Ontario County > Geneva
Geneva, at the northern end of Seneca Lake, benefits from the economic activity surrounding Hobart and William Smith Colleges. In February 2025, the colleges announced their largest gift ever – $70 million from former trustee L. Thomas Melly and his wife, Judith Hershey Melly. Tom Melly, who built his fortune at Goldman Sachs, died in December 2024.
Geneva is also the site of an agricultural experiment station operated by the state College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University. The Wyckoff Family Foundation is a major local funder.
The city received a $10 million Downtown Revitalization grant from the state in 2017, with an additional $5 million allocated for the Finger Lakes Welcome Center. Another $1.5 million was awarded in 2024 for renovation of buildings on Exchange and Castle streets.
School districts: Geneva City School District
Libraries: Geneva Public Library
Hospitals: Geneva General Hospital
Emergency services: Geneva Fire Department, North Side Fire Company, West Lake Road Fire Assn.
Fraternal organizations: American Legion, Kiwanis, Lions, Masons, Odd Fellows, Rotary, VFW, Zonta
State parks: Seneca Lake State Park
Not-for-profit cemeteries: Brookside Cemetery, Joslyn Cemetery, Oaklawn Cemetery, Shuman Cemetery, West Fayette Cemetery
Change agents:
Grants to local organizations have funded a summer book fair, YMCA renovation, First 1,000 Days food support, blue-green algae monitoring, chamber music performances, and other initiatives.
Recent grants:
GRANT KEY:
Ability Partners Foundation
Bank of America Charitable Foundation - Charlotte, NC - $1,100 (2023)
Ability Partners Foundation
Bonafiglia Foundation - Seneca Falls, NY - $20,500 (2023)
Ability Partners Foundation
Bonafiglia Foundation - Seneca Falls, NY - $1,991 (2023)
Ability Partners Foundation
Edward & Verna Gerbic Family Foundation - West Hartford, CT - $1,000 (2023)
Ability Partners Foundation
Marshall Family Foundation - North Rose, NY - $10,000 (2023)
Ability Partners Foundation
Williams Family Foundation Inc - Rochester, NY - $15,000 (2023)
Arthur G. Dove Tribute Group
New York State Council on the Arts - New York, NY - $15,000 (2024)
Arthur G. Dove Tribute Group
New York State Council on the Arts - New York, NY - $15,000 (2023)
Blueprint Geneva
Bessie Rattner Foundation - Florence, MA - $2,500 (2023)
Blueprint Geneva
ESL Charitable Foundation - Rochester, NY - $16,920 (2023)
Blueprint Geneva
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation - Albany, NY - $100,000 (2023)
Blueprint Geneva
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation - Albany, NY - $463,400 (2023)
Boy Scouts
Charles J & Burton S August Family Foundation - Rochester, NY - $50,000 (2023)
Boy Scouts
Cloudsplitter Foundation - Saranac Lake, NY - $1,240 (2023)
Boy Scouts
Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation - Rochester, NY - $80,000 (2023)
Boys & Girls Club of Geneva
Max and Marian Farash Charitable Foundation - Rochester, NY - $150,000 (2023)
Boys & Girls Club of Geneva
Sands Family Foundation - Delray Beach, FL - $5,000 (2023)
Boys & Girls Club of Geneva
Williams Family Foundation Inc - Rochester, NY - $10,000 (2023)
City of Geneva
Community Development Block Grant - Albany, NY - $638,444 (2024)
City of Geneva
Empire State Development - Albany, NY - $1,500,000 (2024)
City of Geneva
NYS Homes and Community Renewal - Albany, NY - $638,444 (2024)
City of Geneva
NYS revenue sharing (Aid and Incentives for Municipalities) - Albany, NY - $1,942,613 (2023)
City of Geneva Police Department
NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services - Albany, NY - $380,000 (2024)
Family Counseling Service of the Finger Lakes
Greater Rochester Health Foundation - Rochester, NY - $2,500 (2023)
Family Counseling Service of the Finger Lakes
Greater Rochester Health Foundation - Rochester, NY - $1,250 (2023)
Family Counseling Service of the Finger Lakes
United Way of Seneca County - Waterloo, NY - $9,000 (2023)
Family Counseling Service of the Finger Lakes
Williams Family Foundation Inc - Rochester, NY - $15,000 (2023)
Finger Lakes Health Foundation
Fred L. Emerson Foundation - Auburn, NY - $5,000 (2023)
Finger Lakes Health Foundation
Kinney Drugs Foundation - Gouverneur, NY - $10,000 (2023)
Food Justice of Geneva
ESL Charitable Foundation - Rochester, NY - $40,000 (2023)
Food Justice of Geneva
Greater Rochester Health Foundation - Rochester, NY - $11,500 (2023)
Friends of Parrott Hall
J M McDonald Foundation - Wilmington, DE - $10,000 (2023)
Friends of Parrott Hall
Melvin and Mildred Eggers Family Charitable Foundation - Rochester, NY - $2,500 (2023)
Geneva
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation - Albany, NY - $52,558 (2024)
Geneva
Restore New York Communities Initiative - Albany, NY - $1,000,000 (2025)
Geneva City School District
Brenda & Dave Rickey Family Foundation - San Diego, CA - $2,000 (2023)
Geneva Community Center
Brenda & Dave Rickey Family Foundation - San Diego, CA - $100,000 (2023)
Geneva Concerts
New York State Council on the Arts - New York, NY - $20,000 (2024)
Geneva Concerts
New York State Council on the Arts - New York, NY - $15,000 (2023)
Geneva Concerts
Williams Family Foundation Inc - Rochester, NY - $20,000 (2023)
Geneva Family YMCA
Brenda & Dave Rickey Family Foundation - San Diego, CA - $277,000 (2023)
Geneva Family YMCA
ESL Charitable Foundation - Rochester, NY - $75,000 (2023)
Geneva Family YMCA
NYS Office of Children and Family Services - Albany, NY - $175,000 (2023)
Geneva Family YMCA
Williams Family Foundation Inc - Rochester, NY - $10,000 (2023)
Geneva General Hospital
Samuel K Nester Trust - Chicago, IL - $11,690 (2023)
Geneva Historical Society
Nelson B Delavan Foundation - Chicago, IL - $4,500 (2023)
Geneva Historical Society
New York State Council on the Arts - New York, NY - $40,000 (2024)
Geneva Historical Society
New York State Council on the Arts - New York, NY - $30,000 (2023)
Geneva Light Opera
Brenda & Dave Rickey Family Foundation - San Diego, CA - $2,000 (2023)
Geneva Light Opera
ESL Charitable Foundation - Rochester, NY - $5,000 (2023)
Geneva Light Opera
Nelson B Delavan Foundation - Chicago, IL - $5,000 (2023)
Geneva Light Opera
New York State Council on the Arts - New York, NY - $15,000 (2024)
Geneva Light Opera
Williams Family Foundation Inc - Rochester, NY - $5,000 (2023)
Geneva Music Festival
Brenda & Dave Rickey Family Foundation - San Diego, CA - $15,000 (2023)
Geneva Music Festival
Bryan Christian Services - Lake Orion, MI - $1,150 (2023)
Geneva Music Festival
Max and Marian Farash Charitable Foundation - Rochester, NY - $10,000 (2023)
Geneva Music Festival
National Endowment for the Arts - Washington, DC - $15,000 (2024)
Geneva Music Festival
National Endowment for the Arts - Washington, DC - $15,000 (2023)
Geneva Music Festival
Nelson B Delavan Foundation - Chicago, IL - $6,000 (2023)
Geneva Music Festival
New York State Council on the Arts - New York, NY - $40,000 (2024)
Geneva Music Festival
New York State Council on the Arts - New York, NY - $30,000 (2023)
Geneva Music Festival
Williams Family Foundation Inc - Rochester, NY - $10,000 (2023)
Geneva Public Library
New York Department of Education - , - $11,385 (2023)
Geneva Reads
Greater Rochester Health Foundation - Rochester, NY - $1,000 (2023)
Geneva Reads
Nelson B Delavan Foundation - Chicago, IL - $5,000 (2023)
Geneva Rotary Club
Brenda & Dave Rickey Family Foundation - San Diego, CA - $2,000 (2023)
Geneva Theatre Guild
Williams Family Foundation Inc - Rochester, NY - $5,000 (2023)
Happiness House
Mother Cabrini Health Foundation - New York, NY - $90,000 (2023)
Happiness House
Paychex Charitable Foundation - Rochester, NY - $2,500 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Archibald Family Foundation - Boston, MA - $2,000 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Bank of America Charitable Foundation - Charlotte, NC - $3,800 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Bucks Creek Foundation - Wilmington, DE - $7,500 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Bucks Creek Foundation - Wilmington, DE - $1,853 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Citizens Charitable Foundation - Johnston, RI - $1,500 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Colket Family Foundation - Newtown Square, PA - $1,000 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
David F & Frances Eberhart Foundation - New York, NY - $10,000 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Digs Foundation - Chatham, MA - $2,500 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Ellen and Andrew G Celli Foundation - New York, NY - $5,000 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Fidelity Foundation - Boston, MA - $10,000,000 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Fidelity Foundation - Boston, MA - $2,000 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Fidelity Foundation - Boston, MA - $1,000 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Forman S Acton Educational - Salem, NJ - $6,750 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Fred L. Emerson Foundation - Auburn, NY - $25,000 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Frederick H Gillmore Fund - Santa Barbara, CA - $5,000 (2024)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Frederick H Gillmore Fund - Santa Barbara, CA - $5,000 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Freedom Forum - Washington, DC - $1,000 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
G & H Snyder Memorial Tr-Charitable - Chicago, IL - $16,496 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Herman Goldman Foundation - Wilmington, DE - $20,000 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Hickrill Foundation - New York, NY - $10,000 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Hunter Family Foundation - Chicago, IL - $5,000 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Lincoln Ellsworth Foundation - Old Bridge, NJ - $15,000 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Longview Foundation - Milwaukee, WI - $2,000 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Macelree Family Foundation - Newtown Square, PA - $1,000 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Max and Marian Farash Charitable Foundation - Rochester, NY - $111,800 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
McCarthy-Bjorklund Foundation - St Paul, MN - $1,000 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Melly Foundation - Sarasota, FL - $504,513 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
NYS Higher Education Capital Matching Grant Program - Albany, NY - $650,787 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Peter and Josephine Grayson Foundation - Red Bank, NJ - $2,008 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Poole Family Foundation - Garden City, NY - $21,000 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Rasmuson Foundation - Anchorage, AK - $1,000 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Robert E Enslein Foundation - Greenwich, CT - $65,000 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Schooner Foundation - Boston, MA - $1,000 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Scrivan Family Foundation - Wilmington, DE - $4,000 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Sherman Fairchild Foundation - Chevy Chase, MD - $82,500 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Synchrony Foundation - Stamford, CT - $5,000 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
T. Rowe Price Program for Charitable Giving - Baltimore, MD - $190,400 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Thomas Fbo Hobart Branch of the Colleges Of - Pittsburgh, PA - $96,326 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Thomas M Steel Trust - Pittsford, NY - $5,462 (2023)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Thomas M Steele Tuw Fbo St Peters Etal - Pittsford, NY - $5,765 (2024)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Vincenza and Joseph Vasile - Webster, NY - $1,700 (2023)
Legal Assistance of Western New York
New York Health Foundation - New York, NY - $100,000 (2023)
Legal Assistance of Western New York
New York State Health Foundation - New York, NY - $80,000 (2023)
Legal Assistance of Western New York
Skadden Foundation - White Plains, NY - $111,675 (2023)
Lochland School
Lowe's Hometowns - Mooresville, NC - $87,000 (2024)
Lochland School
Withington Foundation - Fort Washington, PA - $5,000 (2023)
Our Lady of Peace
Carpenter Family Caritas Foundation - Rochester, NY - $2,500 (2023)
Salvation Army
Greater Rochester Health Foundation - Rochester, NY - $1,000 (2023)
Seneca Lake Pure Waters Association
Rose Family Foundation - Chapel Hill, NC - $43,500 (2023)
Smith Center for the Arts
Brenda & Dave Rickey Family Foundation - San Diego, CA - $15,000 (2023)
Smith Center for the Arts
Fred L. Emerson Foundation - Auburn, NY - $25,000 (2023)
Smith Center for the Arts
Max and Marian Farash Charitable Foundation - Rochester, NY - $30,000 (2023)
Smith Center for the Arts
Nelson B Delavan Foundation - Chicago, IL - $5,000 (2023)
Smith Center for the Arts
New York State Council on the Arts - New York, NY - $25,000 (2024)
Smith Center for the Arts
Williams Family Foundation Inc - Rochester, NY - $10,000 (2023)
St. Peter's Community Arts Academy
Max and Marian Farash Charitable Foundation - Rochester, NY - $20,000 (2023)
St. Peter's Community Arts Center
Nelson B Delavan Foundation - Chicago, IL - $5,000 (2023)
St. Peter's Episcopal Church
Thomas M Steel Trust - Pittsford, NY - $10,923 (2023)
St. Peter's Episcopal Church
Thomas M Steele Tuw Fbo St Peters Etal - Pittsford, NY - $11,530 (2024)
St. Peters Community Arts Academy
Brenda & Dave Rickey Family Foundation - San Diego, CA - $5,000 (2023)
Temple Beth El Geneva
Max and Marian Farash Charitable Foundation - Rochester, NY - $18,000 (2023)
Thrive to Survive
Florence M Muller Foundation - Penfield, NY - $18,364 (2023)
Thrive to Survive
Greater Rochester Health Foundation - Rochester, NY - $1,500 (2023)
Thrive to Survive
Kyrias Foundation - Phelps, NY - $3,000 (2023)
WEOS
Peter A and Marion W Schwartz Family - Canandaigua, NY - $5,000 (2024)
WEOS
Peter A. and Marion W. Schwartz Family Foundation Trust - Canandaigua, NY - $5,000 (2023)
Largest nonprofits in Geneva (by assets) include:
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Geneva General Hospital
Finger Lakes Health Foundation
Lakeview Health Services
Geneva Historical Society
Finger Lakes United Cerebral Palsy
Wyckoff Family Foundation
FLH Medical Pc
Legal Assistance of WNY
Geneva Nursing Home II
Geneva Nursing Home
Local No 840 I B E W Health Insurance Plan
White Springs Fire Association
Lochland School
Boys & Girls Club of Geneva
Ability Partners Foundation
Cornell Agriculture and Food Technology Park Corporation
Happiness House Apartments Housing Development Fund Company
Finger Lakes Community Development Corporation
Lake Area Development Corporation
Family Counseling Service of the Finger Lakes
Smith Center for the Arts
Safe Harbors of the Finger Lakes
Lyceum III Housing Development Fund Corp
Geneva General Housing Development Fund Company
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers