The John R. Oishei Foundation

02/20/2026

Lessons Learned, led by Aitina Fareed-Cooke and Get Fokus'd Productions, brings creative leaders together to talk planning, process, and project management in the digital storytelling industry — the often unseen work that makes powerful stories possible.

If you’re a storyteller, creative entrepreneur, nonprofit communicator, student, or anyone managing narrative work, this is a conversation worth being part of. Spaces like this help practitioners share knowledge, strengthen relationships, and build sustainable creative ecosystems.

Buffalo, NY — Aitina Fareed-Cooke, The Creative Arts Strategist, Founder of Get Fokus’d Productions and Buffalo’s Poet Laureate, presents Lessons Learned, an ongoing series of conversations with leaders in the creative economy. Produced in collaboration with Get Fokus’d Productions and Villa Maria College, Lessons Learned brings together celebrated voices from digital storytelling and the literary arts to share insights, strategies, and practical advice for thriving in today’s creative marketplace.

Join us Feb 25th at for a panel discussion centered around Planning, Process & Project Management in the Digital Storytelling Industry

Panelists include:

Moderated by

01/06/2026

We’re growing our Community Impact team!

Two new positions are now open at the Oishei Foundation, focused on supporting healing, belonging, and leadership in our community.

Learn more and apply (and please share with your networks): https://oishei.org/news/article:were-hiring-1/

12/16/2025

You’ve been asking where the Oishei Foundation is headed. In this update, we share how we’ve been honoring longtime partnerships, completing our transition effort, and building new internal systems and practices that reflect our commitment to racial equity, relationships, and community power-building.

Read the full post here: https://oishei.org/news/article:behind-the-scenes-with-purpose/

12/12/2025

Many thanks to Kelsey Anderson, host of WIVB/WNLO-TV (Nexstar Media Group)'s Buffalo Brief podcast, for having our president, Christina Orsi, on the show this week!

During their conversation, Christina shared about the Foundation’s history, how our strategic direction is taking shape, and what’s ahead as we deepen our work on community power-building and equity—especially on Buffalo’s East Side.

She also highlighted the WNY Forward Fund, a collaborative effort by 13 funders (including Oishei!) to help strengthen the region’s nonprofit sector.

👉 If your organization is exploring partnerships or shared services, there’s still time to apply—proposals are due today by 4 PM!

👉 Catch the episode here: https://www.wivb.com/video/buffalo-brief-shine-goldoishei-foundation/11341285/

👉 Learn more or apply to the WNY Forward Fund: https://www.cfgb.org/nonprofits/grants/wny-forward-fund/

11/14/2025

Today, we’re proud to join with partners across Western New York to launch the WNY Forward Fund—a collaborative effort designed to strengthen our nonprofit sector during a time of significant federal cuts and shifting priorities.

This multi-year fund supports strategic alliances, shared services, mergers, and other innovative partnerships that can help nonprofits stay strong, stable, and responsive to community needs. It also invests in civic health, access to justice, and impact storytelling—critical pillars of community power.

Nonprofits across all eight WNY counties are invited to apply. Applications for Strategic Alliance grants are open now through December 12. Learn more or start an application at https://www.cfgb.org/community-change/initiatives/wny-forward-fund/.

11/14/2025

Please join us in thanking Dr. Mark J. Scott for nearly four years of dedicated service to the Oishei Foundation and to our community.

Mark has played a meaningful role in advancing equity, strengthening community partnerships, and supporting organizations across Western New York. We are grateful for his leadership, his partnership, and the care he brought to this work.

As Mark now moves into an exciting new chapter as the founder of glidE2, an initiative designed to spark innovation and economic empowerment in Niagara Falls, we wish him the very best and thank him for all he has contributed to the Foundation and to our region.

Special thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate Mark!

📸Kalvin Booker / Through His Lens Photography in collaboration with Get Fokus’d Productions.

09/12/2025

We’re excited to welcome Sonya A. Tareke, MBA, as the newest member of the Oishei Foundation team!

Sonya joins us as Manager of Administration, a key role that supports our operations, executive team, and Board. She brings deep roots in Buffalo’s entrepreneurial and nonprofit communities and a passion for building equity and prosperity, especially on the East Side.

Welcome, Sonya!
https://oishei.org/our-team/profile:sonya-tareke-mba/

📸: Get Fokus'd Productions

09/03/2025

Buffalo Futures is helping young adults in our community connect to good jobs, hands-on training, and the support they need to succeed.

If you’re an employer or training provider, this is a great way to reach young people who are ready to work and grow.

📍 Learn more: buffalofutures.com

08/21/2025

Join our partners at Partnership for the Public Good and add your voice to this timely conversation about how federal cuts are showing up in Buffalo. Hear how local leaders and organizations are pushing back to protect basic services and community well-being.

Thursday, 5:30 PM
Westminster Presbyterian Church, 724 Delaware Ave
Food & fellowship, followed by a community conversation
Register: bit.ly/PPGBuffConvening

Join us for a conversation about how federal cuts are impacting our community's critical programs and services--both right now and in the years ahead. Residents and community groups are welcome to attend.

PPG will start by presenting a new fact sheet on federal cuts and their impacts in Buffalo. Then, we'll share our survey findings about how those cuts are impacting our partners and their work. We will also hear insights from local leaders, and we'll connect with partner organizations that are resisting these cuts and protecting basic services for our communities.

Join us at 5:30pm at Westminster Presbyterian Church at 724 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, for food and fellowship, followed by a brief presentation and community conversation from 6pm-7:30pm.

This event is free and open to the public. Please register here: bit.ly/PPGBuffConvening

08/19/2025

Congratulations to Kaleida Health and thank you for including us in this historic announcement.

“We’re deeply grateful for Mr. Golisano’s extraordinary generosity and what it will mean for the health and well-being of future generations,” said Christina Orsi, president of the John R. Oishei Foundation. “It has been an honor to have our name on the hospital, and we look forward to continuing our work alongside Kaleida, supporting community-led solutions, investing in long-term change, and building on the strength that already exists in our neighborhoods.”

07/25/2025

We’re hiring!

The John R. Oishei Foundation is looking for a Leader of Strategic Communications to shape our voice and drive narrative change rooted in racial equity and community power.

This new leadership role is ideal for a thoughtful communicator who thrives at the intersection of strategy, storytelling, and systems change.

Learn more: https://oishei.org/careers/career:leader-of-strategic-communications/

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