Foundation Support for Neighborhood Legal Services

            Neighborhood Legal Services relies on the generous support of foundations to enhance and expand the legal services we provide to low income people in Erie County, New York. We want to publicly express our gratitude for this support by acknowledging their generosity.

The Margaret L. Wendt Foundation (2001)

$40,000

            In 2001-2002 The Margaret L. Wendt Foundation provided funding to maintain and support the newly created Grandparent Advocacy Project (GAP) throughout 2002 while NLS applied for, and ultimately received, funding from New York State Office of Child and Family Services to continue the advocacy efforts on behalf of grandparents and other relatives who accept custody of their grandchildren and other kin in order to avoid placement in the County Foster Care system.

The Western New York Foundation (2002)

$20,000

            In 2002 The Western New York Foundation provided funding to maintain and support the newly created Grandparent Advocacy Project (GAP) throughout 2002 while we applied for, and ultimately received, funding from New York State Office of Child and Fammily Services to continue the advocacy efforts on behalf of grandparents and other relatives who accept custody of their grandchildren and other kin in order to avoid placement in the County Foster Care system.

The Joy Family Foundation (2001)

$6,000

            In 2001 The Joy Family Foundation funded the development of a manual for the NLS Grandparent Advocacy Project (GAP). The manual is designed to be a legal resource for grandparents and other relatives who accept custody of their grandchildren and other kin in order to avoid placement in the County Foster Care system. The manual is slated for publication in 2003.

The M&T Bank Foundation (2001 and 2002)

$7,500

            In 2001 The M&T Bank Foundation provided funding in the amount of $5,000 to maintain and support the newly created Grandparent Advocacy Project (GAP) while we applied for and ultimately received funding from New York State to continue the advocacy efforts on behalf of grandparents and other relatives who accept custody of their grandchildren and other kin in order to avoid the children's placement in the County Foster Care system.

            In 2002 the M&T Bank Foundation provided funding in the amount of $2,500 to help NLS upgrade its computers.

            In 2003 the M&T Bank Foundation again provided funding in the amount of $2,500 to help NLS upgrade its computers

The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo (2002)

$13,500

            In 2002 The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo www.cfgb.org provided funding to support training, written legal information materials and direct legal representation to low income consumers and community agency advocates on consumer law issues. This funding supplemented a grant from the Erie County Department of Social Services which allowed Neighborhood Legal Services to create the Consumer Law Project which responds to the consumer law needs of low income people, many of whom have recently moved into entry level, low wage employment.

The Novell Corporation and Gifts In Kind (2002)

$22,380

            In 2002 NLS applied to the Novell Corporation through the Gifts In Kind program for software to upgrade our network operating system. A donation of software was received valued at $22,380.

Campaign for Human Development (2001)

$3,000

            The Campaign for Human Development gave NLS $3,000 in 2001 to support the services provided by Project Dandelion not funded by the grant from the Erie County Dept. of Social Services.

Key Foundation (1999 and 2001)

$7,000

            In 1999 the Key Foundation donated $2,000 to NLS to support our services and in 2001 they donated $5,000 for Advocacy Training for Welfare to Work (Project Dandelion).

John R. Oishei Foundation (1999 - 2001)

$44,000

and the
National Association for Public Interest Law

$14,613

            In 1999 the National Association for Public Interest Law and the John R. Oishei Foundation collaborated to provide NLS with a two year fellowship. The attorney fellow planned, created and implemented the Teen Connection Project and the Child Care Provider Project.

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