Search Through Economic Services Grants in New York City, New York in the U.S.

The Pinkerton Foundation is an independent grantmaking organization established in 1966 by Robert Allan Pinkerton, the Chairman and CEO of Pinkerton’s, Inc., then the nation’s oldest and largest security company. The foundation, which retains no ties to the firm, supports community-based programs for children, youth and families in economically disadvantaged areas in New York City.  Although we consider a wide range of youth development initiatives, Pinkerton favors direct-service programs that have one overriding goal: to help young people reach their full potential. With that in mind, the foundation looks for groups with capable leadership, high expectations, well-defined goals and active, engaged participants.  Most of the programs we support take place in the after-school, weekend or summer hours and focus on providing opportunities for academic development, career readiness and cultural enrichment. We also support a number of programs that offer a way forward for young people after an encounter with the criminal justice system or years in foster care.

We encourage all potential applicants to read the “What We Believe” section of this Web site for general information. If you believe that your organization’s mission and programs are consistent with the Foundation’s interests then please apply through our Grant Portal .

Promising Futures

Our grants build promising futures by helping young people prosper; providing job training and placement; making our educational and justice systems work for everyone; alleviating hunger and homelessness; improving family and child welfare services; and advancing the practice of social work. 

Focus Area: Jobs and Workforce Development

Program goal: to provide more opportunities for New York City job seekers to get trained for work and careers, while helping employers find a ready, willing, and able workforce.

Grants are made to:

• Develop employer-driven workforce partnerships that link nonprofits, institutions, and businesses in a particular economic sector (such as health care, technology, hospitality) or for a particular constituency or community that:
  • provides training, placement, and post-placement services; or
  • tests new approaches for helping those with serious barriers to employment (such as very low numeracy and literacy skills, no high school degree, ex-offenders, or mental or physical disabilities).
  • Expand the number of industry alliances or workforce intermediaries that provide education and training and improve industry hiring practices, working conditions, and opportunities for advancement.
  • Promote a stronger, more effective workforce development system of services for job seekers in New York City through partnerships with government and capacity building for workforce providers.
• Advocate for better jobs in particular sectors or through public policies by:
• working with employers in specific industries to increase the performance and pay of workers; and
• advancing public policy to ensure fair wages, working conditions, and business practices.

Our Mission

The mission of the Foundation's health care program is to improve the health care and overall quality of life for the elderly of New York City. Our success will be measured by the positive impact that the program has on people's lives.

Our Approach

The Foundation's Healthy Aging Program primarily funds patient-based and social service activities that directly help the older adults of New York City. We will consider funding high quality, direct service providers who:

• Increase/enhance access and availability of support, care or services especially for those with acute or chronic illness and those requiring palliative care.
• Create positive, measurable changes in quality.
• Demonstrate more cost-effective ways of delivering needed services.
• Develop programs and provide services to those who are traditionally underserved, such as immigrant and economically disadvantaged older adults.
• Increase the availability and quality of programs that allow us to remain in our homes and delay the need for long-term institutional care.
• Improve the quality-of-life of older adults who are residents of long-term care facilities.
• Improve the way professionals (physicians, nurses, social workers) and paraprofessionals (nursing aides) care for older adults and help to increase the number of professionals and paraprofessionals who care for us as New Yorkers live longer and healthier lives.

Programs supported by the Foundation must meet a demonstrable need of New York City's aging population. They must be designed to deliver services or alter the behavior of either providers or consumers. They should meet current needs or lay the groundwork to meet future needs and must have the potential to become sustainable and self-sufficient without further funding from the Samuels Foundation. The Foundation is particularly concerned with the availability and quality of healthcare received by the elderly. Faced with the realization that the number of elderly people is growing, the Foundation is committed to using its grant funds to work toward changing the system for the better.

Priorities

We give priority to programs that will remain in place and grow once our funding has ended. Therefore, we are looking to fund programs that are sustainable in the following ways:

• ​The program continues to generate revenue, which supports the continued provision of services to older adults.
• The program is or will be eligible for, and takes advantage of reimbursement mechanisms either from insurance programs or federal, state or local entitlement programs.
• The program will reduce the overall costs of delivering direct services. These savings will enable the organization or institution to continue the program after the grant term.
• The program will continue with other grants or funding, and there is evidence that the organization has a track record of strong, continuing and reliable funding streams. 

Thriving Communities

We make grants to groups that protect and create affordable housing, promote equity in the arts, improve civic engagement, and protect our environment. We support agencies working on these issues at the neighborhood level, as well as government and nonprofit institutions developing strategies. We also support efforts to improve the functioning of nonprofits and government.

Focus Area: Community Development

Program goal: to build and sustain strong communities and create economic opportunities for residents of low-income neighborhoods.

We support a mix of citywide and local community development activities as well as citywide technical assistance, policy research, and advocacy. 

Grants are made to:

• Preserve affordable housing in low-income neighborhoods.
• Promote strategies for job creation and linking low-income residents to jobs.
• Develop new sources of capital and innovative community development tools.
• Enhance the capacity of community development organizations to function effectively.
• Monitor and document the effects of community and economic development policies on poor communities.

Read the background paper that informed this grantmaking strategy here.

Tiger Foundation supports organizations and programs serving the five boroughs of New York City across three portfolios: Education; Family Support; and Youth, Workforce, and Justice. Tiger Foundation’s funding is primarily focused on proven, high-impact, direct human services.Across all program areas, we seek: 

• Strong and consistent measurable outcomes over time
• Skilled executive, program, and board leadership
• Cost-effectiveness
• Financial health and skilled fiscal management
• Opportunity for broad impact (replicability, scale, and leverage of public and other private investment)
• Efforts to engage clients and local community and to develop and refine models that are reflective of community needs

Program Areas

Education PortfolioThe Education portfolio elevates the strongest New York City district and public charter schools, school networks, and community-based organizations to help create an education system where all children have access to excellent schools and services that support the academic and personal development required for success in college, career, and life.Family Support PortfolioThe Family Support portfolio encourages the development of the youngest New Yorkers by helping children access engaging, developmentally appropriate experiences that will prepare them for school and by ensuring that families have access to tools and supports that enable them to thrive. Early childhood is a particularly important time for children’s development, and providing support for both young children and their families from birth (or before) to age 5 helps inspire long-term positive life outcomes.Youth, Workforce, and Justice (YWJ) PortfolioThe Youth, Workforce, and Justice (YWJ) portfolio seeks to increase the availability of, and access to, economic growth and personal development opportunities for individuals in a broad spectrum of life circumstances, including young adults who are not in school or not working; youth who have been impacted by the foster care system; adults who are seeking training and employment to better support their families; and individuals who have been involved with the criminal legal system or are at risk of system involvement. This portfolio supports a wide range of programs that provide counseling, training, and other services to individuals at various stages in their journeys.Seed And ExpansionTiger Foundation seeks to help New Yorkers thrive by providing funding to exemplary nonprofit organizations that serve low-income communities across the five boroughs. We support programs that provide access to effective, supportive, and transformative opportunities for individuals and families. While the majority of our funding will continue to be directed to proven, high-impact, direct services, we created a Seed and Expansion Fund in 2022 that focuses a portion of our resources on support of earlier-stage organizations that are attempting to fill unmet needs in new and innovative ways. In addition to bringing new ideas and new leadership to the field, our Seed and Expansion Fund also supports accelerated growth and replication efforts for some of the City’s strongest program models.

About Us

At Trinity Church, we believe that every person is created in the image of God and that our faith requires us to use our gifts to care for them. We help build neighborhoods, expand institutional capacity, and promote change-making legislation through strategic and interlocking efforts: direct services programming at Trinity Church, grantmaking and gifts, and advocacy.

What We Fund

Our grantmaking focuses on four strategic initiatives rooted in a love for New York City and a strong commitment to building an equitable society in which the allocation of resources, opportunities, and hardships are not determined by race. 

• Housing & Homelessness
• Racial Justice
• Mission Real Estate Development
• Leadership Development
• Neighborhood Support

Neighborhood Support

Our Vision: An Emotionally Well Community

In 2023, Trinity's Neighborhood Support team launched a grants program to make deeper investments into the emotional well-being of our community.

Marginalized and under-resourced communities face multiple, intersecting oppressions — from systemic racism and policing to poverty, underfunded public schools, and violence — that create toxic stress. We now have a well-established body of research demonstrating the significant and deteriorating impact of toxic stress on health and well-being, especially for children and families deprived of safety nets.

This dynamic was exacerbated dramatically by the pandemic, and continues to worsen, with communities and families managing the consequences of toxic stress with minimal to no resources. Their struggle is compounded by the lack of recognition and funding for programs that support a holistic, multi-generational approach to mental health.

Our goal with this new grants program is to help begin to fill this gap in funding, particularly for programs that take a well-rounded approach to emotional well-being with a focus on children.     

We seek to co-develop — alongside each neighborhood in Lower Manhattan — the necessary supports that help strengthen our communities and yield overall child, family, and community well being.

Our Focus: The Emotionally Well Child

The emotional well-being of children is directly tied to the functioning of their community, schools, caregivers, and the families with which they live. When relationships are reliably responsible and supportive, they can actually buffer children from the adverse effects of other stressors. Reducing stressors affecting children requires addressing the stresses on their families. When children are emotionally well, they’re better able to:

• Reach emotional milestones
• Reach developmental milestones
• Learn healthy social skills
• Learn how to cope when problems arise
• Have a positive quality of life
• Function at home and in school

Our Strategy: Resourcing Whole-Family Models of Care

With this special initiative, Trinity's Neighborhood Support team is maintaining our commitment to Lower Manhattan, specifically communities that lie south of 14th Street.  Our vision is an emotionally well community, with a strategic focus on the emotional well-being of children, from prenatal development through age 21.

Our funding strategy was developed to lift up models of care that embrace whole families, delivered by organizations that know and work in the community and who center the community in finding solutions.  

The relationship between three factors — family income and resources, education, and employment — consistently emerged as a driver of family well-being. This causal loop is virtuous (i.e., the more resources you have right now, the more you will have in the future) to the families with enough resources, and vicious for families without adequate resources (i.e., the fewer resources you have right now, the less you and your children will have in the future).

To truly thrive, families need to:

• Be able to navigate systems related to education, social services, and healthcare
• Obtain affordable, quality childcare
• Have the space to build community and deepen relationships

In partnership with the Neighborhood Council, Trinity determined that the strategic focus of its Neighborhood Support Grantmaking would be for holistic programs that support the emotional well-being of the whole family and focus on prevention and early intervention.

Downtown Fund 

The Downtown Fund provides targeted support for nonprofit organizations serving the Lower Manhattan area, dedicated to advancing the well-being of children, families, and the community. Funding focuses on initiatives related to education, health, social capital, and economic empowerment. Gifts ranging from $500 to $10,000 are available.

Investors Foundation Grant

Invigorating Our Communities

We created the Investors Foundation to help make a sustained, positive difference where our customers and employees live and work—reflecting our mission to do right by our customers and neighbors. Together with the Bank, the Foundation builds and leverages purposeful relationships with not-for-profit organizations, local businesses, public servants and other pillars of the community to foster welcome change.

Key Characteristics

• Civic-Minded Initiatives: Foundation efforts focus on the arts, education, health and human services, youth programs, affordable housing and more. Since inception in 2005, the Investors Foundation has given more than $40 million to thousands of worthy community organizations in New Jersey, New York City and Long Island.
• Aligning with the UN SDGs: The Foundation is aligning its efforts closely with those of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular: no poverty; zero hunger; good health and well-being; climate; quality education; and, economic growth.

Mission

Investors Foundation is dedicated to supporting creative initiatives to diverse community organizations that support Arts, Education, Health and Human Services, Youth, and Affordable Housing in communities the former Investors Bank served. 

The Impact Fund awards recoverable grants to legal services nonprofits, private attorneys, and small law firms who seek to confront economic, environmental, racial, and social injustice. Since our founding in 1992, the Impact Fund has made more than 800 recoverable grants totaling more than $10 million for impact litigation. We award grants four times per year, most within the range of US$10,000 to US$50,000.

Social Justice

The Impact Fund provides grants and legal support to assist in human and civil rights cases. We have helped to change dozens of laws and win cases to improve the rights of thousands. The cases we are funding allege that:

• In Texas and North Carolina, incarcerated people with mental health disabilities are forced to remain in jail despite being found not guilty and unable to proceed with a criminal trial.
• In Orange County, California there are currently 13 gang injunctions under effect, which disproportionately affect young men of color.
• In Chicago, Illinois, the city’s homeless shelter program is inaccessible to people with disabilities.
• In Springfield, Oregon, the city and its police department used excessive force against Black Lives Matter protesters.
• In West Virginia, the state fails to protect children in foster care from abuse and neglect. 
• In Montana, voter suppression laws disadvantage young adults and give priority to gun owners.
• In Gary, Indiana, a gun manufacturer negligently marketed and distributed its guns, leading to an epidemic of gun violence in the city. 
• In Vancouver, British Columbia, the police perpetuate systemic discrimination against Indigenous people through bureaucratic measures.

Environmental Justice

The Impact Fund provides grants to support local litigation for environmental justice. These grants are for cases aiming to help people or communities who are affected by environmental harm or who lack access to basic environmental needs, such as clean water, clean air, adequate waste treatment, and green spaces. The cases we are funding allege that:

• In Centreville, Illinois, the city’s failure to maintain its sewer system has caused raw sewage to flood peoples’ homes, endangering the property and health of a predominantly Black community.
• In Fresno County, California, the California Department of Transportation approved a highway expansion project that would increase air pollution and traffic in one of the state’s most environmentally burdened communities.
• In downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the proposed expansion of a highway would divide the region's Black, Asian, and Latine neighborhoods and cause pollution and ill health.
• In North Dakota, the five-month closure of a highway in response to the Dakota Access Pipeline protests disproportionately affected the livelihoods and health of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe members.
• In Ontario, Canada, mercury contamination of the English-Wabigoon river system causes catastrophic environmental and health impacts for the Grassy Narrows First Nation.
• In Sacramento, California, the county government and Sacramento Area Sewer District violated the Clean Water Act by discharging raw sewage into nearby rivers.
• In the Eastern Coachella Valley in California, 1,900 residents of the Oasis Mobile Home Park suffer from arsenic-laced drinking water, wastewater contamination, and overcharging for utilities.

Economic Justice

The Impact Fund provides financial and other forms of support to cases fighting for economic justice. From workers' rights to consumer protection for vulnerable populations, impact litigation is a powerful tool to hold corporationss and the government accountable. The cases we are funding allege that:

• In Brooklyn, New York, a prominent mortgage lender engaged in predatory practices, leaving homeowners of color at risk of losing their homes. 
• In Washington, live-in caregivers are unconstitutionally excluded from the state’s wage-and-hour protections.
• In Ravalli County, Montana, the county has created a “modern-day debtors’ prison” by incarcerating people unable to afford pre-trial fees. 
• In San Diego, California, vehicle ordinances target unhoused vehicle owners even when no adequate housing alternative exists.
• In New York, a federal immigration detention facility is violating minimum wage and forced labor laws by forcing detainees to work for just a dollar a day. 
• In Minneapolis, Minnesota, the city and county destroy the property of unhoused individuals and conduct forced evictions from public spaces. 
• In Miami, Florida, insurance companies discriminate against a nonprofit community development corporation renting to tenants with Section 8 rental subsidies.

Mission

Founded in 1972, A.R.T./New York assists over 400 member theatres in managing their theatre companies effectively so they may realize their rich artistic visions and serve their diverse audiences well. Over nearly five decades, A.R.T./New York has earned a reputation as a leader in providing progressive services to our members—from shared office and rehearsal spaces to technical assistance programs for emerging theatres—which have made the organization an expert in the needs of the New York City nonprofit theatre community.

A.R.T./New York supports nonprofit theatre companies in New York City by providing four core programs: Funding, Training, Space, and Connections. 

New York City Small Theatres Fun

In partnership with the Howard Gilman Foundation, the New York City Small Theatres Fund is a two-year general operating support grant to New York City-based theatre companies with annual budgets below $250,000. The fund provides multi-year grant awards between $7,500-$10,000 each year.

This grant aims to support a wide range of theatrical aesthetics, methods of production, and artistic communities throughout the five boroughs, engaging their artists and audiences in meaningful, exciting, and committed creation and production. We aim to fund a group of applicants who reflect the diversity of New York City theatre-making and increase opportunities for theatres and artists who have been historically under-resourced due to barriers associated with racial, economic, disability, gender, and/or sexual identity and/or geographic location.

Sidney Hillman Foundation

The Sidney Hillman Foundation honors excellence in journalism in service of the common good.

Our awards and programs honor the legacy and vision of union pioneer and New Deal architect Sidney Hillman.

U.S. Hillman Book Prize

Book Journalism (bound volumes and ebooks)  

Hillman Prize winners will be awarded a $5,000 honorarium and a certificate at our annual ceremony to be held in New York City.

Sidney Hillman Foundation

The Sidney Hillman Foundation honors excellence in journalism in service of the common good.

Our awards and programs honor the legacy and vision of union pioneer and New Deal architect Sidney Hillman.

U.S. Hillman Prize for Broadcast Journalism

Broadcast Journalism (story/series/documentary that premiered on television, radio or podcast in the last calendar year).    

Hillman Prize winners will be awarded a $5,000 honorarium and a certificate at our annual ceremony to be held in New York City.

Sidney Hillman Foundation

The Sidney Hillman Foundation honors excellence in journalism in service of the common good.

Our awards and programs honor the legacy and vision of union pioneer and New Deal architect Sidney Hillman.

U.S. Hillman Prize for Magazine Journalism

Magazine Journalism (longform; in print or online).

Hillman Prize winners will be awarded a $5,000 honorarium and a certificate at our annual ceremony to be held in New York City.

Sidney Hillman Foundation

The Sidney Hillman Foundation honors excellence in journalism in service of the common good.

Our awards and programs honor the legacy and vision of union pioneer and New Deal architect Sidney Hillman.

U.S. Hillman Prize for Newspaper Journalism

Newspaper Journalism (story, series or multimedia in print or online). Multimedia projects may include text, photo, video, graphics, etc.

Hillman Prize winners will be awarded a $5,000 honorarium and a certificate at our annual ceremony to be held in New York City.

Sidney Hillman Foundation

The Sidney Hillman Foundation honors excellence in journalism in service of the common good.

Our awards and programs honor the legacy and vision of union pioneer and New Deal architect Sidney Hillman.

U.S. Hillman Prize for Opinion & Analysis Journalism

Includes all types of opinion, commentary and analysis, regardless of medium. Open to newspaper and magazine columnists, TV and radio presenters, podcasters, blogs, and bloggers.   

Hillman Prize winners will be awarded a $5,000 honorarium and a certificate at our annual ceremony to be held in New York City.

The Venable Foundation envisions that its philanthropic investments provide essential resources to nonprofit organizations in communities across the country. Guided by the belief that everyone has the right to equitable employment opportunities, healthcare, housing, food, and a vibrant cultural community, Venable grantees ensure that economically disadvantaged people are given the tools they need to thrive.

The average size of a Venable Foundation grant is approximately $10,000. First-time awardees are usually on the smaller end of the spectrum. It is up to the organization to determine what it feels is an appropriate request.

Funding Priorities

Grant support is provided to assist with general operations and projects. Currently, the Venable Foundation’s funding priorities include:

• Human Services
• Legal Services
• Education
• Workforce Development
• Youth Impact
• Health
• Environment
• Arts and Culture

You can learn more about each of these funding priorities below:

Human Services – The Foundation has a strong track record of supporting a breadth of essential human services, including programs that impact people experiencing homelessness and food insecurity, incarcerated and returning citizens, LGBTQ+ and immigrant communities, and those affected by domestic violence and housing insecurity.

Legal Services – We support the delivery of free or affordable legal services in our communities. Pro bono consulting and representation focus on a variety of issues, including domestic violence, housing, immigration, public benefits, and discrimination, among other areas. Legal service nonprofits providing “know your rights” training and other activities are also supported. The Foundation also supports training for youth and adults to ensure diversity and access to careers in the legal profession.

Education – The Foundation supports a wide array of early childhood, in-school, and out-of-school time initiatives that provide in-depth opportunities for learning and engagement to position children for success and level the playing field for economically disadvantaged youth.

Workforce Development – We believe that every individual deserves the opportunity to pursue gainful employment. Thus, we support organizations with the goal of developing the workforce of today and tomorrow. Successful programs recruit and train individuals and place them in relevant jobs so that they can earn a sustainable living wage for themselves and their families. Skill development is focused on low-income, underemployed, and unemployed community members, and on preparing youth for careers after their schooling is complete.

Youth Impact – The Foundation invests in services that impact children in each of our communities. These initiatives ensure economically disadvantaged youth are healthy and safe and have opportunities to thrive.

Health – The Foundation is committed to improving wellness and increasing access to care for economically disadvantaged individuals in the region. Successful organizations and programs work to eliminate barriers to healthcare for all ages and provide accessible and no-stigma testing for a variety of diseases. We support pediatric to geriatric services that address a variety of health concerns.

Environment – We support organizations involved in the preservation of our natural resources and those that are addressing natural or man-made disasters in our target regions. Programs educate communities and work for change on a variety of environmental issues, from wildfires to pollution.

Arts and Culture – The Foundation supports initiatives in the arts that promote deeper public engagement and build up the creative economy, with an emphasis on low-income and underserved communities.

What does this program do?

This program is designed to provide technical assistance and training for small rural businesses. Small means that the business has fewer than 50 new workers and less than $1 million in gross revenue.

What kind of funding is available?

There is no maximum grant amount; however, smaller requests are given higher priority. There is no cost sharing requirement. There are two types of RBDG projects, Opportunity grants and Enterprise grants.

• Opportunity type grants are limited to up to 10 percent of the total Rural Business Development Grant annual funding.
• Enterprise type grants must be used on projects to benefit small and emerging businesses in rural areas as specified in the grant application.

How may Enterprise type funds be used?

Enterprise grants must be used on projects to benefit small and emerging businesses in rural areas as specified in the grant application. Uses may include:

• Training and technical assistance, such as project planning, business counseling and training, market research, feasibility studies, professional or/technical reports, or producer service improvements.
• Acquisition or development of land, easements, or rights of way; construction, conversion, renovation of buildings; plants, machinery, equipment, access for streets and roads; parking areas and utilities.
• Pollution control and abatement.
• The capitalization of revolving loan funds, including funds that will make loans for start-ups and working capital.
• Rural distance learning for job training and advancement for adult students.
• Rural transportation improvement.
• Community economic development.
• Technology-based economic development.
• Feasibility studies and business plans.
• Leadership and entrepreneur training.
• Rural business incubators.
• Long-term business strategic planning.

How may Opportunity type funds be used?

• Community economic development.
• Technology-based economic development.
• Feasibility studies and business plans.
• Leadership and entrepreneur training.
• Rural business incubators.
• Long-term business strategic planning.

Our Mission

The Scherman Foundation invests in the economic, political, and cultural transformation necessary for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color to reclaim and build power.

Our Strategic Framework

We believe that investing in cultural, political, and economic transformation together advances justice to realize our vision. We support organizations working at the intersections of these transformation areas inside our strategic framework. This framework is the foundation of our more specific and evolving program priorities.

• Economic Transformation
  • Our focus on economic transformation acknowledges that the root causes of economic inequity are linked to white supremacy and racial injustice and that the economic well being of BIPOC individuals and communities is critical for liberation.
  • We support organizations that focus on:
    • Strategies and models that provide BIPOC communities with greater access to capital, assets, and opportunities
    • Economic stability and security for BIPOC individuals and families
    • Advocating for more equitable economic systems through policy reform, institutional changes, and increased transparency
• Political Transformation
  • We believe that those who have been excluded must lead the way in dismantling current political structures and creating new, inclusive, and reflective democratic processes.
  • We support organizations that focus on:
    • Work and priorities that are driven by BIPOC communities
    • Forging multi-racial coalitions working toward racial justice
    • Reforming political structures and processes to make the political system more accessible and accountable to BIPOC communities
    • Increasing the participation of BIPOC communities in democratic processes and decision-making at all levels
• Cultural Transformation
  • Recognizing the crucial role of culture in advancing justice, we support organizations that harness storytelling, expression, and artistic activism to drive systemic change.
  • Our focus is on collaborative narrative change strategies, innovative storytelling frameworks, and equitable media accessibility.
  • We support organizations that focus on:
    • Public Narrative Change: Combating misinformation and harmful stereotypes through investments in journalism, local news outlets, and nonfiction narratives
    • Artistic Expression: Supporting the creativity and work of BIPOC artists and communities without imposing agendas or conditions and transforming the field to do the same
    • Artivism: Using art as a tool for organizing grassroots movements and collective action, including funding on-the-ground storytelling and public art projects

General Criteria

We consider the following general criteria in our grantmaking process.

• Organizations that are accountable to or directed by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities.
  • While we prioritize BIPOC leadership, our main focus is on organizations where BIPOC communities have clear influence and decision-making power over the organization's strategy, direction, programmatic work, and finances.
• Organizations that are intersectional in their work and practices.
  • Intersectionality recognizes that individuals hold multiple identities, shaping their experiences with power.
  • We look for organizations that demonstrate a deep understanding of intersectionality in their mission, programs, and practices; center the voices and experiences of those most affected by multiple forms of oppression; and address the interconnectedness of racial justice with economic status, gender, LGBTQ+, and/or disability justice as well.
• Organizations that work with others to build movements toward racial justice.
  • Movement-building is the long-term process of organizing and empowering individuals and organizations to collectively work towards systemic change and a shared vision.
  • We look for organizations and coalitions that reflect key characteristics of movement building including an authentic mass base; grassroots leadership; a shared ideology or narrative; broad coalition-building; and strategy to create and sustain structural change beyond specific organizations or campaigns.
  • The Foundation supports organizations focused on organizing and advocacy, while our Arts funding includes a wider range of approaches.

Arts Program

We believe New York City's arts landscape drives not only its cultural vibrancy but also promotes political and economic power among its residents. By investing in place-based work and local efforts, we can best support the conditions necessary to build that power through and within the arts while also uplifting generative creativity that is at the heart of the deep artistic history and diverse cultural foundations that have shaped New York City.

We also believe in supporting the interconnectedness among BIPOC artists, communities, the arts field, and activism. Movements cannot exist without artistic power, and art and creation itself is a form of power—both must be prioritized. A percentage of our funding will be allocated to citywide arts support services and advocacy rooted in racial justice, ensuring the sustained transformation of the arts field at large.

Funding Priorities

In Central & South Brooklyn, the South Bronx, East and Central Harlem, and on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, we support organizations that:

• Focus on arts, cultural, and narrative work through a racial justice lens
• Build BIPOC-led arts infrastructure and provide unconditional, holistic support for BIPOC artists, ensuring their artistic freedom and creativity are respected, resourced, and amplified
• Enhance economic opportunities and access for communities through arts and culture, including partnerships with local vendors, events, and engagement
• Support the use of art and "artivism" as means of political leverage and advocacy both within the arts field and across areas to build community power
• Ensure BIPOC art and culture workers have a seat at the table where resource allocation and decision-making occur
• Support the power and presence of long-standing BIPOC communities in the area, preserve and promote local cultural heritage, and address gentrification's impact on local communities while fostering continued artistic generation
• Engage with and benefit diverse audiences
• Bolster BIPOC-led and serving arts and cultural networks and underfunded cultural organizations

Outside of our geographic priorities, we also support:

• “Bridge” theaters across the city that center BIPOC artists and transformative works. Our goal is to change field norms and make NYC productions more accessible
• Arts and cultural networks that have presence and roots in multiple neighborhoods or boroughs, unify advocacy, representation, and transformation efforts in the field, and act as gateways for BIPOC communities to access the arts
• Arts advocacy, support, and services grounded in racial justice to transform the arts field at large and leverage traditional audiences and venues, ensuring a more equitable arts landscape that reflects the city's diversity

Mission & Vision

The New York Foundation is a steadfast supporter of community organizing, grassroots advocacy, and movement-building. We believe that the resilience and vitality of New Yorkers is the city’s greatest resource, and we value the courage and experience of community groups and their leaders.

In the ongoing struggle for racial, economic, gender, and climate justice, the Foundation supports grassroots initiatives that build power to confront systemic barriers and inspire people to work toward a more just, equitable, and inclusive city. 

Funding

New York Foundation Core Grants are $47,500 per year, up to 3 years for established groups and 5 years for emerging groups

In addition to funds, grants include access to capacity building resources: 

• Lawyers Alliance for New York: Probono legal services tailored to social change nonprofits
• Tides Advocacy: 501(c)(4) startup and strategizing
• Small Grants: Responsive grants up to $5,000 for organizational development goals and unanticipated needs
• Workshops: Monthly skills-building trainings combined with coaching

What we look for:

• Community-initiated and led: community, membership, or base identifies problems and solutions 
• Power building: intentionally build community power through political activation, leadership development, base building, and collective action
• Systemic change: address the root causes of oppression to ensure the equitable distribution of resources, power, and rights
• Racial justice: address the harms caused by systemic and historical racism; creates intentional systems to support and sustain racial equity
• Collaborative: build alignment through coalition work with allies that have similar goals and values

The 2025 giving theme is Strengthening Economic Opportunity and Livability for New Yorkers. This theme will invest in the people, places, and industries of New York City through three priority areas:

• Workforce Development
• Safe Communities
• Small Business Support

Funding Overview

Funds shall be distributed for the inclusive economic growth of New York City to support the financial and physical well-being of New Yorkers, their communities and the organizations that serve them.

Funding will provide operational and programmatic support of initiatives that are directly related to the above-stated theme.

Grant applications will be reviewed twice a year with application deadlines on March 31 and September 30, 2025.

Frances L. & Edwin L. Cummings Memorial Fund Grant

The primary interest of the Frances L. & Edwin L. Cummings Memorial Fund is to support organizations operating in New York City and Northeastern New Jersey [view map] that provide programs and services in the areas of social welfare, education and health. The Fund has a special interest in youth programs located in these regions.

We are, however, unable to provide funding for programs within the cultural arts category.

We invite you to browse our site to determine if the work of your organization falls within our areas of interest, and, if so, to learn more about how to apply for a grant.

Areas of Interest

The Cummings Fund’s main interest is in the piloting or expansion of new, innovative programs of organizations primarily based in New York City and its more urbanized surrounding areas in Northeastern New Jersey (i.e., Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Passaic and Union Counties) [view map]. Exceptions to the geographic restriction are granted only when a Co-Trustee or Advisory Board Member has personal knowledge of an organization outside of this region. 

The Co-Trustees generally endeavor to creatively fill existing community needs in areas particularly under-funded at present. The Cummings Fund has a particular interest in programs serving young people.

The Fund provides support for:

• New program development
• Staffing for new programs and program expansion
• Capacity building (technical/management assistance)
• Consulting services (e.g., to assist the Board’s development of a strategic plan)

The major fields of interest are:

• Social Welfare, especially programs addressing issues including child welfare, youth development, juvenile delinquency, housing/homelessness, and employment/job training.
• Education, especially efforts to reform the public education system or programs that serve public school children from disadvantaged backgrounds including but not limited to in-school and afterschool STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and literacy initiatives, staff/teacher training and development, college guidance and success, and counseling services.
• Health Care, especially institutions and programs that connect economically and socially disadvantaged populations to health care and mental health services.

On a less frequent basis, the Fund also provides funding for:

• Medical Research, which has been pre-screened, ranked and given high priority by an objective, national scientific advisory committee.

Challenge Overview

Indigenous innovation is as diverse and expansive as Indigenous communities, with entrepreneurs harnessing traditional knowledge systems, values, and teachings to reimagine and renew what is possible in their communities and beyond. Across the past seven years of the Fellowship, Indigenous innovators spanning the United States and Canada have demonstrated a long legacy of ingenuity, self-determination, and community-first organizing. Whether working in the fields to deploy food sovereignty programming, or behind a computer developing algorithms for community benefit—at the core of the Fellows’ work is the intersection of tech-enabled and culturally grounded solutions.

Central to modern Indigenous innovation in the United States and Canada is the importance of Indigenous peoples generating, modifying, and controlling their own technologies for the sake of their communities. With this in mind, Indigenous innovators continue to harness traditional knowledge and technology to solve some of the greatest challenges facing our shared earth, driving solutions to promote energy, food, and data sovereignty, climate resilience, Indigenous business, culturally grounded education, and positive physical and mental health outcomes. While this innovation flourishes at the community level it’s incumbent upon organizations such as Solve to catalyze resources and support for these outstanding change-makers.

MIT Solve seeks exceptional innovators supporting community-based solutions by or for Indigenous communities across the United States and Canada with a particular interest in solutions that:

• Strengthen sustainable energy sovereignty and support climate resilience initiatives by and for Indigenous peoples.
• Develop tools to promote Indigenous sovereignty, including the ethical use of AI and data technologies, culturally aligned digital infrastructure, or access to economic opportunity.
• Drive positive outcomes for Indigenous learners of any age and context through culturally grounded educational opportunities.

What resources does the Solve program provide?

• Funding
  • $10,000 prize from Solve
  • Access to a pool of +$1.5M in prize funding at selection and additional funding opportunities throughout the program and after.
• Nine-month support program
  • Tailored capacity-building workshops covering marketing, public relations, monitoring and evaluation, business model, and more; 
  • Leadership coaching; 
  • Access to in-kind and pro bono resources such as software licenses and legal services; 
  • Monitoring and evaluation support to build an impact measurement practice; 
  • A powerful network of impact-minded leaders across industries and sectors, including MIT, with dedicated spaces to meet year-round; 
  • Attendance at two flagship events in New York City in September and Cambridge in May; 
  • Exposure in the media and speaking opportunities at conferences; 
  • Connections with past Solver teams for peer-to-peer support, inspiration, and guidance

Prizes

MIT Solve - Solver Award

All Solver teams selected for Solve’s Global Challenges and the Indigenous Communities Fellowship will receive a $10,000 grant funded by Solve.

The Seeding The Future Food Systems Prize

The Seeding the Future Food Systems Prize is open to high impact innovations focusing on transforming food systems to be more sustainable, and to enable equitable access to safe and nutritious food that is affordable and trusted. Solutions benefitting underserved communities, countries or regions are encouraged to apply. Up to $150,000 will be awarded to two or more high impact solutions selected for any of Solve’s current Global Challenges. This prize is supported by the Seeding The Future Foundation, a private nonprofit organization that seeds and supports innovative solutions to help improve the global food system.

The E Ink Innovation Prize

The E Ink Innovation Prize is open to solutions that currently utilize or propose to utilize ePaper materials, technology, or displays to address problems of global importance in any of Solve’s areas of impact, including topics such as architecture, education, or intercultural understanding. The prize is funded by E Ink, a corporation that advances healthy solutions and a sustainable future using ultra low power, daylight readable displays. Up to $100,000 will be awarded to up to four Solver teams selected for any of the current Global Challenges or Solve’s existing portfolio of alumni teams. E Ink may also opt to provide materials and technical support to its prize recipients.

The AI for Humanity Prize

The AI for Humanity Prize is open to solutions leveraging data science, artificial intelligence, and/or machine learning to benefit humanity. The prize is made possible by The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, a philanthropy committed to advancing AI and data solutions to create a thriving, equitable, and sustainable future for all. Up to $150,000 will be awarded across several Solver teams from any of the current Global Challenges.

The GM Prize

The GM Prize is open to solutions that help create smart, safe, and sustainable communities around the world. The Prize is funded by General Motors, which is working toward becoming the most inclusive company in the world and is dedicated to making STEM education more accessible and equitable. Up to $150,000 will be awarded across up to six Solver teams from the Global Learning Challenge, the Global Climate Challenge, and the Indigenous Communities Fellowship.

The Citizens Workforce Innovation Prize

The Citizens Workforce Innovation Prize seeks to accelerate the development of solutions that will prepare people for today’s opportunities and the workplace of the future, advance new ways of working, and drive economic impact within communities. Funded by Citizens, the prize furthers the company’s commitment to helping communities meet today’s demands while positioning themselves well for the future. Up to $100,000 will be awarded to up to four Solver teams across all Global Challenges or Solve's portfolio of alumni teams. Preference will be given to solutions that can be implemented to address workforce development challenges in Boston, MA and New York, NY that also have scaling potential to other geographies.

The Community Innovation Prize

The Community Innovation Prize is open to innovative solutions for communities by communities. Up to $200,000, as well as custom workshops addressing innovator needs will be awarded to up to four Solver teams who are current or past Solvers across Solve's US Equity portfolio. Preference will be given to innovator teams based in or implementing/planning to implement in Chicago, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Houston, New York City, and/or Philadelphia in the areas of Health, Economic Prosperity, Climate, or Indigenous Communities.

Community Partnerships

Con Edison supports organizations and causes that champion a clean and equitable energy future for all New Yorkers.

Priority will be given to organizations with programs/projects centered-in historically marginalized and disadvantaged communities.

Focus Areas

Con Edison proudly funds organizations that share our vision to combat the effects of climate change, advance social justice, and create green jobs. Our philanthropic initiatives power the vitality of our communities in New York City and Westchester to advocate for equity and support the gaps that exist in state-designated disadvantaged communities.

Con Edison feels an urgency to confront the threat that climate change poses to our communities and help New Yorkers adapt to a changing world.

Our efforts focus on:

Climate Change and Environmental Stewardship

We will accelerate access to clean energy by prioritizing place-based investments, resilient infrastructure, and environmental stewardship.

Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation: Projects focused on addressing the accelerated risks of climate change and promote nature-based solutions. Special attention will be given to initiatives that address extreme weather events, sea level rise, biodiversity loss, and the restoration or conservation of natural habitats and ecosystems.

Environmental Stewardship: Initiatives that focus on equitable land use and greenway enhancement—specifically green corridors, pocket parks, community gardens, and local farms.

• Program support may include stewardship of public lands, promotion of environmental education, coalition building focused on climate and energy policy, and leadership development for climate and environmental advocates.

Social Justice

We are applying our resources to help organizations and social movements that address systemic social justice issues—through skill building, action, and advocacy.

Human Rights and Democracy: Fund social justice organizations that are providing the building blocks to address discrimination, bias, and opportunity inequities for marginalized and disadvantaged communities.

Economic Empowerment and Opportunity: Fund social justice organizations whose goals are to reduce the racial, ethnic, and gender wealth gap and expanding access to resources for nonprofits that serve disadvantaged populations.

Community Resilience Fund social justice organizations and projects that support initiatives to ensure that marginalized and disadvantaged communities have the capacity, leadership, and agency to address environmental, social, and political change.

• This focus includes support for climate justice implementation programs focused on areas such as emergency preparedness, extreme weather, and similar areas of impact.

Program support may include funding to assist with skill building, leadership development, capacity building, civic engagement, and community organizing and outreach.

Clean Energy and Technology Careers

We will foster a new generation of workers by supporting access to education, skills training, economic supports, and hiring and/or career advancement opportunities they will need for well-paying jobs in emerging and in-demand clean energy, technology, and environmental science careers.

Skills Training: Training programs that equip new and existing workers with the skills and credentials needed for sustainable, well-paying careers, in high-demand clean energy and technology fields—with prioritization for individuals from disadvantaged communities.

Career Exploration & Pathways: Programs, workshops, and initiatives that build awareness of career paths and further educational and career goals in clean energy and technology fields for young adults (grade 9 and above) and adults.

Energy Ecosystems: Foster innovations, partnerships, movements, and coalitions that bring together business, training providers, and community organizations to develop clean energy and workforce strategies to help workers access quality careers and address specific challenges.

Program support may include skills-based training, barrier reduction and retention services, on-the-job training, apprenticeships, paid internships, career coaching, curriculum development, and coalition and network-building.

Our Mission

Land O'Lakes, Inc. and the Land O'Lakes Foundation are dedicated to serving the rural and urban communities where our cooperative has members owners, employees, and facilities. Support is focused on organizations dedicated to Hunger Relief, Advancing Education, and Community Vitality.

Region Grants Program

The Region Grants Program is specifically for Land O’Lakes dairy communities in the East and West Regions of our member footprint. The purpose is to improve the vibrancy of the regions where our member-owners are located.

Funds are awarded through two grant rounds: Hunger Relief and Community Vitality.

Funding

• $125,000 total is awarded to both the East and West regions per grant round.
• Total annual program investment is $500,000.
• Organizations may apply for grants ranging from $1,000 to $20,000.
  • Generally, between 10-20 grantees are funded per grant round.
  • Average grant award is between $5,000 to $10,000.
• Funds are for local programs or projects supporting Land O’Lakes member-owner rural communities and their populations.

Region Grants Open Grant Round: Hunger Relief

Organizations committed to fighting food insecurity and increasing food accessibility:

• Food banks
• Food shelves/pantries
• Prepared meals and meal delivery services
• School meal programs
• Community gardens and local food systems

Ponce Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ponce Financial Group (PFG), is a Minority Depository Institution (MDI), a certified CDFI and a certified SBA lender. Ponce Bank is a federally chartered savings association with deep New York City roots and steadfast commitment to equitable access to banking.

Ponce was founded in 1960 by Latino community members of the South Bronx to address the under-serving and under-banking that existed in communities of color and counter the targeted disinvestment in those neighborhoods. Our Bank has earned a reputation for serving the needs of our communities by emphasizing the importance of personal banking and by promoting local economic development. We employ a highly qualified and professional staff and offer a wide variety of products and services designed to meet the needs of our customers and our communities. We are honored to serve our communities and will be honored to serve you through the Ponce De Leon Foundation.

Ponce De Leon Foundation’s mission is to help address the economic and social challenges faced by the communities we serve by supporting programs targeted towards our core priority areas: affordable housing, healthcare, economic development, education, social services, cultural events and targeted programming for Youth and Senior services.

The Ponce De Leon Foundation is accepting proposals for community projects that seek to positively impact individuals, groups and services in the above noted core areas. 

Our Mission

Land O'Lakes, Inc. and the Land O'Lakes Foundation are dedicated to serving the rural and urban communities where our cooperative has members owners, employees, and facilities. Support is focused on organizations dedicated to Hunger Relief, Advancing Education, and Community Vitality.

Region Grants Program

The Region Grants Program is specifically for Land O’Lakes dairy communities in the East and West Regions of our member footprint. The purpose is to improve the vibrancy of the regions where our member-owners are located.

Funds are awarded through two grant rounds: Hunger Relief and Community Vitality.

Funding

• $125,000 total is awarded to both the East and West regions per grant round.
• Total annual program investment is $500,000.
• Organizations may apply for grants ranging from $1,000 to $20,000.
  • Generally, between 10-20 grantees are funded per grant round.
  • Average grant award is between $5,000 to $10,000.
• Funds are for local programs or projects supporting Land O’Lakes member-owner rural communities and their populations.

Region Grants Open Grant Round: Community Vitality

Organizations committed to strengthening community resources and opportunities, especially in rural areas:

• 4-H, FFA, and ag education programs
• Schools and educational institutions
• City improvement projects
• Fire/Ambulance departments
• Local United Way chapters
• Economic development programs

NY Small Business Funders Collective (SBFC)

The NY Small Business Funders Collective (SBFC) is a group of philanthropic entities coming together to strengthen the local small business ecosystem across the New York region. Members of the Collective share the belief that entrepreneurship is a powerful lever for innovation, community vibrancy, and economic development. Through pooled grantmaking, the Collective aims to expand opportunities for Black, Latinx, API, and Indigenous entrepreneurs to thrive.

Supplier Diversity Partnership Grant Opportunity

Building on a track record of collaboration, innovation, and partnership, the Collective is embarking on a new round of grantmaking with supplier diversity as its focus. As done in two previous rounds, the Collective seeks to discover and support proximate, community-led initiatives involving a wide range of cross-sector players.

This Request for Proposals aims to reveal and fund innovative solutions in procurement that diversify supplier networks in the city, increase supply chain localization, and increase the number of historically excluded small business owners seeking and securing contracts with purchasers and anchor institutions in NYC.

While the Collective believes that small business entrepreneurs and those that serve them can proactively address challenges that affect their ability to compete for contracts, it feels strongly that equal attention should be paid to the anchor institutions and government agencies that issue contracts and procure goods & services (the “buyers”). The Collective seeks to innovate around systems change and shift perceptions that the supplier diversity issue should be solved by vendors, suppliers, and entrepreneurs (the “sellers”) alone. Instead, our 2024 RFP seeks to address both sides of this equation, spurring creative partnerships between buyers, sellers, and nonprofit entities that help create high-capacity vendors through joint ventures, cooperatives, guilds, and other partner models.

Funding Priorities

Applicants may prioritize one or some of the following solution areas in support of Black, Latinx, Indigenous, AAPI, women, and other historically excluded entrepreneurs in the five boroughs of NYC:

• Capital Access:
  • Extending, designing, and/or growing mechanisms for delivering inclusive capital for businesses, particularly working capital.
• Bonding & Insurance:
  • Providing referrals to ensure small businesses more effectively access the required bonding and insurance needed to bid for contracts (may include advancing to Tier 1 or Prime status).
• Readiness & Certification:
  • Offering personalized analysis and training to small businesses interested in securing contracts.
  • Also includes buyer/seller mentoring and relationship building.
• Capacity-Building:
  • Assisting small businesses in taking their enterprises to scale to successfully bid for public and private contracts.
  • Similarly, educating and providing support to buyers about moving past the “lowest cost provider” and optimizing their spend with diverse suppliers, using BSOs as a conduit.
• Outreach/Networking:
  • Building communication channels that reach to the community level so under invested small business owners connect with contract opportunities.
  • Also includes efforts to overcome “insider” language and structures in procurement.
• Data Collection & Bench-marking:
  • Design, amplify, and share emerging tools such as Artificial Intelligence for buyers to measure progress towards supplier-diversity goals.

The Collective also welcomes additional interventions beyond the list above.

The Collective is also interested in the “disparity within a disparity” noted by the City’s Chief Business Diversity Officer Michael Garner where Black, Hispanic, and Native American owned firms are vastly underutilized in a certification designed to help them. To that point, only 14.94% of M/WBE contracts in FY22 were awarded to Black, Hispanic, and Native American owned firms.

Our desire is for the nonprofit partner leading the application to operate at the local level, and be intimately familiar with the challenges Black, Latinx, Indigenous, AAPI, women, and other historically excluded entrepreneurs face in their community. Together, the lead and partner organizations will address one or more of the six solutions areas mentioned above. Proposals will be evaluated using a scoring rubric, which is available as part of the proposal packet.

A competitive proposal to the SBFC will address specific barriers that small business firms led by people of color, women, and other historically excluded business owners experience as they seek to do business with anchor institutions such as corporations and government agencies. Proposals can address any part of the life cycle of a procurement relationship. Similarly, proposals can address any aspect of the supply chain continuum.

We are most interested in hearing about your unique approach to amplifying and elevating historically excluded small business owners in the procurement space, and what data/research grounds your work. Through this RFP process, the Collective is interested in learning about persistent pain points and innovative solutions to address them.

The Collective is committed to learning and positively impacting the small business ecosystem in NYC, and our intention is to fully engage with the cohort of grantees to discover and learn about new ideas, solutions, pathways to access in the realm of supplier diversity. Awardees will work with the Collective to select measurable objectives for their project. Awardees will also participate in a learning cohort facilitated by the Collective for the period of one year, offering the opportunity for peer networking and shared best practices among lead and partner organizations.

Funding

One-Year Partnership Grants. Expected to range between $100,000-$250,000.

Community Progress Makers Fund

Community Progress Makers is a Citi Foundation initiative aimed at supporting local community organizations connecting low-income communities to greater social and economic opportunity. The Foundation first launched the Community Progress Makers initiative in 2015 with a vision of empowering local community organizations to grow their transformative impact through unrestricted, trust-based funding. The Foundation is committing an additional $50 million to support a fourth cohort of Community Progress Makers. Through an open request for proposals (RFP) process, the Foundation will select 50 community organizations to receive the following over three years: 

• $1 million in unrestricted grant support
• Access to technical assistance from national experts and leading researchers
• Opportunities to connect and share learnings through webinars and local and national gatherings

Selection Priorities

For this funding opportunity, the Citi Foundation will prioritize organizations that demonstrate:

• Deep connections to the communities served
• Track record of partnering with other community organizations and stakeholders to achieve positive change
• Utilization of data to inform planning and the capacity to collect, analyze, and share data, results, and learnings
• Track record and innovative vision in one of the following areas of work: 
  • Affordable Housing and Access, such as efforts to promote housing affordability; home ownership; and resident support services to help people more easily access employment, education, health, and childcare.
  • Economic Development, including the provision of technical assistance to small businesses; commercial corridor revitalization efforts; and green economy strategies that promote job creation.
  • Financial Health, such as efforts in delivering financial coaching; integrated financial capability services; and savings and asset building strategies.
  • Workforce Readiness, including organizations preparing young people and/or adults for careers and entrepreneurship.