Friends Foundation

People living with a developmental and/or intellectual disability like Cerebral Palsy, Epilepsy, Autism or Down Syndrome face many challenges in the course of learning, working and living in the community. The Friends Foundation is a resource for those people.

The Friends Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit established in 1995 to ensure appropriate financial resources exist to protect and expand the opportunities available to people who reside in Allegany County, NY and are served by The Arc Allegany-Steuben. The Foundation raises and awards funds to people who have special needs in the areas of education, recreation, community inclusion and self-support. 

Qualifications for Funding:

  • Applicants must be a member of The Arc Allegany-Steuben and receive services from and/or attend programs at The Arc Allegany-Steuben.
  • Applicants must reside primarily in Allegany County, NY and the immediate surrounding area.

Request Process:

  • Requests for funding are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis throughout the year.
  • The Friends Foundation meets quarterly. It takes approximately 30 days for a request to be reviewed and processed, however time-sensitive situations will be expedited.
  • All request applicants will be notified of the Board decision via email.
  • Request recipients who are awarded funding will be asked to provide a follow-up report within six months of receiving funding to show how the funding was used and its results/impact.

Friends Foundation Board Members:

Michael McCormick (President)
Teresa McMahon (Vice-President)
Mike Damiano (Treasurer/Secretary)
Courtney Ashraf
Ashleigh Cline

Contact Us

If you are a person living in Allegany County NY, receive services from the Arc Allegany-Steuben, and need Friends Foundation assistance, please contact Myriah Perry at  myriah.perry@thearcas.org.