BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Say Yes Buffalo Endowment campaign got a big boost Thursday thanks to a $1 million pledge from the Rich Family Foundation.
Thanks to an anonymous challenge grant matching $1 for every $3 contributed, Rich's pledge will bring the campaign $1.33 million closer to its ultimate goal of raising $100 million by 2023.
The company's gift, which will be distributed over the next five years, removes financial barriers to thousands of Buffalo public and charter high-school grads looking to earn a certificate, associate's or bachelor's degree.
“Building the next generation of leaders in Buffalo is among Rich Products’ core values, and I can think of no better way to live our purpose than through our ongoing partnership with Say Yes Buffalo,” said Bill Gisel, executive vice chair of Rich Holdings.
“Say Yes has created a path to higher education for so many young people in the Buffalo community, and we are proud to support its critical work not only through funding but through hands-on mentoring.” Say Yes Scholar interns have gained valuable on-the-job experience in various areas at Rich's Buffalo headquarters, from human resources to data analytics. In addition, a number of Rich’s associates have volunteered as Say Yes mentors, working one-on-one with students in the program.
Since its inception in 2012, Say Yes has supported more than 8,000 Buffalo Public Schools students, including more than 2,000 collegebound scholars.
“We are honored to have such a wonderful partner in the Rich Family Foundation,” said David Rust, Say Yes Buffalo’s CEO. “They wholeheartedly support the mission of our organization and have done so for many years. Not only do they support with their financial contributions, they double down by investing an even more valuable resource of time in committing to the nurturing and development of our students through our mentoring and internship programs.
"And it doesn’t stop there, Bill Gisel has made a multi-year commitment to serve on our Board of Directors and is an integral part of our organizational strategy and direction. Our sincerest thanks and appreciation to the Rich Family Foundation for their continued support.”
