M&T Bank/Partners Trust Bank Fund Marks 15 Years with 2022 Grant Announcements

M&T Bank/Partners Trust Bank Charitable Fund (MTPT) at the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties awarded nearly $585,000 to area nonprofits in 2022—a special year for the fund as it celebrated its 15-year anniversary supporting the Mohawk Valley. 

The fund was established in 2007 and has since awarded more than $5 million in support of a broad range of organizations, programs, and services in the two counties, including education, human services, health, animal welfare, and arts and culture.

“At M&T, we are deeply committed to our communities and to making a positive difference in people’s lives, so I’m particularly proud of the tangible impact that our partnership with the Community Foundation has generated during these past 15 years,” said David Manzelmann, M&T Utica market president. “We are proud of our community, and we look forward to continued collaboration as we work to further strengthen our neighborhoods and empower our neighbors.”

MTPT was established by Partners Trust Bank Charitable Foundation during the merger of Partners Trust and M&T Bank with the resulting donor-advised fund at the Community Foundation ensuring that grantmaking would be jointly advised to provide continued support for the Mohawk Valley. Initially focused on supporting literacy programs, MTPT expanded its community investments to address additional areas of need and to focus on partnering with organizations that provide educational enrichment, to build and strengthen the community for the future. 

In 2022, MTPT awarded $571,100 to area nonprofits and funds at the Community Foundation. The recipients are as follows:

• Abraham House
• Anita's Stevens Swan Humane Society
• Herkimer County Humane Society
• House of the Good Shepherd
• ICAN
• Johnson Park Center
• Legal Aid Society of Mid-New York
• Little Falls Youth & Family Center
• Masonic Medical Research Institute
• Mohawk Valley Community Action Agency
• Mohawk Valley Community College Foundation
• Notre Dame Jr./Sr. High School
• On Point For College
• Rescue Mission of Utica
• The Center
• UNHS HomeOwnershipCenter
• Utica Monday Nite Corporation
• Utica Public Library
• View
• YWCA of the Mohawk Valley

An additional $13,700 was awarded to 137 organizations during the Community Foundation’s first-ever giving day, Mohawk Valley Gives, on September 20, 2022.

“We feel incredibly grateful that the Community Foundation has been able to support MTPT’s charitable commitments for the past 15 years, and we are excited to see where this collaboration goes from here,” said Alicia Fernandez Dicks, president/CEO of the Community Foundation. “MTPT represents an important legacy that has carried generations of financial dedication forward into the 21st century, and the community has benefited greatly.” 

The MTPT Fund has supported a number of signature projects throughout the last 15 years, including ICAN’s new Family Resource Center, children’s room renovations at the Utica Public Library, repeated support for Young Scholars’ annual Summer STEAM Program, Masonic Medical Research Institute’s Summer Fellowship Program, and support for numerous education and literacy focused programs.

“The M&T Bank/Partners Trust Bank Charitable Fund is a vital community anchor and the catalyst for many programs that directly impact the day-to-day quality of life for marginalized communities in the Mohawk Valley,” said Danielle Smith, chief executive officer of the UNHS HomeOwnershipCenter. “We thank M&T for being such a great member of the HomeOwnershipCenter’s housing partnership for 15 years and helping to make a real impact in our ability to deliver quality, affordable housing and homeownership opportunities for Mohawk Valley families. Support like M&T ensures that no matter what an individual’s goal is, our team can coach, guide, and support customers through some of their most important decisions.”

Potential grant opportunities are reviewed quarterly by a local advisory committee led by Manzelmann. Other members of the committee include Larry Gilroy, Elizabeth Dugan, Stephen Gorczynski, and Alissa Viti.

To learn more about the M&T Bank/Partners Trust Bank Charitable Fund, visit foundationhoc.org/mtpt.