The Southern Tier West Development Foundation is devoted to building a locally controlled and permanent endowment to meet the charitable needs of the region for this generation and many generations to follow. As society and circumstances change and the needs of the region evolve over time, the Foundation will also change and evolve.

This unique quality is referred to as the "variance power" of the Board. Under the variance power, the Board reserves the right to redirect distributions from a fund to another beneficiary or charitable purpose without a donor's approval or the approval of the beneficiary organization but only if in the judgment of the Board, the original charitable purpose of the fund becomes, in effect, unnecessary, incapable of fulfillment or inconsistent with the charitable needs of the community.