By Janelle Davis
Rosemary Bucci, a longtime Baldwinsville attorney, has left $1.5 million to the Central New York Community Foundation to support charitable organizations in her hometown community.
Bucci, who passed away in 2022, directed $1.5 million from her estate to the Central New York Community Foundation to establish the Bucci-Deserio Family Foundation.
The fund will support charitable organizations in the Village of Baldwinsville and the towns of Van Buren and Lysander.
“This particular gift from Rosemary was ideal in a number of senses,” said Tom Griffith, vice president of development at the Central New York Community Foundation, who has served in the role since 2013. “It’s very significant and will have a lot of impact on the community.”
In the 1960s, Bucci was one of only two women in her graduating class from Syracuse University College of Law.
She went on to practice law in Baldwinsville for more than 40 years, earning numerous accolades throughout her career, including being named Woman of the Year for Community Service by the Chamber of Commerce in 1993.
She also celebrated the milestone of 50 years of admittance to the Bar Association.
According to Griffith, Bucci was deliberate in her philanthropic planning.
“She worked hard her entire life to accumulate her wealth to ensure she could leave behind a legacy that would foster the continuation of her impact beyond her lifetime,” he said.
While the endowment specifies the geographic areas to benefit, Bucci gave the Community Foundation flexibility in determining which organizations receive funding.
“What was important to her was that community,” Griffith said. “She sought to give back through a sustained gift going forward in that region.”
The foundation recently received the funds and is preparing for the first distribution cycle.
Nonprofit organizations in the designated areas can begin applying for grants starting April 1, 2025.
The endowment structure ensures that funding will be available year after year, creating sustainable support for community needs.
Griffith hopes Bucci’s gift will inspire others to consider similar charitable planning, regardless of their wealth level.
“We can create a designated permanent endowed fund for $25,000,” he said, adding that the Foundation’s “Five for CNY” campaign encourages people to consider designating 5% of their estate to charitable causes.
“If everybody considered doing 5% of their estate, it would have a transformational impact on our community, literally releasing over a billion dollars in the next decade for charitable purposes,” Griffith said.
The Central New York Community Foundation, established in 1927, has invested nearly $300 million in community projects throughout its history.
More information about the Foundation and the “Five for CNY” initiative can be found at 5forcny.org.
