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Buffalo Together Community Response Fund Co-Chairs Share Insights on Learning Journey

How do we create hope from tragedy? Move forward from something that sets us back? Create real and meaningful change? The Buffalo Together Community Response Fund (BCTRF) is on a collective journey looking for ways our community can come together to address these questions, the systemic issues behind them, and create long-term, transformative solutions for the East Side of Buffalo.

Established in the wake of May 14, 2022, the BTCRF Steering Committee— led by co-chairs and Racial Equity Roundtable members Dr. LaVonne Ansari, CEO and Executive Director of the Community Health Center of Buffalo, Inc., and Thomas Beauford, Jr., President and CEO of the Buffalo Urban League— has spent the last two years listening and learning to inform the investment strategy that will be released in the upcoming months.

“The work of the Racial Equity Roundtable is foundational to the work of the BTCRF,” said Thomas, adding that the Roundtable was addressing racial equity with urgency for years prior to May 14, 2022. “Both the Racial Equity Roundtable and the BTCRF have looked at the impact of racism and discrimination through a historical lens, and have developed multi-faceted approaches to their work.” The Roundtable’s approach is working to achieve and expanded, inclusive economy with 10 initial strategies designed to reduce racial disparities in institutions.

Dr. Ansari also sees the common thread between the Roundtable and the BCTRF as a focus on defeating systemic racism. “The journey has opened me up to transformational thinking,” she said.

Early on, the Steering Committee selected Rainbow Research to develop a detailed investment strategy that directly confronts racial inequities on the East Side of Buffalo. Rainbow Research is funded by additional dollars outside of the money raised for the BTCRF.

Rainbow Research, a Black-led consulting firm, is focusing on:

  • Listening and learning to East Side residents and prioritizing the local community in the implementation of the plan
  • Rooting the strategy in research and connecting current work underway in our community
  • Introducing the Steering Committee to leaders of initiatives around the country that are also addressing system change challenges

From a leadership perspective, Dr. Ansari noted that she approaches the work ensuring a high degree of empathy, by modeling collaborative leadership and by encouraging authentic thought partnership. “It is recognizing the attributes of African American leadership to community trauma and tragedy and its impact on how I lead—based on this experience, it strengthened my motivation and purpose,” she said.

As of June 2024, the development of the long-term community investment strategy is in its final stages. It is grounded in input from East Side residents and leaders and prioritizes representation of the local community in its implementation.

“The investment strategy is a framework; it is a start,” said Thomas. “We see hope in its execution. It is not a program, but rather a long-term strategy and one that we hope will be both sustainable and transformational.”

Looking ahead, Thomas envisions the strategy resulting in more focused investment on the East Side, leading to increased overall development and workforce opportunities. Similar to the Racial Equity Roundtable, the efforts of the BTCRF remain focused on coordinated ways to achieve an expanded, inclusive economy while working on long-term systems change.

“Change may not happen immediately, but it will happen deliberately,” Thomas said. “And if change can happen on the East Side, it will also positively impact all of Buffalo.”

To stay up to date on the progress of the BTCRF, visit buffalotogetherfund.org.