M&T Bank Fund Awards More than $114,000 to Community Organizations

M&T Bank/Partners Trust Bank Charitable Fund (MTPT) awarded $114,740 in grants to seven local nonprofits in the first quarter of 2019. MTPT, a donor-advised fund of The Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties, is committed to investing in its local community.

“Our advisory committee gave considerations to many deserving ideas submitted by local organizations that enhance our communities and our lives. We look forward to seeing these projects take shape throughout the coming months,” said David Manzelmann, M&T Bank Utica market president.

The fund’s first quarter 2019 grants include the following recipients:

• A $14,740 grant was awarded to Abraham House to purchase kitchen cabinetry. The purchase supports the organization’s renovation of The Rome Home that will transform the building into a fully functional 6-bed community care facility for the aging.

• Center for Family Life and Recovery received a $25,000 grant to help fund its OneDecision program, a collaborative prevention program with the Oneida County Sheriff’s Department that empowers community members to make good decisions.

• A $5,000 grant was awarded to Empowered Pathways to improve its job readiness training model for women called WERC to Work 2.0. With this funding, the program will expand training options to include online, evening and weekend class offerings, and purchase additional computers for its laptop loan program.

• A $20,000 grant was awarded to Masonic Medical Research Institute (MMRI) to fund four students’ participation in its 2019 summer fellowship program. The MMRI has offered the summer fellows program for over 60 years, giving students the opportunity to experience the operation of a scientific research institute and gain an appreciation for how scientific problems pertaining to medical diseases are approached and handled.

• A $25,000 grant was awarded to Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute to support the continuation and expansion of four free community programs that provide innovative art-based experiences that educate and inspire community members, including school-age children.

• A $20,000 grant was awarded to On Point for College, a program that helps lower-income, first generation students to achieve education and career success. Funding will be used for community outreach efforts to new students and to provide supplies, transportation and advisement for those who are currently enrolled in college.

• Utica Monday Night received a $5,000 grant to support and enhance the fourth Levitt AMP Utica Music Series, a free 10-week concert series in Kopernik Park. This year’s events will incorporate more hands-on cultural activities with guest artists, a diverse concert lineup, inclusive outreach to attract a broader audience and park improvements such as new art, lighting and flowers.

The MTPT Fund was created by M&T Bank in 2007 with the mission to provide continued support for the Mohawk Valley community. Since then, MTPT has awarded more than 170 grants totaling over $2.5 million to a variety of programs and organizations. Potential grant opportunities are reviewed quarterly by a local advisory committee led by Manzelmann.