Published Janaury, 2025
This year, The Gifford Foundation welcomes two new board members. Get to know Mariella Canady-Towns and Lenora Joyner-Hayes.
Mariella Canady-Towns is the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Coach at
Platinum Reine Solutions. She is an executive leader with over 20 years of experience in marketing, philanthropy, and organizational development. Mariella channels her expertise into empowering organizations and individuals through leadership development, strategic planning, and innovative solutions. Her roles have included Chief Philanthropy Officer at the YMCA and senior leadership positions in marketing and operations. Mariella mentors youth, leaders, and entrepreneurs and has substantial experience with board governance training and community advocacy.
Lenora Joyner-Hayes is an Accounting Specialist at Upstate Department of Medicine. She has 20 years of financial experience ranging from payroll management, grant billing, financial reporting, and cash management. Her greatest passions are strengthening, encouraging, inspiring, and impacting marriages, families, youth, and community. She is dedicated to making her community a better and safer place for children by helping them reach their potential and see beyond their environment.
The Sowing Project: Mending Trauma and Forming Bonds
Published January, 2025Gifford’s support of The Sowing Project exemplifies the transformative impact of the “What If…” Mini Grant program. Designed to empower Syracuse residents to address community needs, the program provides small grants to bring meaningful ideas to...
Nourish Syracuse: Cultivating Change
Published January, 2025According to the Food Bank of Central New York, nearly 180,000 people in their 11-county service area are food insecure. That’s 180,000 people who—by the US Department of Agriculture's measure—lack access to enough nutritionally adequate foods...
Syracuse STEM NSBE in Action: Encouraging Future Innovators
Published January, 2025Here in Syracuse, there’s an effort underway to ignite young minds, expand horizons, and empower the next generation of innovators. Syracuse STEM National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), led by local educator and counselor Mark Mason, is...
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