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 Education), 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.

Our Work

A public charity, The Trust is a grantmaking foundation dedicated to improving the lives of residents of New York City and its suburbs. We bring together individuals, families, foundations, and businesses to build a better community and support nonprofits that make a difference. We apply knowledge, creativity, and resources to the most challenging issues in an effort to ensure meaningful opportunities and a better quality of life for all New Yorkers, today and tomorrow.

What the Trust Funds

We are metropolitan New York’s community foundation, serving New York City and Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester counties. Our competitive grants are made possible primarily by funds set up by donor bequests and wills, supporting projects to improve the lives of New Yorkers.

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: older adults, the blind or visually impaired, children and youth with disabilities, and people with developmental disabilities. We also support biomedical research and projects promoting animal welfare.

Animal Welfare

Program goal: for the humane treatment and medical care of animals.

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. 

Funding Areas

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.

People With Special Needs

The Trust has a coordinated approach that reflects the common challenges and opportunities for four groups of people with special needs: the elderly, 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.

People’s United Community Foundation and People’s United Community Foundation of Eastern Massachusetts support the communities where People’s United Bank branches are located. Through grants for nonprofit programs and services, their overall mission is to:

• Enhance the quality of life for residents
• Promote the economic development and well-being of neighborhoods
• Support the educational and developmental needs of children and youth.

Focus areas

People’s United Community Foundation awards grants to nonprofit organizations that align with our primary areas of focus and giving priorities of economic stability, employment, education, and housing:

Affordable Housing Development

People’s United Community Foundation supports programs that create affordable housing opportunities and the development and sustaining of safe, clean and desirable neighborhoods:

• Nonprofit organizations that directly develop affordable housing or assist developers which create affordable housing, through rehabilitation, new construction and/or neighborhood revitalization efforts.
• Community loan funds
• State and national programs, operating within our footprint, that serve as developers of affordable housing
• Supportive and transitional housing for homeless, low-income and those with disabilities or special needs
• Closing costs and down-payment assistance programs
• First-time homebuyer education
• Homeownership counseling and foreclosure prevention programs

Community Development

People's United Community Foundation supports programs and services that address basic needs and encourage financial independence and self-sufficiency for low- to moderate-income residents; as well as activities which promote economic development in low-income neighborhoods. Funding priorities include:

• Basic needs services
• Initiatives that transition people from assistance to independence
• Financial literacy Programs
• Education, including ESL, certification and degree programs
• Programs that promote economic stability and self-sufficiency
• Small business development and entrepreneurial programs
• Workforce development, job skills training and job placement programs

Youth Development

People’s United Community Foundation supports programs and services that address the need for educational improvement and academic advancement of children and youth, especially within low- to moderate- income communities and school districts.Funding priorities include:

• Academic improvement and advancement programs
• Accredited early childhood development, school readiness, and Headstart programs
• College and SAT preparation programs
• Career exploration and internship programs
• ESL and literacy programs
• Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) programs

People’s United Community Foundation distributes grants in the communities where People’s United Bank branches are located, including cities and towns throughout Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts*, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

*If your organization is located and/or operating programs and services within Massachusetts, first check the cities and towns listed for People’s United Community Foundation of Eastern Massachusetts.

Building Together - Supporting strong, vibrant communities

TF Cornerstone’s commitment to the neighborhoods we call home extends beyond our buildings. Building Together, our community engagement platform, was established to collaborate with, provide assistance to, and help fund the organizations that serve the communities we are fortunate to work in.

Impact Areas

Building Together currently focuses our engagement and philanthropy on the following impact areas, which we believe are fundamental to a thriving urban neighborhood.

Expanding access to education and civic engagement

From building schools to working with youth-based organizations, we are committed to supporting the well-being of future generations through education, career exposure, and community initiatives aimed at helping youth realize their full potential. We also recognize that great, cohesive, neighborhoods are powered by people with strong linkages to each other and their communities. Through TFC’s volunteer and resident engagement initiatives, we seek to foster greater connections between residents and their neighborhood.

Enhancing the urban environment and public realm

We specialize in development projects that permanently enhance the urban fabric of New York City through the creation of beautiful public spaces and dramatically improved streetscapes. We collaborate with and support organizations that are similarly committed to the continuous betterment of urban life through resiliency, sustainability, parks and waterfront development, and innovative urban planning.

Supporting non-profits that strengthen our communities

The neighborhoods that we call home are bolstered by a robust ecosystem of non-profit organizations. TF Cornerstone is proud to support local organizations’ efforts to perform needs-based work through partnerships, sponsorships, and volunteerism.

How we give

The Weinberg Foundation fulfills its mission to help those in greatest need by providing grants within five focus areas. These focus areas serve different populations, as well as different geographic areas. However, the Community Services focus area is intended for large community organizations operating multiple programs that meet a range of needs. Most nonprofit grant requests should align with one of the four core focus areas: Housing, Health, Jobs, or Education.

The Small Grants Program (SGP)

The Weinberg Foundation recognizes that small, community-based organizations provide critical services to vulnerable individuals and families. Through the Small Grants Program (SGP), the Foundation supports smaller nonprofits with a streamlined grant application and review process. Grants awarded under the SGP must still align with the Foundation’s strategic priorities in the areas of Housing, Health, Jobs, and Education.

Funding requests through the Small Grants Program can be for operating, program, or capital grants. The maximum Small Grant amount is $50,000 per year over two years, or $100,000 total. Organizations are eligible to apply if they meet the Foundation’s eligibility criteria and maintain an annual organizational budget of $3 million or less.

Housing

Stable housing provides a foundation for individuals, children, and families to lead healthy and productive lives.

Without housing, people are unable to focus on education, employment, health care, and meeting other basic needs. The Foundation is dedicated to supporting organizations that provide safe and affordable housing.

The Foundation supports the creation of new housing units, as well as the renovation of existing housing, to provide and maintain affordable, quality, and supportive housing options. Projects should be integrated into the broader community and must incorporate supportive services. Priority is given to projects that add new units of housing into a community.

Affordable Housing Development and Renovation

Here are a few examples of appropriate projects:

• Affordable housing for older adults, including services that allow residents to age independently, within their communities, and with maximum quality of life.
• Permanent supportive housing serving people exiting homelessness. Project details must include the types of services offered, as well as a focus on financial management and job training and career development.
• Affordable housing that meets the needs of veterans, young adults with developmental disabilities, those escaping domestic violence, and other vulnerable populations.

Maintaining Stable Housing

The Foundation supports programs that allow people to remain housed within their communities by providing comprehensive services that meet a range of social, economic, and health needs.

Here are a few examples of appropriate projects:

• Aging in community programs that allow older adults to age independently and with maximum quality of life. Specifically, programs may include home modification and repair, which can also be used as a platform for delivery of a variety of services.
• Rapid Re-Housing programs for families, youth, veterans and others who have experienced homelessness. These programs include case management, limited financial assistance, and job services and career development.
• Independent living, including supportive services that allow young adults with disabilities to live in the least restrictive environment possible, within their community.

Health

Good health is a prerequisite for any other life pursuit.

Poor physical or mental health can prevent people from seeking education, employment, and other opportunities that would allow for economic mobility. The Foundation is dedicated to supporting organizations that help children, adults, and families lead healthy lives.

Health Care Access

The Foundation supports organizations that provide access to health care, as well as those that work to improve the health status of vulnerable patients.

Here are a few examples of appropriate projects:

• Capital projects that expand access to primary care. Grantees are typically Federally Qualified Health Centers, and other community health centers, that provide a single-access point for a range of services. Please note that the Foundation does not fund hospitals or free clinics.
• Oral and behavioral health programs that increase access to care through the construction of new facilities as well as operating support that leverages billing revenue.
• Health care transition programs that ensure young adults with developmental disabilities have access to qualified primary care providers as they move into adulthood.

Aging in Community

The Foundation supports projects that enable older adults to remain independent. Projects must incorporate a model that connects older adults and/or caregivers with a range of services that help them age independently, within their communities, and with maximum quality of life.

Here are a few examples of appropriate projects:

• PACE (Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) Centers or other capital projects that provide nursing home-eligible older adults with a single-access point for a range of services.
• Prevention models that address older adults’ social determinants of health, with the goal of preventing hospitalization, readmission, and institutionalization.
• Caregiver support programs that help with older adults’ daily personal care (bathing, dressing, walking, eating, etc.).

Veteran Mental Wellness

The Foundation supports programs that enhance the mental wellness of veterans who are reintegrating into civilian life.

Here are a few examples of appropriate projects:

• Retreat programs, including an intensive on-site experience with a minimum of one year of follow-up. Programs must use a proven curriculum.
• Post-traumatic mental health therapy that is evidence-based and proven to reduce symptoms.
• Coordinated resource networks that facilitate access to a range of supportive services. These networks have a single-access point that evaluates veterans and connects them with the most appropriate service providers.

Nutrition and Food Access

The Foundation supports organizations and programs that increase access to sufficient and nutritious food.

Here are a few examples of appropriate projects:

• Meal service programs that ensure homebound people living with severe, chronic illnesses have access to nutritious food.
• Food delivery models, including nonprofit grocery stores, which increase access to healthy foods in food deserts.
• Food bank expansions and other capital projects that increase warehouse space, add cold storage and handling, and make other modifications necessary to serve more people. Please note that the Foundation focuses on regional food banks and not on food pantries or feeding programs.

Trauma, Abuse, and Safety

The Foundation supports programs that promote child and family safety and that reduce the long-term traumatic effects of child abuse and neglect, sexual assault, intimate partner or family violence, elder abuse, and exposure to community violence.

Here are a few examples of appropriate projects:

• Domestic violence programs that provide safe shelter, counseling, legal assistance, and other support services.
• Shelters and multidisciplinary team projects, including comprehensive services, for older adults fleeing physical, mental, economic, and sexual abuse.
• Prevention and treatment programs that strive to reduce, and alleviate the effects of, child sexual and physical abuse, child trafficking, and child neglect.

Jobs

Employment provides the best opportunity for personal success and financial security.

Quality training programs that lead to employment enable individuals and families to achieve economic stability. The Foundation is dedicated to supporting organizations that help people secure and keep quality jobs with opportunities for advancement.

Job Training

The Foundation supports job-training programs that result in industry-recognized credentials, as well as job-placement and retention services. Employers must engage with the training organizations to verify program content and support placement and retention services. Organizations should track job retention and wages for at least two years.

Here are a few examples of appropriate projects:

• Sector-based training programs in the health care, manufacturing, construction, food service, information technology, biotechnology, manufacturing industries, and more.
• Life-skills and job-readiness training, including case management and referrals to technical-training programs or direct job placement.
• Capital costs for job-training centers, including construction or renovation projects or large equipment purchases, that result in an increased number of individuals served in a sector-based training program.
• Veterans programs that provide job-placement services for military members and their spouses.

Financial Literacy and Economic Stability

The Foundation supports programs that provide people with the financial tools necessary to achieve economic stability.

Here are a few examples of appropriate projects:

• Financial coaching programs to help participants decrease debt, increase savings, and set long-term financial goals.
• Free tax preparation for low-wage workers provided by IRS-trained and certified volunteers.

Youth Employment and Career Support

The Foundation supports programs that provide career exploration and work-based learning opportunities for youth.

Here are a few examples of appropriate projects:

• Hard and soft-skills training to help disconnected youth (neither in school nor working) reconnect with career-pathway opportunities.
• Paid internships that expose youth to a direct work experience.
• Summer jobs programs for youth citywide.
• Customized, community-based employment opportunities for young adults with disabilities who are transitioning from a school environment into the workplace.

Education

Education can help break the cycle of poverty.

Providing at-risk children and youth with academic opportunities helps prepare them for a stable and productive future. The Foundation is dedicated to supporting organizations that provide or supplement a high-quality education from kindergarten through high school.

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math)

The Foundation supports in-school and out-of-school STEM programs, professional development to strengthen STEM instruction, and programs proven to improve math proficiency, in order to prepare youth for evolving workforce needs that require STEM literacy.

Here are a few examples of appropriate projects:

• STEM programs, either in or out-of-school, that engage students in project-based learning. Programs should be able to demonstrate the academic impact of this work.
• Intensive, evidence-based math interventions proven to increase students’ math scores. Please note that the Foundation will not fund curriculum only.
• Programs that teach educators how to use and incorporate project-based STEM learning into their classrooms.
• Construction of STEM spaces, including labs, makerspaces, and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) centers.

Out-of-School Time

The Foundation supports after-school, weekend, and summer programs for students, kindergarten through grade 12. Funded programs must have an academic component with demonstrated academic outcomes.

Here are a few examples of appropriate projects:

• After-school, weekend, or summer programs that work with students for a minimum of six weeks over the summer and one year during the school year and blend academic learning with enriching activities to increase academic achievement, school attendance, and positive social behavior.
• Summer programs that blend academic learning with enriching activities and provide nutritious meals, as well as opportunities for physical activity. See Summer Funding Collaborative for more information.
• Job opportunities that introduce teens to the workforce and teach soft skills necessary for work and life. Ideally these programs will have opportunities for advancement, continued involvement, or handoff to another employer.

College and Career Preparedness

The Foundation supports programs that assist students in developing a post-secondary plan and position them for success after graduation from high school.

Here are a few examples of appropriate projects:

• College access programs that help students and families navigate the college application and admissions processes, including SAT/ACT testing, financial aid, and scholarship access. Priority will be shown to programs that also help students persist through college to obtain a degree.
• Career technology education (CTE) programs that help students achieve an industry-recognized certification that will allow them to graduate from high school in a position to enter the workforce and eventually earn a family-sustaining wage.

The B’nai B’rith Gideon Foundation was established to support rental housing and/or related social and recreational facilities for low-income elderly individuals, persons with disabilities and families of low-income residents living in New York State’s Capital Region.

Funding

Organizations may apply for up to $25,000 in funding.

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.

Funding Priorities

The Foundation manages several funds that allow discretion to make grants that fund innovative, creative projects and programs that are responsive to changing community needs. These funds, our “Community Impact Funds,” are either Discretionary Funds, which allow the Foundation the flexibility to use its extensive knowledge of community issues and organizations to make grants that address emerging issues; or Field of Interest Funds, which give the Foundation grantmaking discretion within given areas of interest. With these Community Impact Funds, the Foundation utilizes the expertise of its staff and Board of Directors to identify opportunities to make grants that will have the most impact in the community.

Due to restrictions placed on some of our funds by our donors, preference may be given to organizations and/or programs that address the following issues:

• Homelessness: Organizations/programs that serve the needs of a homeless population;
• Disabilities: Organizations/programs that serve the needs of the intellectually and/or physically disabled, including the hearing and sight impaired;
• Land Conservation and Preservation: Organizations/programs that focus on the preservation/conservation of land for the protection of wildlife;
• Programs that benefit the residents of Amsterdam, NY: Organizations/programs that focus on the provision of services to the residents of Amsterdam, NY.

Funding Amount

Community Foundation Impact Grants usually range from $1,000 to $15,000. Grant period will not exceed one year.