COMING UP TONIGHT: THE BOYCE THOMPSON INSTITUTE TAKES US ON A TOUR OF THEIR NEW PLANT-PHENOTYPING FACILITY.

THEN, WE EXPLORE HOW ONE ORGANIZATION IS HELPING RESIDENTS ENHANCE THEIR HOMES' ENERGY EFFICIENCY.

AND FOR OUR SPOTLIGHT SERIES J DANIEL PLUFF SITS DOWN WITH MELANIE LITTLEJOHN.

TO DISCUSS HER GOALS AS THE NEW CEO OF THE CENTRAL NEW YORK COMMUNITY FOUNDATION.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO ON THE MONEY, WCNY'S FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM - THINK OF IT AS YOUR LOCAL FINANCIAL NEWS PROGRAM FEATURING SOME INTERESTING PEOPLE, BUSINESSES AND HAPPENINGS FROM EVERY CORNER OF CENTRAL NEW YORK.

I'M YOUR HOST, LAIZA SEMIDEY.

DURING OUR SEASON WE'LL SEE WHERE MONEY IS BEING MADE, SPENT AND SOMETIMES LOST AND FOCUS ON PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES AFFECTING US LOCALLY.

OUR FIRST REPORT TAKES US TO ITHACA.

THE BOYCE THOMPSON INSTITUTE RECENTLY UNVEILED ITS NEW $$1.5 MILLION PLANT PHENOTYPING FACILITY.

THIS STATE-OF-THE-ART CENTER USES MULTI-SPECTRAL IMAGING TO MEASURE PLANT RESPONSE TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS.

AIMED AT ENHANCING FOOD SECURITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY.

CHECK IT OUT.

>> THE PURPOSE OF THE PLANT PHENOTYPING FACILITY HERE AT THE BYES THOMPSONENCE STUT IS TO IMAGE THE PLANTS.

WITHIN THE PHENOTYPING FACILITY, WAS WE ARE DOING IS WE ARE IMAGING THE PLANTS EVERY 12 HOURS OR EVEN MORE OFTEN.

AND THAT ALLOWS US TO LEARN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE ABOUT HOW PLANTS REACT TO DIFFERENT CHANGES IN THE ENVIRONMENT AND WHAT THEIR GENETIC COMPONENTS THEY'RE CONTRIBUTING TO THAT.

IT SAVES A LOT OF EFFORT AND TIME BECAUSE IF YOU WANT TO MEASURE PLANTS EVERY 12 HOURS, WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE SOMEONE IN HERE DOING ALL OF THE MESS YOU UNDERSTAND ITS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.

WHEN THE ROBOTS ARE DOING THAT, WE DON'T HAVE TO.

WE CAN DO THAT WITH CAMERAS THAT ARE OPERATING WITHIN THE HYPERSPECTRUM, THAT THEY'RE ALLOWING US TO VISUALIZE THE EFFICIENCY BUT THE CAMERAS ARE ALLOWING US TO REALLY QUANTIFY HOW WELL THE PLANT IS DOING AND WHAT IS DOING BEST WHICH IS PHOTO SIN PHOTOSYNTHESIS.

AND THEN IT MOVES ON TO THE NEXT CAMERA AND THAT'S WHERE WE ARE GETTING THE VISUAL OF THE PLANTS.

AND THEN THE LAST BUT NOT LEAST STATION IS THE AUTOMATED WEIGHING AND WATERING STATION.

WE CAN GET ALL OF THIS DATA AFTERWARDS TO SEE WHICH PLANTS ARE DOING BETTER, WHICH PLANTS ARE DOING WORSE AND HOW MUCH EXACTLY BETTER ARE THEY DOING.

SO B.T.I.

HAS INVESTED APPROXIMATELY $1.5 MILLION TO DEVELOP THIS FACILITY AND THAT INCLUDES PREPARING THE SPACE.

SO OUR INTERNAL COSTS FOR USING THE FACILITY RIGHT NOW, YOU WOULD NEED TO RECOVER APPROXIMATELY $3,000 PER WEEK OF USING OF THE FACILITY BY ACADEMICS THAT ARE ON THE CORNELL CAMPUS.

FOR ALL OF THE COLLABORATORS, ACADEMIC COLLABORATORS THAT WOULD LIKE TO BE USING IT FROM OUTSIDE OF THE CORNELL CAMPUS, WE WOULD HAVE TO RECOVER $4.5,000 AND THEN FOR THE COMMERCIAL PARTNERS, WE CHARGE FIVE TIMES AS MUCH AS OUR EXTERNAL RATES.

THE FACILITY HERE AT THE B.I.I.

IS CONTRIBUTING TO SOLVING THOSE CHALLENGES ABOUT THE GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY AND GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE THROUGH ALLOWING US TO APPLY THOSE VARIOUS CONDITIONS TO THE PLANTS DIRECTLY.

THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THE FIELD, THEY'RE VERY COMPLEX.

SO YOU'VE GOT INCREASED TEMPERATURE, DECREASED VIABILITY OF WATER, INCREASED Co2, ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING SIMULTANEOUSLY.

THE PHENOTYPING FACILITY, WE CAN APPLY THOSE COMPONENTS AND STUDY HOW THE PLANTS ARE REACTING TO THOSE INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND SEE HOW THEY ARE CONTRIBUTING TO PLANTS GROWING BETTER.

SO WE CAN MAKE VERY INFORMED DECISIONS IN ADVISING BREEDERS, FARMERS ON LIKE WHAT IS THE BEST STRATEGY TO GO FORWARD TO MAKE OUR AGRICULTURE AS RESILIENT AS POSSIBLE.

THE RATE OF THE TRANSLATION OF FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH INTO A PRACTICAL APPLICATION IS RELATIVELY SLOW.

THEY'RE NOT TRANSLATING JUST YET.

HOW I SEE IT REALLY IMPACTING IT IS THROUGH COLLABORATIONS WITH PLANT BREEDING.

I'M REALLY HOPING THAT THAT CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH THE PEOPLE THAT ARE INTERESTED IN USING THE FACILITY TO KIND OF LIKE FINAL STAGE OF THE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT.

SO YOU WILL SEE THE EFFECTS BEYOND THE DURATION OF YOUR EXPERIMENT.

OUR THANKS AGAIN TO MADGA, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AT BTI JOINING US TONIGHT FOR OUR COMMON CENTS SEGMENT IS THOM DELL FINANCIAL COUNSELOR AT COOPERATIVE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION.

THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

>> SO I HAVE A CREDIT CARD AND I LOVE TO SWIPE IT AND INCREASE MY CREDIT CARD DEBT.

WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO MANAGE MY CREDIT CARD DEBT?

>> SO WHEN YOU ARE SWIPING IT AND YOU ARE ADDING TO THAT BALANCE AND MAKING IT GROW, IT IS BEING CARRIED FORWARD AT A REALLY, REALLY HIGH INTEREST RATE.

>> OKAY.

>> AND IT'S REALLY DANGEROUS BECAUSE YOU CAN GET TRAPPED BEHIND THAT.

>> OH YEAH I'VE SEEN MY STATEMENTS BEFORE.

IT'S LIKE WHAT I SPEND MY MONEY ON AND THEN A FEE THAT'S LIKE $85.

>> FINANCE CHARGES.

>> OH MY GOSH.

IT'S A LOT.

$85 I CAN DO A LOT WITH.

>> LARGER AND LARGER.

>> YES.

WHAT ARE SOME TIPSZ YOU CAN GIVE PEOPLE BEING ABLE TO MANAGE THEIR DEBT?

>> THE MAJOR TIP THAT I HAVE TO HELP PEOPLE ADDRESS THEIR CREDIT CARD DEBT IS FIRST AND FOREMOST, STOP ACCRUING IT.

>> YEP.

>> SO WE GOT TO FIGURE OUT WHY YOU ARE PUTTING THAT MONEY ON THOSE CARDS.

USUALLY THAT'S A BUDGET SHORTFALL, MEANING SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE YOU ARE SPENDING MORE THAN YOU ARE BRINGING IN.

>> YEAH.

>> SO GOT TO GO BACK TO THE SPENDING PLAN, CREATE A BETTER SPENDING PLAN.

TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHERE YOU CAN CUT CORNERS, INCREASE INCOME TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT LEFT OVER SO YOU CAN START TO THROW MONEY AT THAT CREDIT CARD DEBT.

>> WHAT WOULD BE LIKE-- MOVING FORWARD, IF I WANT TO REALLY WORK ON MY DEBT, WHAT WOULD YOU TELL ME TO DO?

>> SO ONCE YOU'VE GOT THE SPENDING PLAN SQUARED AWAY, THE NEXT STEP, IF IT'S A REALLY OVERWHELMING NUMBER, A REALLY, REALLY BIG NUMBER AT REALLY HIGH INTEREST, YOU MIGHT WANT TO THINK HOW YOU CAN REFINANCE DEBT, BRING IT DOWN TO A LOWER RATE, BRING IT INTO A TERM LOAN SO I CAN MAKE ONE MONTHLY PAYMENT A MONTH TO PAY THAT DEBT OFF.

THE KEY PIECE IS YOU HAVE TO PUT THOSE CARDS AWAY.

SO YOU ARE NOT GETTING INTO THE SAME MESS.

THAT'S MY TIP.

>> OKAY.

WHAT DO YOU SEE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE BEING IN MANAGING CREDIT?

>> HIT THE SPENDING PLAN FIRST.

SO HOW MUCH DO I HAVE COMING IN HOW MUCH DO I HAVE GOING OUT TYPICALLY PER MONTH AND NOT JUST WHAT DO I THINK IS GOING OUT PER MONTH BUT WHAT DO I ACTUALLY SPEND EVERY MONTH AND THAT MEANS LOOKING BACK AT A MONTH'S WORTH OF HISTORY, SEEING WHAT YOU ARE SPENDING ON GROCERIES WHICH I KNOW IS REALLY ROUGH NIGHT NOW.

SEEING WHAT YOU ARE SPENDING ON EATING OUT, ON GAS, ALL THOSE THINGS AND TRYING TO NARROW DOWN WHERE YOU CAN CUT OR, IF IT'S NOT-- I SEE THIS ALL THE TIME, IF IT'S NOT A MATTER OF CUTTING BECAUSE YOU JUST DON'T MAKE ENOUGH MONEY, WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO BRING IN MORE INCOME BECAUSE THERE ARE TWO SIDES TO THE BUDGET.

>> THANK YOU FOR COMING ON AND HELPING US THINK ABOUT HOW WE MANAGE DEBT.

I GUESS I WILL STOP SWIPING FOR A LITTLE BIT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING.

>> NO PROBLEM, HAPPY TO DO IT.

>> FOR TONIGHT'S PROPERTY PULSE SEGMENT WE DELVE INTO ENERGY AND HOUSING WITH PEACE INC., HIGHLIGHTING THEIR WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM.

THESE INITIATIVES ASSIST LOW-INCOME HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS WITH ENERGY CONSERVATION MEASURES, LIKE WEATHERIZATION.

TO HELP INDIVIDUALS LOWER THEIR ENERGY EXPENSES AND MAKE THEIR HOMES MORE AFFORDABLE.

TAKE A LOOK.

>> PEACE INCORPORATED IS THE SONGT COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY.

WE-- ONONDAGA COUNTY COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY.

WE COVER ONONDAGA AND OSWEGO COUNTY.

WE ARE CONSIDERED A DUAL COUNTY AGENCY.

WEATHERIZATION IS FEDERALLY FUNDED.

WE GET FUNDING FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AS WELL AS A LOW INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

OUR BUDGET IS $2.6 MILLION THIS YEAR AND WE SPEND APPROXIMATELY AN AVERAGE COST PER UNIT OF $8200.

OWNERS AND RENTERS ARE ELIGIBLE.

YOU HAVE TO BE HEAP ELIGIBLE WHICH IS 60% OF THE STATE MEDIAN INCOME.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE RECEIVING IT BUT YOU HAVE TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR IT.

ENERGY USE OFTEN COUNTS FOR APPROXIMATELY 30% OF LOW INCOME'S EXPENSES IN THE HOUSEHOLD, SO ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO REDUCE THAT, THAT'S MONEY THEY HAVE NOW TO PUT TOWARDS OTHER BILLS, PUT TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, SCHOOL SUPPLIES FOR THEIR CHILDREN, THINGS LIKE THAT.

WHEN WE ARE HIRING A CREW MEMBER, OUR INTERVIEW PROCESS ALSO IS CONSIDERING WILL THIS PERSON BE ABLE TO MOVE UP IN THE PROGRAM AND BECOME A CREW LEADER AND THEN POTENTIALLY BECOME AN ENERGY AUDITOR.

WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE NEW YORK STATE WEATHERIZATION DIRECTOR'S ASSOCIATION AND THE TRAINING THEY HAVE MULTIPLE TRAININGS AND CERTIFICATIONS THAT WE SEND OUR EMPLOYEES TO.

PEACE INCORPORATED COVERS ALL TRAINING EXPENSES THROUGH THE WEATHERIZATION GRANT.

RIGHT NOW WE HAVE TWO OF OUR NEW EMPLOYEES OUT WHAT THE WE CALL THE WEATHERIZATION BOOT CAMP.

NO PUSHUPS ARE NEEDED BUT IT'S A FOUR-DAY VERY INTENSIVE TRAINING WHERE THEY LEARN NOT ONLY WHAT WE DO BUT WHY WE DO IT.

SO WHEN OUR AUDITORS GO OUT TO DO THE ENERGY ASSESSMENT, FOR INCOME ELIGIBLE OWNERS, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO COST FOR IT.

THERE IS NO COST FOR TENANTS WHATSOEVER FOR OWNERS OF A MULTIFAMILY HOME, THEY DO HAVE TO PAY 25% OF THE COST BUT IT'S OUR ACTUAL COST.

THERE IS NO MARKUP WE DON'T MAKE A PROFIT.

PEACE INCORPORATED HAS WEATHERIZED THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF HOMES SINCE ITS BEGINNING DURING BACK FROM 2009-2012, WE DID APPROXIMATELY 5,000 UNITS.

BUT THAT INCLUDES, SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES AS WELL AS APARTMENT COMPLEXES.

SO OUR UNIT GOAL IS APPROXIMATELY 296 UNITS A YEAR.

WE TRY TO ACHIEVE THE WEATHERIZATION PRODUCTION GOAL BY NOT ONLY HAVING OUR CREWS GO OUT TO THE HOMES BUT WE USE SUBCONTRACTORS ON OUR MULTIFAMILY HOMES.

THEY CAN GO OUT AND INSULATE THE HUGE ATTICS OF AN APARTMENT COMPLEX OR, YOU KNOW, DO BOILER REPLACEMENTS, THERMOSTATIC RADIATOR VALVES, THINGS LIKE THAT, WHILE OUR CREWS FOCUS ON THE ONE TO FOUR FAMILIES.

THE FUTURE OF THE WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM IS GOING TO CONTINUOUSLY EXPAND WITH SO MANY INITIATIVES THAT ARE OUT THERE TO REDUCE CARBON, THE AIR SOURCE AND GROUND SOURCE HEAT PUMPS ARE BECOMING VERY, VERY POPULAR AND I KNOW THAT MANY STATES, INCLUDING NEW YORK, ARE TRYING TO BECOME FULLY ELECTRIC.

WE'VE GOT A LONG WAYS TO GO BEFORE THAT HAPPENS.

BUT THE IMPORTANT PART IS YOU CAN PUT IN A HEAT PUMP WHETHER IT'S GROUND SOURCE OR AIR SOURCE.

BUT IF THAT HOME IS NOT WEATHERIZED TO THE UTMOST OF OUR ABILITY, THEN THOSE HEAT PUMPS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE HEAT THAT IS NEEDED, ESPECIALLY IN A COLD WEATHER CLIMATE LIKE SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

OUR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ROBOTS REPLACING HUMAN WORKERS?

A STUDY FROM MIT AND IBM, FOUND THAT IT MAY BE A WHILE UNTIL THAT HAPPENS.

TODAY, MANY TASKS AREN'T ECONOMICALLY ATTRACTIVE TO AUTOMATE NOT FOR YEARS, MAYBE DECADES.

IF WE WERE TO IMPLEMENT A-I IN A SMALL- TO MID-SIZE BUSINESS - HERE ARE SOME FACTORS TO CONSIDER.

SOFTWARE AND LICENSING.

THAT CAN COST BETWEEN 2,000 TO $10,000 A YEAR.

CLOUD COMPUTE AND STORAGE, WHERE ARE YOU KEEPING ALL THIS DATA?

5,000 TO 20,000 A YEAR.

CUSTOM A.I.

DEVELOPMENT DEPENDING ON YOUR BUSINESS.

YOU DO NEED TO CUSTOMIZE YOUR A.I.

$50,000 TO 150,000.

PERSONNEL, YOU NEED TO HIRE SOMEONE THAT IS GOING TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR A.I.

STUFF.

100,000 TO $150,000 A YEAR IS SALARY.

CONSULTING SERVICES.

YOU WANT TO BRING A.I.

BUT YOU WANT TO BE STRATEGIC ABOUT HOW YOU ARE GOING DO THAT.

ONE-TIME PAYMENT OF 10,000 TO $$50,000.

MAINTENANCE AND MONITORING 10,000 TO $50,000 A YEAR AND VERY IMPORTANT ONE, SECURITY AND COMPLIANCE.

THAT WILL RUN YOU $10,000 TO $50,000 A YEAR.

INITIAL YEAR DEVELOPMENT PHASE IS ABOUT $75,000 TO $350,000.

AND ONGOING YEARLY COSTS COULD RANGE BETWEEN $50,000 AND $150,000.

AGAIN, THIS IS A GENERAL IDEA OF COSTS AND, OF COURSE, IT MAY VARY.

BUT AS TECHNOLOGY KEEPS PROGRESSING, THE COST OF A.I.

WILL START TO GO DOWN.

THESE ARE YOUR NUMBERS FOR TONIGHT WE CONTINUE NOW WITH OUR SPOTLIGHT SERIES WITH J DANIEL PLUFF.

THE SERIES HIGHLIGHTS BUSINESSES AND PEOPLE DOING SOMETHING SPECIAL IN OUR AREA.

CENTRAL NEW YORK IS LITERALLY ON THE VERGE OF SIGNIFICANT CHANGES -- MOST OF WHICH ARE POSITIVE.

BUT OUR AREA ALSO HAS SIGNIFICANT NEEDS WITH ISSUES SURROUNDING POVERTY, HEALTH CARE, HOUSING, EDUCATION AND MUCH MORE.

FOR NEARLY A CENTURY, THE CENTRAL NEW YORK COMMUNITY FOUNDATION HAS HELPED TO ADDRESS THOSE NEEDS THROUGH FUNDING AND IMPACTFUL ACTIONS.

THE FOUNDATION, FULLY FUNDED BY DONORS, LOOKS TO SUPPORT NUMEROUS LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS, AND PROVIDES DONORS WITH ASSURANCE THEIR WISHES WILL BE HONORED.

IN MID-2024, MELANIE LITTLEJOHN WAS INSTALLED AS THE NEW CEO.

THE FORMER NATIONAL GRID EXECUTIVE BRINGS A DAUNTING LIST OF GOALS TO HER POSITION FROM BUILDING THE FOUNDATION ASSETS TO ONE BILLION DOLLARS, TO CULTIVATING RELATIONSHIPS WITH BUSINESSES AND INDIVIDUAL DONORS BOTH LARGE, AND SMALL.

>> MEL, THANKS FOR HAVING US HERE AT YOUR OFFICE AT THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, PLEASURE BEING HERE TODAY.

NICE FACILITY.

LITTLE DIFFERENT TODAY FOR ME BECAUSE NORMALLY WE TALK ABOUT BUSINESSES THAT ARE EXPANDING, MONEY BEING MADE.

TODAY WE ARE TALKING ABOUT MONEY BEING GIVEN AWAY, WHICH IS A BIT OF A TWIST HERE.

BUT FIRST OF ALL, A LITTLE HISTORY THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION HAS BEEN AROUND A WHILE.

THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION IN CENTRAL NEW YORK HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE 1927 WE ARE PLANNING FOR OUR 100th YEAR ANNIVERSARY.

JUST WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THAT, 1927.

>> 100 YEAR, CENTURY.

FAIRLY BROAD BASED, MAKING CONTRIBUTIONS OR DISBURSEMENTS TO A VARIETY OF CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS AND PROJECT AS ROUND TOWN OR ALL AROUND CENTRAL NEW YORK FOR THAT MATTER, CORRECT?

>> SURE.

FIVE COUNTIES.

FIVE COUNTIES IN CENTRAL NEW YORK AND WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE EXPANSE OF WHAT WE DO, THE REACH IS FAR AND IT'S VERY WIDE BUT A FIVE-COUNTY REGION RIGHT HERE YOU WILL FORGIVER THE BLUNTNESS TO THE QUESTION.

MAYBE YOU KNOW WHAT IS COMING BUT FAIRLY LONG AND SUCCESSFUL CAREER AT NATIONAL GRID.

>> 30 YEARS TO BE EXACT.

>> WHY THIS ROLE NOW, WHY NOW?

>> WHEN I THINK ABOUT THIS AND I'VE DONE A LOT OF SOUL SEARCHING WITH THIS... >> I BET.

>> I COULDN'T THINK OF A BETTER ORGANIZATION AT A BETTER POINT IN HISTORY, THAN TO DO THIS WORK RIGHT HERE.

>> YOUR PREVIOUS POSITION HELPED IN THAT YOU WERE SO MUCH OUT IN THE COMMUNITY ANYWAY, AS I RECALL, YOU KNOW YOUR WAY AROUND TOWN.

>> YES, I KNOW MY WAY AROUND TOWN REALLY, REALLY WELL SO WHEN I THINK ABOUT THIS MOMENT, IT'S GETTING FAMILIAR WITH ORGANIZATIONS IN A MORE INTIMATE WAY, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, DEALING WITH THE FOLKS THAT MAKE ALL OF THIS POSSIBLE AND BRING IT TO LIFE, OUR DONORS.

>> AND I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE DONORS ACTUALLY BUT AGAIN ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION.

IT'S HERE TO HELP FACILITATE AND HELP FUND A WHOLE BUNCH OF PROJECTS-- OKAY, ORGANIZATIONS, SURE, ET CETERA.

SO IT BEGS THE QUESTION, MEL, WITH THE WHAT I THINK TO BE THE TREMENDOUS NEED OUT THERE, HOW DO YOU DETERMINE WHERE TO MAKE THESE DISBURSEMENTS?

HOW DO YOU DETERMINE WHERE TO MAKE THE "INVESTMENT"?

>> I THINK THERE IS A COUPLE OF WAYS THAT WE DO IT.

ONE, I ALWAYS POINT PEOPLE BACK TO OUR CENTRAL NEW YORK VITALS, WHICH IS THE DATA REPOSITORY THAT HELPS TELL THE STORY AROUND WHERE THE NEEDS ARE, WHERE THE ISSUES ARE, AND WHERE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE SHOULD LEAN INTO AS A COMMUNITY.

>> STUDY WHAT IS GOING ON.

>> WE STUDY.

WE STUDY DATA.

DATA IS OUR FRIEND SO NOT ONLY DO WE STUDY FROM WHAT THE DATA SAYS, BUT WE KEEP OUR EARS AND PARTNERSHIPS, OUR EARS TO THE GROUND AND FORGE PARTNERSHIPS WITH NON-PROFIT COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE THAT FRONT LINE DIRECT EXPERIENCE WITH WHAT THEY'RE SEEING, EVEN BEFORE THE DATA BEGINS TO REVEAL ITSELF.

WHEN YOU HAVE THOSE PARTNERSHIPS, AND WE HAVE A TREMENDOUS, TREMENDOUS ECOSYSTEM OF NON-PROFIT COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAN-- THAT KEEP THEIR PULSE ON THE ISSUES.

>> WE WEAVE IN AND OUT OF MONEY TALK HERE AS WELL.

BUT THE DISBURSEMENTS, THE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT THE FOUNDATION MAKES, ALL OF THAT MONEY COMES FROM DONORS, CORRECT?

ARE YOU FUNDED BY STATE, COUNTY OR ANY TYPE ... >> I WE ARE NOT.

WE ARE ACTUALLY THE ASSETS OF THE FOUNDATION IS OVER $430 MILLION TO DATE.

THAT COMES FROM OUR DONORS, FROM A WIDE RANGE OF DONORS AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ARE PROUD OF.

>> WELL, ALL RIGHT.

NOW YOU HIT MY HOT BUTTON HERE.

$430 MILLION, ALMOST HALF A BILLION DOLLARS.

NOW WE ARE TALKING MONEY.

SO THERE HAS BEEN GROWTH IN THIS ORGANIZATION FOR PAST CENTURY.

ONE BEING JUST THAT.

I MEAN PROBABLY-- I MEAN HAD YOU TO START WITH SOME DOLLAR AMOUNT I'M SURE BUT THAT'S TREMENDOUS DOLLAR GROWTH OVER THE YEARS.

>> IT IS TREMENDOUS.

>> FROM THE DONORS.

>> TREMENDOUS DOLLAR GROWTH FROM THE DONORS.

YOU KNOW, I JUST DID A QUICK LOOK AT WHERE WE WERE IN 2019 TO WHERE WE ARE-- I WENT BACK AS FAR AS THE EARLY 90s BECAUSE I JUST WANTED TO GIVE A RANGE.

THE ASSETS OF THE FOUNDATION GREW OVER $200 PLUS MILLION.

DURING THAT POINT IN TIME IS HUGE.

>> ANOTHER AREA OF GROWTH HAS BEEN ON THE FLIP SIDE.

THE GRANTS BEING ISSUED.

I MEAN THAT HAD TO-- THAT HAS TO BE INCREASING AS MORE MONEY COMES IN, CORRECT?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> MAJOR FUNDING.

>> MAJOR FUNDING.

SO EVEN IF WE GO BACK TO BEFORE 2019, RIGHT?

ON AVERAGE WE WERE DOING IN THE MID 15 PLUS MILLION, 17 PLUS MILLION AND LAST YEAR WE GRANTED OVER $23 MILLION IN GRANTS.

>> NICE.

LET'S TALK ABOUT DONORS BECAUSE YOU BROUGHT THEM UP A COUPLE OF TIMES HERE.

I THINK THERE IS A PERCEPTION OR NOTION OUT THERE, MEL, THAT PEOPLE WHO GIVE TO FOUNDATIONS LIKE THIS ARE JUST THE WEALTHY.

YEAH, BUT YOU ARE SEEING IT KIND OF ACROSS THE BOARD, CORRECT?

>> YEAH, YEAH AND YOU KNOW, I ALMOST GET EMOTIONAL WHEN I TALK ABOUT OUR DONORS, RIGHT?

BECAUSE-- AND I WILL TELL ANYONE FROM ONE DOLLAR TO A GAZILLION DOLLARS, YOU ALL MATTER.

AND I SEE THE RANGE, WHETHER IT'S FOLKS GIVING ONE-TIME GIFTS THROUGH OUR 5FORCNY CAMPAIGN OR OUR COMMUNITY FUND TO OUR DONORS THAT GIVE TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.

IT ALL MATTERS BECAUSE YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS WE HEAR, ARE YOU ALLOCATING THE FUNDS?

ARE THEY JUST SITTING THERE GROWING?

NO.

WE ALLOCATE OVER 90% OF THOSE FUNDS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.

MASSIVE.

>> IS CENTRAL NEW YORK REALLY A GIVING COMMUNITY IN YOUR VIEW?

>> OH YEAH IT IS.

IT IS.

YOU KNOW, FROM WHAT I HAVE GOTTEN A CHANCE TO WITNESS, OVER 900 ORGANIZATIONS GET THE BENEFIT OF CONTRIBUTIONS THAT COME FROM CENTRAL NEW YORK.

MOST OF OUR CONTRIBUTIONS STAY RIGHT HERE AT HOME.

>> MELANIE, A GENERATION OR SO AGO, WE HAD SOME BIG EMPLOYERS IN TOWN, THE ALLIED CHEMICALS THAT SENT ME TO SCHOOL, CARRIER, G.E.

WAS-- THERE ARE STILL SOME SHELLS BUT THEY'RE NOT WHAT THEY WERE.

AND I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY OTHERS THAT I TALK TO ON THIS SHOW AND EVEN PRIVATELY, THOSE COMPANIES CONTRIBUTED SO MUCH TO CHARITABLE NEEDS IN THE COMMUNITY.

MICRON.

>> YEAH.

>> IS THAT GOING TO FILL THE GAP?

>> WHAT MICRON IS DOING IS NOT ONLY THE FINANCIAL OR THE CORPORATE STEWARDSHIP SUPPORT, WHICH THEY ARE DOING SOME GROUND CHANGING TRANSFORMATIONAL THINGS BUT THEY'RE CREATING A HIGH LEVEL OF EXCITEMENT THAT IS ATTRACTING OTHER TYPES OF ENTITIES AND INDUSTRIES HERE.

IT'S ALSO CREATING THIS UNBELIEVABLE SENSE OF PARTNERSHIP AND COLLABORATION IN WAYS THAT I HAVEN'T SEEN IN MY 30 PLUS YEARS OF LIVING LEER.

>> IT WILL BE FUN TO WATCH THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.

WHAT DO YOU SEE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS OR AS FAR OUT AS YOU CAN ENVISION, WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE FOUNDATIONS AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITIES BIGGEST OPPORTUNITIES?

>> OUR BIGGEST OPPORTUNITIES ARE WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO IN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

>> WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT?

>> WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

K-12 EDUCATION WITH A FOCUS ON STEM.

>> SO THIS GOES AGAIN TO MICRON.

>> YES.

AND HOUSING.

>> HOUSING.

WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT HOUSING.

CONTINUES TO BE A-- WELL, I SAY MAJOR-- IT IS A PROBLEM IN THAT INVENTORIES ARE LOW, PRICES ARE HIGH.

IT'S TOUGH, PARTICULARLY, I THINK, FOR FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYERS.

>> FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYERS AND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE UNHOUSED.

THAT NUMBER CONTINUES TO GROW RAPIDLY IN ALL OF OUR COUNTIES, BELIEVE IT OR NOT.

RAPID GROWTH OF THE UNHOUSED.

SO IT'S THAT PERFECT STORM.

>> I'LL TELL YOU, TWO THINGS.

A: I THINK YOU ARE GOING TO BE BUSY.

>> BYES AGREE AND SECONDLY, WE WISH YOU SUCCESS.

I MEAN YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE YOUR HANDS FULL.

I KNOW THAT YOU'VE GOT A GREAT GROUP DOWN HERE.

BUT WE WILL BE MONITORING THE RESULTS AND CERTAINLY WISH YOU ALL THE BEST.

>> THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

BIG THANKS TO MELANIE LITTLEJOHN CEO OF THE CENTRAL NEW YORK COMMUNITY FOUNDATION IT IS THE END OF OUR PROGRAM TONIGHT BUT WE HAVE MORE FOR YOU• NEXT WEEK, JOIN US AS WE EXPLORE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SHOPPING LOCAL AND ITS IMPACT ON OUR LOCAL ECONOMIES.

NEXT, WE'LL DISCUSS HOUSING DISCRIMINATION AND HOW TWO ORGANIZATIONS ARE WORKING TO COMBAT THE ISSUE.

AND FOR OUR SPOTLIGHT SERIES.

J DANIEL PLUFF SITS DOWN WITH THE SYRACUSE ORCHESTRA TO DISCUSS HOW THEY'VE OVERCOME FINANCIAL CHALLENGES THAT NEARLY LED TO THEIR CLOSURE.

WE HAVE A LOT MORE COMING THIS SEASON SO IF YOU HAVE AN IDEA FOR A BUSINESS, PERSON OR JUST SOMETHING SPECIAL HAPPENING IN CENTRAL NEW YORK, CONTACT US BY EMAILING NEWS@WCNY DNT ORG.

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE PROGRAM, PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WCNY DOT ORG FORWARD SLASH ON THE MONEY.

YOU CAN ALSO VIEW OUR PREVIOUS EPISODES THERE TOO.. AND YOU CAN FOLLOW US ALL OF OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS, AS WELL.

I'M LAIZA SEMIDEY, THANKS AGAIN FOR WATCHING.