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Capabilities Brochure | PDF
Community Profile Brochure | PDF
CGR at 100: A Remarkable Story | PDF
Our Distinguished History
Founded in 1915, CGR has been delivering expert support to the public, nonprofit and private sectors for a century. Originally, we were incorporated as the Rochester (NY) Bureau of Municipal Research, and were established by founder George Eastman with a mandate to “get things done for the community” we call home. Although our passion for delivering promising solutions has never changed, both the geographic area and clients we serve have broadened dramatically. Today we have a national reach and can be found working with a diverse range of agencies, organizations and communities.
Why Nonprofit?
In an arena served almost exclusively by for-profit consultancies, CGR stands apart. Since our founding, we have operated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, a status that insulates us from political bias and holds us accountable to our clients’ true shareholders – the communities they serve – positioning them as more desirable places to live and work.
Just like our clients, we’re in the business of making a difference.
The coronavirus pandemic and growing awareness of racial and structural inequity turned 2020 into a difficult and unforgettable year.
As local governments and nonprofits navigated these struggles, CGR found new ways to support communities:
- We conducted a municipal leaders’ survey to track the pandemic’s impact on revenues and demand for services;
- We published interactive maps of Monroe County showing the census tracts likely to suffer most during the pandemic due to high poverty, high rates of renters rather than homeowners, and high proportions of people of color, who have been disproportionately impacted;
- We searched for best practices in community-based racial equity initiatives, with support from the ESL Charitable Foundation;
- We explored solutions to police brutality and highlighted the most promising practices for effective reform of police practices.
Competition for the philanthropic dollar is more intense this year than ever. We ask you to consider supporting CGR’s mission to improve communities through research, analysis, consultation and data management because the need for good information to support decisions and resource allocation has also grown.
Organizational and community leaders have new and evolving questions about how to adapt to ever-changing conditions – questions CGR is uniquely qualified to help answer.
Help make sure CGR remains a robust, vital resource for our community with a contribution in 2020. We are humbled by and grateful for your continuing support.
Erika Rosenberg
President and CEO