Community Impact at the Oishei Foundation

At the Oishei Foundation, our commitment to building a thriving and equitable Buffalo-Niagara region is rooted in the belief that community power-building is systems change. This belief is central to our work and guides our vision of a thriving, prosperous community for all, where diversity is our strength. 

Over the past year, we’ve been laying the groundwork for a new way of working, building the infrastructure and developing practices that help drive how we listen, invest, and show up alongside communities—starting on the East Side of Buffalo. Our journey has led to a strategic framework centered on racial equity, partnership, and the power of those closest to the challenges and opportunities.

To bring this vision to life, we created a new Community Impact department at the Foundation. This team is responsible for building deeper relationships, amplifying voices, and directing resources into the community in ways that reflect the realities, wisdom, and aspirations of our neighbors.

Meet the Community Impact Team

This work is being led by a growing and dedicated team:

Pamela Ross, Vice President of Community Impact
Annie Todd, Community Impact Director, Operations
Allison Geddes, Community Impact Program Manager

Together, this team is helping the Foundation strengthen how we partner with community-based organizations, grassroots leaders, and residents, and how we learn, adapt, and invest for long-term impact.

Growing the Team

As our Community Impact work continues to take shape, we are preparing to expand the team to better support this next phase of the Foundation’s strategy. Additional roles within the Community Impact department will be posted in the coming weeks and months, reflecting both the growth of the work and our commitment to building the internal capacity needed to sustain it.

We are excited about what lies ahead—and grateful for the leadership, care, and collaboration that continue to guide this work. We look forward to sharing more as the Community Impact team grows.