James H. Cummings Foundation was established to support the philanthropic vision of its namesake. Throughout its 52-year history, the Foundation has aided countless organizations engaged in advancing charitable interests according to the guidelines and policies espoused by Mr. Cummings. Not-for-profit groups in these specific areas may submit a grant application. All such applications will be duly considered by our board of directors, who are dedicated to the fulfillment of the Foundation s mission. We welcome you to contact us with any further questions.
James H. Cummings Admired for his unassuming manner, friendly air, and a quiet generosity, Cummings was dedicated to giving back to the communities he called home.
history James H. Cummings Foundation, Inc. is a charitable, not-for-profit corporation organized in New York State in July 1962 for the purpose of complying with certain directions in the will of its founder and namesake. James H. Cummings was a resident of Buffalo, New York where he owned and operated a pharmaceutical business, American Ferment Company. Routinely spending 14-hour days working at his desk or in the laboratory, Cummings built the company s success around a group of proprietary medicines which carried the trade name, Caroid. With offices and plants in both Buffalo and Toronto, Canada, Mr. Cummings grew strong ties to both cities, but he was just as much at home raising cattle on a farm he owned near Hendersonville, North Carolina. Admired for his unassuming manner, friendly air, and a quiet generosity, he is remembered as a down-to-earth man whose keen interest in medicine inspired those who knew him to call him Dr. Cummings. After selling the pharmaceutical business in 1938, Cummings made it a priority to give back to the communities with which he had grown connected, funding hospital and church construction projects, among other philanthropic undertakings. After his death in 1959, James H. Cummings Foundation was established to carry out the wishes outlined in Mr. Cummings will, continuing the support for charitable interests he had served during his life.
guildlines and policies geographic areas: The Foundation is limited geographically to the following three metropolitan areas: - Buffalo, New York (Erie County) - Hendersonville, North Carolina - Toronto, Ontario, Canada (limited to medical research only) Grant requests for Hendersonville County will be reviewed for September and February cycles. Grant requests from Buffalo, NY will be reviewed for all cycles. Grant requests for the City of Toronto will be reviewed for December and May cycles. impact areas: The Foundation s interests are directed toward not-for-profit organizations actively engaged in the following strategic goals: - To advance post-secondary medical education, medical research and education (Buffalo, Toronto and Hendersonville). - To provide services for vulnerable children (limited to Buffalo and Hendersonville). - To assist aged and infirm persons (limited to Buffalo and Hendersonville). policies: In addition to specific interests and limitations set forth in Mr. Cummings will, the Foundation s Board of Directors has adopted the following additional policies: - Applying organizations must be tax exempt. - Priority is given to capital projects. - Grants are not made to individuals, including scholarship aid or fellowships. - Grants are not made toward salaries, ordinary operating expenses, program costs, deficit financing, contingency reserves or endowments. - Grants are not made to national organizations. - A grant request from any one organization to which payments from a previous grant are outstanding, will not be accepted until the previous grant is paid in full.
Buffalo, New York It s fitting that the charitable organization, James H. Cummings Foundation, calls Buffalo home, just as Cummings himself did for years as a resident of Depew Avenue in the heart of the city.
Hendersonville, North Carolina James Cummings spent long hours in his office and laboratory, but was also very much at home raising cattle on the farm he owned near Hendersonville. His personal ties to that community are carried forth in the work of the Foundation.
Toronto, Ontario Home to one of the American Ferment Company s manufacturing facilities, Cummings developed a connection with Toronto which is reflected in the mission of James H. Cummings Foundation.
grant application overview: - All applications must be submitted through our online process. - For tips, consult our Online Application Guide. - The Directors of the Foundation meet quarterly. - Grant requests for Buffalo, NY will be reviewed for all cycles. - Grant requests for Hendersonville County will be reviewed for October and February cycles. (Scroll for dates) - Grant requests for the City of Toronto will be reviewed for December and May cycles. (Scroll for dates) 2018-2019 key dates & deadlines: LOI open July 16, 2018 LOI due July 30, 2018 Application due August 20, 2018 Board meeting September 26, 2018 LOI open October 1, 2018 LOI due October 15, 2018 Application due November 2, 2018 Board meeting December 11, 2018 LOI open January 2, 2019 LOI due January 14, 2019 Application due February 1, 2019 Board meeting February 27, 2019 LOI open March 18, 2019 LOI due March 29, 2019 Application due April 19, 2019 Board meeting May 22, 2019 follow up / grant approval: - Organization must submit proof of paid expenditures to receive payment of grant. - The Foundation asks the organization to which a grant has been made to submit progress reports that document the expenditures related to the grant, and evaluate the outcomes. Grantee accountability, in this respect, will influence future grant request consideration by the Foundation. APPLY ONLINE For more information, consult our Online Application Guide.
Online Application Guide 1 registration and log-in: - Returning users log on to the system using your e-mail address and the password. Please do not create a second, new user account. There is a system prompt to assist if you need a password reminder. - New users must first register by clicking Create New Account on the Log In page. the registration process: - The registration process has four sections: (1) organization information, (2) your individual user information, (3) executive officer information, and (4) choosing your individual user password. The registration process is straightforward; however, in some cases, it may be more complex when certain factors apply: - Each individual user is linked to a single organization. If you are submitting applications for different organizations, you will need to register separately using a different email address for each organization. For example, you are part-time staff at both Organization A and Organization B. In order to submit an application for both Organizations A and B, you will need to register using one email address for the application from Organization A, and you will need to register using another email address for the application from Organization B. - During the registration process, you cannot save partial information; therefore, you should gather all required information before beginning the registration process. - Your user account ID is your e-mail address.
Online Application Guide 2 updating your registration information: - To update your user information, click on your name at the top right corner of the screen and select Edit Profile from the drop-down menu. - To update your organization s or chief executive officer s information contact Shelley Carter at scarter@adamsfoundation.org. the application page: - After you have registered you will be directed to the Application Page. On the top of the screen you will see Request and two options underneath: - Dashboard (Application Status Page) This screen is your homepage where you can check the status of your grants. This page will display the form you just completed, the status of the form, and the next form in the process. - Apply (Application Page) This screen lists the available grants and is the portal to apply. - You may choose to bookmark the log in website address.
Online Application Guide 3 navigating the online grant management system - Apply for a grant by clicking Apply on the top of the screen. - Manage your grant application by clicking Dashboard in the menu at the top of the screen. The Application Status Page provides information regarding the status of open grant applications. From this page, you can download completed application forms and see the status of an application form you have submitted. If you have saved but not submitted an application form, you must access the form on this page to complete and submit the form. - Manage your awarded grants by clicking Dashboard in the menu at the left side of the screen. The Application Status Page provides information regarding awarded grants. From this page, you can see whether or not a grant has been awarded and complete required follow-up forms for awarded grants. The term follow-up describes an upcoming or pending event such as a report that is due or an upcoming meeting, initiated by the John Rex Endowment.
Online Application Guide 4 uploading files - In general, the acceptable file types for uploading files are: Microsoft Word; Excel and Adobe PDF (PDF) files. - Only one file can be uploaded per question. Multiple documents must be combined into one file and then uploaded. - If the document(s) that need to be attached to your form are not electronic or you need to combine multiple documents into a single file, our online system gives you the option to Fax to File. The easy-to-use tool will convert documents from hard copy to digital format as a PDF file. 1. Click Fax to File in the menu at the left side of the screen and read the instructions. 2. Select Request a Fax number ; a toll-free number will appear on the page. 3. Load a document, or multiple documents that need to be consolidated into one file, into your fax machine. 4. Dial the toll-free number. Send a separate fax for each individual file you wish to create. 5. Select Finished Faxing when you are done and to see your list of files.
Online Application Guide 5 online system tips, things to know - The character counter includes spaces as well as characters. - A user will be automatically logged out of the online system after 90 minutes of inactivity. The user will receive a warning message at 80 minutes of the pending time out. Working on a form without saving does not count as activity. - Please remember to regularly save your work. The system will auto save every 20 minutes. - You may choose to prepare your response in a document outside of the online system (e.g. Microsoft Word) and then copy and paste the text into the online form. If you prepare your application in this way, be sure to keep track of character limits. As noted above, character limits include spaces and characters. We recommend that you do not use formatting tools, as available in Microsoft Word, because the formatting will likely not transfer to the response area when pasted into the online system. - It is advisable to download copies of all submitted forms to your computer. - If you do not provide an answer for one of the required questions, you will not be able to submit your application. - If your PDF upload file exceeds the maximum file size, consider using the Adobe Acrobat option to Reduce File Size (look at the options in Document). - Remember to click Submit Form when you are finished. - Once your application has been submitted it is no longer available for editing. If you need to make a correction to a submitted form, contact Erin McKendry at emckendry@jameshcummings.com
board of directors Charles F. Kreiner, Jr. President Christopher T. Greene Vice President William L. Joyce Treasurer Richard C. Bryan, Jr Amy L. Clifton Theodore I. Putnam, MD
contact 120 West Tupper Street, Suite 201 Buffalo, New York 14201 telephone: (716) 874-0040 fax: (716) 854-2659 email Erin: emckendry@jameshcummings.com Member of Western New York Grantmakers Association