| Standard Application 2018 |
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| Introduction | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The First Niagara Foundation accepts grant applications continuously throughout the year. Our Board of Directors meets three times annually to review applications. All applications must be submitted online through our online grant system. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
We strongly encourage all applicants to review the information on our website prior to beginning the application process to determine if your organization fits our requirements. Once your application is submitted, Foundation staff will review your proposal and contact you with feedback. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Medaille College | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Phone | 716-880-2475 | | | Website Address | www.medaille.edu | | | Mission Statement | The mission of Medaille College is to educate and develop empowered individuals for academic achievement, career success and civic engagement, thereby contributing to a healthy, diverse democracy. | | | Brief History of Organization | With locations in Buffalo, Rochester, and online, Medaille College is a private, four-year college committed to serving the higher education needs of Western New York and the world and preparing our students for tomorrow's workforce. | Known for its flexible delivery systems, the College offers associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees through day, evening, weekend and online programs taught by leaders not only in education, but in their industries. The College traces its roots to 1875, when the Sisters of Saint Joseph founded an institute for the preparation of teachers. In 1937, the Sisters received a charter from New York State to grant baccalaureate degrees in education to women in religious orders, and the institute was named Mount Saint Joseph Teachers College. In 1968, the Sisters of St. Joseph, led by Alice Huber, SSJ, Ph.D., initiated a change in the charter that would create a co-educational college. New York State issued the charter and Medaille College -- named after Father Jean Pierre Medaille, founder of the Sisters of St. Joseph -- was born. Granted by the Board of Regents, this charter established the College as an independent institution governed by a self perpetuating Board of Trustees. Medaille experienced significant growth in the 1970s, and student enrollment has increased ever since. During the 1980s and 1990s, the College strengthened programs and services for a growing and diverse student body. In 1991, the College implemented a residence program, attracting students from across New York State and Southern Ontario. Three years later, the Kevin I. Sullivan Campus Center opened, offering students a setting for dining, recreational and co-curricular activities. With the Trbovich Alumni Tower welcoming all visitors, the Sullivan Center serves as home to the Mavericks' men's and women's National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III sports programs, which have experienced tremendous success in their short histories. Major capital investments have enhanced students' learning opportunities and access to support services while encouraging a vibrant student life experience. With two residence halls, technologically enhanced classrooms, academic programs that integrate liberal and pre-professional learning and practical problem solving, and an array of extra- and co-curricular opportunities, the campus has evolved into a vital learning environment within the historic Olmsted Crescent of Buffalo. In the late 1990s, Medaille became a pioneer in accelerated learning formats for adult learners, with classes that provide flexible delivery systems for working adults and Canadian students that accelerate their careers. Adult and graduate programs are taught at both the Buffalo and Rochester campuses and provide learning formats, classrooms, study space, a library, and a range of student support services tailored specifically for adults. In 2010, Medaille initiated its online degree programs, providing a high quality Medaille education to the region and the world. The number of online degree programs continues to grow. Now, with many offered both online and in the classroom, Medaille provides tremendous flexibility for busy students. In the fall of 2011, the College completed a construction project that doubled the size of Huber Hall with a new Student Success Center that integrates academic and student support services under one roof. The Student Success Center provides fully integrated services for individualized attention and improved achievement. Campus expansion continued and, in September 2012, Medaille opened the new Events Arena in the Sullivan Center with a 3,000-square-foot fitness center, sports and event space, new locker rooms, student meeting spaces and more. In 2018, the Medaille College Athletic Hall of Fame inducted its inaugural class of honorees. Intercollegiate sports have been essential to the Medaille experience for more than 20 years, and it was time to permanently honor history's finest Mavericks athletes, coaches and contributors. The school also completed Phase I of construction on its new sports complex, the construction of a soccer field, which will serve as the home for the Medaille Mavericks men’s and women’s soccer and lacrosse programs. The goal of the final complex is to become the college’s home field for athletic practices and competitions for its men’s and women’s baseball, softball, soccer, lacrosse, and field hockey teams. Construction on this project will be completed by August 2021. Medaille's annual operating budget is approximately $38 million, and the College has an economic impact on the community that exceeds $147 million. The College has nearly 85 full-time and more than 250 part-time faculty members. Approximately 2,200 students are currently enrolled. The growth of Medaille College throughout its history has been guided by a commitment to being the "college of opportunity" for its students. As the College continues to innovate and respond to the higher education needs of the 21st Century, it embraces this ethos even more, and has set a strategic direction that seeks to extend and deepen what "opportunity" means for both its students and the community in which they live and learn. | | Services Offered: Provide a summary of the origanization's services. | Medaille is a private, four-year college, that serves both traditional and nontraditional students. Currently, Medaille offers one Doctoral degree, 11 Master’s degrees, 17 Bachelor’s degrees, five Associate degrees, and four Certificate programs. | |
Contact Information
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| Prefix | Mr. | | |
| Title | VP of Community Relations | | | Primary Phone | 716-880-2879 | | | E-mail | jpc334@medaille.edu | | | Organization CEO/President | | If different from above contact | | | | | | Prefix | Dr. | | |
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Grant Information
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| Program/Project Title | | Provide a title that gives specific purpose of grant | | Medaille College Summer Scholars Program | | |
| Request Amount | 25000 | | | Brief Request Summary | | Provide a brief description for the purpose of this request. | | Medaille College respectfully requests $25,000 to sponsor twenty-five students in its redesigned four-week Summer Scholars Program, participation in which will help them succeed in their freshman year at the College. | The Summer Scholars Program is part of Medaille's robust student success program, through which the College extends the opportunity of higher education to those students who may not be able to attend other four-year colleges in Western New York. Medaille is committed to continually expanding its understanding of the risks and protections that students bring and continues to strengthen its academic support systems to meet the growing needs of its diverse population. The program has a low per-student cost of $1,050 and has shown to have a tremendous impact, building off of existing programming to better prepare incoming disadvantaged, underprepared students for a successful college experience. The intent of the program is to improve college readiness for students before they begin their first semester at Medaille, as well as, to better prepare them for future careers. The vast majority of students to be served by the Summer Scholars Program are provisionally admitted to the College, meaning the student does not meet all admissions criteria as defined by faculty. Students participate in level-appropriate math, reading, and writing sessions to build skills necessary for college-level coursework. The program provides one-hour instructional sessions in each content area four days per week. Additional workshops and activities build and strengthen important skills such as goal setting, self-discipline, critical thinking, team building, and time management. To hone the skills learned in these workshops, students also participate in a community service project and a creativity day involving photography, poetry, painting, drawing, and other media. In addition, there are local field trips to explore the history and economic development in the area, as well as, a peer mentor component with select students from previous years’ summer scholars programs. These mentor relationships help students develop relationships and better navigate their first year in college. We will additionally provide a career mentoring day to connect students with alumni and other friends of the college who will help them with career expectations. In addition, fifty of the participants will be able to provide income for themselves and their families, as Buffalo Mayor's Interns, while attending the summer program. Students will also be eligible to enroll in one three-credit course tuition free. Courses offered include public speaking and introductory psychology. Where possible, courses will be taught by full time faculty members. | | Statement of Need | | Describe the problem that this project/program will attempt to address. | | Medaille’s Summer Scholars Program is part of Medaille's robust student success program, through which the College extends the opportunity of higher education to those students who may not be able to attend other four-year colleges in Western New York. This project addresses several challenges facing both the students served, as well as, the City of Buffalo as a whole. | The first challenge is to increase access to quality education to citizens of Buffalo's underprivileged neighborhoods. The chronic stress of poverty is shown to reduce motivation and creativity, impair concentration, and increase apathy, among other negative consequences. These individuals are often weighed down by heavy demands and limited resources, and miss out on educational and career opportunities. Students from this population often require extra support, given the correlation between poverty and low academic achievement. Another challenge is to develop Buffalo's workforce to meet future needs in terms of education and job-preparedness. According to the NYS Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, it’s estimated that in Buffalo, over the next 10 years, 165,000 new jobs will be created. An estimated 64% of them will require employees to have a post-secondary credential of some kind. Currently only 24% of adults in Buffalo have four-year college degrees. With such a large gap between these numbers, Buffalo will need to further educate its population to meet the growing needs of its job force. College enrollments are generally declining, however, increasing the need to fill the current "gaps" in areas where higher education can be achieved. The third challenge is Community Development. To bridge the income disparity and decrease poverty levels throughout the City of Buffalo, it is imperative that we look at long-term solutions to decrease the poverty level in Buffalo, the fourth poorest city in the United States. The final challenge is related to Mentoring, to increase the number of positive role models/mentors for low-income students. As many students from underserved backgrounds are first-generation students, there are a limited number of individuals from this population who have completed their degrees, making it difficult for students to find a mentor or role model to relate to. | | Which of First Niagara's four focus areas does your request address? | Education | | | Program/Project Impact | | Describe what you plan to accomplish with awarded grant and how your target population and/or community will benefit as a result. | | The Summer Scholars Program focuses on better preparation for incoming disadvantaged, under-prepared students for successful college experience. In addition to math, reading, and writing courses, there are local field trips to explore the history and economic development in the area, as well as, a peer mentor component with select students from previous years’ summer scholars programs. | Again, the intent of the program is to improve students’ college readiness before beginning their first semester at Medaille, as well as, to better prepare them for future careers. The vast majority of students served by the program are provisionally admitted to the College, meaning the student does not meet all admissions criteria as defined by faculty. While these students have the highest need, they also represent the biggest transformational opportunity for the region. Medaille plays a unique and vital role in Buffalo's higher education landscape. Recognized as "Buffalo's College," one third of Medaille's freshman class, in any given year, hails from some of the poorest neighborhoods in the City of Buffalo. Sixty percent of these students are admitted provisionally with an SAT score of approximately 790, and many with no other four-year college option. The average adjusted gross income for the families of our provisionally admitted students is approximately $32,000. As a result of working so closely with underrepresented students, Medaille understands how to meet their specific needs and prepare them for success both inside and outside the college classroom. Both quantitative and qualitative results demonstrate that Medaille's programs produce positive outcomes for low-income, first-generation, and disadvantaged students, especially first-time freshmen. This program will also support Workforce Development, as it will better prepare students coming from under-served backgrounds for future, life sustaining jobs. With such a large gap between the estimated 165,000 future jobs that will require higher education (64%), and the number of adults in Buffalo who possess four-year degrees (24%), Buffalo will need to further educate its population to meet the growing needs of its job force. Medaille strongly believes that the education of the future workforce will increase employability, rectifying this issue long-term, and growing Buffalo's economy. Medaille College is striving to fill these educational gaps and enabling students who otherwise would not be able to, to attend college, by contributing an estimated $1.5 million each year in institutional funding, via full tuition scholarships, to Buffalo/Say Yes students whose family income is less than $75,000. The percentage of Say Yes students comprising the incoming first-time freshman class at Medaille, approximately 30-35%, is typically the largest ratio of any four-year school in Western New York. Further education of this population better prepares Buffalo's workforce to fulfill the demand that these future jobs present. Medaille College's long-term goal is that of Community Development, which is made clear in the school's mission: "...to educate and develop empowered individuals for academic achievement, career success and civic engagement, thereby contributing to a healthy, diverse democracy." Buffalo is currently the fourth poorest city in the United States. Medaille considers projects that develop the educational skills of underserved populations to be a community investment, lowering the income disparity that is clear throughout the region by increasing the diversity of our workforce. Medaille is of the belief that an increased level of higher education for lower-income populations in the city can aid in a long-term approach to reversing this negative trend. With hard work and the help of the services offered at Medaille, this educational opportunity can mean a great deal to someone's future. When a provisionally admitted student graduates and gets a job in their industry, they can double their family income, further adding to the growth and well-being of Buffalo neighborhoods and families. Dual participation in Mayor Brown's Summer Youth Program allows a small population of Summer Scholars students to also earn a stipend while gaining valuable internship experience. In an effort to allow students the best chance to find success at Medaille College, many routes of communication and mentorship have been created. Selected graduates from previous Summer Scholars Programs will mentor incoming students in the program. Through its Pathways Program, which is a full-year extension of the Summer Scholars Program, Medaille is extremely focused on Mentoring and connecting students to the supports they need. Whether through peer mentors, academic coaches, individual Pathways Coach, or the Academic Support Staff, the program tailors supports to the individual student, allowing them student the freedom to identify the learning methods that work best for them. In addition to the Summer Scholars Program, Medaille's current complement of student support programs account for different levels of academic achievement and help students adjust to the college environment, including Say Yes Scholarships, The First Year Experience, The Pathways Program, Supplemental Instruction (SI) labs, on-campus mental health services, the Academic Support Center, and the Academic Advisement Center. Results from the Summer Scholars Program demonstrate positive outcomes for low-income, first-generation, and disadvantaged students. More than fifty percent of incoming Medaille freshman in 2017, for example, were admitted provisionally, with low SAT scores and few college options. Ninety-one percent of those who attended the Summer Scholars Program continued their studies into their second semester, significantly higher than the 74 percent continuation rate for similar students who did NOT attend the program, placing Summer Scholars participants one step closer to completion of a college degree than many of their peers. With funding for Summer Scholars and other academic success programs, our goal is to retain 50 additional students per year who otherwise would not have made it through college. Additional tuition revenue derived from these students (through state and federal student aid) will make our student success programs self-sustaining in a few years. In turn, this ensures that more local, disadvantaged students will attend a college that puts their needs first and develops them into empowered individuals. | | Population Served | | Describe the population that will be served by this grant. Include the number and demographic you will serve in the Western New York area. | | Summer Scholars is a 4 week intensive program intended for incoming Medaille freshmen who place into a developmental English or Math course based on their entrance exam scores or academic records from high school. The goal is to serve 50 students during the 2019 program. | This population of students tends to struggle with the transition from high school to college, and benefits from an intentional and rigorous structure that helps them to navigate the expectations of college. | | What percentage of the population is economically disadvantaged? | 75 | | | Measuring Project/Program Success | | Describe how you will confirm that you have achieved your intended impact to your target population. How do you plan to measure this impact and evaluate your success? | | The goal of the Summer Scholar's Program is to improve college readiness, for incoming disadvantaged, under-prepared students for successful college experience. | Program success is measure based on both on staff's informal and on-going assessment of the program, as well as, survey data and feedback from students. | | Collaboration | | If you intend to partner with any other parties or service providers for this project/program please provide a list and give a detailed description of how you will collaborate. | | City of Buffalo - while attending the Summer Scholars program, attendees will be able to provide income for themselves and their families by also participating in the Buffalo Mayor’s Summer Youth program. | Say Yes Buffalo - the vast majority of attendees will be Say Yes scholars and be provisionally admitted to Medaille. Medaille is the leader in the Say Yes Buffalo higher education compact. Medaille commits its own institutional funds, approximately $1.5 million annually, to provide tuition scholarships to an unlimited number of Buffalo Public and Charter School graduates. It should be noted that these scholarships are not paid for, or reimbursed, by Say Yes. Medaille also works with a variety of social services agencies, including Catholic Charities, Bestself Behavioral Health, and ABC Learn & Play Day Care, for referrals and additional support, as needed, to help students while in school. Medaille College's internal support programs include: • The First Year Experience program supplements in-classroom activities by enhancing communication between first-year students, their guardians, and the college. This program includes structured peer mentoring, study halls, a regular newsletter, and a speaker series. • The Pathways Program focuses on increasing retention by connecting at-risk students to appropriate support systems, peer mentors, and academic coaches. • Supplemental Instruction (SI) labs, manned by graduate assistants and professional tutors, help students succeed in remedial English and other courses that have proven difficult. • Medaille's on-campus mental health services and trauma-informed employees support the challenged student population. • Medaille's non-cognitive assessment of incoming students identifies the best points of intervention for each individual student. • Academic Support Center provides an environment in which students can get extra help, study for a test, work on a class assignment, or enhance basic academic and study skills. • The Academic Advisement Center staff work cooperatively with students and other offices to provide the direction and support students need and resolve any issues that may impede their academic success. | | Additional Project/Program Information | | Provide any additional information about the project for which you are seeking funding that will be helpful in evaluating your request. | | For the purposes of this grant, the 75 percent estimate related to economically disadvantaged individuals is based on the number of students receiving the maximum Federal Pell Grant, substantiating financial need. | Financial support from the First Niagara Foundation, along with funds provided by like-minded individuals and organizations, will propel support systems that have a proven track record of success. Through this contribution, Medaille will be able to maintain and expand the Summer Scholars Program that assists at-risk students before their first semester in college. Again, the vast majority of attendees will be Say Yes scholars and be provisionally admitted to Medaille. Medaille commits its own institutional funds, approximately $1.5 million annually, to provide tuition scholarships to an unlimited number of Buffalo Public and Charter School graduates. These scholarships are not paid for, or reimbursed, by Say Yes. With funding for Summer Scholars and other academic success programs, our goal is to retain 50 additional students per year who otherwise would not have made it through college. The Summer Scholars Program has been funded in the past as part of Medaille's full complement of student support services. These programs have been supported by The John R. Oishei Foundation, Lumina Foundation, Say Yes Buffalo, as well as by Federal Title III and IV grants. While funding for much of the student support services is secured for the next few years, there is no funding in place for the Summer Scholars Program component in 2019 and beyond. As we scale this effort up to serve many more students and further increase our retention and graduation rates, the support of community partners is critical. With this in mind, Medaille is in the process of developing and submitting funding requests to donors and other local and national foundations as well, including the Chur Family Foundation and Peter C. Cornell Trust. |
Funding Information
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| Total Project Budget | 52500 | | | Previous First Niagara Foundation Funding | | Has your organization received funding from First Niagara Foundation in the past? If so, please explain. | | Medaille College has received a total of $68,700 in funding from First Niagara. This includes: | • $200 in 1994 • $500 in 1996 • $20,000 in 2001 • $20,000 in 2002 • $500 in 2003 • $2,500 in 2015 • $25,000 in 2017 • $25,000 in 2018 | | Previous KeyBank Funding | | Has your organization received funding from KeyBank or KeyBank Foundation in the past? If so, please explain. | | Medaille College has received a total of $82,640 in funding from KeyBank. This includes: | • $5,000 in 1991 • $1,000 in 1992 • $1,500 in 1994 • $1,000 in 2001 • $50,000 in 2003 • $1,000 in 2004 • $3,500 in 2005 • $2,000 in 2007 • $2,000 in 2009 • $2,500 in 2010 • $2,650 in 2011 • $2,675 in 2012 • $2,500 in 2013 • $3,000 in 2014 • $2,315 in miscellaneous donations from 1977-2018 | | Other Program/Project Contributors | | Please indicate other funders that your organization has approached and/or secured for this program/project and the amounts requested and/or pledged by each. | | $10,000 secured from individual donors | $10,000 requested from Peter C. Cornell Trust $6,000 requested from Chur Family Foundation | | Use of Funds | | Please estimate the percentage of this grant that will be utilized for your organization's administrative costs. | | 8% | | | Funding to Other Organizations | | Does your organization provide funding to other charitable organizations, governments or groups? If yes, please specify what types of organizations and how the funds are assigned and distributed. | | n/a | |
Attachments
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| Applicant Organization's IRS Tax Exemption Letter | IRS 501 (c)(3).pdf | | | Most Recent Financial Statements | | Prepared by CPA (dated and signed) or an internally prepared financial statement. | | 2018 FS - Final.pdf | | | Annual Budget | | Organization's total budget including expense breakdown. | | 06 2018-19 Master Budget.pdf | | | Program/Project Budget | | Specific to the program/project for which you are seeking funding. | | SummerScholarsProgrambudget2019.pdf | | | List of Applicant Organization's Board of Directors | | Include names and affiliations | | Board of Trustees Contact List 2018-19.pdf | | | Supporting Program/Project Documentation | | This may include: available levels of program/project funding, organization's media plan for program/project, any media and exposure requirements, etc. | | | | Executive Summary | | Please include the Executive Summary of current proposal on organization letterhead, signed by the Executive Director and Chair of the Board. This document should not exceed one page. | | SummerScholarsExecutive Summary.pdf | | | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
