COMMUNITY
IMPACT

By promoting engaged philanthropy, The Findley Lake Community Fund helps strengthen the greater Findley Lake region for generations of residents and visitors.

The Fund connects people who care deeply about Findley Lake with opportunities to support local organizations, community priorities and projects that preserve and enhance the character of the region. Through partnership with The Erie Community Foundation and recommendations from the local advisory board, the Fund supports efforts that contribute to a vibrant, safe and welcoming community.

As the Fund continues to grow, so too will its ability to respond to emerging opportunities and support projects that improve quality of life throughout the greater Findley Lake area.

Community Connections at Findley Lake has been providing services to community residents for over ten years. These services encourage independence and allow residents to remain in their own homes in our community as they grow older.

A recent planning process and community survey identified a lack of senior housing as a need to give aging residents the option to remain in this community near family and friends as they age. If given the opportunity, older adults tend to choose to age in community.

In early 2024, the Findley Lake Community Fund provided a grant to Community Connections for a comprehensive engineering, environmental, and planning study for the design of a pocket community at the south end of Findley Lake offering independent and environmentally sustainable living for seniors in our community.  The grant supplements additional support already provided by the Chautauqua County Department of Planning and Development.  In a few short months, Community Connections has already leveraged the initial support of the FLCF into additional funding for the planning of the pocket community.

In 2024, The Findley Lake Community Fund supported the Alexander Findley Community Library to stabilize and extend the library’s Wi-Fi network. Not only did the Wi-Fi expansion help improve connectivity throughout the Mina Community Center, where the library is located, but it also extended service beyond the building and into the parking lot. This has become an important community resource for residents—including farmers, homeschool families and members of the Amish community—who may not be able to visit the library during regular operating hours.

“One of the services libraries offer is free Wi-Fi. When people are unable to come to the library during open hours, having 24-hour access to Wi-Fi is important, especially for people who don’t have Internet at home. Our library is housed in the Mina Community Center, where people can also find the town clerk, town supervisor, town assessor, Community Connections, the Historical Society, Young at Heart and the Town Court.

Many evenings, the parking lot will be full of people attending baseball or soccer games. In other words, a lot of people use the Community Center every day, and the installation of an external wireless access point increased the range of the library’s Wi-Fi so people can use it in the parking lot outside the front of the building, at any time.” — Cala Glatz, Manager, Alexander Findley Community Library

In May 2024, members of The Findley Lake Community Fund Advisory Board, together with The Erie Community Foundation, invited local nonprofit and civic leaders to discuss community priorities. The meeting brought together leaders making a positive difference for Findley Lake, surrounding residents and visitors.

While the health of the lake remains an ongoing priority, participants were asked to identify additional opportunities to help keep our community safe, livable and beautiful. Although several worthy initiatives emerged from the discussion, one opportunity stood out for its ability to leverage partnerships and attract additional investment with broad community impact: the continued revitalization of downtown Findley Lake.

To support that vision, The Findley Lake Community Fund supported Fund Findley Lake Forward, a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the economic development of Findley Lake. Founded with early support from The Findley Lake Community Fund, Findley Lake Forward previously led a community planning process focused on the revitalization of downtown Findley Lake. The resulting plan reimagines downtown with safer infrastructure, enhanced aesthetics that preserve the community’s character, improved accessibility and a stronger foundation for future business growth and vibrancy.

The revitalization effort seeks to bring together public, private and community resources in support of downtown Findley Lake. The 2024 grant approved through the Fund provided support for decorative wine barrels and seasonal flowers throughout the downtown area. While modest in scope, the project represents an important first step in a broader downtown revitalization effort that continues to gain momentum.