The Cullen Foundation of Western New York
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The Cullen Foundation of Western New York funds Pre-K–12 education and performing arts work for the benefit of Erie County residents, so charities outside that focus or area are unlikely to find a fit.
- Most grants to organisations fall between $6,850 and $84,000, with a median of $25,000, so a request in that range is realistic, though specific programmes have their own bands: the Responsive Grant – Performing Arts runs $5,000–$125,000 and the Performing Arts Action Grant is capped at $7,500.
- The process is described as competitive, weighing fiscal health, sustainability and impact, and for performing arts grants audience attendance is strongly weighted.
- Before submitting an LOI or application, organisations must have a pre-LOI call with a Cullen staff member, and the open responsive grant cycles recur twice each year, beginning in January and July.
- Some 83% of grant dollars went to organisations also funded the previous year, so relationships matter, and those seeking funding for individual schools, programmes serving students from only one school, arts education programmes, galas, conferences, travel, or expenses already incurred should note these fall outside what it funds.
Overview
The Cullen Foundation of Western New York is a US private foundation based in Buffalo, NY.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Foundation funds education and performing arts to benefit Erie County residents. Its education investments support supplemental academic programmes serving underserved Pre-K to grade 12 pupils, with a focus on high-dosage, evidence-based provision, direct academic outcomes and economically disadvantaged students; supported programmes must serve pupils from multiple schools. In performing arts, it supports music, dance, singing and theatre, prioritising organisations whose primary focus is community performances. Its grant process is competitive and weighs applicants’ fiscal health, sustainability and impact; audience attendance is strongly weighted in performing arts grant-making.
Themes
- Pre-K–12 education
- Performing arts
Geographic Focus
Priority: Erie County.
What They Don't Fund
- Expenses already incurred
- Funding that overlaps with an existing grant from the Cullen Foundation
- Partisan political activity
- Specific events including galas, luncheons and fundraising events, conferences, or travel opportunities including those hosted by or to benefit local education and/or performing arts groups
- Supplemental Academic Programs only: Recreational camps; Recreation-based programs without strong academic learning opportunities that meet our stage criteria; Internship programs; Drop-in centers; Education resource rooms; Museum exhibits; Professional development programs and services; Field trip funds and programs; Workforce development and job training programs; Transportation requests; Arts education programs; Requests from Individual schools; Requests for programs that serve students from only one school; Individual scholarships other than those provided by the Cullen Scholars program
- Responsive Grant - Performing Arts only: Arts education programs; Art therapy programs; Sponsorships including galas, fundraising events, conferences, and travel opportunities; Programs and events with a performing arts component that are hosted by organizations that are NOT members of the performing arts sector; Activities of organizations serving primarily their own membership
How to apply
Before filling out an LOI or application, organisations must have a pre-LOI call with a Cullen staff member.
Deadlines: The open responsive grant cycles recur twice each year: the winter cycle begins in January and the summer cycle begins in July.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 83% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 223 grants to organisations were $25,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- The Foundation assesses Supplemental Academic Programs applicants using the ESSA tiers of evidence for fit and alignment with its goals.
- Programs with stronger evidence of effectiveness have access to a larger funding pool.
- The Foundation considers an applicant organisation’s fiscal health, sustainability and impact; audience attendance is strongly weighted for performing arts grants.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
2 other states: 1%
- The largest single recipient received 11% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 83% of grant dollars went to organisations The Cullen Foundation of Western New York had funded in earlier filings.
- <1% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (Canada).
- <1% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 121 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $28,700 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- TNTP · Gen op: buffalo urban teaching fellows prgm$400,0002024 tax year
- Say Yes Buffalo Scholarship · Program support: 2024 say yes summer camp$325,0002024 tax year
- Education Collaborative Of Wny · Cullen scholars 2024-2025 tuition support$213,0502024 tax year
- BRICK Education Network · Brick buffalo academy charter school start up funds$200,0002024 tax year
- Chapin Hall Center for Children · 2024-25 external evaluation of cullen sap grantees$149,5332024 tax year
- Buffalo Commons Charter School · Buffalo commons early literacy curriculum$115,8842024 tax year
- BRICK Education Network · Early literacy program curriculum at brick buffalo$111,7902024 tax year
- Persistence Preparatory Academy Charter School · Letrs training; teachers pd; leadership development$101,9002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Caitlin Corr Reilly — Director
- Ramone Alexander — Director
- Roger B Simon — Director
- Warren B Gelman — Secretary
- Charles W Chiampou CPA JD — Treasurer
- Michael R McGee — Chairman
- Florine Luhr — President
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $0 | $0 | $0 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $10,470,551 | $5,034,514 | $133,578,982 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $9,873,599 | $5,188,072 | $137,133,628 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
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At a glance
Applying to The Cullen Foundation of Western New York?
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Applying to The Cullen Foundation of Western New York?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required