Buffalo City Mission

The information on this page was last updated 6/25/2026. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]


Summary

The Buffalo City Mission exists to restore hope and dignity to the hurting and homeless through the transforming grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. The vision of the Buffalo City Mission is to reduce homelessness for men, women, and moms with children in Western New York through the provision of emergency shelter, food, transitional housing, education, medical and behavioral health care and linkages to other supportive services, and in this process transform souls for Jesus Christ.


Contact information

Mailing address:
Buffalo City Mission
100 East Tupper St
Buffalo, NY 14203

Website: buffalocitymission.org

Phone: (716) 854-8181

Email: buffalocitymission.org/contact-us/


Organization details

EIN: 160743965

CEO/President: Mark Jentsch

Chairman: Dr. Grace Huff

Board size: 9

Founder: Billy Sunday, Rev. and Mrs. Edward Clark

Ruling year: 1947

Tax deductible: Yes

Fiscal year end: 09/30

Member of ECFA: Yes

Member of ECFA since: 1988


Purpose

The vision of the Buffalo City Mission is to reduce homelessness for men, women, children and families in Western New York through the provision of emergency shelter, food, transitional housing, education, and linkages to other supportive services, and in this process transform souls for Jesus Christ.

Our purpose is to proclaim and demonstrate the life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ, caring for the spiritual, physical and emotional needs of men, women and children in need of hope.


Mission statement

The Buffalo City Mission exists to restore hope and dignity to the hurting and homeless through the transforming grace and mercy of Jesus Christ.


Statement of faith

Buffalo City Mission is a non-denominational Christian organization. We are committed to the following essential truths of biblical Christianity.

We believe that the Bible is the Word of God and therefore our only authority.
We believe in the Trinity of the Godhead.
We believe in the creation of man by the direct act of God.
We believe in the fall of man and his need for redemption.
We believe in the Deity, incarnation and virgin birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
We believe in Christ's vicarious atonement for the sins of mankind by the shedding of His blood on the cross.
We believe in Christ's bodily resurrection from the tomb and His Ascension into Heaven.
We believe in Jesus Christ's personal, imminent return.
We believe in the Personality and Deity of the Holy Spirit.
We believe in the justification of the believer by grace through faith.
We believe in a literal Satan who is our adversary.
We believe in a literal Heaven for the redeemed and a literal hell for the lost.

(Adopted in 1917, from the Statement of Christian Faith by the founding committee and used by the Board of Directors as the foundation for work.)

Donor confidence score

Show donor confidence score details

To understand our donor confidence score, click here.


Transparency grade

A

To understand our transparency grade, click here.


Financial efficiency ratings

Sector: Rescue Missions/Homeless Shelters

CategoryRatingOverall rankSector rank
Overall efficiency rating1591 of 1607175 of 177
Fund acquisition rating1384 of 1608162 of 178
Resource allocation rating1433 of 1608162 of 178
Asset utilization rating1574 of 1607175 of 177

According to the organization's Form 990, it received $1,657,307 in government grants in 2025.

To understand our financial efficiency ratings, click here.


Financial ratios

Funding ratiosSector median20252024202320222021
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts =
Fundraising expense /
Total contributions
9%20%26%30%24%18%
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio =
Fundraising expense /
Total revenue
7%17%22%26%13%17%
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance =
Total contributions /
Total revenue
93%86%85%87%55%94%
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio =
Fundraising expense /
Total expenses
8%16%21%21%19%19%
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance =
Total other revenue /
Total revenue
7%14%15%13%45%6%
 
Operating ratiosSector median20252024202320222021
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio =
Program services /
Total expenses
81%71%65%67%68%69%
Spending ratio Spending ratio =
Total expenses /
Total revenue
96%103%107%123%68%87%
Program output ratio Program output ratio =
Program services /
Total revenue
78%73%69%82%47%60%
Savings ratio Savings ratio =
Surplus (deficit) /
Total revenue
4%-3%-7%-23%32%13%
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate =
Surplus (deficit) /
Net assets
4%-1%-3%-11%24%10%
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio =
Management and general expense /
Total expenses
9%12%14%12%13%12%
 
Investing ratiosSector median20252024202320222021
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover =
Total expenses /
Total assets
0.560.360.370.410.370.41
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment =
Total assets /
Total current assets
2.8925.1926.3315.449.634.81
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover =
Total expenses /
Total current assets
2.119.089.836.283.591.97
 
Liquidity ratiosSector median20252024202320222021
Current ratio Current ratio =
Total current assets /
Total current liabilities
10.393.091.982.2610.4621.11
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio =
Total current liabilities /
Total current assets
0.090.320.510.440.100.05
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level =
(Total current assets -
Total current liabilities) /
(Total expenses / 12)
5.090.890.601.073.025.79
 
Solvency ratiosSector median20252024202320222021
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio =
Total liabilities /
Total assets
9%27%28%31%28%36%
Debt ratio Debt ratio =
Debt /
Total assets
0%26%26%27%27%34%
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio =
Net assets /
Total expenses
145%203%193%169%192%155%

Financials

Balance sheet
 
Assets20252024202320222021
Cash$276,639$241,739$1,154,237$1,836,090$2,299,152
Receivables, inventories, prepaids$680,793$704,009$602,445$885,909$2,026,533
Short-term investments$106,747$85,514$56,163$326,271$933,417
Other current assets$0$0$0$0$0
Total current assets$1,064,179$1,031,262$1,812,845$3,048,270$5,259,102
Long-term investments$0$0$0$0$0
Fixed assets$16,851,305$17,441,151$18,910,800$19,354,049$19,952,642
Other long-term assets$8,894,308$8,682,043$7,258,844$6,955,244$84,073
Total long-term assets$25,745,613$26,123,194$26,169,644$26,309,293$20,036,715
Total assets$26,809,792$27,154,456$27,982,489$29,357,563$25,295,817
 
Liabilities20252024202320222021
Payables and accrued expenses$344,681$520,929$800,820$291,331$249,164
Other current liabilities$0$0$0$0$0
Total current liabilities$344,681$520,929$800,820$291,331$249,164
Debt$6,852,200$6,964,107$7,675,410$7,972,587$8,580,347
Due to (from) affiliates$0$0$0$0$0
Other long-term liabilities$0$133,879$304,077$84,432$353,741
Total long-term liabilities$6,852,200$7,097,986$7,979,487$8,057,019$8,934,088
Total liabilities$7,196,881$7,618,915$8,780,307$8,348,350$9,183,252
 
Net assets20252024202320222021
Without donor restrictions$11,449,533$11,782,136$12,340,956$14,292,307$15,178,266
With donor restrictions$8,163,378$7,753,405$6,861,226$6,716,906$934,299
Net assets$19,612,911$19,535,541$19,202,182$21,009,213$16,112,565
 
Revenues and expenses
 
Revenue20252024202320222021
Total contributions$8,037,146$8,062,700$8,046,199$8,786,678$11,254,383
Program service revenue$1,107,700$1,178,786$1,148,536$897,755$702,590
Membership dues$0$0$0$0$0
Investment income($9,219)$14,624$82,868$5,329$18,028
Other revenue$247,629$237,152$0$6,290,611$0
Total other revenue$1,346,110$1,430,562$1,231,404$7,193,695$720,618
Total revenue$9,383,256$9,493,262$9,277,603$15,980,373$11,975,001
 
Expenses20252024202320222021
Program services$6,884,726$6,591,394$7,586,294$7,464,319$7,137,267
Management and general$1,184,238$1,419,527$1,366,437$1,387,178$1,243,021
Fundraising$1,589,378$2,123,294$2,431,862$2,090,727$2,000,440
Total expenses$9,658,342$10,134,215$11,384,593$10,942,224$10,380,728
 
Change in net assets20252024202320222021
Surplus (deficit)($275,086)($640,953)($2,106,990)$5,038,149$1,594,273
Other changes in net assets$0$0$0$0$0
Total change in net assets($275,086)($640,953)($2,106,990)$5,038,149$1,594,273

Compensation

NameTitleCompensation
Aubrey CalhounExecutive Director (to 4/22/25)$165,520
Marilyn ForcucciInterim Ceo/COO/Ed (from 4/23/25)$106,991
Brian MajchrowiczController$46,938

Compensation data as of: 9/30/2025


Response from ministry

No response has been provided by this ministry.


The information below was provided to MinistryWatch by the ministry itself. It was last updated 6/25/2026. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]


History

June 29, 1917

Baseball hero-turned-evangelist Billy Sunday makes a contribution of $8,400 to the Buffalo Evangelistic Association, directing them to open a rescue mission. Rev. and Mrs. Edward Clark initiated City Mission Society that fall.

1922

City Mission Society's board of directors purchase Fenton's Pekin Cabaret, a former nightclub, using Billy Sunday's gift as down payment. The Mission opens its doors June 11 to provide chapel services and meals for the homeless.

1922-1940

City Mission Society expands its services to include clothing and sheltering the homeless.

1940-1970

Women from 20 Western New York churches form a women's auxiliary to raise funds, improve housekeeping, formalize clothing distribution and coordinate holiday events. In addition to cash, donations during this time include gifts of milk, farm produce, meat and other foods for the Mission's dining tables and community food pantry.

1970-1984

With drug use and domestic violence on the rise, family homelessness becomes a nationwide concern. In 1981, the Mission opens a shelter and safe house in a Victorian house on Linwood for families victimized by fire, violence and other crises.

1984

City Mission Society (now known as Buffalo City Mission) moves into a new facility at 100 E. Tupper, where administrative offices and the Men's Community Center are located.

1990-2001

The Mission would go on to raise $1.3 million to build the initial Cornerstone Manor Women and Children's Shelter located at 45 Carlton Street. This facility opened in October 1990 and provided emergency shelter, recovery programs and an on-site school satellite for homeless children.

2001-2005

In 2001, a campaign to build a new and larger facility for Cornerstone Manor begins in response to the growing number of homeless women and children in Western New York.

2006

August 18, 2006, the new building opens its doors for its first year. Foundations, corporations, churches and individuals provided the means to raise $15 million dollars to build Buffalo City Mission's new Cornerstone Manor for Women and Children.

2017

The Buffalo City Mission celebrates it's 100 Year Anniversary serving those in need in the Western New York area.

2018

The Buffalo City Mission holds it's Groundbreaking Ceremony on September 19th to officially begin the construction of the new Men's Community Center.

2019

The Mission holds it's Topping Out Ceremony on April 16th, where the Board, Staff, Dignitaries and Guests were invited to sign a ceremonial white beam that was then hoisted into place to complete the steel structure of the new Community Center.

2021

The Buffalo City Mission opens it's new Community Center, the Alfiero Family Center of Hope and Promise. March - The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony is held on March 26th to officially open the doors of the brand new facility, offering many more programs and services to Buffalo's most vulnerable neighbors.


Program accomplishments

This past year:
120,549 nourishing meals served
76,667 nights of safe shelter
697 received medical care
120 residents in transitional housing
74 men and women broke free of addiction


Needs