The John Ben Snow Foundation is a private foundation that focuses funding for tax-exempt organizations primarily serving Central New York. The Board and Program Staff seek to collaboratively create proposals within specific program areas (prioritized below and visually depicted here) while responding to the changing needs of targeted populations, especially to the needs of youth and people who are disadvantaged economically, emotionally, or physically.

Primary Focus Area:  Dating back to the inception of the Foundation in 1948, the primary and overarching grant making priority has been and continues to be programs that focus on education.

• Education: Targets funds to organizations that provide educational opportunities or academic assistance to individuals who demonstrate an intellectual aptitude and a financial need. Examples include scholarships, fellowships, academic tutoring or counseling, literacy, and journalism.

Secondary Focus Areas:  Secondarily, the Foundation considers proposals within the areas of Arts and Culture, Community Initiatives, and Youth Programs. The Board’s objective is to extend the primary educational focus by providing funding support within these additional program areas.

• Arts and Culture: Offers grants that promote arts education and appreciation, particularly for young adults, via the development of educational curriculum and professional instruction including visiting artists and performance support for targeted populations.
• Community Initiatives: Provides funding for programs or services that directly improve the quality of life within Central New York. Examples include support for libraries, food pantries and shelters, and neighborhood revitalization. Generally, the Foundation does not seek proposals for health care initiatives or animal welfare programs.
• Youth Programs: Offers grants that provide character education or enrichment opportunities via mentoring or after-school programming. Generally, the Foundation does not solicit proposals for short-term summer camps.

Tertiary Focus Areas:  As a third priority, the Foundation does consider proposals in the areas of Disabilities and Universal Access, Environmental, and Historic Preservation. As these are not core focus areas, funding is often limited. Priority will be given to proposals with an educational focus.

• Disabilities and Universal Access: Offers grants to organizations in complying with ADA requirements within their facilities (e.g. elevator, handrails, automatic doors, and ramps) or offering services targeted for individuals with physical, mental, or emotional disabilities.
• Environmental: Provides funds for organizations that strive to protect strategic parcels of land and bodies of water as well as programs that educate the general public on key environmental issues such as conservation and water management.
• Historic Preservation: Provides funding for organizations that preserve historical artifacts (e.g. sites, structures, objects) and accounts (e.g. events), and educate the greater community on their significance. Examples include museums, historical societies and educational programming.

Geographic Focus:  The Foundation focuses funding in Central New York defined as Onondaga County and its four surrounding counties of Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, and Oswego.

It is the Foundation’s general policy to give preference to proposals seeking funds for new or enhanced programs, one-time, short-term grants to sustain a program until funding is stabilized, matching grants used to encourage the participation of other donors, and “last dollars” towards a capital campaign.

The Foundation will not accept proposals from individuals or for-profit organizations. Additionally, the Foundation does not encourage proposals from religious organizations, government agencies, or proposals for endowments, contingency funding, or debt reduction. There are no minimums or maximum grant amounts; however, most grants range from $5,000 to $10,000.

For additional information regarding the Foundation's past grants, please refer to our Annual Reports as well as Foundation Maps.

• Jonathan Snow, President
• David Snow, Vice-President and Treasurer
• Emelie Williams, Secretary
• Angus Burton
• Marion Hancock Fish
• Valerie MacFie
• Keegan Snow

• Elizabeth Snow, Grants Manager