Press Release: Allegany-Cattaraugus​-Chautauqua Fund for Women

Alfred Station, NY, September 7, 2017 - Announcing the formation and launch of the Allegany-Cattaraugus-Chautauqua Fund for Women (ACC-FFW), a fund managed by the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation.  The fund, unique to the tri-county area, has been established to provide financial assistance, and open doors for women who seek continued betterment in their lives.

As the fund grows through philanthropic efforts, annual applications will be accepted for individual and agency grants. This will be a compelling opportunity for those women who are seeking sustained self-sufficiency through continued education, career development, small business development, etc. This important endeavor will help to address poverty rates, which are above the state and national level in all 3 counties:

2015	US	New York State	Allegany County	Cattaraugus County	Chautauqua County
% living in poverty	15.5%	15.7%	16.9%	18.3%	18.9%
% of families with female heads of household and children present living in poverty	36.5%	38.4%	48.8%	41.3%	49.4%
Sources:  New York State Annual Poverty Report by New York State Community Action Association, National Women’s Law Center

Planned fundraising events to help grow the fund in the next 6-12 months include:  poinsettia sale Oct / Nov 2017, Women’s Leadership Conference Mar 2018, Mother’s Day campaign May 2018.

About ACC-FFW:

The ACC-FFW was established in 2017 to combat poverty in the three county area by providing women the opportunity to seek financial assistance for long-term self-improvement and by promoting philanthropy by and for women.