The Golisano Foundation was founded in 1985 with an initial gift of $90,000 from Tom Golisano, the founder and Chairman of Paychex. Golisano and his family were determined to ensure that individuals with intellectual disabilities are valued as people who can contribute and be a vital part of our community - as good students, good neighbors and good workers. 

 

Thirty years later the Foundation has become one of the nation's leading private foundations dedicated exclusively to helping people with intellectual disabilities. It has opened doors, changed perceptions, and forged partnerships to provide individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities with pathways to self-sufficiency, personal dignity, and the best possible expression of their abilities and talents throughout their lifetimes.

 

Now with more than $32 million in gross assets the Foundation has awarded more than $19.5 million in grants, about $1.5 million annually, to non-profit organizations primarily in a multi-county region surrounding Rochester, New York serving people of all ages with intellectual disabilities. 

Tom Golisano's giving through his Foundation and to other organizations reached a milestone this year, exceeding a quarter billion dollars ($250,000,000). His generosity has supported colleges and universities, hospitals, international health care for people with intellectual disabilities, and many other causes. While the majority of his giving has been to organizations in Western, New York, the region where he was born and established his business, his giving has also supported organizations in Florida, where Golisano now lives.  And he recently extended his reach on the international stage with a $25 million gift to Special Olympics.