Orsi Featured on IMAGINE Buffalo Program

Dennis Galuski:

Good afternoon, everyone. I’m Dennis Galuski. Welcome to the 555th Imagine Greater Buffalo program and our 177th Imagine Buffalo YouTube program, hosted by our wonderful Buffalo and Erie County Public Library. Thank you for joining us today.

This program is created by the Center for the Study of Art, Architecture, History, and Nature, or Season, as I like to pronounce the acronym, and ImagineLifelongLearning.com.

Before we get started, just a bit of housekeeping: Everyone watching will be muted, and your video will remain off. If you have a question or comment, please type it into the chat box. We’ll go through them at the end of the presentation as time allows.

This program is being recorded, so you can watch it again later on the Downtown Central Library’s Facebook page or YouTube channel. Please feel free to share the link with others.

Now, on to our featured speaker. Joining us today is Christina Orsi, President of the John R. Oishei Foundation.

Introduction of Christina Orsi:

Christina Orsi is responsible for guiding the long-term strategic direction of the foundation, supporting and empowering staff to work with communities, change systems, and build financial prosperity for a racially just and vibrant Buffalo-Niagara region.

Christina has over 30 years of experience leading organizations and initiatives that have improved our region. She has been a catalyst for driving innovation and entrepreneurial advances, instrumental in designing and launching new development initiatives, forging sustainable partnerships, and stewarding billions of dollars in revitalization funds for the area.

Her deep involvement in the community spans diverse sectors, including nonprofit organizations, businesses, government, education, and community groups. Christina is driven by a purpose and mission to transform the region into one where everyone can thrive.

Let’s give a warm welcome to Christina Orsi. Christina, take it away!

Christina Orsi:

Thank you, Dennis, and thank you so much for having me today. I really appreciate it. Let me share my presentation.

(Technical adjustment.)

Can everyone see my screen okay? Great. Thanks again for having me. Today, I’d like to provide an overview of the John R. Oishei Foundation and share some insights into the major strategic shifts we’ve undertaken over the past few years—why we made them and how we hope they will contribute to advancing our region.

(Christina's detailed presentation continues, formatted into sections with appropriate titles, bullet points, and transitions for readability.)

A Brief History of the John R. Oishei Foundation:

The foundation is named after our founder, John R. Oishei, a local industrialist and philanthropist who founded Trico Products. Trico is known for bringing the windshield wiper blade to market back in the early 1900s.

Through the growth of his business, Mr. Oishei became a generous individual. He initially established the foundation in 1940 as a family foundation. In 1997, it transitioned into a private, independent foundation.

Mr. Oishei left us only one guiding principle: that the foundation’s resources should be spent in Western New York to improve the quality of life. Since then, we’ve been stewarding his resources to fulfill that mission.

Shifting to a New Mission:

Our mission today is to work with communities to change systems and build financial prosperity for a racially just and vibrant Buffalo-Niagara region. This mission is relatively new; we adopted it about two years ago.

When I joined the foundation, we took a step back to examine our work and ask ourselves critical questions:

• Are we making a significant, long-term transformational impact in our community?
• Despite decades of resources invested in nonprofits doing great work, are we addressing the persistent disparities in our region?

While our region celebrates economic growth and revitalization—from the waterfront to the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus—deep economic injustices and disparities remain. Buffalo, unfortunately, is one of the poorest and most segregated cities in the country.

For example:

• Black community members in Buffalo earn 40% less than their white counterparts.
• They are 10 years more likely to die prematurely.
• They own homes one-third less often than white residents.

We conducted community surveys and research, particularly in the East Side of Buffalo. Residents identified financial hardship, housing, transportation, and jobs as their most pressing issues. They pointed to systemic barriers like lack of access to good-paying jobs and education as root causes.

Key Strategic Changes:

To address these disparities, we made significant changes:

1. Focusing on Financial Prosperity:
   Our universal goal is financial prosperity for everyone in our region—not just some.
2. Centering Racial Equity:
   We now center racial equity in everything we do, from fund disbursement to strategic partnerships and internal operations.
3. Addressing Root Causes:
   Instead of focusing solely on immediate needs, we aim to tackle root causes. For example, instead of providing short-term shelter, we examine systemic issues that prevent financial stability and access to affordable housing.
4. Engaging Communities:
   We are committed to consistently learning from and with the communities we serve. Residents understand the barriers they face and can help identify solutions.
5. Building and Sharing Power:
   As a foundation, we recognize our influence. We aim to use it to empower community organizations and residents to lead change in their neighborhoods.
6. Advocating for Systems Change:
   We focus on policy changes, grassroots advocacy, and public education campaigns to address systemic inequities.

Questions and Answers:

Question 1: The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo has a Racial Equity Roundtable. How do you interact with them and other key players?

Christina:

I’m actually a founding member of the Racial Equity Roundtable, now 10 years in the making. It’s where I gained a deep understanding of racial disparities and what needs to change.

In fact, the data I referenced earlier—about the economic benefits of closing the wealth gap—came from the Roundtable’s research. The work of the Roundtable has greatly informed our new strategic direction, and we continue to collaborate closely.

Question 2: How does the built environment of the city contribute to economic divides, and how can we change it?

Christina:

This is a great question. Decisions like redlining had profound impacts on the built environment. Redlining marked predominantly Black neighborhoods as undesirable for mortgages, which excluded these communities from homeownership and wealth-building opportunities.

Infrastructure decisions, like the construction of the Kensington Expressway, further divided communities and devalued neighborhoods. To address these disparities, we must focus on policies that prioritize equitable development and empower residents to lead change in their neighborhoods.

Question 3: What is your take on food insecurity on the East Side of Buffalo?

Christina:

Food insecurity is a complex issue. While short-term food assistance is necessary, we must also look at systemic issues within the food system.

For example, how can we connect urban agriculture efforts on the East Side to regional agricultural opportunities? Proposals like food co-ops and urban gardens are promising, but systemic change requires collaboration across the entire food production and distribution system.

Question 4: What type of grants will the foundation focus on under its new mission?

Christina:

We’re moving away from traditional grantmaking processes. Instead, we’ll co-design strategic initiatives with community members to address systemic issues.

For example, access to affordable housing is a critical issue we’re exploring. Addressing it could involve tackling barriers like credit access, housing supply, and land ownership. Our goal is to build partnerships and coalitions that create long-term change.

Question 5: What approaches will you take to create systems-level change?

Christina:

Systems change requires working on multiple levels:

• Policy Advocacy: We’ll support policies that address disparities, particularly at the state and local levels.
• Institutional Practices: We’ll examine how practices, like steering in real estate, contribute to inequities and work to change them through education and partnerships.

Closing Remarks:

Thank you for allowing me to share the foundation’s vision and strategic direction. We truly believe this focus will benefit everyone in our community. For example, closing the wealth gap between Black and white communities in Buffalo could add over $12 billion to the local economy annually.

We’re excited to announce more specific initiatives early next year and hope to work with many of you as partners.