Through adversity, we rise. Through tragedy, we unite.
Together, we build, grow, and stand stronger than ever.
Our Purpose
On May 14, 2022, a tragic massacre occurred on the East Side of Buffalo, taking 10 Black lives and injuring 3 people. This incident highlighted the long history of structural racism and segregation that made the East Side a target. In response, community leaders vowed to act as pattern-shifters, healers, and agents of racial justice and change.
The Buffalo Together Community Response Fund (BTCRF) was formed in the aftermath of the massacre to work towards a more just and equitable community. Initially a collaboration of 14 local funding organizations, BTCRF raised $6.3 million and provided emergency response grants totaling $655,000 to 86 community-based organizations serving the East Side.

The remaining $6.1 million was designated for creating a long-term community investment strategy to address systemic issues on the East Side. Two co-chairs were appointed to lead this process: Dr. LaVonne Ansari and Thomas Beauford, Jr. They assembled a steering committee representative of the community and hired Rainbow Research to facilitate the process of identifying critical issues and developing potential solutions.
Our work addresses conditions resulting from long-standing structural racism and lack of investment that have harmed communities of color and blocked investment in East Side neighborhoods. With local residents leading the effort, we expect to turn the remaining funds into long-term initiatives to support and lift the neighborhoods east of Main Street.
Progress to date
December 2023 – May 2024: The Buffalo Together Community Response Fund Steering Committee is diligently and thoughtfully working in partnership with Rainbow Research to develop a community investment strategy that is grounded in community engagement and will drive intentional development that cultivates ownership and creates generational wealth for current East Side residents. A listening and learning process of this scope and scale takes time, and it is important to remember that the steering committee members are continuing to process their own trauma as they develop this critical investment roadmap with the intention of sharing the strategy with the community in mid-2024.
