quality of life for families. We share a passion to achieve these goals and look forward to developing new partnerships that create significant and lasting change in our community.”

Initially focused on supporting literacy programs, MTPT expanded its investments to address additional areas of need and to focus on partnering with organizations that provide educational enrichment, with the hopes that funding opportunities for learning will contribute to strengthening the community for the future. 

Potential grant opportunities are reviewed by an advisory committee, led by Manzelmann.

The group of local advisors meets quarterly, awarding strategic support to programs in education and other civic causes in Herkimer and Oneida counties.

“Members of the MTPT advisory committee play an active, personal role in the charitable giving process,” said Alicia Dicks, president/ CEO of The Community Foundation. “This hands-on approach allows many of our donors and advisors to shape their giving to reflect the causes they’re passionate about, amplifying the impact these investments make in our community.”

One of MTPT’s recent grants, a $100,000 investment in support of Hope House’s new building, was the fund’s single largest grant and helped garner additional funding for the project. 

The fund’s history reveals a chronology anchored in partnership, bookended by milestones of continued support and punctuated by an increase in grants awarded each year; the impact of MTPT’s investments goes beyond the fund’s impressive stats. Equally noteworthy are the immeasurable everyday triumphs made possible through the generosity of MTPT. Thanks to the fund, inner-city students have the opportunity to attend college through the On Point for College Program, single parents are able to pursue higher education through Mohawk Valley Community College’s New Career Scholarship Program, and countless others of all ages and abilities have benefited.

“The M&T Bank/Partners Trust Bank Charitable Fund has made a tremendous difference to

our healthcare system,” said Michele Adams, annual giving director for the Mohawk Valley Health System Foundation. “We have many diverse needs, from caring for our littlest patients to the most senior individuals in our community. MTPT’s generosity is helping to make the patient experience better for every single individual and every family who walk through our doors.”

In 2016, MTPT provided $10,000 to help MVHS acquire the Utica area’s first 3D mammography machine. The equipment benefits the more than 14,000 women who have annual mammograms at MVHS, helping with early detection and identifying tumors that regular 2D scans might miss.

“Looking beyond the equipment, everything that’s made possible through the generosity of funds like MTPT directly affects the people who live here. It’s extraordinary to live in a community with such generous donors that make it a priority to give back,” said Adams.