HUD ANNOUNCES SECRETARY'S AWARD TO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR GREATER BUFFALO
HUD and Council on Foundations honor work of Western New York philanthropic organization

NEW YORK - Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), in partnership with the Council on Foundations, named the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo as one of the first 10 winners of a new awards program to recognize community foundations for the excellent work they do along with their public partners in the areas of housing and community development.

The new HUD Secretary's Award for Community Foundations honors community foundations that work closely with the public sector on projects involving housing and neighborhood improvements, education, health and recreation, transportation, community participation, arts and culture, public safety, sustainability, and economic development.

"The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo is leading the way in demonstrating the power and possibilities that open up when a community foundation goes beyond its traditional role as a funder to act also as a convener which facilitates coordination between public, private and governmental organizations and resources together to solve critical community issues," said Mirza Orriols, Acting Regional Administrator for HUD Region II. "Through its leadership on Buffalo's Green and Healthy Homes Initiative (GHHI), more than 30 partners are now coordinating and more effectively delivering services that create safer and more energy efficient housing in one of the country's poorest cities."

"As the lead coordinating agency for GHHI Buffalo the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo is focused on replacing silos with collective action, building on rather than replacing current activities, streamlining processes that are duplicative or burdensome for homeowners, and building a lasting system for coordination of resources and services," said president and CEO Clotilde Perez-Bode Dedecker. "The Community Foundation team is honored to be recognized in this way by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and we share this honor with our Green & Healthy Homes Initiative partners. Together, we truly are changing the lives and a life path for many of our city's most vulnerable."

As a result of the Community Foundation's leadership on this issue, a new and more effective system has been created for braiding resources together to address health and safety issues in low-income homes in Buffalo.

"The 10 awardees, and all our community foundation members, represent lives improved, neighborhoods saved, jobs created, people trained, kids educated, and homes built," said Vikki N. Spruill, president and CEO of the Council on Foundations. "Philanthropy is hard at work investing in America's communities, addressing challenges head on, and innovating for a better future." A jury selected one community foundation from each of HUD's 10 regions. Awards were given to community foundations for completed or ongoing initiatives that are executed in partnership with a local, regional, or federal government agency.

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HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov. You can also follow HUD on Twitter at @HUDnews or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HUD, or sign up for news alerts on HUD's News Listserv.

The Council on Foundations (www.cof.org), formed in 1949, is a nonprofit membership association of grantmaking foundations and corporations. Council members include more than 1,700 independent, operating, community, public and company-sponsored foundations, and corporate giving programs in the United States and abroad. The Council's mission is to provide the opportunity, leadership, and tools philanthropic organizations need to expand, enhance, and sustain their ability to advance the common good.