Search Through Recreation Grants for Nonprofits in 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.

For 114 years, The Children’s Guild Foundation has had a single Purpose and Passion — supporting children with special needs. Working as a foundation that awards critical funds to non-profit organizations, we continue to serve the special group of children whose health and happiness have always been our focus. And now we’re doing more, and reaching more, than ever before. While the times change, the needs do not diminish and neither do the opportunities before us.

Our Mission, Vision & Values

The Children's Guild Foundation’s mission is to make financial grants and to serve as advocates to 501(c) (3) non-profit organizations serving children with special needs throughout the eight counties of Western New York. To accomplish this mission, it strives to form working partnerships with healthcare professionals, medical researchers, educators and therapeutic recreational experts who are dedicated to meeting the ongoing challenges that affect children with special needs and their families.

With purpose and passion, The Children's Guild Foundation seeks to be a catalyst for impactful and effective change by funding opportunities that will allow children with developmental, medical, intellectual, learning, behavioral and mental health issues achieve their highest potential.

The Foundation seeks from its grantees actions that will attain opportunities and possibilities. It values interdependency, communication and learning, innovation, collaboration to leverage greater impact, informed leadership, and inclusiveness and respect for others.

The Foundation ensures that its grant making and advocacy efforts are not only relevant, effective and efficient, but also mindful of the opportunity gap between children and young adults with special needs and their peers.

We Combine Grantmaking With Advocacy

The work of The Children’s Guild Foundation is about more than grant making. As community leaders, we see our grant making and advocacy blending together to ensure our vision is not just an aspiration, but something that can really be done--- something that is within reach.

We respond to the needs around our region by funding research and data, supporting communications and training for nonprofits, spotlighting innovative policy solutions and reform efforts, and even convening bipartisan task forces. When combined with our grant making, we find advocacy to be a powerful tool to advance system change, strengthen relationships with our grantee partners, and enhance learning and understanding around the issues and initiatives that will create better opportunity for differently able children and their families We are proud to shift the conversation toward what we can do.

Our Focus areas

• Developmental disabilities: Defined as a diverse group of severe, chronic conditions due to mental and/or physical impairments, such as Down syndrome or intellectual impairments, these disabilities are detected early on and persist throughout an individual's lifespan. They may cause difficulties in areas such as mobility, communication, learning, self-help and independent living. They can be devastating for families to deal with, changing visions of the future and bringing about immediate challenges in caring for and educating a child.

• Medical issues: These issues include serious conditions such as birth defects, physical disabilities, heart defects, muscular dystrophy and cystic fibrosis; chronic conditions such as asthma and diabetes; and congenital conditions such as cerebral palsy and dwarfism. Children with medical issues may require numerous tests, long hospital stays, expensive equipment and accommodations for disabilities.

• Behavioral issues: In children, these issues include diagnoses like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, dysfunction of sensory integration and Tourette syndrome. These conditions require specialized strategies that are tailored to children’s specific abilities and disabilities to limit the stress on families and lower children’s risk for school problems and diminished career possibilities.

• Intellectual disabilities: These disabilities are often characterized by significant limitations both in intellectual functioning, such as learning, reasoning, and problem-solving, and in adaptive behavior, which affects many everyday social and practical skills, such as interacting with others, following rules and routines, managing money and time, and avoiding victimization.

• Learning disabilities: These are neurological disorders that impact the ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or do mathematical calculations. These disorders do not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing or motor disabilities, intellectual disabilities, emotional disturbance, traumatic brain injury, or environmental, cultural or economic disadvantage.

• Mental illnesses: These are medical conditions that often result in a diminished capacity for coping with the ordinary demands of life. They disrupt children’s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others and daily functioning. Serious mental illnesses include major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and borderline personality disorder.

Children's Guild Foundation Grant

The Children's Guild Foundation offers grants to non-profit organizations serving the eight counties of Western New York. The programs, services and projects that the Foundation is seeking to fund should:

• Have a significant and continuing impact. The Foundation is interested in strategies that effect change.
• Intervene at the appropriate level. It seeks to address the causes of problems effecting children with special needs rather than to simply ameliorate their symptoms.
• Offer opportunities for leverage. The Foundation looks to amplify its resources by forming partnerships with organizations, other funders, public funding sources and the private sector.
• Be grounded in the Western New York community. An important aspect of the mission is to develop models with potential application elsewhere for these children and young adults while keeping the geographic focus of the grant awards within this region.
• Be appropriate in relation to the work of other funders. The Foundation seeks to support work that complements rather than duplicates the efforts of other foundations.
• Provide respite and enjoyment for both the child and family from the rigors of their everyday life.

From operational funding to capital projects to capacity building support, The Children's Guild Foundation seeks to make transformational change in every grant it awards. The Foundation serves in the role of partner alongside nonprofit professionals always striving to make positive impact in the lives of children with special needs.

Types of funding considered:

• Existing programs and services, including staffing and equipment
• Creation and implementation of new, innovative approaches to issues related to the Foundation’s interests
• Research projects related to the Foundation’s focus areas
• Capital expenditures and/or improvements related directly to an organization’s mission and programs
• Capacity building

Within our funding focus areas, we provide support for virtually any area of an organization’s programs, services, or operations. But please note that any proposal must have specific objectives and estimated timelines. Grants may be one-year or multi-year (usually no more than three years in length).

Mission

The DanPaul Foundation will use its resources to help train teachers and parents in early childhood development, protect children from abuse and neglect, stimulate children's personal social responsibilities, and offer them opportunities for enrichment and growth.

The Foundation will also encourage children to be concerned and informed about the environment and the underprivileged, particularly with regard to clean air and water, and adequate housing and nutrition for all.

Beliefs

The DanPaul Foundation believes that children should have ample opportunities for enrichment in their lives, and thus strives to provide many different ways to enrich and expand children's minds through direct programs and monetary support to organizations doing similar work.

We have provided or currently provide grants related to the following program areas:

• Workshops, Conferences, + Seminars: We strive to offer educational workshops, conferences, and seminars for parents and teachers on topics related to early childhood development.
• Student Scholarships: We aim to help students attending post-secondary education institutions by providing need-based and academic scholarships.
• Scientific Endeavors: We desire to advance scientific endeavors which seek to improve the quality of life for everyone in the world.
• Clean Air + Water: We hope to pass on knowledge and practical life skills to youth regarding their personal responsibility to the environment, teaching them about issues surrounding clean air and water.
• Child Advocacy: We believe in protecting children from abuse and neglect and particularly love to support programs that provide education and assistance to children as well as organizations advocating or caring for vulnerable children.
• Homelessness: We want to encourage young people to take a personal interest in seeing that adequate housing and proper nutrition, especially for the underprivileged and homeless, are available.
• Poverty + Neglect: We seek to help those in poverty as well as educate youth about their responsibility to consider the underprivileged and take care of those most in need of life's basic essentials like adequate housing and proper nutrition.
• Refugee Enrichment: We wish to help refugee youth by supporting programs that provide them enrichment and help them transition to life in a new country.

The DanPaul Foundation provides grants to 501(c)3 tax-exempt non-profit organizations as defined by the IRS. The Foundation is interested in providing funding to programs that directly serve the health, education, development, and welfare of the world's youth.

Grants range from a few hundred dollars up to $15,000 per calendar year.

Community Grants

State Farm is committed to helping build safer, stronger and better-educated communities.

• ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​We are committed to auto and home safety programs and activities that help people manage the risks of everyday life.
• We invest in education, economic empowerment and community development projects, programs and services that help people realize their dreams.
• We help maintain the vibrancy of our communities by assisting nonprofits that support community revitalization.

Good Neighbor Citizenship company grants focus on safety, community development and education.

Focus Areas

Safety Grants

We strive to keep our customers and communities safe. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Auto safety — improving driver, passenger, vehicle or roadway safety
• Home safety — shielding homes from fires, crime or natural disasters
• Disaster preparedness and mitigation
• Disaster recovery

Community Development

We support nonprofits that invest and develop stronger neighborhoods. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Affordable housing — home construction and repair
• Commercial/small business development
• Job training
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Financial literacy
• Sustainable housing and transportation
• Food insecurity

Education

Our education funding is directed toward initiatives that support the following programs:

• Higher education
• K-12 academic performance
• K-12 STEM
• Pathways for college and career success

Mission

The mission of the Hearst Foundations is to identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States can build healthy, productive and satisfying lives. Through its grantmaking, the Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that address significant issues within their major areas of focus—culture, education, health and social service—and that primarily serve large demographic and/or geographic constituencies. In each area of funding, the Foundations seek to identify those organizations achieving truly differentiated results relative to other organizations making similar efforts for similar populations. The Foundations also look for evidence of sustainability beyond their support.

Whether providing a scholarship to a deserving student, supporting a rural health clinic or bringing artists into schools so children can see firsthand the beauty of the arts, the Foundations’ focus is consistent: to help those in need, those underserved and those underrepresented in society. Since the Foundations were formed in the 1940s, the scale and capabilities of the grant making have changed, but the mission has not.

Culture Grant

The Hearst Foundations fund cultural institutions that offer meaningful programs in the arts and sciences, prioritizing those that enable engagement by young people and create a lasting and measurable impact. The Foundations also fund select programs nurturing and developing artistic talent. Supported organizations include arts schools, ballets, museums, operas, performing arts centers, symphonies and theaters.

Funding Priorities in Culture

In the recent past, 25% of total funding has been allocated to Culture. Organizations with budgets over $10 million have received 60% of the funding in Culture.

The Hearst Foundations are only able to fund approximately 25% of all grant requests, of which about 80% is directed to prior grantees and about 20% is targeted toward new grantees.

Types of Support

Program, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

PNC Foundation

Strengthening and enriching the lives of our neighbors in communities where we live and work.

Vision & Mission

For decades, we have provided resources to seed ideas, foster development initiatives and encourage leadership in nonprofit organizations where imagination and determination are at work enhancing people's lives everyday.

The PNC Foundation's priority is to form partnerships with community-based nonprofit organizations in order to enhance educational opportunities, with an emphasis on early childhood education, and to promote the growth of communities through economic development initiatives.

Foundation Grant

The PNC Foundation supports a variety of nonprofit organizations with a special emphasis on those that work to achieve sustainability and touch a diverse population, in particular, those that support early childhood education and/or economic development.

Education

The PNC Foundation supports educational programs for children and youth, particularly early childhood education initiatives that meet the criteria established through PNC Grow Up Great. Specifically, PNC Grow Up Great grants must:

• Support early education initiatives that benefit children from birth to age five; and
• Serve a majority of children (>50%) from low- to moderate-income families; and
• Adhere to all other standard PNC Foundation guidelines, as outlined on the PNC Foundation website, applicant eligibility quiz, as well as the Foundation policies and procedures; and
• Include one or a combination of the following:
  • direct services/programs for children in their classroom or community;
  • professional development/workforce development for early childhood educators;
  • family and/or community engagement in children’s early learning
• Additional considerations:
  • The grant focus should include math, science, reading, vocabulary development, the arts, financial education, or social/emotional development.
  • The grant recipient, or collaborative partner, should have early childhood education as an area of focus. If the organization’s focus is beyond birth to age five, the specific grant must be earmarked for birth to age five.
  • Incorporate opportunities for PNC volunteers in classroom or non-classroom-based activities.

Economic Development

Economic development organizations, including those which enhance the quality of life through neighborhood revitalization, cultural enrichment and human services are given support. Priority is given to community development initiatives that strategically promote the growth of low-and moderate-income communities and/or provide services to these communities.

• Affordable Housing
  • The PNC Foundation understands the critical need for affordable housing for low-and moderate-income individuals.
  • We are committed to providing support to nonprofit organizations that:
    • give counseling and services to help these individuals maintain their housing stock;
    • offer transitional housing units and programs; and/or
    • offer credit counseling assistance to individuals, helping them to prepare for homeownership.
• Community Development
  • Because small businesses are often critical components of community growth and help foster business development, the PNC Foundation provides support to nonprofit organizations that
    • offer technical assistance to, or loan programs for, small businesses located in low-and moderate-income areas or
    • support small businesses that employ low-and moderate-income individuals.
• Community Services
  • Support is given to social services organizations that benefit the health, education, quality of life or provide essential services for low-and moderate-income individuals and families.
  • The PNC Foundation supports job training programs and organizations that provide essential services for their families.
• Arts & Culture
  • Support is given for cultural enrichment programs benefitting the community.
• Revitalization & Stabilization of Low-and Moderate-Income Areas
  • The PNC Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that serve low-and moderate-income neighborhoods by improving living and working conditions.
  • Support is given to organizations that help stabilize communities, eliminate blight and attract and retain businesses and residents to the community.

Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation

Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. believed effective change should make an impact from the start, yet carry long into the future. To do both, he earmarked a portion of his estate and the eventual sale of his beloved Buffalo Bills to fund his namesake foundation. The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation began operations in 2015 to continue his legacy—one of generosity and innovation, healthy risk taking and collaboration, and an unshakeable community focus.

And today, his hand-picked Life Trustees have determined to focus the efforts of the foundation on Mr. Wilson’s home and adopted home regions of Southeast Michigan and Western New York.

With a structure that dictates spend-down of our funds by 2035, we match the urgency that people in need feel every day and focus on collaborative investments that consider both immediate impact and long-term benefit.

Our time is short. But with collaboration, vision and a healthy dash of courage, transformation that shifts the very foundations of our communities is possible.

Grantmaking Focus Areas

Active Lifestyles

By supporting access to safe spaces and programs that get kids physically active and moving, the Foundation aims to introduce lifelong healthy habits through its Youth Sports & Recreation grantmaking. Spanning all generations, the Foundation’s investments in Parks, Trails & Green Design looks to connect people and communities to each other, nature and recreation.

Preparing for Success

Strong work ethic, confidence and a desire to learn are attributes that can be instilled at a young age and carried through adulthood. Our Preparing for Success focus area is centered on providing the communication, teamwork and critical-thinking skills people need to grow and adapt throughout their life and career.

Caregivers

There are more than 40 million family members - spouses, daughters, sons, grandchildren - and friends in the United States caring for older adults, a number that will grow dramatically in the coming years. The Foundation aims to elevate caregivers’ critical roles by highlighting the often-hidden value and contributions they make to families and communities every day.  

Entrepreneurship & Economic Development

Several years into recovery after a decades-long economic slide in both Southeast Michigan and Western New York, the Foundation’s investments in Entrepreneurship and Economic Development look to leverage this momentum by spurring small business growth, place-based community and economic development, and talent attraction and retention. 

Foundation Initiative: Nonprofit Support & Innovation

Without strong, healthy nonprofits that have the resources and support to meet their mission, none of the work the Foundation invests in across its focus areas can happen. While the Foundation works with individual grantees to help them build their own capacity through project-specific grants, it also is taking a sector view of nonprofit support as a special initiative of the Foundation in order to help strengthen communities.

The Sidney Stern Memorial Trust is devoted solely to the funding of charitable, scientific, medical and educational organizations.

The Board endeavors to support soundly-managed charitable organizations that give service with a broad scope, have a substantial effect on their target populations, and contribute materially to the general welfare. The Board does not discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation or religion.

We have strong partnerships with nonprofit organizations across the country that are working to advance economic mobility and social progress in low- and moderate-income communities. Our focus areas include basic needs like food and housing, workforce development and education, and community development. In addition to our philanthropic investments, we also encourage our employees to make a difference by offering robust employee giving and volunteering programs, including the opportunity to direct funds to organizations they support through volunteer efforts, and a matching gifts program that doubles their individual giving to causes they care about. Last year, we invested $350 million in the communities we serve, and employees contributed more than 1 million volunteer hours and directed $65 million through individual giving and matching gifts to support nonprofits.Through our regional U.S. sponsorships, we support the economic, social and cultural life of the places we live and work. We provide an extensive program of arts and sports sponsorships to help maintain vibrant, healthy communities.Sponsorships supporting communitiesBank of America welcomes your sponsorship proposal for opportunities that make our communities a better place to live and work. We are particularly interested in providing support to address needs vital to the health of our communities through a focus on:

• preserving neighborhoods;
• educating the workforce for 21st century jobs;
• addressing critical needs such as hunger and emergency shelter;
• arts and culture;
• the environment; and
• diversity and inclusion programs.

Grants are made at the Foundation’s discretion based on our current funding strategies focused on housing, jobs and hunger. 

Our Mission

The Tony Robbins Foundation is a nonprofit organization created to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of people often forgotten.

We’re dedicated to creating positive changes in the lives of youth, seniors, the hungry, homeless and the imprisoned population, all who need a boost envisioning a happier and deeply satisfying way of life. Our passionate staff, generous donors and caring group of international volunteers provide the vision, inspiration, and resources needed to empower these important members of our society.

Grants

Dedicated to meeting challenges within the global community, creating solutions and taking action, The Tony Robbins Foundation provides monetary donations to various organizations around the world. Funding requests are evaluated on an ongoing basis. We look for organizations that align with our mission to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of those often forgotten.

Community Foundation grants are awarded to support programs and projects that are responsive to the evolving needs of the region in areas that include:

• human services,
• health and wellness,
• arts and culture,
• education,
• families and youth,
• conservation and environment,
• community development,
• recreation and more. 

Applications should convey a passion and vision that aligns with the Community Foundation’s mission and values. Each request will be evaluated on its potential value to Northern New York, funding available for disbursement, as well as the quality of planning, leadership, and support.

Grant applications are reviewed four times each year. Grant requests of $5,000 or less may be approved at the committee level. Larger grant requests are referred to the Board of Directors with a committee recommendation. Applicants will be notified of the grant award or denial by letter after the Board of Directors meeting.

George and Margaret Mee Charitable Foundation Grant

Mission

The Mee Foundation invests in projects and programs of qualified nonprofit organizations that support the communities of Delaware County, New York; Cameron County, Pennsylvania; Broome County, New York; and occasionally the surrounding areas. The general categories of funding include Education, Community and Recreation, Health and Human Services and Arts and Culture.

Funding

Awards are made in the minimum amount of $1,000.00. The Foundation may award less than the amount requested and may also consider providing matching or challenge grants.

About Cloudsplitter Foundation

The Cloudsplitter Foundation formed as a 501c3 charity in 1986, re-domiciled in New York in 1999. Over the past ten years we have granted over $17 million to the Adirondack region, with $44 million in assets.

An Adirondack focus, at least 70% of our grants go to Adirondack grantees.

Through our strategic giving, we promote public support or support of other foundations, support a policy direction or change and provide leadership grants.

Areas of Interest

• Environment: Protecting our natural resources through advocacy, land protection, stewardship
• Community Building: Supporting cultural, physical, & civic facilities like theaters, community centers, parks, trails, community revitalization
• Economic Stability: Supporting Tourism, critical infrastructure like museums & historic sites, recreational facilities
• Communications and Data Infrastructure: Broadband everywhere, public radio and television, focused fact-based journalism
• Helping our most vulnerable neighbors: Birth-to-Three program, food programs, family resources, aging in place

Program/Project Support Grants

These grants are to support a well-defined project or program that has a defined need, budget, and associated supporting documentation. This type of grant also includes events. Program/Project grants will only be considered during the normal grant cycles. There is no upper limit on such grants, but they are limited to 20% of the project or program’s cost. The one exception is that “Last money in” grants can be as much as 30% of the project or program cost but 70% must be raised before the Foundation grant is payable.

Priorities

Applications that have a HIGHER LIKELIHOOD of funding:

• Projects, programs and organizations that are focused on supporting communities in need 
• Projects, programs and organizations whose support will lead to long term Community Impact
• Projects and Programs that include multiple nonprofit stakeholders and partners
• Organizations with a diverse and sustained number of funding sources
• Organizations that have established a relationship with Cloudsplitter in advance of their application

Grant applicants that there is a LOWER LIKELIHOOD that we will be funding, at this time:

• Capital Projects
• Lakes Associations
• Events
• Very Large Grant Requests

Grant Amount

For requests over $50,000, YOU MUST CONTACT CLOUDSPLITTER PRIOR TO AN APPLICATION SUBMISSION for permission. For requests above $50,000 the application (automatically) will require additional details than asks below $50,000.

Mission

The Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) coordinates and funds efforts to benefit the Lake Champlain Basin’s water quality, fisheries, wetlands, wildlife, recreation, and cultural resources, in partnership with government agencies from New York, Vermont, and Québec, private organizations, local communities, and individuals.

The LCBP maintains inclusive partnerships that empower diverse communities to take action toward improving and protecting the natural resources and the cultural heritage of the Lake Champlain Basin.

The LCBP envisions rich natural resources and cultural heritage of the Lake Champlain Basin that are stewarded by a diverse, inclusive, informed, and engaged community working together for the common good of Lake Champlain for current and future generations.

Lake Champlain is an enormous resource requiring special care and stewardship – this comprehensive management plan, (OFA), is a coordinated effort to inform, guide, and assist essential stewardship efforts for the watershed.

Request for Proposals

Since 1992, the LCBP has awarded more than 1,500 grants to local organizations to support a variety of pollution prevention, habitat restoration, and other projects that improve the quality of Lake Champlain. In that same time, the LCBP and its partner organizations also have funded numerous projects conducted by universities, consultants, research foundations, nonprofit organizations, and others. These projects include scientific research, best management demonstration projects, education and outreach efforts, and other initiatives that are key to implementing Opportunities for Action.

Large Education and Outreach Project Grants

These grants are for large educational  projects.

Mission

The Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) coordinates and funds efforts to benefit the Lake Champlain Basin’s water quality, fisheries, wetlands, wildlife, recreation, and cultural resources, in partnership with government agencies from New York, Vermont, and Québec, private organizations, local communities, and individuals.

The LCBP maintains inclusive partnerships that empower diverse communities to take action toward improving and protecting the natural resources and the cultural heritage of the Lake Champlain Basin.

The LCBP envisions rich natural resources and cultural heritage of the Lake Champlain Basin that are stewarded by a diverse, inclusive, informed, and engaged community working together for the common good of Lake Champlain for current and future generations.

Lake Champlain is an enormous resource requiring special care and stewardship – this comprehensive management plan, Opportunities for Action: An Evolving Plan for the Future of the Lake Champlain Basin (OFA), is a coordinated effort to inform, guide, and assist essential stewardship efforts for the watershed.

Request for Proposals

Since 1992, the LCBP has awarded more than 1,000 grants to local organizations to support a variety of pollution prevention, habitat restoration, and other projects that improve the quality of Lake Champlain. In that same time, the LCBP and its partner organizations also have funded numerous projects conducted by universities, consultants, research foundations, nonprofit organizations, and others. These projects include scientific research, best management demonstration projects, education and outreach efforts, and other initiatives that are key to implementing Opportunities for Action.

Organizational Support Grant

These grants work on providing organizational support.

Ameriprise Financial Grantmaking

At Ameriprise Financial, giving back is deeply rooted in our culture. We’ve initiated positive change in the communities where we live and work for more than 120 years. We believe our community involvement enables us to actively live our values. Through grant making, volunteerism and employee and financial advisor gift matching programs, we support a diverse group of over 6,000 nonprofits across the country.

Focus Areas

Awarding grant dollars to nonprofits is one way we strengthen our communities and help individuals on a path to financial independence. To ensure we're meeting the needs of our communities and making an even greater collective impact, we focus on three key giving areas when awarding grants.

Volunteer engagement is a priority across all focus areas:

The engagement of Ameriprise employees and financial advisors is a critical component of our philanthropy. Whether it’s serving on a nonprofit board, engaging friends, clients and community members in volunteering or providing skills-based support, our relationships with nonprofits go deep. For this reason, we give priority across all focus areas to applications where there is active volunteer engagement of Ameriprise advisors and employees. 

Meeting Basic Needs

At Ameriprise Financial, we help clients achieve financial security and peace of mind. That’s satisfying, meaningful work. We also help the people in our neighborhoods who struggle to meet basic needs such as where their next meal comes from, where they’ll sleep tonight or how they’ll find a higher wage job. We’re here to help them through the three platforms of our Meeting Basic Needs focus area.

Consideration is given to applications addressing the following: 

• Hunger
• Food banks, food shelves and food pantries, daily meal programs or meal services for the homebound
• Hunger-relief programs targeted to meet the special needs of children, ethnic populations or veterans
• Food programs run by nonprofits where hunger is not their sole focus, for example a youth meal program at the YWCA or a backpack program run by a Boys & Girls Club
• Shelter
• Emergency shelter, including youth homelessness
• Transitional housing, permanent supportive housing and efforts to end chronic homelessness
• Housing-first models (programs quickly providing housing and then addressing needed services)
• Achieving and maintaining home ownership, repair and maintenance efforts helping keep seniors, veterans and other populations in their homes 
• Adult Self-Sufficiency: Programs serving adults age 21 and older that help address the following areas:
• Basic hard and soft skills that help adults achieve economic and family stability
• Basic financial and budgeting skills
• Increase employability and wages, including work readiness and job transitions
• Employment of disabled adults

Supporting Community Vitality

We believe communities should be strong, healthy and resilient. We want livable places for all, where neighbors look out for one another, cultural events are well-attended and people pull together in times of crisis and joy. We work to create economic vitality and cultural enrichment through the following areas of focus.

Consideration is given to applications addressing the following: 

• Community Development
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Economic development
• Strengthening and supporting small businesses and nonprofits through technical expertise
• Cultural Enrichment
• Arts education
• Access for underserved populations
• Diverse artists and performances that spark topical community conversations 

Volunteer Driven Causes: Ameriprise employees and financial advisors are outstanding volunteers who serve in teams and also as individuals bringing personal skill-sets to nonprofits. Volunteering is part of the culture at Ameriprise and we are proud to support communities through contributions of both service and financial resources. 

Funding for Volunteer-Driven Causes is determined by current Ameriprise volunteerism. In general, funding is in proportion to the size of the Ameriprise volunteer team supporting a nonprofit. A team may include employees, financial advisors and/or staff or a combination of any Ameriprise volunteers. 

The Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy is a global environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature can thrive.

Our Mission

To conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.

Connectivity, Climate, Communities Fund

To make the highest possible impact on the climate and biodiversity crises, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is committed to advancing solutions and supporting partners throughout the Appalachians to connect and conserve vital wildlife habitat, build resilience to the impacts of climate change, and generate new job and recreation opportunities for communities.

Approximately one-third of the U.S. population lives in or within 100 miles of the Appalachians, including an estimated 36 million people that rely on the region for sources of drinking water. The landscape contains the world's largest remaining expanses of temperate broadleaf mixed forest and provides habitat to a wide diversity of plants of animals, many of which are listed as rare, threatened, or endangered. Conserving this landscape is critical for nature and for the people that live and work there.

However as climate change drives ecosystem instability, plants and animals are shifting their ranges northward, and people are having to find ways to adapt to complex and intertwined challenges. TNC and many others have been working to conserve vital Appalachian habitats for decades. Now we must ramp up our efforts and coordinate with partners across the Appalachians for maximum impact.

To succeed in these efforts, TNC’s Connectivity, Climate, Communities Fund offers two grant programs for conservation and community organizations, municipalities, Federally Recognized Tribal Nations, and local and state agencies in the Appalachians who are working to protect and conserve this region:

• The Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program
• The New York Climate Resilience Grant Program

Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program

The Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program provides grants of up to $100,000 for fee and easement acquisition projects throughout the Appalachians.

Equitable Conservation and Community Benefits

Conservation organizations are increasingly acknowledging the importance of incorporating social equity in their missions, partnerships, and projects and evolving how they work to have better outcomes for people and nature.

TNC defines community benefits as the positive outcomes that directly result from or are included within conservation projects as experienced by local communities and people. This is particularly important for historically marginalized communities, communities with limited access to nature, communities experiencing heightened impacts of climate change due to systemic underinvestment and poor infrastructure, and Indigenous communities. 

RCA program funding will support projects that demonstrate meaningful community engagement, work with those historically excluded from conservation, and lead to a fairer distribution of benefits for people and communities.

Some examples of community benefits include improved and greater access to nature, protection of drinking water sources, recreational and resource-based economic opportunities, flood mitigation, engagement in cross-cultural initiatives, or protection of lands that will meet community-defined conservation needs. We encourage projects with meaningful community benefits that are integrated with the land protection goals.

Project Evaluation

Projects will be evaluated  according to their capacity to deliver land protection outcomes aligned with the program goals, including:

• Location:
  • the project is located within TNC’s Appalachians Program boundary and is in or near a mapped focal area.  Projects outside of focal areas will also be considered.
• Resilience:
  • the percentage of the total project area that is part of the Resilient and Connected Network.
• Connectivity:
  • adjacency to protected lands or other attributes that will lead to landscape connectivity over time (e.g., the project is a necessary acquisition for advancing a local or regional plan that aims to protect a critical conservation corridor).
• Collaboration:
  • evidence of engagement with other organizations, community groups, or local governments (including, but not limited to, shared funding).
• Community:
  • project elements that directly engage and or benefit people, especially vulnerable or marginalized communities.
• Timeline:
  • the project will close within 12 months from the start of the grant agreement term.
• Feasibility:
  • likelihood that the project will close and the costs seem reasonable.

The Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy is a global environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature can thrive.

Our Mission

To conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.

Connectivity, Climate, Communities Fund

To make the highest possible impact on the climate and biodiversity crises, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is committed to advancing solutions and supporting partners throughout the Appalachians to connect and conserve vital wildlife habitat, build resilience to the impacts of climate change, and generate new job and recreation opportunities for communities.

Approximately one-third of the U.S. population lives in or within 100 miles of the Appalachians, including an estimated 36 million people that rely on the region for sources of drinking water. The landscape contains the world's largest remaining expanses of temperate broadleaf mixed forest and provides habitat to a wide diversity of plants of animals, many of which are listed as rare, threatened, or endangered. Conserving this landscape is critical for nature and for the people that live and work there.

However as climate change drives ecosystem instability, plants and animals are shifting their ranges northward, and people are having to find ways to adapt to complex and intertwined challenges. TNC and many others have been working to conserve vital Appalachian habitats for decades. Now we must ramp up our efforts and coordinate with partners across the Appalachians for maximum impact.

To succeed in these efforts, TNC’s Connectivity, Climate, Communities Fund offers two grant programs for conservation and community organizations, municipalities, Federally Recognized Tribal Nations, and local and state agencies in the Appalachians who are working to protect and conserve this region:

• The Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program
• The New York Climate Resilience Grant Program

New York Climate Resilience Grant Program

The Nature Conservancy is pleased to announce a fifth round of funding available in New York through our Climate Resilience Grant Program. The program supports conservation and climate adaptation projects, including land protection, led by local organizations, with the goal of increasing resilience to climate change for people and nature. Program grants will help local organizations with fee and easement acquisitions of lands that connect with important floodplains and shorelines that mitigate flooding and erosion. The grants will also provide funding for organizational capacity building, planning and strategy development.

Resilient Floodplains and Shorelines

Natural infrastructure, like floodplains, streams, wetlands, tidal marshes, beaches, dunes and bluffs, help mitigate flooding and erosion. We refer to these features as resilient floodplains and shorelines. They also benefit people and nature by filtering water, recharging groundwater, offering recreational opportunities, providing habitat and enhancing human wellbeing. 

New York is experiencing more intense rainfall, erosion and sea level rise.  To ensure our communities are resilient to climate change impacts like flooding and erosion, we must plan for future conditions, engage with people affected by flooding, and collaborate with nature to keep people safe and allow nature to adapt. By conserving undeveloped lands along rivers, streams and coasts, we mitigate flooding, preserve migration pathways and habitats, maintain water quality, facilitate the movement of sediment, and protect drinking water and aquifers.

The Climate Resilience Grant Program offers grants for projects and initiatives that support conservation and resiliency planning, build organizational capacity and help develop climate focused strategies. The program also supports land acquisition projects that:

• Maintain natural buffers between people and flooding or erosion, particularly in areas where natural lands are threatened by development,
• help lessen harmful impacts to communities from floods,
• and make floodplain and shoreline habitats more resilient.

Equitable Conservation and Community Benefits

Conservation organizations are increasingly acknowledging the importance of incorporating social equity in their missions, partnerships, and projects and evolving how they work to have better outcomes for people and nature.

TNC defines community benefits as the positive outcomes that directly result from or are included within conservation projects as experienced by local communities and people. This is particularly important for historically marginalized communities, communities with limited access to nature, communities experiencing heightened impacts of climate change due to systemic underinvestment and poor infrastructure, and Indigenous communities. 

Climate Resilience Grant Program funding will support projects that demonstrate meaningful community engagement, work with those historically excluded from conservation, and lead to a fairer distribution of benefits for people and communities.

Some examples of community benefits include improved and greater access to nature, protection of drinking water sources, recreational and resource-based economic opportunities, flood mitigation, engagement in cross-cultural initiatives, or protection of lands that will meet community-defined conservation needs. We encourage projects with meaningful community benefits that are integrated with the land protection goals.

Project Types

The Climate Resilience Grant Program invites applications for two types of projects:

• Projects that strengthen an organization’s planning, capacity or strategy initiatives that will ultimately lead to actions that will help make species, habitats and communities more resilient to climate change. 
• Projects that result in the permanent fee or easement acquisition of lands that contain or intersect with floodplains; coastal sediment sources and natural, protective infrastructure like beaches and dunes; or tidal marshes and marsh migration corridors. These Resilient Floodplains and Shorelines features are shown on the program’s online map viewer.

Project Evaluation

Planning, capacity and strategy projects will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

• Planning:
  • The project develops or updates an existing plan to advance climate resilience and landscape connectivity and/or climate adaptation initiatives in your work.
• Capacity:
  • The project increases your capacity for engaging in land protection projects, conservation planning, climate-focused strategy development and community engagement (e.g., staff professional development, skills enrichment, technology access or skills, grant or financial resources).
• Strategy:
  • The project advances strategies to incorporate or expand equitable climate resilience and connectivity or climate adaptation principles into your work.
    • This may include expanding, innovating or developing new kinds of work for your organization related to climate resilient land protection and equitable conservation, as well as funding for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice training, support for community engagement, development of communication or media campaigns, or convening non-traditional or historically excluded partners.

Resilient Floodplains and Shorelines land acquisition projects will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• Size:
  • Total acres of Resilient Floodplains and Shorelines features within the project area (the context of the property to its surroundings will be considered).
• Connectivity:
  • The property adjoins or is near other protected lands or waters and/or is part of a floodplain complex (see online map viewer)
• Timeline:
  • The anticipated closing is before deadline on website.
• Collaboration: 
  • Evidence of engagement with other organizations, community groups or local governments.
• Community:
  • Project elements that directly engage or help people, especially vulnerable or marginalized groups.

All projects will also be evaluated for:

• Clarity of project goal(s) and how the project increases organizational capacity to achieve climate resilience and connectivity and/or climate adaptation outcomes
• Degree of collaboration with or support from other conservation organizations, community groups, local governments or Tribal Nations
• Feasibility of project and reasonable costs.

Funding

The total amount of funding available is $500,000. Applicants may apply for up to $50,000 for a project. Grant awards may be less than the amount requested. Projects must be completed within twelve months of the start of the grant term.

Planning, capacity and strategy grant recipients will receive an initial payment followed by two additional payments tied to interim and final reporting requirements.

Land acquisition project awards are disbursed up front, except for any portion of the grant allocated for stewardship and legal defense, which will be provided after closing.

Grant Information

Jonathan Schor (1946-2004), a resident of Red Rock for thirty years, established the Quailwood Fund before he died to create an endowment to generate annual grants “to provide community support in the Red Rock, Columbia County, New York area for public services and improvement of the quality of life, for conservation work, public recreation facilities, fire and rescue facilities and educational scholarships.”

According to Jon’s wishes, the Quailwood Fund has an advisory committee that consists of the presidents of the Red Rock Volunteer Fire Company, the Red Rock Historical Society, the Canaan Conservation Club, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation and the executive director of the Columbia Land Conservancy.

The Quailwood Fund and its Advisory Committee looks to the long term needs of the Red Rock community. It remains open to new ideas and possibilities to improve and enrich the quality of life for the residents of Red Rock.

Through its grantmaking programs, the Quailwood Fund works to help retain a strong sense of community in Red Rock by bolstering community gatherings, encouraging a diversity of participation in the life of the community and supporting a wide range of social and economic opportunities for residents.

Funding

Awards will generally range between $500 and $10,000. There may be a larger amount allocated (up to $20,000) for a project of particular significance or urgency for the community.

All Quailwood General Fund grants will require a 1:1 match. For grants of $7,500 and under, a minimum of 50% of the match must be in cash. For grants over $7,500, a minimum of 25% of the match must be in cash. In both cases, the balance may be in donated goods and/or services.

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.

The George R. Davis Community Fund was established to benefit the citizens of the Village and Town of Lowville. The Honorable George R. Davis passed away in February 2010 after living almost his entire life in Lowville, New York. Judge Davis served for 20 years as Lewis County Judge from 1962 to 1983. George was active in civic affairs throughout his life with a particular interest in local history including the history of Lowville Academy where his father served as supervising principal for over 35 years.

The Community Foundation stewards several charitable funds that annually award grants to support nonprofit organization programs, projects and initiatives positively impacting the quality of life across Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties. 

George R. Davis Fund for Lowville

• Purpose: Support for programs, projects and initiatives that impact the quality of life for residents of the Village and Town of Lowville.
• Communities served: Village and Town of Lowville
• Focus areas: Human/social needs, cultural activities, historic preservation, and related activities, community building/special events, recreational needs/activities, youth development activities, quality of life activities/projects, and educational programs
• Funding available: Up to $20,000

The Lawrence Foundation is a private family foundation focused on making grants to support environmental, human services and other causes.

The Lawrence Foundation was established in mid-2000. We make both program and operating grants and do not have any geographical restrictions on our grants. Nonprofit organizations that qualify for public charity status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or other similar organizations are eligible for grants from The Lawrence Foundation.  

Grant Amount and Types

Grants typically range between $5,000 - $10,000. In some limited cases we may make larger grants, but that is typically after we have gotten to know your organization over a period of time. We also generally don’t make multi-year grants, although we may fund the same organization on a year by year basis over a period of years.

General operating or program/project grant requests within our areas of interests are accepted. In general, regardless of whether a grant request is for general operating or program/project expenses, all of our grants will be issued as unrestricted grants.

Background

The Carlilian Foundation is a private foundation established by the late businessman, community leader and philanthropist Charles W. Carl, Jr., whose estate continues to fund the Foundation, with the intent of providing capital improvement grants to organizations that benefit the people of Schenectady County, New York.

The Carlilian Foundation makes grants for projects or programs that benefit the people of Schenectady County, NY. Our grant funds are invested in the following areas of the community:

Community Grants

The Foundation has an open Community Grants program for any non-profit that serves Schenectady County, NY. Funding is restricted for capital improvements or hard assets needed by organizations that enhance their ability to serve the community.

Green Spaces Initiative

The Carlilian Foundation’s Green Spaces Initiative is intended to provide support for transformative projects in underserved areas that improve the urban environment, inclusive of but not limited to parks, green spaces, gardens, beautification and recreational opportunities in the City of Schenectady.

The Foundation believes there is immense potential to transform urban spaces in ways that improve the health, safety and well-being of our citizens. Blighted or overgrown spaces can be turned into safe, green and accessible places that improve our quality of life. Where there is now only concrete and blacktop there can be grass, trees, shrubs and gardens.  Where space is underutilized and perceived as unsafe there can be accessibility.

Some potential uses of grant funds are:

• Engaging and inspiring communities to create a greener Schenectady through community gardens, beautifying spaces in neighborhoods, and adjoining schools, non-profit and civic institutions.
• Optimizing urban spaces for greenery and recreation by connecting communities to nature and historical, cultural and recreational sites.
• Rejuvenating urban parks and enlivening streetscapes to provide common leisure spaces for citizens and visitors to play, celebrate and connect. 

Calling to Serve

Since its inception in 2016, the Robinson Foundation has sought to demonstrate God’s love through sharing the gifts we have received. We understand the often unspoken hardships and struggles that people in and outside of our community face everyday. As such, our contributions are focused on relieving these hardships for the betterment of our world.

As a family-operated foundation, we pray that our small efforts will not only create immediate change in the lives of our neighbors, but will help set those lives on a course for success in the future. We are thankful for each and every day we have on this earth to use what God has granted us to make a difference.

Areas of Interest

• Animal Welfare
• Children & Families
• Disaster Relief
• Education
• Medical Assistance
• Nature & Wildlife Conservation
• Poverty Relief
• Religious & Spiritual Endeavors
• Veterans' Issues

Grant Considerations

We take many different aspects of applications into account when making grant issuing decisions, however these are some of the high-level questions we ask ourselves during the process:

• How does the organization serve their key audience goals?
• Is the organization fiscally responsible?
• Will a grant have a tangible, meaningful impact?
• Will we see direct results from this grant?
• Does the organization have other financial contributors?

Northern New York Community Foundation

Community Foundation grants are awarded to support programs and projects that are responsive to the evolving needs of the region in areas that include: human services, health and wellness, arts and culture, education, families and youth, conservation and environment, community development, recreation and more. Grant proposals are evaluated based on the quality of planning, leadership, support, funding available for disbursement, passion and vision clearly expressed in the application.

Rock Charitable Fund

Purpose: Support for the maintenance and preservation of churches and cemeteries and places of legitimate historical significance in the county; to help benefit or assist Veterans of the United States Military living in St. Lawrence County for medical or recreational needs.

Funding available: Up to $125,000

The Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation Vision

The Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation, "A Foundation for All", was established in 2002. It was begun in order to give a clear voice for those who wish to be a part of the many, worthy, forces for change in our world.

We are a foundation whose purpose is to look ahead towards the future, giving the past its due by remembering where we came from, and how much we can all accomplish together. We aim to make the critical difference on our planet by recognizing and having respect for our ever changing world. We respect all Life, the Environment, and all People, no matter who they are.

Background

The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation established endowment funds at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo to provide annual support for programs and initiatives that reflect the personal passions of Mr. Wilson. These areas of support are: Caregivers; Community Assets; Design and Access; and Youth Sports.

The grants made from these Legacy Funds held at the Community Foundation are distinct from the grants made by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation directly. In most cases, the grants made from these Funds at the Community Foundation serve to support very localized projects across the WNY region for which a smaller grant can make all the difference. In some cases, it may also provide an opportunity to test out ideas and programs on a smaller, pilot level.

About the Foundation

Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. believed effective change should make an impact from the start, yet carry long into the future. To do both, he earmarked a portion of his estate and the eventual sale of his beloved Buffalo Bills to fund his namesake foundation. The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation began operations in 2015 to continue his legacy-one of generosity and innovation, healthy risk taking and collaboration and an unshakeable community focus.

And today, his hand-picked Life Trustees have determined to focus the efforts of the foundation on Mr. Wilson’s home and adopted home regions of Southeast Michigan and Western New York.

Design and Access

Design and Access – Support enhancement of community access to spaces and programs that support healthy living. Requests must address the following objective:

• Support for pre-planning, development and/or construction costs. This may include projects related to increasing the walkability and bikeability of local communities, and improving waterways, greenways and recreation corridors.