UVM Children’s Hospital was selected for this gift because of its high-quality care, collaborative culture, strong leadership, and far-reaching regional impact on patients and families. The gift will be distributed as $5 million annually over five years.
Perhaps best known for founding Paychex, which offers payroll and human resources services to businesses, Golisano is a former co-owner of the Buffalo Sabres hockey team and the Buffalo Bandits lacrosse team. In 2023, he was ranked as the 552nd wealthiest billionaire in the world with a net worth of $4.9 billion.
Often quoted as saying, “You can’t take it with you,” he has long used his Golisano Foundation to channel funds to organizations that benefit families. On October 28 he announced the formation of the Golisano Children’s Alliance, launching with a total of $253 million in donations to UVM Children’s Hospital, as well as West Virginia University Children’s Hospital, Connecticut Children’s Hospital, Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, Kentucky Children’s Hospital, and University of Maryland Children’s Hospital. They join University of Rochester Medicine’s Golisano Children’s Hospital, Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital at SUNY Upstate Medical University, Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida, and the John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital, which will become the Golisano Children’s Hospital of Buffalo in January 2026.
These hospitals in the Golisano Children’s Alliance aim to elevate pediatric care by expanding services, strengthening collaboration and sharing best practices, and ensuring that children and families have access to the highest quality medical attention close to home. With today’s announcement, Golisano’s philanthropic giving now exceeds $1 billion.
Read more about Golisano’s $25M Gift to UVM Children’s Hospital