Best Grants for Seniors in New York

Not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organizations, schools, churches, and municipalities in Canton, New York can apply for Northern New York Community Foundation’s Canton Community Fund grants, with awards up to US $4,000 for special projects, start-up programs, or capital items. Senior services initiatives that improve life for older residents may be eligible.

The Creag Foundation, established in 2009 in Woodinville, Washington, provides funding to innovative 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations addressing social issues. Focused on smaller organizations, the foundation seeks to support those with unique approaches to improve the human condition. Eligible applicants must have held 501(c)(3) status for at least one year and present a new or previously unaddressed solution to societal challenges. Applications are by invitation only, encouraging creativity and passion in charitable work.

The Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation provides grants to early-stage social entrepreneurs working on scalable solutions to pressing social and environmental issues. By supporting organizations with innovative approaches and proven impact, they aim to uplift underserved communities globally. The foundation offers operational support, funding of up to $300,000 over three years, and fosters a collaborative community among its portfolio organizations. They focus on candidates demonstrating measurable impact and sustainable growth potential.

New York senior services organizations that help older adults remain in their homes can access funding through Isaac H. Tuttle Fund to support community-based programs in Manhattan. Grants back general operations or specific initiatives that enhance daily life and fill gaps in support services for low-income seniors aged 65 and older.

With a mission to improve the lives of vulnerable seniors, people with disabilities, and disadvantaged families, McKeen Fund provides New York nonprofits with project-specific funding. 501(c)(3) public charities, especially Roman Catholic and senior-service organizations, may receive support for capital needs, equipment, endowments, or defined programs serving older adults, children, and families.

Nonprofit organizations providing health, education, or humanitarian services can seek support for programs serving marginalized communities, including seniors, in New York and worldwide. Semnani Family Foundation provides flexible funding for initiatives such as healthcare access, disease prevention, literacy, and social services, which may benefit aging populations alongside other vulnerable groups.

Young, emerging American opera singers connected to participating New York music schools or opera programs can receive career development funding, including supplemental project grants. Grants from Shoshana Foundation help New York opera talent advance professional training and early-career opportunities through nominations by partner schools and apprenticeship programs rather than direct applications.

The Sidney Stern Memorial Trust Grant supports charitable, scientific, medical, and educational organizations that are 501(c)(3) certified. This private funder emphasizes impactful service to diverse populations without discrimination. Grants must be utilized within the United States and cannot be awarded to individuals, political candidates, or lobbying efforts. The Trust is dedicated to enhancing the general welfare through soundly-managed initiatives that contribute significantly to community needs.

Nonprofit organizations providing early childhood education, family crisis support, environmental justice, or arts programs in New York City may be eligible for grants of US $10,000 - US $25,000. Grants from Sills Family Foundation help community-based groups, including those serving justice-impacted families, immigrants, refugees, and asylees, cover one-year program or general operating needs.

New York 501(c)(3) nonprofits serving seniors and other residents of Eastern Niagara County can seek funding for programs and projects through the Grigg Lewis Foundation. Support may cover senior services alongside arts and culture, education, health and wellness, human services, youth, community improvement, and historic preservation, including multi-year, challenge, or matching grants.

Nonprofit organizations involved in arts, culture, and education in Dutchess County, New York can seek funding to expand programs and improve access for youth and senior citizens. Focused on community enrichment, Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley invites eligible tax-exempt organizations to apply for grants up to US $3,000 to benefit local residents, including older adults.

Qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofits in New York working on food access and hunger relief can apply for support to provide healthy meals to people facing food insecurity. The Ann B Zekauskas Family Foundation funds food banks, neighborhood kitchens, and related programs, which may benefit organizations serving seniors and other vulnerable groups.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations in Central New York seeking start-up or supplemental funding for social or health care projects, including senior services, can apply for grants from Mid-York Foundation. Focused on community benefit, it supports programs such as senior citizen services, emergency services, libraries, and related initiatives in Chenango and Madison Counties.

Nonprofits and artist-led groups offering arts education projects for older adults in New York can receive US $4,000 - US $8,000 for sequential, skill-building, participatory art programs. Lower Manhattan Cultural Council funds Creative Learning projects in Manhattan community settings such as senior centers, libraries, recreation centers, and community centers during 2026.

New York organizations hosting public literary readings or writing workshops can receive up to US $3,000 to pay participating writers, helping support programs that may serve seniors and other community members. New York groups such as libraries, senior centers, community centers, and cultural venues apply as sponsors, while Poets & Writers pays eligible poets and writers directly.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations serving seniors and broader community needs in New York towns like Stamford and Worcester can seek funding to improve quality of life, health care, housing, and safety. Focused on community well-being, the Robinson-Broadhurst Foundation also supports education, youth programs, historic preservation, volunteer groups, religious services, and municipal infrastructure.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations in New York that address basic needs, community vitality, or volunteer-driven causes can apply for Ameriprise Financial’s community grants. Focus areas include hunger relief, shelter and supportive housing, adult self-sufficiency, community development, and cultural enrichment, which may benefit programs serving low-income or vulnerable seniors.

Teaching artists, artist collectives, and nonprofit organizations can receive up to US $7,500 to deliver multi-session arts education projects with closed groups of learners in New York’s Columbia, Greene, and Schoharie Counties. Grants from CREATE Council on the Arts can support community-based programs serving seniors, such as residents of senior living facilities or older adults receiving social services.

New York arts nonprofits, community arts organizations, and Staten Island-based artists can receive $750 - $3,000 to create public arts and cultural projects that engage local residents, including seniors. Focused on community arts and cultural programming, Staten Island Arts invites first-time applicants working in any artistic discipline, including arts exposure programs in public schools and senior centers.

Nonprofit organizations providing direct services for seniors, housing, health, or family support in New York and other MGM regions can seek one-year community grants. Grants from MGM Resorts Foundation help agencies address senior services, affordable housing, food insecurity, homelessness, health and wellness, and related human services where MGM employees live and work.

The True Inspiration Awards, established by Chick-fil-A in 2015, recognizes nonprofit organizations that significantly impact their communities. In 2025, the program will distribute $6 million in grants, ranging from $30,000 to $350,000, to sixteen selected organizations. Categories include Caring for People, Caring through Food, Community, and Caring for our Planet, with a focus on educational initiatives, food security, housing services, and environmental stewardship, honoring the legacy of founder S. Truett Cathy.

New York 501(c)(3) public charities working on senior services, community health, or related programs can seek project and capacity-building support, with limited operating support for smaller budgets. With a mission managed through the William E. & Maude S. Pritchard Charitable Trust, this fund assists work tied to Nassau and Suffolk counties, including services for seniors, housing, health, and youth development.

Nonprofit organizations in New York with strong, replicable partnerships that address significant social issues can apply for Mutual of America Foundation’s national Community Partnership Award. This U.S.-wide competition honors exemplary collaborations that measurably improve communities, making it a potential fit for senior-focused programs built on cross-sector partnerships.

Biomedical research institutions and scientists conducting leprosy-related studies can apply for $87,500 - $250,000 in research funding, including projects based in New York. With a mission to advance biomedical discovery, New York Community Trust provides competitive grants for work on diagnosis, treatment, transmission blocking, and surveillance of leprosy, which may intersect with aging and gerontology research.

Focused on senior services, Harry Sudakoff Foundation invites New York 501(c)(3) organizations to apply for project-based grants supporting human services for seniors, alongside related community and family programs. Awards range from US $5,000 - US $40,000 and may also support arts, education, environment, or science initiatives that benefit older adults.

New York 501(c)(3) and nonprofit organizations serving seniors can access funding through Ponce De Leon Foundation for community projects in senior services, healthcare, housing, education, and social services. Grants of US $5,000 - US $30,000 support programs benefiting older adults in Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens, and Hudson counties.

Charles Hayden Foundation

The Charles Hayden Foundation is committed to expanding opportunities for young people and helping them build the knowledge, skills, experiences, and relationships they need to thrive in school, work, and life.

We support youth-serving nonprofit organizations and public district, charter, Catholic, and independent schools, as well as organizations that strengthen the capacity of those serving young people. Our grantmaking spans academic success, social and emotional development, post-secondary pathways, and career-connected learning, with an emphasis on programs and organizations that create meaningful opportunities and demonstrate positive outcomes for young people.

The Foundation primarily supports young people from low-income communities in New York City and Boston, with some grantmaking in Newark, New Jersey.

Our Grantmaking

The Foundation focuses its grantmaking in the following areas:

• Academic Readiness: Programs and initiatives that strengthen young people’s academic skills and provide access to educational, enrichment, and other learning opportunities that prepare them for future educational and career pathways.
• Social, Emotional, and Practical Skills: Programs and services that help young people develop the social, emotional, and practical skills they need to thrive in school, work, and life.
• Post-Secondary Success: College access and persistence efforts that prepare young people to pursue post-secondary opportunities, matriculate, persist, and successfully graduate.
• Career-Connected Learning: Opportunities that enable young people to explore their interests, gain exposure to careers, build real-world skills and experiences, and pursue meaningful career pathways.
• Organizational Capacity Building: Support for organizations that strengthen youth-serving nonprofits and schools through technical assistance, training, and other capacity-building services. This may include support in areas such as program quality and improvement, leadership and staff development, organizational strategy, data and evaluation, infrastructure, and other areas that strengthen organizational effectiveness and improve outcomes for young people.

Multi-Year Grant Opportunity: Supporting Strategic Plan Implementation

The Charles Hayden Foundation is launching a Multi-Year Grant Opportunity to help strengthen organizations and improve outcomes for young people in New York City and Boston. Through this opportunity, the Foundation anticipates inviting up to 10 organizations to receive multi-year project grants over a two- to three-year period to support strategic initiatives identified as priorities in their current strategic plans.

Proposed initiatives may build upon or enhance an existing Charles Hayden Foundation-supported program, such as hiring additional program staff to expand or strengthen services, or focus on an organizational capacity-building effort, such as implementing a new data and evaluation system.

Organizations selected for a Multi-Year Grant will receive a two- to three-year award that will replace their annual Charles Hayden Foundation grant for the duration of the grant period. Current annual grant funding will continue as part of the multi-year award, along with additional funding awarded to support the proposed strategic initiative. Organizations that are not selected will remain eligible to apply through the Foundation’s annual grantmaking process.

Project Criteria

Proposed projects should represent strategic investments that strengthen an organization’s ability to serve young people over the long term. Examples of eligible projects include:

• Hiring key leadership or program staff
• Expanding or enhancing existing programs
• Strengthening organizational capacity
• Building evaluation, learning, or data systems
• Technology or infrastructure improvements
• Other strategic initiatives identified in the organization’s strategic plan

The Foundation anticipates providing partial support for proposed initiatives and generally will not fund the full cost of a project. Award amounts will be determined based on the scope of the proposed initiative and the resources required for successful implementation. Because these grants support strategic initiatives over a two-to-three-year period, the Foundation anticipates that most requests will exceed an organization’s current annual Charles Hayden Foundation grant.