Martin House Restoration Corp. on Tuesday was awarded $515,000 to expand its educational outreach program.

The award was decided by a vote of the membership of the Junior League of Buffalo, which considered two finalists, in Albright- Knox Art Gallery.

Junior League President Anne Leary said the award is the largest ever presented by the organization, which raised the funds through its annual Junior League of Buffalo/Buffalo News Decorators’ Show House.

“Every other year, we take a house and . . . have decorators come in and . . . decorate all of the rooms, and then we charge for people to come through,” Leary said before the voting.

Julie Warman, Show House proceeds chairwoman for the Junior League, said that there were 69 initial applicants among nonprofit organizations vying for this year’s award. Over a yearlong process, a 13-member committee trimmed the applications to 20. Warman said eight to 10 organizations were selected for a full financial review, site visits and personal interviews before the final two were chosen.

“It’s cumbersome, but it’s necessary, especially in this day and age, that we find the right organizations to give our monies to,” ” Leary said.

The other finalist was Cradle Beach Camp. Representatives of both finalists gave final presentations Tuesday to more than 100 Junior League members, who then deliberated on a winner.

Jack Walsh, president of Martin House Restoration, said the $515,000 will fund the Darwin Martin House’s Buffalo News and Junior League Learning Center.

Walsh said space in the Darwin Martin House will be transformed for educational programs.

Mary F. Roberts, executive director of Martin House Restoration Corp., said the project will allow patrons of all ages to explore and connect with ideas about art, architecture and design.

“We’re trying to inspire lifelong learning,” Roberts said, “through architecture as represented through Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House complex.”