Mission

It is our mission to support our customers, colleagues and communities by helping them achieve their aspirations and helping their communities thrive. This shapes our work as a responsible corporate citizen. We deliver high-impact funding and initiatives that support people, businesses and non-profit partners so that together, we can make a meaningful difference in the world.

Eager to Learn Program

The Eager to Learn (ETL) program allows us to partner with organizations that are designing, improving, continuing, or implementing programs geared toward closing the achievement gap. Organizations should be innovative and flexible in shepherding students to understand their options for a bright future. We partner with organizations and individuals seeking to form bonds within the communities they serve to enable the greatest success for their programs.

Our Foundation will support organizations implementing small-group programs so that students can attain optimum outcomes and get the attention and answers they deserve. Programs should consist of small groups of no more than ten at a time but as close to one-on-one as possible. We believe intensive programs are necessary to raise the average college entrance exam test scores for underserved or marginalized youth.

As a Foundation, our goal is to provide the funds necessary to bring the best career readiness counselors and test prep teachers, tutors, materials, and environment to students who would otherwise struggle to navigate and be successful in the college entrance system or their chosen career path. We want to eliminate the affordability factor for underprivileged and at-risk students where costly guidance and test prep are always barriers to achieving their goals. Also, we want to support and encourage the counseling and mentoring process required to navigate college entrance exams and beyond.

Program Goal

Our Eager to Learn program was created to provide college test prep assistance and college career counseling to vulnerable populations. This program will ensure that students from every socioeconomic background have access to the highest quality SAT and ACT prep materials. We want students and young adults to be at the forefront of information available to them from knowledgeable career counselors. We formed the ETL program to partner with organizations poised to provide these services or who are already working to raise ACT and SAT scores or counsel kids on a bright future without the need to attend college. We want to empower students by providing them with a fair and equal opportunity to get into the best colleges and universities and position them to be offered scholarships and tuition packages by raising their scores. If a student’s path does not include college, then we want them to have access to knowledge about trade school careers.

The Solon E. Summerfield Foundation (SESF) does not accept unsolicited grant applications. However, interested parties are invited to review the following description of our current areas of interest. If you believe that your organization and mission matches one or more of our grantmaking priorities, please reach out to us.

Grankmaking

We support programs that incorporate evidence-based and innovative approaches to improve postsecondary education access and completion outcomes for historically underserved students between the ages of 14 and 24.

Focus Areas

We make programmatic and general operating grants to nonprofit partners in New York City that prepare, inspire and support young people through programs focused on:

• College and Career Preparation
• Interest-Based Learning
• College Persistence and Completion

College and Career Preparation

These are high-touch college readiness and college access programs that inspire high school students to explore career and college pathways and support them in developing viable postsecondary education plans. Programs typically offer sustained supports during the complex transition from high school to college and career. Goals of these programs might include:

• College and career awareness and exploration
• Social and emotional capacities linked to college and career success
• “Best match” for college placement
• Financial aid and financial literacy training
• Ensuring college enrollment and matriculation

Interest-Based Learning

These work- and interest-based programs develop a range of hard and soft skills related to career and college readiness. Some build on student interest and talent in science, arts, technology, or other disciplines, while others focus more generally on career and workforce education. Programs typically fall into one of two categories:

Experiential Learning for Students in College or on a College Pathway:

Through hands-on learning opportunities and trainings, these programs help students develop a diverse set of skills and mindsets, some of which are specific to a particular field or interest area, and others that more generally impact success in college and the workplace. Programs typically prepare students for and then attach them to paid internships and networks of professional mentors from the industry sector they are learning about. Opportunities are geared toward college access, enrollment, and persistence.

Alternative Career Pathways:

These programs offer career education, workplace readiness training, and industry-recognized credentials followed by paid and mentored internships or apprenticeships. Sustained, high-touch support helps high school students and recent graduates identify and complete training for labor-facing opportunities that lead to employment after successful completion of the program. These programs are often created in partnership or consultation with trade unions or local corporations to ensure that the students’ acquired skills and credentials align with sector hiring needs.

College Persistence and Completion

These are high-touch support programs that increase student engagement on campus; help students maintain GPA’s that match their scholarship requirements; propel students to better map, achieve, and complete their college and career goals, and address barriers to persistence and degree completion. Programs may be located on college campuses, or they may be community-based programs that recruit students during high school and extend support to and through college.

The John Ben Snow Foundation is a private foundation that focuses funding for tax-exempt organizations primarily serving Central New York defined as Onondaga County and its four surrounding counties of Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, and Oswego. The Board and Program Staff seek to collaboratively create proposals within specific program areas (prioritized below and visually depicted here) while responding to the changing needs of targeted populations. We especially seek to close the opportunity gap for the under-resourced individuals.

Dating back to the inception of the Foundation in 1948, the primary and overarching grant making priority has been and continues to be programs that focus on education.

• Education: Targets funds to organizations that provide educational opportunities or academic assistance to individuals who demonstrate an intellectual aptitude and a financial need. Examples include scholarships, fellowships, academic tutoring or counseling, literacy, and journalism.

Secondarily, the Foundation considers proposals within the areas of Arts and Culture, Community Initiatives, and Youth Programs. The Board’s objective is to extend the primary educational focus by providing funding support within these additional program areas.

• Arts and Culture: Offers grants that promote arts education and appreciation, particularly for young adults, via the development of educational curriculum and professional instruction including visiting artists and performance support for targeted populations.
• Community Initiatives: Provides funding for programs or services that directly improve the quality of life within Central New York. Examples include support for libraries, food pantries and shelters, and neighborhood revitalization. Generally, the Foundation does not seek proposals for health care initiatives or animal welfare programs.
• Youth Programs: Offers grants that provide character education or enrichment opportunities via mentoring or after-school programming. Generally, the Foundation does not solicit proposals for short-term summer camps.

As a third priority, the Foundation does consider proposals in the areas of Disabilities and Universal Access, Environmental, and Historic Preservation. As these are not core focus areas, funding is often limited. Priority will be given to proposals with an educational focus.

• Disabilities and Universal Access: Offers grants to organizations in complying with ADA requirements within their facilities (e.g. elevator, handrails, automatic doors, and ramps) or offering services targeted for individuals with physical, mental, or emotional disabilities.
• Environmental: Provides funds for programs that educate the general public on key environmental issues such as conservation, water management, and climate change as well as organizations that strive to protect strategic parcels of land and bodies of water.
• Historic Preservation: Provides funding for organizations that preserve historical artifacts (e.g. sites, structures, objects) and accounts (e.g. events), and educate the greater community on their significance. Examples include museums, historical societies and educational programming.

There are no minimums or maximum grant amounts; however, most grants range from $5,000 to $10,000.

NOTE: A Letter of Inquiry must first be submitted via the Online Grant Application System between November 1st and February 1st of the year in which a grant is requested. If the proposal meets the stated guidelines and priorities of the Foundation & Memorial Trust, Grant Application instructions will be sent to the applicant.

About The Memorial Trust

In 1975, two years after his death, The John Ben Snow Memorial Trust was established in New York. The four original trustees were a member of the Snow family, a lawyer, a publishing associate and a corporate trustee, the Irving Trust Company, now BNY Mellow N.A.. The current Trustees continue this legacy being well aware of the donor and his beliefs, values and ideals. The John Ben Snow Memorial Trust strategically focuses funding within specific geographic regions of the United States across a range of program areas. They meet once a year, usually in June.

The John Ben Snow Memorial Trust

The Memorial Trust strategically focuses funding within specific geographic regions of the United States across a range of program areas (prioritized below and visually depicted here) while responding to the ever-changing needs of various segments of the population, especially to the needs of youth and people who are disadvantaged economically, emotionally, or physically.

Dating back to the inception of the Trust in 1973, the primary and overarching grant making priority has been and continues to be programs that focus on education.

• Education: This program area targets funds to organizations that provide educational opportunities or academic assistance to individuals who demonstrate an intellectual aptitude and a financial need. Examples include scholarships, fellowships, academic tutoring or counseling, literacy, and journalism.

Secondarily, the Trust considers proposals within the areas of Arts and Culture, Community Initiatives, and Youth Programs. The Trustee’s objective is to extend the primary educational focus by providing funding support within these additional program areas.

• Arts and Culture: This program offers grants that promote arts education and appreciation, particularly for young adults, via the development of educational curriculum and professional instruction including visiting artists and performance support for targeted populations.
• Community Initiatives: This program provides funding for programs or services that directly improve the quality of life within the geographic focus areas that we serve. Examples include support for libraries, food pantries and shelters, and neighborhood revitalization. Generally, the Trust does not seek proposals for health care initiatives or animal welfare programs.
• Youth Programs: This program area offers grants that provide character education or enrichment opportunities via mentoring or after-school programming. 

As a third priority, the Trust does consider proposals in the areas of Disabilities and Universal Access, Environmental, and Historic Preservation. As these are not core focus areas, funding is often limited. Priority will be given to proposals with an educational focus.

• Disabilities and Universal Access: This program offers grants to organizations in complying with ADA requirements within their facilities (e.g. elevator, handrails, automatic doors, and ramps) or offering services targeted for individuals with physical, mental, or emotional disabilities.
• Environmental: This program provides funds for organizations that strive to protect strategic parcels of land and bodies of water as well as programs that educate the general public on key environmental issues such as conservation and water management.
• Historic Preservation: This program provides funding for organizations that preserve historical artifacts (e.g. sites, structures, objects) and accounts (e.g. events), and educate the greater community on their significance. Examples include museums, historical societies and educational programming.

Overview

The Long Island Sound Stewardship Fund (LISSF) is a competitive grant program seeking proposals to restore and protect the health and living resources of Long Island Sound. Up to $400,000 is expected to be available for grants in 2019. The availability of funds is contingent upon the quality of proposals received and their alignment with the priorities in this RFP. The LISSF aims to:

• Support nongovernmental organizations working on issues and projects related to the Long Island Sound Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan 2015 (CCMP 2015);
• Help build stronger nongovernmental organizations working in this region;
• Foster collaboration and innovation around conservation and environmental quality work;
• Accelerate the “next best step” for proven strategies.

The Long Island Sound Funders Collaborative

The Long Island Sound Funders Collaborative is a group of funders with missions that include the protection and restoration Long Island Sound. As no funder is solely focused on this goal, we aim to build our effectiveness through collaboration. Since its inception, the Collaborative has worked together to educate ourselves about the myriad issues facing the Sound and about possible solutions. We have been engaged in aligned funding for almost eight years. The LISSF is an inaugural effort to pool our investments and expand our grantmaking. We will support projects that address pressing challenges and provide for a healthy, productive, and resilient Sound now and into the future. The LISSF is administered by the Long Island Community Foundation (LICF). Foundations providing support for grants under this RFP are: Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut, Fairfield County’s Community Foundation, Jeniam Foundation, Long Island Community Foundation, McCance Foundation, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, New York Community Trust, Pamela and Richard Rubinstein Foundation, Rauch Foundation, and Westchester Community Foundation.

Program Priorities

Capacity Building to increase the effectiveness of organizations that focus on restoration and protection of the health and living resources of Long Island Sound. Capacity-building can occur in every part of an organization, including programs, management, operations, technology, governance, fundraising and communications. Some examples of capacity-building strategies and tools for which funds may be requested are:

• Projects that enhance local capacity or staff capacity through training, assessment, planning, design, and other technical assistance-oriented activities.
• Strategic plan development
• Organization, program and service assessments or evaluation
• Fundraising plan development or developing diverse revenue sources
• Board and leadership development
• Technology improvements
• Accounting and budgeting improvements
• Marketing and communications planning
• Financial management or donor management, volunteer or administrative software
• Website design, brochure materials, printing and postage, presentation materials
• External forms of assistance such as peer mentoring or peer exchange elements, consultant services, coaching, or other third party methods for addressing organizational challenges.

Network Building to expand the diversity of organizations working together to improve the health and living resources of Long Island Sound. Network-building is defined as a group of partner organizations in a local area, watershed or region working towards the same goals and focused on specific outcomes. In all cases, these networks should be focused on unified action to help protect and restore Long Island Sound. Some examples of networking tools and strategies for which funds may be requested are:

• Regional forums, meetings or events that focus on current issues, provide a space for networking, and offer a place where information can be shared;
• Investigating and evaluating potential collaborations with the goal of developing sustainable partnerships or integrating and/or merging existing organizations;
• Establishing new collaborative activities among organizations. This may include increased coordination through the addition of new partners, new agreements for decision-making and sharing of resources, or new initiatives for established coalitions or collaborations;
• Shared visualization and data analysis tools, services, and/or strategies to map, manage, and communicate about local or regional environmental monitoring results;
• Project management, design, tools, support and/or services that bridge gaps in technical capacity of partner organizations;
• Technical assistance, training, resources, and/or leadership to facilitate action among organizations.

Piloting Tools & Strategies to add more value in terms of environmental and natural resource impact, and to foster the “next best step” for applicability or scalability across Long Island Sound. Activities may include scoping and design to set the stage for large, multi-year projects. Some examples of types of strategies and tools for which funds may be requested are:

• Advancing tools and strategies to address nutrient loading, Combined Sewer Overflows, storm water runoff, and nonpoint source loading e.g., new decentralized on-site wastewater treatment technologies, alternatives to chemical and nitrogen-intensive residential and commercial turf and landscaping, strategies to increase the rate of Green Infrastructure implementation, and the advancement of bio extraction;
• Advancing tools and strategies to restore coastal habitats and improve coastal resiliency e.g., living shorelines, addressing marsh subsidence, natural, nature-based, and green-gray (hybrid) infrastructure;
• Advancing tools and strategies to increase the knowledge and engagement of the targeted constituencies or the public in the protection and restoration of Long Island Sound e.g., social marketing, User-friendly technology (digital services/tools kits) to foster communication, public campaigns around pressing environmental problems;
• In-field application of new technologies and management approaches.

Small Projects with Big Impacts to clean waters, restore habitat, sustain wildlife, and engage the public in restoration and protection of the health and living resources of Long Island Sound. By big impact we mean activities with the promise to accelerate local water quality improvements, natural resource restoration, and community outreach and engagement. Some examples of types of projects or activities for which funds may be requested follow and may also be found under “Implementation Actions” in the CCMP 2015:

• Water quality and habitat restoration to support on-the-ground projects that reduce or prevent water pollution, restore habitat or sustain fish and wildlife;
• Design/planning to support activities that set the stage for on-the-ground implementation of water quality or habitat restoration;
• Education and public community/engagement to support hands-on, visible public participation and education.

Size of Grant Awards

The LISS Fund has two categories of grants:

Capacity Building, Network Building, and Piloting Tools & Strategies: Generally, will range in value from $15,000 to $100,000. Proposed projects or programs may include scoping and design to set the stage for large, multi-year projects. Please note there will be fewer grants at the higher end of the grant range. Proposals requesting larger amounts of funding e.g., $50,000> must demonstrate regional value and scope, partnerships, and higher impact of the project or program to the Long Island Sound and communities and constituencies served.

Small Projects with Big Impacts: Generally, will range in value from $3,000 to $10,000.

Overview

The New York Community Trust’s Edward and Sally Van Lier Fellowship Program provides support for talented young professionals (aged 18 to 30) from historically underrepresented populations who are dedicated to a career in the arts. Grants will help arts groups provide young professional artists living and working in New York City with paid opportunities to create and present new work, as well as training, mentorship, and other support. Fellowships are intended to help young working artists achieve a significant professional credit that can lead to future opportunities and advance their careers.

We expect to award two- or three-year grants to a small number of arts groups to sponsor two or more artist fellowships. Requests should not exceed $150,000 over two or three years.

Background

Two goals of The Trust’s arts program are to: 1) promote diversity and equity in the arts and 2) develop talented young artists from historically underrepresented populations. The Edward and Sally Van Lier Fund, created by the will of Sally Van Lier, allowed The Trust to establish a fellowship program for young artists to further these goals. Sally Van Lier was a theatrical performer in 1920s New York and appeared in the original production of Showboat. Throughout their lives, she and her husband were avid visitors to the City’s museums, concerts, and plays, and introduced many young people to the arts.

Young Professional

The period when artists between 18 and 30 years-old seek to establish a professional career. This year, the RFP will only consider proposals for efforts to serve young professional artists.

Award Terms

The purpose of the award is to provide support to young working artists from historically underrepresented populations within arts disciplines (e.g., filmmaking, theater, dance, music, visual arts, literary arts). Funds may be used to support or expand an existing program or begin a new one. Grants are intended to cover fellowship costs; however, a reasonable amount of administrative costs attributable to the program may be requested. (The grant should primarily benefit fellows rather than the sponsoring organization.) 

Groups may choose to support either the same artists over the term of the grant, or different artists for shorter periods. The size and duration of each fellowship should be based on the activities involved, and the resources and time needed for the artists to achieve a significant professional credit that will advance their careers. Organizations should do their best to ensure selected artists are first-time Van Lier fellows. 

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. 

NOTE: All applicants will be contacted after they submit their application to schedule a 20-minute zoom interview. Calls will be scheduled on a rolling basis as applications are received. All calls must be completed by August 5th.

Background

The Tower Foundation is a family foundation that helps children, adolescents, and young people affected by intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, mental health issues, and/or substance use disorders. Our goal is to improve the lives of young people in our geographic footprint of Erie and Niagara Counties in Western New York, and Barnstable, Dukes, Essex, and Nantucket Counties in Eastern Massachusetts.

Community Experts Fund

This grant initiative has been developed by the Tower Foundation’s Advisory Team, an eleven-member group of young adults with lived expertise relating to the Foundation’s funding areas. The Advisory Team will direct its funding toward programs (new or existing) that deliver mentoring and coaching in support of self-advocacy, or counseling in support of mental health. Advisory Team members will take the lead in both the review of applications and the approval of grant awards for this initiative.

The design and administration of this grant opportunity is spearheaded by young adults with ties to the communities where services will be delivered. Their engagement in the grantmaking process both amplifies community voice and informs grantmaking with the concerns, insights, and priorities of the young people that are the focus of the work. This fund is focused on supporting costs and activities that make services for youth more accessible, more engaging, and more sustainable for your organization.

Applicants may apply for any amount up to $20,000. The Advisory Team has a total of $100,000 available to award. Your request may include 20% overhead.