FOCUS Greater Syracuse, Inc.

FOCUS: Forging Our Community's United Strength

aka F.O.C.U.S. | Syracuse, NY | https://www.focussyracuse.org/

Learn how to support this organization

GuideStar Charity Check

EIN: 16-1606023

Contributions tax deductible
as of August 2024

IRS BMF 509(a)(1)
as of August 12, 2024

View summary

Charity Check report

Mission

FOCUS is a citizen driven organization that taps citizen creativity to bring about change in Central New York by enabling citizens, organizations and government to work together to enhance the quality of our lives and our economic future.

Ruling year info

2001

Board President and Acting Executive Director

Ms. Rita Reicher

Main address

300 South State Street Suite 520

Syracuse, NY 13202 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

16-1606023

Subject area info

Community improvement

Urban development

Human rights

Human services

Information and communications

Population served info

Adults

Ethnic and racial groups

Economically disadvantaged people

Immigrants and migrants

NTEE code info

Alliance/Advocacy Organizations (A01)

Public Health Program (E70)

Community, Neighborhood Development, Improvement (S20)

IRS subsection

501(c)(3) Public Charity

IRS filing requirement

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

Tax forms

Show Forms 990

Communication

Blog

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

FOCUS Greater Syracuse is committed to helping the people of Central New York come together to identify the issues that matter most to them, learn about the resources and efforts made to address those issues, and help them work together to resolve them. Among the topic our stakeholders have identified and addressed are economic and environmental sustainability, maintaining a livable community for people of all ages, helping our research institutions address the health concerns most important to our population, workforce development and education.

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?

Citizens Academy

Citizens Academy is an interactive, educational program that informs citizens about how local governments are organized, and how services are funded/delivered. It is a place to learn about citizen involvement through an integrated approach to economic vitality, social equity, and a healthy environment. The Program facilitates a dialogue between government leaders and the community. Participants join a strong network of 600+ engaged citizens. Citizens Academy has been a conduit of change and learning in Central New York for 18 years. Participants take the first steps to being informed about their community. Citizens Academy is a collaboration between the City of Syracuse, Onondaga County, and FOCUS Greater Syracuse, Inc. The program provides the opportunity to meet with key government officials and engage in a dialogue by asking pertinent questions about your community and learn from the experts, as well as meet other engaged citizens.

Population(s) Served

Adults

Ethnic and racial groups

FOCUS Forums

FOCUS Greater Syracuse, Inc. hosts free, monthly forums that bring together a panel of experts on a particular topic, issue, project, or initiative that is important to the CNY community. All participants have a chance to ask questions to the panel and engage in a dialogue with fellow engaged citizens.

Population(s) Served

Adults

Ethnic and racial groups

Where we work

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Life Needs Assessment in Onondaga County

Totals By Year

Population(s) Served

Ethnic and racial groups, Adults

Related Program

FOCUS Forums

Type of Metric

Other - describing something else

Direction of Success

Holding steady

Context Notes

The Life Needs Assessment survey has questions directed towards people's personal needs. We have added questions that will help us understand perceptions of community needs.

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.

What is the organization aiming to accomplish?

FOCUS works to enable the people of Central New York, their organizations and government to work together to enhance the quality of life and the economic future of the community.

What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?

Convener
FOCUS brings individuals and groups together in public forums and other settings to collaborate on common agendas and goals, eliminate duplicated efforts, and maximize progress on the community’s visions and goals.
Communicator
FOCUS produces reports to inform the community on issues and advances made on the goals.
Catalyst
FOCUS pursues creative ways for organizations to achieve the goals and bring disparate groups together to develop a plan of action.
Clearinghouse
FOCUS identifies community resources and projects underway, exposes gaps, develops benchmarks and indicators for measuring progress, and reports to the community. FOCUS was an originator of “The Indicators Report” that became the CNY Vitals project of the Central New York Community Foundation.
Champion and Celebrator
FOCUS uses its citizen-based research and idea-gathering efforts to help citizens and officials work together to champion community interests and action, and to foster and celebrate community pride.

What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?

FOCUS has a small staff and a large group of volunteers, including nearly 500 graduates of our Citizens Academy who work collaboratively with positive intent to meet goals. In 2018 FOCUS celebrated 20 years of effort and identified 20 examples of progress made by our community toward achieving the 87 goals set in a broad community visioning process in 1998. You can read about the goals at www.focussyracuse.org/20-goals-for-20-years-highlights-list .
FOCUS taps the intellectual resources of universities in the region and experts in government, business and economics to participate with community volunteers as they address issues such as environmental sustainability, workforce development, poverty, land use planning and community engagement.

What have they accomplished so far and what's next?

In 2019, FOCUS completed its 15th year of Citizens Academy, and doubled the number of participants reached by FOCUS Forums. In 2020 FOCUS strives to continue its mission using virtual formats.
It is time to update the 2018 edition of the text for that program Patterns of Government in Onondaga County which is available on the web at www.focussyracuse.org/projects and for the first time through Syracuse University's open source publishing project at surface.syr.edu/cbp/38/ .
In light of the current pandemic FOCUS has developed a series of public forums highlighting the challenges and opportunities for improving the quality of life in Central New York in ways now demanded as never before. The 2018 series on economic development brought outside experts and local business and government experts to meet with the public and field questions about how our community can support and get the optimal benefit from development in this area to reduce poverty and continue the momentum building around revitalization of this central city and the region around. In 2020 the experts as in the past are drawn from the health care and environmental community as well as business interests but with new energy.

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.

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 get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, 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 engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback
What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback

Financials

FOCUS Greater Syracuse, Inc.

Fiscal year: Jan 01 - Dec 31

Financial documents

Revenue vs. expenses: breakdown

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

NET GAIN/LOSS: in

Note: When component data are not available, the graph displays the total Revenue and/or Expense values.

Financial data

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

Digitizing IRS form 990 data

FOCUS Greater Syracuse, Inc.

Revenue & expenses

Fiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31

SOURCE: IRS Form 990 info

Fiscal year ending: Download Data

Revenue
Contributions	$54,478
Program Services	$0
Investments	$34,703
Special Events	$18,907
Sales	$4,435
Other	$0
Total Revenue	$112,523

Expenses
Grants	$0
Salaries & Employee Benefits	$0
Professional Fees	$975
Occupancy	$0
Printing, Publications, Postage, etc.	$0
Other Expenses	$101,800
Total Expenses	$102,775
Net Gain/Loss	$9,748

Revenue
Contributions	$49,627
Program Services	$0
Investments	$8,662
Special Events	$23,834
Sales	$5,382
Other	$0
Total Revenue	$87,505

Expenses
Grants	$0
Salaries & Employee Benefits	$0
Professional Fees	$500
Occupancy	$0
Printing, Publications, Postage, etc.	$0
Other Expenses	$92,366
Total Expenses	$92,866
Net Gain/Loss	($5,361)

Revenue
Contributions	$30,769
Program Services	$0
Investments	$4,566
Special Events	$23,045
Sales	$0
Other	$0
Total Revenue	$58,380

Expenses
Grants	$0
Salaries & Employee Benefits	$0
Professional Fees	$750
Occupancy	$0
Printing, Publications, Postage, etc.	$0
Other Expenses	$68,957
Total Expenses	$69,707
Net Gain/Loss	($11,327)

Revenue
Contributions	$53,739
Program Services	$0
Investments	$13,375
Special Events	$20,094
Sales	$0
Other	$0
Total Revenue	$87,208

Expenses
Grants	$0
Salaries & Employee Benefits	$82,543
Professional Fees	$969
Occupancy	$0
Printing, Publications, Postage, etc.	$0
Other Expenses	$33,772
Total Expenses	$117,284
Net Gain/Loss	($30,076)

Revenue
Contributions	$75,126
Program Services	$0
Investments	$30,768
Special Events	$33,611
Sales	$0
Other	$0
Total Revenue	$139,505

Expenses
Grants	$0
Salaries & Employee Benefits	$131,804
Professional Fees	$3,456
Occupancy	$0
Printing, Publications, Postage, etc.	$0
Other Expenses	$35,862
Total Expenses	$171,122
Net Gain/Loss	($31,617)

Revenue
Contributions	$110,444
Program Services	$0
Investments	$1,442
Special Events	$29,925
Sales	$0
Other	$0
Total Revenue	$141,811

Expenses
Grants	$0
Salaries & Employee Benefits	$179,722
Professional Fees	$1,206
Occupancy	$0
Printing, Publications, Postage, etc.	$0
Other Expenses	$54,931
Total Expenses	$235,859
Net Gain/Loss	($94,048)

Revenue
Contributions	$49,854
Program Services	$0
Investments	$4,792
Special Events	$32,789
Sales	$0
Other	$0
Total Revenue	$87,435

Expenses
Grants	$0
Salaries & Employee Benefits	$67,889
Professional Fees	$4,725
Occupancy	$0
Printing, Publications, Postage, etc.	$0
Other Expenses	$17,259
Total Expenses	$89,873
Net Gain/Loss	($2,438)

Revenue
Contributions	$46,378
Program Services	$0
Investments	$2,916
Special Events	$16,150
Sales	$0
Other	$0
Total Revenue	$65,444

Expenses
Grants	$0
Salaries & Employee Benefits	$52,210
Professional Fees	$1,750
Occupancy	$0
Printing, Publications, Postage, etc.	$0
Other Expenses	$10,057
Total Expenses	$64,017
Net Gain/Loss	$1,427

Revenue
Contributions	$97,155
Program Services	$0
Investments	$2,848
Special Events	$32,466
Sales	$0
Other	$0
Total Revenue	$132,469

Expenses
Grants	$0
Salaries & Employee Benefits	$60,158
Professional Fees	$1,500
Occupancy	$0
Printing, Publications, Postage, etc.	$0
Other Expenses	$40,284
Total Expenses	$101,942
Net Gain/Loss	$30,527

Revenue
Contributions	$55,495
Program Services	$0
Investments	$741
Special Events	$46,719
Sales	$0
Other	$0
Total Revenue	$102,955

Expenses
Grants	$0
Salaries & Employee Benefits	$57,378
Professional Fees	$1,250
Occupancy	$0
Printing, Publications, Postage, etc.	$0
Other Expenses	$19,402
Total Expenses	$78,030
Net Gain/Loss	$24,925

Revenue
Contributions	$111,436
Program Services	$0
Investments	$1,316
Special Events	$29,477
Sales	$3,012
Other	$0
Total Revenue	$145,241

Expenses
Grants	$0
Salaries & Employee Benefits	$68,119
Professional Fees	$1,540
Occupancy	$0
Printing, Publications, Postage, etc.	$0
Other Expenses	$55,779
Total Expenses	$125,438
Net Gain/Loss	$19,803

FOCUS Greater Syracuse, Inc.

Balance sheet

Fiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31

SOURCE: IRS Form 990 info

The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot survive long, but the types of assets and liabilities must also be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan, and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.

Fiscal year ending: Download Data

Assets	Jan 01, 2013	Dec 31, 2013	Change
Contributions	$54,478
Cash & Equivalents	$219,764	$235,713	$15,949
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$0	$0	$0
Other	$19,636	$8,343	($11,293)
Total Assets	$239,400	$244,056	$4,656

Liabilities	Jan 01, 2013	Dec 31, 2013	Change
Total Liabilities	$7,275	$2,183	($5,092)

Fund balance	Jan 01, 2013	Dec 31, 2013	Change
Net Assets	$232,125	$241,873	$9,748

Assets	Jan 01, 2014	Dec 31, 2014	Change
Contributions	$49,627
Cash & Equivalents	$235,713	$237,012	$1,299
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$0	$0	$0
Other	$8,343	$0	($8,343)
Total Assets	$244,056	$237,012	($7,044)

Liabilities	Jan 01, 2014	Dec 31, 2014	Change
Total Liabilities	$2,183	$500	($1,683)

Fund balance	Jan 01, 2014	Dec 31, 2014	Change
Net Assets	$241,873	$236,512	($5,361)

Assets	Jan 01, 2015	Dec 31, 2015	Change
Contributions	$30,769
Cash & Equivalents	$237,012	$221,541	($15,471)
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$0	$0	$0
Other	$0	$4,894	$4,894
Total Assets	$237,012	$226,435	($10,577)

Liabilities	Jan 01, 2015	Dec 31, 2015	Change
Total Liabilities	$500	$1,250	$750

Fund balance	Jan 01, 2015	Dec 31, 2015	Change
Net Assets	$236,512	$225,185	($11,327)

Assets	Jan 01, 2016	Dec 31, 2016	Change
Contributions	$53,739
Cash & Equivalents	$221,541	$179,831	($41,710)
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$0	$0	$0
Other	$4,894	$18,714	$13,820
Total Assets	$226,435	$198,545	($27,890)

Liabilities	Jan 01, 2016	Dec 31, 2016	Change
Total Liabilities	$1,250	$3,436	$2,186

Fund balance	Jan 01, 2016	Dec 31, 2016	Change
Net Assets	$225,185	$195,109	($30,076)

Assets	Jan 01, 2017	Dec 31, 2017	Change
Contributions	$75,126
Cash & Equivalents	$179,831	$160,799	($19,032)
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$0	$0	$0
Other	$18,714	$14,968	($3,746)
Total Assets	$198,545	$175,767	($22,778)

Liabilities	Jan 01, 2017	Dec 31, 2017	Change
Total Liabilities	$3,436	$12,275	$8,839

Fund balance	Jan 01, 2017	Dec 31, 2017	Change
Net Assets	$195,109	$163,492	($31,617)

Assets	Jan 01, 2018	Dec 31, 2018	Change
Contributions	$110,444
Cash & Equivalents	$160,799	$69,316	($91,483)
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$0	$0	$0
Other	$14,968	$926	($14,042)
Total Assets	$175,767	$70,242	($105,525)

Liabilities	Jan 01, 2018	Dec 31, 2018	Change
Total Liabilities	$12,275	$798	($11,477)

Fund balance	Jan 01, 2018	Dec 31, 2018	Change
Net Assets	$163,492	$69,444	($94,048)

Assets	Jan 01, 2019	Dec 31, 2019	Change
Contributions	$49,854
Cash & Equivalents	$69,316	$59,967	($9,349)
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$0	$0	$0
Other	$926	$7,039	$6,113
Total Assets	$70,242	$67,006	($3,236)

Liabilities	Jan 01, 2019	Dec 31, 2019	Change
Total Liabilities	$798	$0	($798)

Fund balance	Jan 01, 2019	Dec 31, 2019	Change
Net Assets	$69,444	$67,006	($2,438)

Assets	Jan 01, 2020	Dec 31, 2020	Change
Contributions	$46,378
Cash & Equivalents	$59,967	$68,433	$8,466
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$0	$0	$0
Other	$7,039	$0	($7,039)
Total Assets	$67,006	$68,433	$1,427

Liabilities	Jan 01, 2020	Dec 31, 2020	Change
Total Liabilities	$0	$0	$0

Fund balance	Jan 01, 2020	Dec 31, 2020	Change
Net Assets	$67,006	$68,433	$1,427

Assets	Jan 01, 2021	Dec 31, 2021	Change
Contributions	$97,155
Cash & Equivalents	$68,433	$98,960	$30,527
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$0	$0	$0
Other	$0	$0	$0
Total Assets	$68,433	$98,960	$30,527

Liabilities	Jan 01, 2021	Dec 31, 2021	Change
Total Liabilities	$0	$0	$0

Fund balance	Jan 01, 2021	Dec 31, 2021	Change
Net Assets	$68,433	$98,960	$30,527

Assets	Jan 01, 2022	Dec 31, 2022	Change
Contributions	$55,495
Cash & Equivalents	$98,960	$119,207	$20,247
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$0	$0	$0
Other	$0	$0	$0
Total Assets	$98,960	$119,207	$20,247

Operations

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

Documents

Letter of Determination

Form 1023/1024 is not available for this organization

Board President and Acting Executive Director

Ms. Rita Reicher

Rita Reicher is a past chairman of the board, president and founding partner of the marketing and consulting firm of KS&R. Reicher earned a Ph.D. in economics from Yale University and has expertise in advanced analytics and modeling. Reicher's primary area of expertise is market research and related research such as needs assessment and program evaluation. A long-time resident of the city of Syracuse and a former city employee, Reicher's interests include developing a vibrant urban community with a strong, diverse young professional component. Reicher is president of the Upstate Foundation and has been a member of the board of directors of the American Red Cross of Central New York, American Heart Association Syracuse Chapter, Central New York Community Foundation and a former trustee and current Finance Committee co-chair of All Saints Roman Catholic Church and a member of the Women Presidents’ Organization locally and nationally.

FOCUS Greater Syracuse, Inc.

Officers, directors, trustees, and key employees

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

Compensation

Other

Show data for fiscal year

Compensation data

Download up to 5 most recent years of officer and director compensation data for this organization

There are no highest paid employees recorded for this organization.

FOCUS Greater Syracuse, Inc.

Board of directors
as of 08/12/2024

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Board of directors data

Download the most recent year of board of directors data for this organization

Board chair

Ms. Rita Reicher

FOCUS Greater Syracuse, Inc.

Term: 2020 -

Robert Haley

Architect, AIA, LEED, AP

Carrie Carapella

SRC, Inc.

Sean Daughton

Dannible & McKee LLP

Michele Jones Galvin

former Onondaga County administration

Rita Reicher, PhD

KS&R co-founder

Amy Rood

National Grid

Matthew Oja

Syracuse Commissioner of Assessment

Andrea Latchem

former Syracuse University and Food Bank of Central New York

Donald Radke

FM Realty

Nancy H. Smith

NH Smith Consulting

Maritza Alvarado, MD

MAK Consultants

Brian Fay

Syracuse Northeast Community Center

Sam Gordon

EDR

Greg Riley

KeyBank

Gerianne Corradino

Central New York Community Foundation

William Sanford

Brown & Sanford Consulting, LLC

Lynnessa Joyner-Robinson

Goodwill of the Finger Lakes

Lisa A. Hart

Public Health Analyst & Grants Manager

Michael Stanton

formerly National Grid

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 ? Not applicable
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 8/12/2024

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

Sexual orientation

Decline to state

Disability status

Decline to state

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

Transgender Identity

Sexual orientation

No data

Disability

We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.

Equity strategies

Last updated: 08/12/2024

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

Policies and processes

We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
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.

FOCUS Greater Syracuse, Inc.

FOCUS: Forging Our Community's United Strength

Mission

Is this your nonprofit?

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

Our programs

Citizens Academy

FOCUS Forums

Where we work

Our results

Evaluation documents

Life Needs Assessment in Onondaga County

Totals By Year

Population(s) Served

Related Program

Type of Metric

Direction of Success

Context Notes

Goals & Strategy

Charting impact

What is the organization aiming to accomplish?

What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?

What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?

What have they accomplished so far and what's next?

How we listen

Financials

Financial documents

Revenue vs. expenses: breakdown

Financial data

Digitizing IRS form 990 data

FOCUS Greater Syracuse, Inc.

FOCUS Greater Syracuse, Inc.

Operations

Documents

Board President and Acting Executive Director

Ms. Rita Reicher

FOCUS Greater Syracuse, Inc.

Compensation data

FOCUS Greater Syracuse, Inc.

Board of directors data

Ms. Rita Reicher

Board leadership practices

Board orientation and education

CEO oversight

Ethics and transparency

Board composition

Board performance

Organizational demographics

Leadership

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

Transgender Identity

Sexual orientation

Disability

Equity strategies