GOLD2022

Buffalo Seminary

Independent day and boarding school for college-bound girls

aka SEM   |   Buffalo, NY   |  www.buffaloseminary.org

Mission

Buffalo Seminary prepares a diverse group of young women to be engaged scholars and citizens, proud to shape society rather than be controlled by it, and ready to live and lead with honor, courage, and confidence.

Ruling year info

1935

Head of School

Mrs. Helen Ladds Marlette

Main address

205 Bidwell Parkway

Buffalo, NY 14222 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

16-0367980

NTEE code info

Secondary/High School (B25)

Alumni Associations (B84)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

Sign in or create an account to view Form(s) 990 for 2022, 2021 and 2021.
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Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

We educate girls to be college ready and engaged, global citizens.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

High School Diploma

In four years SEM students are immersed in the arts, STEAM, humanities, health and leadership curricula at multiple levels including honors and AP. Students can participate in 25+ clubs and on 15 athletic teams. All students are required to participate in community service each school year and the opportunities to engage with the SEM and larger communities of Buffalo and Western New York are supplied by partnerships with 20 nonprofit organizations. Our average class size is 12 and our student-teacher ratio is 7:1. 71% of our faculty have advanced degrees.

Population(s) Served
Adolescents
Women and girls

Where we work

Affiliations & memberships

National Association of Independent Schools - Full Member 2016

Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) 2016

The Association of Boarding Schools 2016

The National Coalition of Girls' Schools 2014

The Association of Small Boarding Schools 2015

New York State Association of Independent Schools 2012

Videos

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

We prepare young women from Western New York State and the across the globe to be knowledgeable, committed, empathetic citizens.

Vision:
● SEM is reimagining when, where, and how learning happens.
● Our vision is to design personal, challenging, and transformational experiences that serve all of our community, at every age and stage.
● Why is this our vision? We know that learning is a lifelong endeavor, and that pathways to learning will continue to expand.

Our extraordinarily accomplished faculty and staff - over 70% have advanced degrees - are dedicated to girls' education and their specific needs.

For 170 years SEM has graduated confident, engaged, educated, community-minded women who think creatively and lead.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We act on the feedback we receive

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection

Financials

Buffalo Seminary
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

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lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

Subscribe

Build relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.

  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

Buffalo Seminary

Board of directors
as of 01/27/2022
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board co-chair

Mrs. Katharine Smith


Board co-chair

Mrs. Elizabeth Roach

James Kramer

Mark Burlow

Robert Carr

Karen Hornung Kerwin

Erin O'Brien

Elizabeth Montesano Roach

Jennifer Roberts

Claire Schen

PhD

Katharine Bowen Smith

Douglas Dreishpoon

Anaydia Catherine Earle

Jennifer Gress

Cindy Levy

Joanna Glauser Marymor

Suzanne Marlette Sears

Barbara Fischer McQueeney

Patrick Long

Esq.

Jennifer Gress

Maureen Hays-Mitchell

PhD

Mary Kelkenberg

Alicia Saia

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 1/27/2022
info Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Female, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or straight

Race & ethnicity

No data

Gender identity

No data

 

No data

Sexual orientation

No data

Disability

No data

Equity strategies

Last updated: 01/27/2022

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
  • We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
  • We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
Policies and processes
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
  • We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.