By ALLISSA KLINE
akline@bizjournals.com | 716-541-1612

An $80,0000 challenge grant from M&T Bank to a local nonprofit agency is being used to fund facility improvements.

The Olmsted Center for Sight, which provides services for people who are blind or visually impaired, raised $160,000 on its own in order to earn the $80,000 grant from M&T. It raised an additional $10,000 for a total of $250,000 to be used to complete the renovation of the fourth floor of Olmsted's Buffalo facility.

Renovations are necessary to accommodate the center's 2011 merger with Central Referral Service Inc. The merged organization allows Olmsted to develop its contact management/call center training program.

Besides M&T, 11 donors contributed to the center's fundraising initiative. They include: The Cameron and Jane Baird Foundation, James H. Cummings Foundation Inc., Western New York Foundation, Josephine Goodyear Foundation Fund, National Fuel Gas Company Foundation, Bonadio & Co. LLP, Joy Family Foundation, East Hill Foundation, Independent Health, The Baird Foundation and The Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies on behalf of the Nathan Benderson Family.

The Olmsted Center is located at 1170 Main St., Buffalo. It was founded in 1907 and offers services such as job training, job placement, housing assistance and mobility instruction.