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

About Us

The Achelis and Bodman Foundation was formally established on November 25, 2015, from the merger of The Achelis Foundation (established in 1940) and The Bodman Foundation (established in 1945).

Program Areas

In keeping with the broad purposes in its charter documents, the Foundation has chosen to spread its grants over six program areas. Most grants are made in New York City, reflecting its dynamic not-for-profit sector, large and persistent needs, and the staff's and Trustees' "local knowledge." The Foundation also makes grants in northern New Jersey in recognition of the Bodman family's ties to that state, with an emphasis on Newark and Monmouth County. Over 90% of grants fall into one of the following categories:

Arts and Culture

Cultural institutions are among New York City’s most valued resources. They attract visitors from around the world and are one reason why so many people choose to live here. They are also major employers and vital to the City’s economy. The arts were important to Miss Achelis and Mr. and Mrs. Bodman, and so the Foundation has continued to support this area, generally through operating grants to the City’s prominent cultural institutions. The Foundation is most likely to support organizations that promote and sustain traditional concepts of artistic excellence. 

Education

The failure of inner-city public education is a national tragedy with enormous consequences for the children in these schools and for society as a whole. The Foundation has long believed that accountability and competition can contribute to the improvement of urban public schools. Therefore, the Foundation has funded charter schools, voucher programs, scholarships to parochial schools, and research that examines the impact of competition and other factors on K-12 educational performance. The Foundation also has an interest in helping young people and adults to realize their dreams of a college education. Finally, the Foundation seeks to promote intellectual excellence and balance at American colleges and universities.

Employment

Chronic unemployment or underemployment is a harsh and demoralizing burden. The welfare reforms of the mid-1990s increased the need for effective job training and placement programs. Such programs are especially critical for ex-offenders, chronic substance abusers, those with low educational attainments, and those suffering from mental or physical disabilities. The Foundation is particularly interested in supporting programs that emphasize the private sector and entrepreneurship.

Health

It is difficult for small grantmakers to make a significant impact in a field as large and complex as healthcare. Therefore, the focus of the Foundation's grants has been on the health needs of poor children, the disabled, and other disadvantaged populations, as well as on basic biomedical research, where a small grant at a pivotal time in a scientist's research can have a disproportionate impact. The Foundation has also supported the work of policy experts evaluating reforms that would improve the healthcare system and make it more accessible and efficient.

Public Policy

Funding in this category covers a broad range of issues including: K-12 education (listed under ), healthcare, families and marriage, crime prevention, prisoner reentry, philanthropy, the environment, welfare reform, and faith and religion. In all areas, the Foundation's grantmaking is guided by a belief in the merits of economic and political liberty, free enterprise, and personal responsibility.

Youth and Families

The disparate needs of New York City's disadvantaged youth and families are served by hundreds, even thousands, of charitable institutions, ranging from established settlement houses to small neighborhood organizations to local houses of worship. The Foundation supports programs that boost academic achievement, provide positive recreational and educational activities for disadvantaged young people, promote good character and values, preserve families, and encourage responsible parenting. In addition, the Foundation has a special interest in programs that prevent criminal behavior, discourage pre-marital sexual activity among teens, and assist vulnerable populations, such as disconnected youth, children who have been in foster care or suffered abuse, the disabled, and the homebound elderly. The Foundation is particularly interested in funding smaller, neighborhood-based organizations that choose to rely on private support rather than government grants or contracts.

Democratic Practice 

The Democratic Practice program seeks to strengthen the vitality of democracy in the United States and in global governance. The program’s core ideas—that for democracy to flourish and deliver on its promises, its citizens must be engaged, empowered, and assertive, and institutions of governance must be inclusive, transparent, accountable, and responsive—provide a frame for the Fund’s Democratic Practice work in the United States and on global challenges.

Democracy in the United States

Democracy in the United States is facing myriad challenges as persistent and deep divisions continue to undermine the nation’s social, economic, and political vitality. The current U.S. political system suffers from outsized influence of money in politics, extreme partisanship, retrenchment of voting rights, issues with outdated and inefficient election administration, and concentrations of power in narrow segments of society not reflective of the larger population. Alternatively, new opportunities for systemic reform are developing and gaining traction. The nation is seeing a resurgence of grassroots political activism, protest, and a democratization of both traditional and social media. Digital resources are fueling different kinds of engagement and activism that are reaching people in entirely new ways. Further, the ability to leverage creative investigative and solution-based journalism and broadly available government and election data to improve both democratic systems and grassroots civic engagement provides exciting opportunities to build a vital and inclusive 21st-century democracy.

The Fund recognizes that the gaps between rich and poor, and white and non-white, are widening, while the diversity of elected officials remains misaligned with the electorate, fundamentally undermining the quality of representative democracy. Exorbitant amounts of private money spent on political campaigns and lobbying by a very small percentage of the electorate profoundly distort the political system. Others without the financial resources to influence public policy are further marginalized, undermining the ability of voters and constituents to hold elected officials accountable and fostering public cynicism and distrust of elected officials and public institutions.

The quality of our political culture continues to deteriorate. Consequently, there are fewer and fewer examples of true bipartisanship and constructive compromise in state and federal legislatures. Additionally, partisan actors, with a goal of achieving partisan supremacy rather than ensuring democratic fairness, exert disproportionate control over voting rights, poll access, and redistricting. Participation in national elections remains below that of most advanced democracies, and turnout for local elections is persistently low. Moreover, fair, efficient, and effective election administration is undermined by inaccurate voter rolls and outdated processes and technology. In addition, eligible voters have been kept from the polls by restrictive voting laws, or worse, by overt voter-suppression efforts.

Meaningful and informed public participation in all phases of democracy in the United States provides the foundation for a truly vibrant democracy. The Fund believes that innovation in traditional grassroots organizing strategies, development of opportunities for underrepresented populations in civic leadership, and effective integration of digital media and communications into civic life are promising ways to improve public participation in governance. Authentic public participation in democracy lays the groundwork for substantive policy reforms that are a true reflection of our representative democracy.

Goal: Advance a Vital and Inclusive Democracy in the United States

In the United States, the Fund supports innovative strategies to strengthen and broaden participation in the practices and institutions of democratic governance, foster greater transparency, accountability, and responsiveness of government institutions, and promote social, economic, and racial justice in our democratic systems.

Strategies:

• Supporting innovations in systems and practices to strengthen equality of representation and disrupt corruptive influences, including money and privileged relationships.
• Increasing opportunities for meaningful citizen participation in democratic systems through election and voting reforms, including improvements in voting rights, election laws, redistricting processes, and election administration.
• Supporting movement-building strategies for systemic reform of democratic institutions to advance economic and racial justice.

The Democratic Practice–U.S. program works to enhance the quality of American democracy through support for high leverage opportunities at the federal, state, and local levels (including New York City as the Fund’s home).

Global Challenges

The dramatic increase in cross-border flows of capital, goods, and people and their values and ideas—“globalization”—is producing deep interdependencies and changes in power relations. It is a defining process of the 21st century, offering both challenges and opportunities.

Public engagement in decision making across all levels of governance must contend nowadays with powerful global actors, forces, and institutions, presenting profound challenges to democracy. Economic interests have largely overshadowed democratic practices, social equity, and environmental concerns in the evolution of global institutions. Powerful international trade and financial institutions remain opaque and exclusive, and the power and reach of multinational corporations often escape public scrutiny or effective regulation. Thus, although the impact of global forces on peoples’ lives is growing, they face enormous impediments to both defend their existing rights and engage to meet new global challenges.

At the same time, globalization has opened up new opportunities for building cross-border, citizen-based coalitions, which are finding innovative ways to frame, address, and resolve global problems. Evolving understandings of planetary limits and the drivers of climate change have given rise to citizen groups pressing for economic and environmental rights. Common experiences of inequality and the erosion of democracy have led to demands for changes in how rules of the global economy are written—and in whose interest. New technologies and ways of organizing undergird citizen networks working across languages, geographies, and cultures. These novel combinations of grassroots, professional, public, private, intergovernmental, and nongovernmental organizations are analyzing global processes, articulating alternatives, and advancing in democratic practice and accountability to address global challenges.

The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation promotes the advancement and perpetuation of humanistic inquiry and artistic creativity by encouraging excellence in scholarship and in the performing arts, and by supporting research libraries and other institutions which transmit our cultural heritage.

The programs of the Foundation reflect the interests and patronage of its founders, Gladys Krieble Delmas and Jean Paul Delmas.

Humanities Program

The Foundation intends to further the humanities along a broad front, supporting projects which address the concerns of the historical studia humanitatis: a humanistic education rooted in the great traditions of the past; the formation of human beings according to cultural, moral, and aesthetic ideals derived from that past; and the ongoing debate over how these ideals may best be conceived and realized.

Programs in the following areas are eligible: history; archaeology; literature; languages, both classical and modern; philosophy; ethics; comparative religion; the history, criticism, and theory of the arts; and those aspects of the social sciences which share the content and methods of humanistic disciplines. The Foundation welcomes projects that cross the boundaries between humanistic disciplines and explore the connection between the humanities and other areas of scholarship. Programs of institutions in Venice relating to the humanities are eligible in this category. The geographical concentration is primarily but not exclusively directed toward European and American history and letters, broadly defined.

The Humanities Program is primarily directed to institutions of higher education and humanistic enterprises such as learned societies, museums, and major editorial projects. The program may also consider, on a selective basis, projects that increase the exposure of those outside these institutions to the humanistic experience or that strengthen preparation for the humanistic disciplines. The prime criterion remains that of Gladys and Jean Delmas: a commitment to excellence, whether proven or promised.

Performing Arts Program

Each year, the Foundation supports a limited number of not-for-profit performing arts institutions based in New York City that provide performances in music, dance and theatre. Only established performing or producing entities with a history of appearing at preeminent venues and such venues themselves are eligible. Applicants must be publicly supported organizations described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; the Foundation does not make grants to fiscal agents. Special initiatives of other institutions, start-up projects, emerging organizations, development campaigns, and building projects are ineligible. Proposals for pre-professional programs and opera are only accepted from past grantees. The Foundation receives many more requests for support than it could ever fund, and for that reason most first-time grant applications are not successful.

Subject to the above requirements, the program supports:

• Dance presenters who make ballet and modern dance available to the public and otherwise provide support to the dance field, as well as a limited number of ballet and modern dance companies.
• Theatre companies and presenters that have demonstrated a commitment to include the classics in their regular offerings.
• Music groups and concert presenters committed to making early music or contemporary repertory available to New York City audiences.

Research Libraries Program

The Research Libraries Program concentrates primarily in those areas of its founders’ interests and aims to be fully complementary to the Foundation’s other program areas (i.e., humanities scholarship, performing arts, and Venetian history and culture).

The overall objective of the Research Libraries Program is to improve the ability of research libraries to serve the needs of scholarship in the humanities and the performing arts, and to help make their resources more widely accessible to scholars and the general public. Wherever possible, grants to libraries seek to promote cooperative cataloging projects, with an emphasis on access to archival, manuscript, and other unique sources; some elements of interpretation and exhibition; scholarly library publications; bibliographical and publishing projects of interest to research libraries; and collection-level preservation/conservation work and research.

Small-scale digitizing is eligible for support when the process is part of a clearly defined and timely scholarly project that incorporates recognized standards for metadata production, for preservation, and for distribution. The Foundation does not support massive digitizing projects of a general nature.

Who We Are

The Block Foundation is a small family foundation established in 2001 to honor the memories of Harris & Frances Block and their daughter Carol Block Maurer. We are a small, family operated foundation whose ideological makeup reflects our family values.

Mission

The Harris and Frances Block Foundation seeks equitable solutions to social and environmental problems, working with small and emerging organizations to improve our communities and impact the world.

Values

The Harris and Frances Block Foundation holds as values:

Community: Where change begins and grows to scale.

Justice: Both social and environmental.

Equality: Aspiring towards a society that honors the potential of all humans.

Access: Equitable access to systems, resources, and opportunities.

Sustainability: Both social and environmental.

What We Fund

The Block Foundation supports small grassroots not-for-profit organizations with grants that work to foster just and sustainable communities.

Environmental Issues

• Environmental Education
• Environmental Justice

Food and Farm Initiatives

• Farm and Garden Programs
• Farmworker’s Rights
• Food Justice

NYCT: Healthy Lives

We help providers deliver efficient, patient-focused, equitable, and cost-effective health and behavioral health services to all New Yorkers. We support projects that develop the skills and independence of four groups of people with special needs: the elderly, the blind or visually impaired, children and youth with disabilities, and people with developmental disabilities. We also support biomedical research and projects for animal welfare. 

Health and Behavioral Health

Program goal: to promote an equitable, patient-focused, and cost-effective health and behavioral health care delivery system.

Grants are made to:

Advocate for successful health care reform implementation to ensure:

• maintenance of a strong and viable health and behavioral health care safety net;
• access to comprehensive and coordinated care for those who remain uninsured or underinsured; and
• availability of screening, early intervention, and referral for effective treatment of disease.

Build the capacity of New York City’s health, behavioral health, and human service sectors to succeed in a reformed health care system by:

• developing effective skills training for the professional and paraprofessional health care workforce; and
• strengthening financial and information technology systems to allow transition to value-based payments.

Reduce health disparities between low- and higher-income neighborhoods through investments in disadvantaged communities that:

• improve indoor and outdoor air quality;
• provide safe and inviting parks and open space;
• promote access to affordable and healthy food; and
• engage residents in efforts to encourage physical activity and healthy diets.

Foster the independence of people with mental illness and substance use histories by:

• expanding innovative programs that offer clinical care as well as practical services, such as housing, employment, and education; and
• advocating for expansion of participant-led or informed service models that are sustainable and effective.

Read the background paper that informed this grantmaking strategy here.

Older Adults and People with Disabilities 

The Trust has a coordinated approach that reflects the common challenges and opportunities for the following groups of people: older adults, children and youth with disabilities, people with blindness and visual disabilities, and people with developmental disabilities. We support projects that target low-income individuals and communities.

Grants are made to:

Make New York City communities—especially those that are under-resourced—accessible, welcoming, and inclusive for people with special needs by:

• supporting research and pilot efforts that demonstrate these principles; and
• ensuring that laws that fund services and expand opportunities are implemented fully and effectively.

Ensure that health, social, education, and vocational services allow people with special needs to live up to their fullest potential by:

• supporting and replicating proven strategies that help these populations receive appropriate education, high quality vocational preparation, and equal employment opportunities;
• testing new approaches that use technology and other innovations to help people with special needs remain as independent as possible; and
• supporting families and caregivers of people with special needs.

Build the capacity of nonprofits serving people with special needs by:

• ensuring the workforce serving these populations is provided effective training, better career pathways, and increased job quality;
• helping agencies create appropriate financial and management systems, and partnerships to benefit from new financing mechanisms through Medicaid and Medicare.

Read the background paper that informed this grantmaking strategy here.

New York Yankees Community Giving

The New York Yankees are committed to promoting and sustaining cordial and cooperative relationships with their neighbors and community partners; working in conjunction with them to enhance the quality of life throughout the surrounding communities. On a consistent basis, the Yankees partner with community-based organizations to host events at Yankee Stadium and dedicate several millions of dollars in resources to support various outreach efforts that focus on providing positive educational, recreational and social outlets for New York City residents.

Contribution Requests

The New York Yankees Community Relations Department is committed to promoting and sustaining cordial and cooperative relationships with their neighbors and community partners; working in conjunction with them to enhance the quality of life throughout the surrounding communities.

Our Program Areas

The Sills Family Foundation’s primary grants program intends to help children from low income families live up to their highest promise by concentrating on the following four areas:

Comprehensive Services to Families in Crisis- With a special focus on families impacted by incarceration

The Sills Family Foundation has a major focus on programs that support families impacted by the criminal justice system. We partner with programs that work to strengthen the parent/child bond during incarceration through facilitating transportation for prison visits, creating child-sensitive visiting areas in correctional facilities, providing parenting education classes to incarcerated parents, as well as supporting families through the re-entry period. This effort extends to addressing the inequities in the bail system, preventing juvenile detentions, and providing high quality legal services to low income populations.

In considering the rehabilitative opportunities so rarely provided to incarcerated individuals, the Foundation supports higher education and arts programming inside correctional facilities. The Foundation has begun to play a role in deepening policy makers and service providers’ capacity in this field. The Sills Family Foundation is proud to be a member of the NY Initiative for Children with Incarcerated Parents, as well as the New York Youth Justice Initiative.

Support to Underserved Communities- Through improved access to early education and reduction of neighborhood violence

Low income neighborhoods and schools experience a disproportionate amount of school suspensions, violence, arrests and damage to the community through involvement in the criminal justice system. We support programs that seek to intervene in this destructive cycle and help young people stay on the path to success.

Early education can make a world of difference in how a child goes on to succeed in school, work and life. This is especially true for children challenged by poverty, homelessness and other forms of trauma. Children who start kindergarten behind their peers may continue to face problems throughout school. Getting kids off to a good start is critical to their future.

We are committed to high-quality education experiences that help children live up to their highest potential. We want to improve chances for all children to succeed in life through access to education, early intervention and family supports such as mental health counseling and job skills classes for their parents.

Programs Supporting Immigrants, Refugees and Asylees

We believe all human beings have the right to pursue their dreams of building a better home for themselves and their families, and that newcomers to the US should have access to necessary legal, educational, and material needs.

Environmental Justice- With a focus on contaminants that harm the developing embryo, fetus and infant

Toxic chemicals are released into our environment every day. Children consume pollutants in their food, air and water, their toys, candy, even baby bottles. These hazards can cause serious health problems, ranging from asthma and cancer to brain impairment and behavioral problems. They take a greater toll on the most vulnerable: pregnant women, fetuses and children.

We want to protect families from lead, mercury and other toxic compounds. The foundation supports organizations that embrace the ideals of environmental justice and that protect against poor communities carrying a greater share of the toxic burden. We invest in programs that work to reduce pollutants in our air, water, food and homes so that the minds and bodies of our infants and children stay healthy and strong.

Arts and Culture- Arts education and other creative opportunities to support underserved populations

Arts and cultural activity can provide people of all ages important tools of self expression, can open paths to new forms of communication and can strengthen self esteem. We believe that high quality arts programming in schools, community centers and senior centers can be a powerful tool of social justice. The Foundation seeks to support culturally sensitive collaborations between teaching artists, educators and community leaders to bring the positive power of the arts to under-resourced schools and communities.

Funding Priorities

The Sills Family Foundation funds nonprofits that support early childhood education, environmental justice, arts and culture, and families in crisis, with a focus on families and communities impacted by the criminal justice justice system as well as refugees, migrants and asylees.

Funding Criteria

The organizations we invest in support families and communities to overcome obstacles created by poverty, racism and other forms of marginalization. The programs we support have passionate leaders, are community based and offer potential for systemic, sustained change, including the possibility of replication. We seek to fund organizations for whom our grantmaking capacity will make an impact.

Grant Making Budget

Most of our grants range from $10,000 to $25,000. The Foundation accepts applications for one-year grants only, with the possibility of renewal grants for extended periods. Many of our grants support general operating needs.

Goal: Advance Solutions To Climate Change

The Sustainable Development program advances global stewardship that is ecologically based, economically sound, socially just, culturally appropriate, and consistent with intergenerational equity. Human activity is causing climate change, rapid loss of biodiversity, and accelerating degradation of Earth’s life support systems. With the recognition that the impact of unchecked climate change threatens all other conservation efforts, the program focuses its grantmaking on advancing solutions to climate change.

Strategies

• Building public and policymaker understanding and support for a range of actions to address the threat of climate change.
• Supporting implementation efforts to build a clean energy economy at the federal, state, and local levels.
• Supporting efforts to reduce reliance on carbon-intensive energy sources.
• Supporting targeted efforts to advance international progress on climate change.

Full Guidelines

Human activity is causing climate change and rapid loss of biodiversity, and accelerating degradation of Earth’s life support systems. These developments threaten the livelihoods, health, and security of people in all nations and cultures as well as the well-being of the greater community of life. The RBF’s sustainable development grantmaking endeavors to address these challenges by supporting development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The program supports global stewardship that is ecologically based, economically sound, socially just, culturally appropriate, and consistent with intergenerational equity. The Fund encourages government, business, and civil society to work collaboratively on climate change, to acknowledge the moral and ethical consequences of inaction, and to make it an integral part of all development planning and activity. Recognizing the global nature of many environmental problems, the Fund also promotes international cooperation in addressing these challenges.

The Sustainable Development program maintains a significant focus on the United States in light of its disproportionate impact on the global economy, politics, and the environment. The program’s work is also advanced in collaboration with the Fund’s “pivotal place” programs—Central America, China, and the Western Balkans—and with the Democratic Practice program’s Global Challenges portfolio. Pivotal Place programs support work in specific countries or regions to build the knowledge, policies, organizational capacity, and leadership needed to advance sustainable development in locally appropriate ways. The Fund’s Democratic Practice–Global Challenges portfolio supports broad participation in forging the international agreements and institutional arrangements needed to encourage investment in sustainable development. Fund staff work to ensure that global developments inform work in specific places and that locally grounded efforts generate lessons and innovations needed for global impact.

With the recognition that the impact of unchecked climate change threatens all other conservation efforts, the Sustainable Development program focuses its U.S. grantmaking on building a green economy at the federal, state, and local levels.

In addition, the program provides support for select international efforts to advance global climate negotiations.

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.

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 Booth Ferris Foundation was established in 1957 under the wills of Willis H. Booth and his wife, Chancie Ferris Booth. Since that time, over $425 million has been contributed from the Foundation to worthy organizations for a variety of charitable purposes.

Funding Interest: Strengthening New York

The Foundation supports:

Organizations working directly to build vibrant communities and to promote equity for underserved populations in New York City. Support is available for capacity building. Priority organizations will demonstrate a record of strong outcomes in NYC and/or deep impact in the communities they serve.

• Organizations which build the capacity and infrastructure of New York City’s nonprofit sector and work to address issues of systemic inequity.
• Support is available for an organization’s own capacity building or for its capacity building activities on behalf of the field.
• Eligible organizations include:
• Organizations providing capacity building, management or technical assistance to nonprofits in New York City
• Organizations engaged in advocacy or public policy work on behalf of underserved communities in New York City, and
• Organizations supporting and working on behalf of membership agencies or a network of nonprofits
• Organizations working directly to build vibrant communities and to promote equity for underserved populations in New York City. Support is available for capacity building. Priority organizations will demonstrate a record of strong outcomes in NYC and/or deep impact in the communities they serve.

Capacity-Building Guidelines

The Foundation views capacity building as a one-time investment to help an organization increase efficiency and effectiveness. Typically, funds support new expenses, which may become ongoing depending on the project. Requests should cover expenses that an organization would otherwise need to dip into reserve funds or fundraise for. Capacity-building should support the nonprofit’s infrastructure and long-term sustainability, enabling greater performance and impact. Notably, the Foundation does not consider organizational growth or scale a requirement for a successful capacity-building project. The Foundation will consider up to three years of support for competitive projects.

Given that our capacity-building grants are short-term, organizations should demonstrate why the project is a priority now, how they are ready to achieve the project’s goals, and what capacity will be built upon successful completion. Strong proposals will clearly articulate intended goals, a process for measuring outcomes, and describe the capacity that will be built. Proposals resulting in new ongoing costs that must be absorbed into an organization’s budget, should indicate how the project will be sustained once Foundation funds expire.

Mission

The Laura B. Vogler Foundation, Inc. is a private non-operating foundation that awards one-time, non-renewable grants. Trustees seek to make modest sized grants to organizations concerned with the health, well being, and education of children, the disadvantaged, and the elderly.

Grants

The Vogler Foundation makes one-time only grants. Past grant recipients are requested to wait at least three (3) years before applying for a grant.

Lifting up lives, building resilience, changing perceptions.

The Lilah Hilliard Fisher Foundation is committed to making strategic investments into our agricultural, cultural, health, and educational systems. 

Priorities

The Foundation's grantmaking is currently focused on regenerative agriculture and nutrition education efforts nationwide. The Foundation also supports organizations and projects in New York City and Litchfield County, Connecticut that help survivors of human trafficking, champion youth development, advance social justice, and strengthen safety nets for vulnerable populations.

Areas of Interest

The Lilah Hilliard Fisher Foundation has a geographic focus on organizations working in the northeastern United States in the following areas:

• Regenerative agriculture
• Soil health
• Biodiversity
• Nutrient-dense foods and nutrition education efforts

We ask that your project or idea fit within at least one of these areas of interest. Project proposals outside of these areas are by invitation only.

Mission

Founded in 1997, the mission of Lily Auchincloss Foundation (LAF) is to provide grants to enrich the quality of life in New York City.

Vision Lily Auchincloss Foundation envisions a more affordable and vibrant New York City. The Foundation aims to enrich the lives of New Yorkers through grants in support of the arts, the built and natural environments, and human services.The Foundation typically supports small to mid-size organizations throughout the five boroughs of New York City.

The Foundation provides both general operating support and program support.

Winter Cycle - Human Services Grants

The Human Services cycle is open to organizations whose mission and services support prevention, social change, and education programs aimed at improving the quality of life for all New York City residents.

Mission

The van Ameringen Foundation funds innovative and practical programs for early intervention, advocacy and increased accessibility of mental health services for people and communities with limited financial means and opportunities.

Overview

Within its broad focus on mental health, the Foundation encourages innovative and practical grant proposals in areas which:

• increase the accessibility of mental health services to people and communities with limited financial means and opportunities;
• offer preventive and early-intervention strategies;
• advocate for systemic change with local or national impact.

Grant Types

The van Ameringen Foundation provides general support and project specific grants in two overall categories:

Direct Service Grants

The Foundation funds programs and projects that provide a direct service, such as case management, assessment, counseling, psychotherapy, psychiatric care, training, or jobs, housing, and other supports to people and communities confronting significant mental illness.

• Duration: Up to three years
• Size: Between $25,000 – $75,000 annually

Non-Direct Service Grants

: The Foundation funds strategies that seek to create changes in the law, public policy, or in the perceptions and practices of the public and private sectors responsible for improving mental healthcare, particularly in unserved or underserved communities.

: The Foundation funds efforts which seek to share research findings, best practices, and knowledge related to improving the mental health safety net and system. This may be in the form of a publication, training, or media project using traditional or new forms of communication.

: The Foundation funds activities that provide learning and skill-building opportunities for mental health providers, advocates, people living with mental illness, policymakers, and family or community members who are seeking to deepen their understanding, knowledge, treatment, or social change efforts.

• Duration: Up to three years
• Advocacy Grant Size: Up to $250,000 annually
• Media/Dissemination & Training Grant Size: Between $25,000 – $75,000 annually

Background

The Citi Foundation’s Global Innovation Challenge is an open call for applications or request for proposals (RFP) designed to provide catalytic grant funding to community organizations across the world. This year, the Foundation invites proposals from community organizations developing innovative employment solutions for low-income youth primarily between the ages of 15 and 24.

Funding Overview

Despite recent progress, young people globally continue to experience challenges in their pursuit of employment, including skills mismatch and gaining access to quality jobs. According to the International Labour Organization, 65 million young people globally are unemployed. Since the Citi Foundation’s inception, advancing youth employability has been integral to our mission of supporting low-income communities globally. The Citi Foundation invested more than $300 million over the last decade alone in programs that supported over one million young people in expanding their skills, experience and networks through its Pathways to Progress initiative. Building on our funding journey, this year’s Global Innovation Challenge is focused on youth employability, and we invite proposals from community organizations developing innovative employment solutions for low-income youth primarily between the ages of 15 and 24

These innovative solutions could include, but are not limited to:

• Technical and vocational training programs that upskill or reskill low-income youth and move them into employment, which could include paid internships, apprenticeships or formal employment.
• Entrepreneurship programming that specifically focuses on the incubation or scaling of youth-led enterprises to increase job creation and access to selfgenerated income.
• Efforts to embed financial education programming into workforce development initiatives equipping low-income youth with financial skills and access to safe and affordable financials tools. 

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

Climate change is an omnipresent issue with the hottest recorded year, continuous extreme weather, and long-term impacts that will be determined by near-term choices. While driven by emissions from energy, industry, and agriculture in a concentrated set of economies, climate change disproportionately impacts the up to 3.6 billion people living in contexts that are highly vulnerable to impacts including extreme heat, flooding, and droughts. The climate crisis requires dramatic action, including rapid technology deployment alongside bold policies, financial commitments from governments, private capital, and philanthropy, and global market shifts.

Technology and innovation have an important role to play in contending with the effects of climate change. Technology exists to replace or mitigate all major areas of current emissions but often has minimal adoption due to high costs, a lack of engagement with communities, and the need for design at scale. Innovation can offer new business models, decreased costs, and approaches to scaling impact alongside or in place of new technologies that can help meet mitigation and adaptation goals at the speed of the crisis.

MIT Solve seeks exceptional solutions that leverage technology to address the causes and impacts of the climate crisis. While we are excited to select and support innovators across any climate area, we have a particular interest in solutions that: 

• Adapt cities to more extreme weather, including through climate-smart buildings, incorporating climate risk in infrastructure planning, and restoring regional ecosystems.
• Enable a low-carbon and nutritious global food system, across large and small-scale producers plus supply chains that reduce food loss.
• Strengthen coastal and marine ecosystems and communities through the broader blue economy, including fisheries, clean energy, and monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV).

Special Call: Black & Brown Innovators in the US Program

Black and Latine communities in the US are structurally the most vulnerable to climate-fueled hazards and the least likely to have access to healthy and affordable food. As part of Solve’s ongoing work on US racial equity, we encourage those working to address racial disparities in climate action across US communities to apply for the Challenge and receive additional support through our Black & Brown Innovators in the US Program.

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 2025 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 2025 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 2025 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 2025 Global Learning Challenge, the 2025 Global Climate Challenge, and the 2025 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 2025 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 Crescent Enterprises ‘AI for Social Innovation’ Prize

The Crescent Enterprises ‘AI for Social Innovation’ Prize supports groundbreaking solutions that leverage data science, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to tackle critical global social challenges. Sponsored by Crescent Enterprises - a diversified conglomerate spanning industries such as ports and logistics, power and engineering, food and beverage, life sciences and business aviation - the prize reflects the company’s dedication to innovation, sustainability, and meaningful global impact.

Up to $100,000 will be awarded to as many as four Solver teams addressing the 2025 Global Challenges or selected from Solve’s portfolio of alumni teams. This prize aims to recognise and accelerate the growth of transformative solutions, driving positive change for a better future.

Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Ocean Innovation Prize

The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Ocean Innovation Prize is open to solutions supporting innovation for coasts, oceans, and the broader blue economy. The prize is funded by Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, which is committed to protecting and progressing planetary health. Up to $100,000 will be awarded to one Solver team.

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.

Challenge Overview

Peace and stability are baseline conditions for economic prosperity and a thriving society, and both are at risk with escalating conflicts and economic shocks. Instability and conflict can severely erode economic prospects, reverse years of development gains, and exacerbate vulnerabilities. Poverty and lack of quality jobs contribute to conflict. With 114 million people forcibly displaced due to war, violence, and climate-related disasters, two billion workers worldwide in informal, precarious jobs, and disruptions from AI and other tech, the stakes are high.

Technology and innovation can be powerful tools to promote peace and prosperity. Social media has increased misinformation and polarization, but when well-designed, it also improved cohesion and civic participation and reduced the odds of violent conflict. Similarly, while technology can lead to more precarity, it can also facilitate more inclusive financial systems, new job opportunities, and more resilience. Ethically designing and implementing technology is a key component of building and maintaining more peaceful communities and inclusive economies. 

MIT Solve seeks exceptional solutions leveraging technology to increase peace and prosperity. Our focus centers on solutions that: 

• Promote and sustain peace by increasing community dialogue, civic participation, reconciliation, and justice efforts; strengthening cyber security, and monitoring or preventing violence, misinformation, and polarization.
• Foster financial and digital inclusion by supporting access to credit, digital identity tools, and insurance while securing privacy and personal data.
• Generate new economic opportunities and buffer against economic shocks for workers, including good job creation, workforce development, and inclusive and attainable asset ownership.

Special Call: Black & Brown Innovators in the US Program

Systemic inequities and institutional failures contribute to Black and Brown families in the US owning just 24 cents for every $1 of white family wealth. As part of Solve’s ongoing work on US racial equity, we encourage those from the US working to address these disparities to apply for the Challenge and receive additional support through our Black & Brown Innovators in the US Program.

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 2025 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 2025 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 2025 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 2025 Global Learning Challenge, the 2025 Global Climate Challenge, and the 2025 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 2025 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 Crescent Enterprises ‘AI for Social Innovation’ Prize

The Crescent Enterprises ‘AI for Social Innovation’ Prize supports groundbreaking solutions that leverage data science, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to tackle critical global social challenges. Sponsored by Crescent Enterprises - a diversified conglomerate spanning industries such as ports and logistics, power and engineering, food and beverage, life sciences and business aviation - the prize reflects the company’s dedication to innovation, sustainability, and meaningful global impact.

Up to $100,000 will be awarded to as many as four Solver teams addressing the 2025 Global Challenges or selected from Solve’s portfolio of alumni teams. This prize aims to recognise and accelerate the growth of transformative solutions, driving positive change for a better future.

Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Ocean Innovation Prize

The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Ocean Innovation Prize is open to solutions supporting innovation for coasts, oceans, and the broader blue economy. The prize is funded by Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, which is committed to protecting and progressing planetary health. Up to $100,000 will be awarded to one Solver team.

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.

History

Emma Elizabeth Barnsley was born on December 10, 1926 in Crane County, Texas and grew up in the areas of Crane, Midland, and Odessa, Texas. She moved to New York City as a young woman where she spent most of her adult life. Ms. Barnsley had a deep love for animals of all kinds. It is because of this passion she established the Emma Barnsley Foundation for the purposes of the prevention of cruelty to animals and the study, care, protection, and preservation of animals, both domestic and wild, and their environment. Ms. Barnsley passed away on August 1, 2007 in New York.

Mission

The mission of the Emma Barnsley Foundation is to promote the prevention of cruelty to animals and for the study, care, protection, and preservation of animals, both domestic and wild, and their environment.

Giving

The Emma Barnsley Foundation awards grants exclusively for charitable, scientific, and educational purposes as follows:

• To aid and assist in the prevention of cruelty to animals, both domestic and wild.

• To aid and assist in the care, protection and preservation of animals, both domestic and wild, and the environment in which such wild animals may live.

• To provide scholarships for deserving young men and women to assist them in the study of veterinary medicine at any institution of higher learning in the state of Texas.

• To assist institutions of higher learning in the state of Texas in the operation and maintenance of courses of study in veterinary medicine and in the study of animals and animal life.

• To assist in research projects involving ecological, environmental, and wildlife studies, provided no funds shall be given to any organization utilizing animals for research or experimental purposes if such animals are in any way harmed, mutilated, intentionally inflicted with disease or any substance causing disease, or if such animals are killed in the course of such research.

Culpeper Arts & Culture

Goal: Support a Vibrant and Inclusive Arts Community in New York City

The Charles E. Culpeper Arts & Culture grants honor the legacy of Charles E. Culpeper by supporting the artists and arts and cultural organizations that make New York City one of the world's most dynamic creative capitals. The Fund is inspired by the conviction that arts and culture promote free expression, foster a deeper understanding of human experience and diverse communities, and provide a fresh lens on persistent problems and emerging challenges.

Strategies

• Supporting the role of artists in the creative process and in the presentation of their work, with an emphasis on artists who identify as Black, Indigenous, people of color, LGBTQ+, women, nonbinary, and disabled.
• Providing time, space, and financial resources through residencies in New York City and at the David Rockefeller Creative Arts Center at The Pocantico Center, in partnership with artist-led organizations, artist collectives, and cultural leaders.
• Elevating arts advocacy efforts, field research, cultural-civic movements, and cultural leadership development opportunities to strengthen the arts and culture field and the creative community.

Ira W. DeCamp Foundation Grant

The DeCamp Foundation was established in 1970 by Elizabeth DeCamp McInery in memory of her late husband Ira W. DeCamp. Over the past 20 years, the DeCamp Foundation’s grantmaking has supported a wide array of organizations within three major program areas: health, social services and education. Grants have been concentrated in the New York metropolitan area.

Funding Interests

The foundation’s grantmaking currently focuses on three areas:

Community-Based Health Care

Community Health grants will support community health centers and select primary care providers in the metropolitan area.

Funding will be provided for:

• capacity building (e.g., leadership development, staff training and improving fundraising or other key resources);
• organization improvement activities (e.g., strategic planning; markets, operations and systems analysis; performance measurement and process improvement); and
• capital projects (e.g., renovations, new space acquisition and development, information technology and infrastructure enhancements).

Foster Care

The foundation’s Foster Care Grants Program seeks to support programs in the metropolitan area that address one or more of the following:

• Programs designed to support service linkages and partnerships with different service providers within the child welfare community (e.g., substance abuse, domestic violence, mental health and housing). 
• Training and strategies to recruit and retain qualified caseworkers and front-line staff at foster care agencies.
• Recruitment, training, and support for caregivers, including foster parents and kinship caregivers.
• Services for older and transition age youth, including education, job training, and independent living skills, with a focus on innovative and youth-driven programming.
• Services for special populations such lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth.
• Policy and advocacy efforts around issues such as (but not limited to) housing for youth in foster care, legal support for youth in care, updating the foster care rate-setting methodology and sustaining quality-assurance programs.

Workforce Development

Workforce Development grants will support workforce development organizations (including intermediaries) in the metropolitan area. Funding will be provided for:

• Capacity building (infrastructure investments that enable the organization to expand, sustain and manage its services more effectively).
• Program development (investments in new aspects of the program that will enhance the training and placement experience.
• Research and evaluation (to understand the impact of job training programs and of public policy in this area).

Geographic Focus

• New York City

Type of Support

Capacity-building, project, and capital

Goldman Sachs Community Development Grants Program

At Goldman Sachs, we believe that strong communities are the foundation of a prosperous society. Through our Community Development Grants Program, we provide funding for non-profits that are making a difference in low- and moderate-income (LMI) communities.

Eligible not-for-profit organizations are invited to apply for funding from the Goldman Sachs Bank USA Community Development Grants Program. The grants program seeks to support community development programs that serve low- and moderate- income individuals or communities and address key community needs such as:

• Affordable housing
• Community services such as education, including financial education for youth and consumers
• Small business development
• Neighborhood revitalization

The Equity Builders Initiative will provide organizations with 3-year unrestricted grants. Organizations must focus on affordable housing, small business development, neighborhood revitalization, and/or community services.

In addition to the new Equity Builders Initiative, we are also continuing our practice of offering 1-year program-related grants. This year we are focusing on homeownership for LMI households. Select organizations will receive a one-time grant up to $200,000.

The Equity Builders Initiative

Multi-year Unrestricted Grants

Through more than 50 meetings with nonprofit partners in 2023, we heard an urgent need for trust-based, multi-year, general operating grants.

As a result, we are introducing our new Equity Builders Initiative, which will award more than $1 million in unrestricted funding over three years to each selected organization.

Eligible organizations must serve New York City, Hudson and Essex Counties in New Jersey, or Salt Lake City, UT.

The Change Makers Initiative

LMI Homeownership Focused Grant

In addition to the new Equity Builders Initiative, we are also continuing our practice of offering 1-year program-related grants. This year we are focusing on homeownership for low- and moderate-income (LMI) households.

Select organizations will receive a one-time grant up to $200,000 towards their homeownership initiative.

Eligible organizations must serve New York City, Hudson and Essex Counties in New Jersey, or Salt Lake City, UT.

Mr. Harry Sudakoff was a successful builder and developer from New York City who relocated to Sarasota, Florida in the early 1960’s. His original foundation was formed in New York and was transformed into a Florida foundation in 1993. Mr. Sudakoff had a lifelong spirit of generosity and believed in making an impact with his contributions.

Fields of Interest:

• Arts
• Community
• Education for children and youth
• Environment
• Human Services for families and seniors
• Science

Background

The New York City Good Neighbor Committee seeks to strengthen the Ford Foundation’s ties and support for local organizations working on issues related to the foundation’s mission. It is also an opportunity to provide Ford staff who are not grantmakers to experience the core work of the foundation. As part of this work, we seek to employ the Ford Foundation’s values and approaches to effective grantmaking practices, including by supporting our grantees through flexible support, approaching relationships with transparency and trust, and striving to keep burdens light.

Focus Areas

Every year, the Good Neighbor Committee provides unrestricted funding to a small group of organizations based and working locally in New York City, within three focus areas:

Arts and Culture

• prioritizes funding for organizations devoted to the artistic and cultural life of the city.

Education

• prioritizes funding for organizations and educational initiatives that provide individuals with the access and opportunity to improve their socioeconomic circumstances and reduce barriers of inequality.

Human services

• prioritizes funding for organizations, initiatives or projects that seek to improve the overall quality of life and well-being of marginalized individuals and/or their collective communities.

LISC and Foot Locker, Inc., through the Foot Locker Foundation, are launching a third round of grants for the Foot Locker Foundation Community Empowerment Program, a multi-city initiative to support nonprofit community organizations that empower youth in underserved communities. The program aims to bridge gaps driven by racial inequity and promote youth empowerment and community wellness—all while supporting community-based organizations led by people of color. 

What we’re offering 

The Foot Locker Foundation Community Empowerment Program offers two types of grants: 

• Grants to support current youth programming, create new programming or extend existing programming. These grants will range from $25,000 to $75,000 over one year. 
• Grants to support capital improvement projects that enhance the impact of youth programming. These grants will range from $25,000 to $100,000 over one year. 

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.