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. 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. 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. 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.
