Former Olean resident Mildred Milliman had a passion for philanthropy, and her giving spirit is still positively impacting the Olean community.
The Mildred Milliman Fund at the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation made possible $240,628 in grants to 35 organizations in 2024.
The Olean General Hospital Foundation, the fund’s leading beneficiary and an organization Milliman avidly supported during her life, received a grant for $194,187 this year.
Since its establishment in 2001, the Mildred Milliman Fund, which was previously named Anonymous Fund at her request to maintain her anonymity, has made possible more than $4.9 million in grants to local and national charities named by Milliman.
Milliman was posthumously recognized by CRCF for her lifetime of generosity and philanthropic vision with its Friend of the Foundation award in 2011.
Milliman’s decision to set up an endowed fund with the Foundation with a $6 million donation continues to make a permanent difference to 35 local and national charitable organizations.
Another of Milliman’s passions included animals, and she often helped support causes benefiting them.
She had designated several animal-related organizations as annual grant recipients from her fund, including the SPCA in Cattaraugus County, which received a grant of $5,462 this year.
“We are immensely grateful for the transformative impact Mildred Milliman has had on our community through the fund she established at CRCF,” said Kirk Windus, CRCF executive director. “Her philanthropic support has empowered us to expand our reach, touch more lives and make a tangible difference for those in our community.”
Other organizations that received grants from the Milliman Fund include: Beautification Fund for Olean Community, Roswell Park Alliance Foundation, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Camp Good Days & Special Times, SPCA serving Allegany County, National Anti-Vivisection Society, National Wildlife Federation, World Wildlife Fund, American SPCA, Humane Society of U.S., Best Friends Animal Society, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Blinded Veterans Association, Guiding Eyes for the Blind, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, March of Dimes – WNY Division, Salvation Army, American Red Cross, National MS Society, American Kidney Fund, Paralyzed Veterans of America, American Lung Association, Muscular Dystrophy Association – Western New York, Easterseals New York, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Epilepsy Foundation, American Foundation for the Blind, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of WNY, Alzheimer’s Association – Western New York Chapter, United Spinal Association, Town of Olean Fire Department.
The Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation is the area’s supportive, responsive and trusted community foundation. Established in 1994, CRCF is growing good by connecting donors to the causes they care about most in the region. Grants from the foundation support many areas, including education, scholarships, health care, the arts, community development, human service, and youth development. To learn more, call (716) 301-CRCF (2723), email [email protected], or visit online at www.cattfoundation.org. CRCF is also on Facebook (facebook.com/cattfoundation) and Twitter (@CattFoundation).
