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

About Us

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

Program Areas

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

Arts and Culture

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

Education

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

Employment

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

Health

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

Public Policy

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

Youth and Families

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

Mission:The Mayer Foundation was incorporated in March 2002 as a New York nonprofit corporation. The core mission of the Foundation is as follows:

• to make economic relief grants to needy individuals who are distressed or suffering as a result of poverty, low income or lack of financial resources,  including as a result of natural or civil disasters, or from temporary impoverishment, loss of employment, death of incapacity of a family wage earner or damage to home and property to provide health care to those who cannot afford health care or whose health insurance or financial resources are insufficient to cover medial needs;
• to make grants to other IRS 501(C)(3) organizations for educational, literary, cultural, humanitarian, scientific, health-care related and other charitable purposes; and
• to award scholarship benefits and student aid to high school, college or graduate school students to enable the recipients to complete an undergraduate or graduate education in the field of their choice at the college or graduate school of their choice.

Grant Sizes:

Grant sizes vary but generally range around $2,000 per grant.

What does this program do?

This program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community for the orderly development of the community in a primarily rural area, and does not include private, commercial or business undertakings.

What is an eligible area?

Rural areas including cities, villages, townships and towns including Federally Recognized Tribal Lands with no more than 20,000 residents according to the latest U.S. Census Data are eligible for this program.

How may funds be used?

Funds can be used to purchase, construct, and / or improve essential community facilities, purchase equipment and pay related project expenses.

Examples of essential community facilities include:

• Health care facilities such as hospitals, medical clinics, dental clinics, nursing homes or assisted living facilities.
• Public facilities such as town halls, courthouses, airport hangars or street improvements.
• Community support services such as child care centers, community centers, fairgrounds or transitional housing.
• Public safety services such as fire departments, police stations, prisons, police vehicles, fire trucks, public works vehicles or equipment.
• Educational services such as museums, libraries or private schools.
• Utility services such as telemedicine or distance learning equipment.
• Local food systems such as community gardens, food pantries, community kitchens, food banks, food hubs or greenhouses.

Grant Approval

Applicant must be eligible for grant assistance, which is provided on a graduated scale with smaller communities with the lowest median household income being eligible for projects with a higher proportion of grant funds. Grant assistance is limited to the following percentages of eligible project costs:

Maximum of 75 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 5,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 60 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income.

Maximum of 55 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 12,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 70 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income.

Maximum of 35 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 20,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 80 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income.

Maximum of 15 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 20,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 90 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income. The proposed project must meet both percentage criteria. Grants are further limited.

Double-R Foundation Grants

The Double-R Foundation is a private, grant-making foundation that focuses its efforts on the enrichment of life in New York City.

The Foundation supports volunteer-based organizations that provide services to New York City Residents.

What we Do

We seek to enhance volunteer's efforts by:

• Sponsoring specific projects
• Contributing to nonprofit organizations' long-term stability

In the past, Double-R Foundation has supported programs in the following areas:

• Arts in New York City, particularly by new and developing artists, composers, dancers and performers
• City planning programs and organizations that enhance New York City's humanity and harmony with the natural world, including development of outdoor space, promotion of the intelligent use of materials, and educating the public and government about short and long term design alternatives
• Job training programs that link volunteer executives with young entrepreneurs;
• Legal services for the underprivileged provided by attorneys pro bono;
• Art and music instruction in after-school programs;
• Health care and health research;
• Animal-related services;
• Homeless shelters and related programs
• Youth-oriented legal support services promoting alternatives to incarceration in adult prisons and court systems.

The Labcorp Charitable Foundation

We believe every person deserves equitable care and education.

In 2020 Labcorp established a private charitable 501(c)(3) foundation to advance our desire to bring quality healthcare access to all by supporting education and our local communities. 

Common grant opportunities include:

• Supporting food pantries and meal programs
• Providing healthcare and patient services for underserved populations
• Encouraging STEM programming
• Advocating for healthy lifestyles through ongoing medical research and screening

Michael & Susan Dell Foundation Grants

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation only accepts unsolicited proposals for specific areas within the education, family economic stability and childhood health sectors in select countries where we work, namely the United States, India and South Africa.

As a guideline, the foundation does not fund more than 25% of a project’s budget or more than 10% of an organization’s total annual operating expenses.

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation has always recognized the power of providing grants to partner organizations that we knew were already working hard to improve the lives of urban children living in poverty. By aligning with organizations that are already making a difference, we continue to make an immediate impact on the lives of thousands of children.

Foundation priorities:

We fund social enterprises that directly serve or impact children or youth from urban low-income communities in the areas of education, health, and family economic stability (including livelihoods and financial inclusion). These social enterprises may be structured as for-profit or nonprofit entities.

Partnerships

We collaborate with a range of organizations focused on creating opportunities for children and families living in urban poverty, with a deep emphasis on measuring impact. Our funding advances projects already making an impact in education, health, and family economic stability. Through these enduring and long-standing partnerships, we create lasting change together.

Promising Futures

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

Focus Area: Jobs and Workforce Development

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

Grants are made to:

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

Our Program Areas

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Programs Supporting Immigrants, Refugees and Asylees

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

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

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

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

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

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

Funding Priorities

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

Funding Criteria

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

Grant Making Budget

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

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

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

Program Areas

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

About Us

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

What We Fund

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

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

Neighborhood Support

Our Vision: An Emotionally Well Community

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

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

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

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

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

Our Focus: The Emotionally Well Child

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

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

Our Strategy: Resourcing Whole-Family Models of Care

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

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

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

To truly thrive, families need to:

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

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

Downtown Fund 

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

Georgia-Pacific Foundation

Established in 1958, the Georgia-Pacific Foundation sets aside resources to improve life in the communities where we operate. We’ve worked with thousands of outstanding community-based programs, service projects and disaster relief efforts, focusing our investment in four areas we believe make the most impact:

• education
• entrepreneurship
• enrichment of community
• environment

Investment Priorities

• Aligns with GP’s mission and values
• Aligns with GP’s Four Focus Areas of giving: Education, Environment, Enrichment of Community and Entrepreneurship
• Serves communities where GP has manufacturing facilities
• Creates value by contributing to and positively impacting long term well-being and sustainability of GP communities

Purpose:

• To encourage and support research regarding school nursing and health of school aged children. 
• To advance and fund quality school nursing practice and school-affiliated delivery of healthcare.

History

NASN has a history of supporting and encouraging school nursing research which began with several generous donors who provided research funds to honor the earliest school nursing leaders. Early research grants included:

• Lillian Wald Research Award for research impacting the health of children (1982). Lillian Wald was the founder of school nursing in America through the Henry Street Settlement in New York City on October 1, 1902.
• Pauline Fenelon Research Award for research in school nurse practice issues (1987). Pauline Fenelon was an NASN President, 1984-85.
• Lina Rogers Award for research impacting school nursing services for students (2001). Lina Rogers was the first school nurse in America. These three awards were first combined in 1997 to allow increased funding for research.
• NASN Directed Research Grant for specific research goals as set by NASN (1998). Carol Costante, a school nurse administrator for Maryland who served as NASN President (1997-1998), made a monetary donation which provided the seed money for this targeted grant to promote research efforts related to school nursing and student health. 
• In 2001, NASN approved separation and renaming of early award and grants to establish research grants for the purpose of funding proposed research. In 2014, NASN combined and renamed the NASN research grants to begin 2015 funding of the research grants through the NASN Endowment Fund.

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.

Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Fellowship

The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Fellowship engages a curated cohort of emerging entrepreneurs, providing critical tools and guidance as they build and implement programs that address urgent global challenges.

Launched in 2024, the CGI Fellowship program selects 25 individuals to develop CGI Commitments to Action – new, specific, and measurable projects that advance solutions to critical challenges in humanitarian response, women and girls equality, economic inclusion, climate resilience, and health equity.

The 25 accepted Fellows receive:

• Resource access: CGI Fellows gain access to mentorship, resources, networks, and partnerships through CGI and its network. This enables Fellows to compete to secure funding, have access to expertise, and opportunities to collaborate to enhance the success of their projects.
• Participation at the CGI Annual Meeting: Receive an all-expenses-paid trip to attend the Clinton Global Initiative 2025 Annual Meeting in New York City in September 2025. This includes coverage for conference registration, travel expenses, and accommodation.
• Virtual and in-person community building events: CGI Fellows receive exclusive invitations to events that aim to foster a sense of community within the cohort, strengthen relationships among peers, network, and share progress on their Commitments to Action.
• Impact evaluation: Fellows are required to measure and report the impact of their projects against the goals they set out in their initial Commitment to Action proposal.

Other Considerations:

• Part-time, personalized program means fellows can continue their other pursuits: full-time or part-time employment, schooling, family responsibilities
• No relocation necessary
• No cost to participate
• One-year fellowship experience is virtual except for the in-person CGI Annual Meeting in September in New York City, which all CGI Fellows are invited to attend, expenses covered

Centene Charitable Foundation

Successful corporate citizenship happens when companies invest in the local organizations that know their communities best. The Centene Foundation works with our local partners on initiatives that focus on inclusion, the whole person and community development.

Vision

Centene’s purpose is transforming the health of the community, one person at a time. The Centene Foundation is an essential part of how we pursue this purpose. We achieve measurable impact for the communities we serve through partnerships and philanthropy efforts that invest in initiatives with holistic approaches to dismantling barriers to health.

Areas of Focus

Reflecting Centene’s commitment to the needs of those who rely on government-sponsored health care and to addressing social determinants of health and health equity, preference will be given to initiatives in three distinct areas of focus.

• Healthcare Access
• Social Services
• Education

Background

The Grants and Mission Investing (GMI) team at Trinity Church Wall Street uses the tools of philanthropy, our convening power, and our voice to advance Trinity’s mission goals.

Trinity Church has engaged in a strategic visioning process to clarify and articulate our core values and mission priorities. As a result of this process, Trinity’s grantmaking programs align with the church’s mission goal of building neighborhoods, leadership, and capacity.

Support Healthy Minds and Safe Communities

As a church, we are tasked with caring for the whole person—body, mind, and soul—and that means we must recognize and care for those who are ill. Faith communities can offer compassion, sanctuary, and community for those afflicted with mental illness.

As a church, we operate under the belief that every person is created in the image and likeness of God and has dignity, value, and worth, regardless of race, gender, class, or other human characteristics. 

Our collective safety rests on our ability to support vulnerable and marginalized members of our communities instead of punishment and incarceration.

New York City has led the nation in decarceration efforts, but far too many people remain behind bars, with a disproportionate number of people of color impacted.

Areas of Focus

Trinity’s Racial Justice Initiative will support efforts that fall within three areas of focus, as described below.

Lead:

Trinity will help advance a new, racially equitable justice system that centers community-based restorative and transformative approaches instead of incarceration.

Few people think the criminal legal system is fair, but we have yet to realize support for full-scale alternatives. Trinity seeks to build the infrastructure to scale both restorative and transformative approaches that are rooted in communities, respond to violence, and deliver justice. Trinity supports the communities most affected by violence, incarceration, and trauma, following the wisdom of residents who are best positioned to identify what is needed for safety and justice.

Activities we support under the Lead strategy have the following goals:

• Invest in the well-being and healthy minds of young people by supporting community-driven mental health and learning support for young people, including those in schools.
• Promote an affirmative vision for justice by engaging local faith leaders in media work to offer a healing, restorative safety/justice vision.
• Secure public investment to scale promising, non-punitive, approaches to end the cycle of trauma and violence.

Prevent:

Trinity will help end unnecessary pretrial detention and racial disparities.

Successful organizing and advocacy have produced legislative victories that ended cash bail for most misdemeanors, reformed discovery practices, and ended the practice of charging 16-year-olds as adults. Building on this momentum, Trinity seeks to ensure equitable implementation of these laws while sustaining the advocacy and organizing infrastructure to continue reducing incarceration rates in New York. We also will disrupt racially unjust pipelines into the criminal legal system by continuing to support the scaling of school-based restorative justice efforts while exploring ways to uncouple the growing links between immigration and criminal legal systems, and the criminalization of immigrants.

Activities we support under the Prevent strategy have the following goals:

• Safely reduce the jail population in New York City by support efforts to end cash bail and youth incarceration and hold implementing agencies accountable for racially equitable outcomes.
• Build and sustain positive school climates to ensure all students have access to social, emotional, and restorative approaches.
• Protect immigrants from criminalization to ensure that immigrant New Yorkers have meaningful access to due process and are protected from unnecessary detention and deportation.

Liberate:

Trinity will help end homelessness for justice-involved New Yorkers.

Central to the efforts to end mass incarceration and homelessness is the liberation of people leaving jail and prison. However, after serving their time, returning citizens often encounter barriers to finding employment, obtaining education and training, and securing housing. Trinity seeks to leverage our combined expertise in both the racial justice and housing and homelessness systems to support the holistic needs of returning citizens and center their voices in the movement to end mass incarceration. We will have a deep focus on increasing housing options for New Yorkers who have been directly impacted by the criminal legal system.  

Activities we support under the Liberate strategy have the following goals:

• Expand housing options and mental health services for justice-involved New Yorkers.
• End the continuous punishment of poor people with criminal records as it relates to housing, employment, and education.

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

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

Funding Priorities

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Since 2008, the Spencer Education Journalism Fellowship has welcomed some of the most accomplished education journalists from the U.S. and abroad to Columbia Journalism School, offering them the gift of time and resources to deepen their pool of knowledge and complete an ambitious journalistic project.  With over more than 15 years the fellowship has supported some of the most deeply-reported, creative and impactful education journalism being produced in the country.

Spencer projects take many different forms. Past fellows have written in-depth magazine and newspaper series, produced radio documentaries, created podcasts, and written books. Many have gone on to become journalistic entrepreneurs and leaders in the field.

Spencer Fellowship for Education Reporting

The Spencer Fellowship for Education Reporting is open to journalists and educators who want to develop and publish an ambitious long-form journalism project that advances public understanding of education. Four fellows will be selected for this yearlong program based at Columbia Journalism School. The fellowship combines study and research with advising from faculty experts at Columbia, Teachers College and elsewhere. We welcome a wide range of applicants in terms of professional background and experience, media and project ideas.

There are residential and non-residential fellowship options. Each fellow is matched with a full-time faculty mentor from the Journalism School. In addition, each fellow selects an outside content advisor from any academic department outside the Journalism School. Meetings are set up on a one-on-one basis. In addition, fellows may select a researcher of their choice if such a one-on-one partnership makes sense for their project. The fellows meet regularly as a group with the director, in person or remotely. Throughout the year, scholars and other professionals are invited to meet with the fellows for special dinners or online to share their research.

Residential Fellows

• Are expected to live near the Columbia campus in order to participate in events, take classes, and meet with their mentors, scholars, students and researchers during the course of the year. Fellows should not take on outside employment, except with the approval of the director. They are responsible for finding housing. The fellows will have a workspace in the Journalism School, complete with their own computer terminal, phone and printer.
• Are admitted as non-credit graduate students in order to comply with University requirements. They can take advantage of health insurance and access to libraries and other school facilities available to Journalism students. In addition, each fellow may make their own auditing arrangements for classes with the informal permission of professors inside and outside the journalism school throughout the year.
• Each residential fellow receives an $85,000 scholarship for personal living expenses. The scholarship is dispensed in two halves at the beginning of each semester. In addition, each fellow receives $7,500 for the year in project expenses, also dispensed in two halves. Separately, the Spencer grant covers the cost of tuition and other student fees, plus basic student health insurance for residential fellows.

Non-Residential Fellows

• The non-residential option is designed for applicants who may not be able to relocate to New York City for the year for personal, or work-related reasons. We welcome all applicants, including journalists working in local media markets with limited resources that would welcome publishing an in-depth education project for their audience.
• Non-residential fellows live and work off campus and will design their reporting, study and research plans with their mentors and the director of the program. They may continue to work part-time.
• Non-residential fellows are admitted as “exchange scholars,” which means they are not eligible for health insurance. Coursework is limited by necessity, but other benefits remain available, such as access to Columbia libraries and campus buildings. Non-residential fellows receive the same level of expert mentoring and research assistance as residential fellows. 
• Non-residential fellows receive a $43,000 stipend and $7,500 project related expenses, each dispensed in two halves. Health insurance is not available.

The Journalism School’s Master of Arts methods course, called Evidence and Inference, is required in the fall for all fellows. Non-residential fellows will be connected to the lectures remotely.

Capital Funding: City Entities and Public Schools

All City of New York entities (e.g. Health + Hospitals, the Parks Department, etc.) requesting funding for capital projects occurring on City-owned property (including but not limited to public schools, parks, and public buildings) should complete the Manhattan Borough President’s Office City Capital Funding Application.

If you are a City entity applying for a project on City-owned land (including public schools, parks, libraries, etc.) the project must:

• Have a useful life of at least 5 years
• Have a minimum City contribution of $50,000

An On-Line course

Herbs have been used for centuries in medicine, religion, cooking, and health, offering benefits like food, healing, creativity, and cultural significance. This course will focus on exploring the world of herbs to understand botany, nutrition, culture, and climate change. Participants will learn how to cultivate and utilize herbs to enrich their curriculum and support culturally responsive education. The course will cover selecting, planting, growing, maintaining, and harvesting herbs in school gardens. We will highlight herbs that are drought tolerant, hardy, and can adapt to temperature fluctuations. Participants will learn about the historical context, customs and uses of the herbs that are commonly grown in New York City. Using herbs as a vehicle for learning, participants will create lesson plans and engaging activities that shine a light on the rich cultural background of their students. Participants will learn how to make various herbal body care products like salves, face masks, and relaxing room sprays with essential oils. After that, participants will learn how herbs are used in delicious and nutritious cultural staples like curries, Guasacaca, Chimichurri, and teas of all sorts. Additionally, participants will also learn how to use herbs for healing in poultices, infusions, and oxymels. The final project involves designing an herb garden with six types of herbs and five activities that reflect students’ diversity, connect to their lives and engage them in science concepts.

The CGC scholarships for The Horticultural Society of New York programs cover the $225 fee for the program and related materials, as well as the $125 fee for the “P” in-service credits.

Amplify Her Foundation

Amplify Her® Foundation’s mission is to support women and girls from underserved communities to become transformative changemakers. We achieve this by establishing funding partnerships with community-led organizations in New York City that make progress toward gender equity by building the economic and social power of women and girls through leadership programs, educational opportunities, career training and development, internships, mentorship and more. 

PRIORITY FOCUS AREAS

During this cycle, priority will be given to organizations and programs that advance the leadership of women and girls in the following ways: 

• RESOURCES: Funding for leadership development and educational experiences
  • Career advancement, professional development, and/or leadership development programs. 
  • Entrepreneurship, business incubator, and/or business development coaching, lending, and support. 
  • Educational and enrichment opportunities that allow for exposure and access to opportunities.
  • Asset building and financial literacy programs.
  • Programs that support personal growth, confidence, resiliency, socio-emotional health and well-being, and the self-efficacy of women and girls. 
• TRAINING: Capacity building and technical training for women to excel in fields in which women have historically been underrepresented
  • Hard and soft skills-building, workforce development, and/or job training programs. 
  • Specialized training programs tailored to specific industries or leadership roles.
• NETWORKS: Initiatives to support building social capital and professional networks
  • Programs that facilitate networking opportunities, peer-to-peer mentorship programs, and platforms for women and girls to connect with professionals, experts, and peers in their fields of interest, and to navigate the unwritten and “unsaid” norms of workplace and higher education culture.
• COMMUNITY: Resourcing to develop ‘third’ spaces for girls and women
  • Programs that provide culturally-appropriate, supportive, and affirming environments - outside of home, work and/or school - for personal connection, support, and leadership development. 

GENERAL OPERATING VS. PROGRAMMATIC SUPPORT

Organizations may be eligible to apply for general operating support if all of the organization’s work aligns with the strategic priorities of the Amplify Her® Foundation. 

To qualify for general operating support -

• 100% of the organization’s programs and activities must take place in New York City.
• 100% of the organization’s activities must be women and/or girl focused.

At this time, organizations offering co-ed programming, or those that are part of a larger national organization, are not eligible for general operating support.

FUNDING

Organizations are eligible to apply for up to a $50,000 grant.

Frances L. & Edwin L. Cummings Memorial Fund Grant

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

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

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

Areas of Interest

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

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

The Fund provides support for:

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

The major fields of interest are:

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

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

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

The New York State Pollution Prevention Institute

We’re funding a more sustainable New York State. The New York State Pollution Prevention Institute (NYSP2I) was established to give businesses, nonprofits, municipalities, and communities across the Empire State the resources and expertise they need to realize the benefits of sustainability.

Community Grants

Each year, NYSP2I awards funding to support projects that raise awareness and understanding and lead to the implementation of pollution prevention practices and/or behaviors at the local level with the goal of improving the health, environmental quality, and economic vitality of communities in New York State.

The program is designed to support initiatives that raise public awareness and understanding of environmental issues and that lead to adoption of sustainable practices.

Pew Biomedical Scholars 

The Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences provides funding to young investigators of outstanding promise in science relevant to the advancement of human health. The program makes grants to selected academic institutions to support the independent research of outstanding individuals who are in their first few years of their appointment at the assistant professor level.

Based on their performance during their education and training, candidates should demonstrate outstanding promise as contributors in science relevant to human health. Strong proposals will incorporate particularly creative and pioneering approaches to basic, translational, and applied biomedical research. Candidates whose work is based on biomedical principles but who bring in concepts and theories from more diverse fields are encouraged to apply.

Ideas with the potential to produce an unusually high impact are encouraged. Selection of the successful candidates will be based on a detailed description of the work that the applicant proposes to undertake, evaluations of the candidate’s performance, and notable past accomplishments, including honors, awards, and publications. In evaluating the candidates, the National Advisory Committee gives considerable weight to both the project proposal and the researcher, including evidence that the candidate is a successful independent investigator and has the skill set needed to carry out their high-impact proposal.

Funding from the NIH, other government sources, and project grants from nonprofit associations do not pose a conflict with the Pew scholars program.

Funding

The current grant level is $300,000.

An award of $75,000 per year for four years will be provided to the sponsoring institution for use by the scholar, subject to annual review of the scholar’s progress. Grant agreements will be issued in August of the award year. The awarded funds may be used at the discretion of the Pew scholar, for personnel, equipment, supplies, or travel directly related to the scholar's research and as to best advance his or her research and career.

• The amount of the award that may be used for the principal investigator’s salary is limited to $12,500 per year (including benefits) or $50,000 over the duration of the grant. There are no limits on student or postdoctoral salaries.
• Not more than 8 percent ($24,000) of the total award value may be allocated for facilities and administration (F&A) charges or indirect costs (IDCs).
• Should the funds not be immediately required, they may be accumulated and carried over through the grant period and, with written approval of the program office, the grant may receive a no-cost extension for one additional year (without additional funds).
• Subawards are allowed.

During the four-year grant term, program participants are required to attend an annual meeting held in March or April. All eligible expenses for attendees’ travel, lodging, and meals are paid by Pew. The meeting provides Pew scholars with an opportunity to present their research and for scientific collaboration and exchange with other scholars and members of the National Advisory Committee.

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?

The Center for Cooperative Media, a grant-funded program within the School of Communication and Media at Montclair State University was founded in 2012 in response to the downsizing of New Jersey news organizations and the changes in the ownership of regional public media. These shifts in the news and information landscape hurt the volume of local news available in a state that has historically had limited news coverage, due to its proximity to the major metropolitan areas of New York City and Philadelphia. With 564 municipalities packed into a densely populated state, New Jersey was—and is—ripe for innovation in local journalism.

The mission of the Center for Cooperative Media is to grow and strengthen local journalism and support an informed society in New Jersey and beyond. The Center coordinates statewide and regional reporting, connecting more than 300 local news and information providers through its flagship project, the NJ News Commons. We offer innovative professional development seminars, with training sessions on topics such as data and investigative journalism, fact-checking, OPRA, podcasting, video production, digital sales, and business planning, among many others. We also offer one-on-one coaching. The Center’s research agenda is focused on issues impacting local journalism, especially collaboration and sustainability questions.

About Civic Science Media

At its core, civic science media is created when journalists and other storytellers work intentionally with diverse community members and scientists to collaboratively address issues of shared interest. Civic science media serves as an important bridge between scientists or scientific organizations and the people most impacted by scientific discovery, and promotes a dynamic conversation between scientists, media, and the public. The goal is both to inform and support active participation in solving or addressing community-identified concerns related to science, including climate change, public health, and artificial intelligence.

Civic Science Media Project Funding

The Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University is delighted to announce a funding opportunity for civic science media projects, thanks to support from the Rita Allen Foundation. The awards aim to accelerate civic science media collaborations across the United States with funding and coaching.

This is the second open call for pilot awards in support of projects that can bridge the gap between scientists, media, and communities, with a focus on increasing public participation in science, expanding public deliberation about emerging science and creating opportunities for science to be informed by diverse communities.

• The award builds on a global research project conducted in 2020 and 2021 by the Center that studied how and why journalists and civil society organizations around the world collaborate to achieve and increase impact. Led by Dr. Sarah Stonbely and funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the research showed that journalists have become more willing to partner with civil society organizations in order to achieve tangible impact on issues such as corruption, governance, climate and environment, and human rights.
• With new openness among journalists and media makers to partner with civil society and community organizations, rapid advances in scientific discovery and debate, and increased polarization across communities, there is an urgent need to create a culture of civic science — where all people feel a sense of belonging in, and benefit from, the practice of science so they can inform meaningfully deliberation about society's most pressing problems.
• Rita Allen Foundation recently published the industry’s first in-depth analysis of civic science media, in a report that highlights a broad range of civic science media initiatives from across the country. The landscape scan showcases a range of civic science media projects and insights from leaders in this emergent field; potential award applicants should familiarize themselves with the paper.

The Award

A total of 10 awards up to $15,000 each are available. This opportunity is not meant to fund long-term, multi-year partnerships, but rather short-term pilots that:

• Foster ongoing, multidirectional dialogue between media organizations, scientists, and local communities.
• Include direct community participation in the scientific and/or media-creation process, ensuring that local concerns and perspectives substantially influence the conversation.
• Enhance science literacy by making complex scientific topics more accessible and engaging.

In addition to funding, participants will receive hands-on coaching, including regular check-ins, peer-to-peer meetings, and tailored support to align goals, address challenges, and ensure robust and impactful community engagement.

Priority areas include artificial intelligence, climate science, and neuroscience, which align with the broader goals of the Rita Allen Foundation’s overall civic science program.

The awards are intended to cover the cost of the applicant’s and co-collaborator’s time, project materials, equipment, and associated production/editing costs to complete the project. Audience participation incentives are also encouraged; applicants should ensure they are not being extractive when it comes to involving members of the public.

The Elizabeth M. Pfriem Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation established in March 2015 and based in Rye Brook, New York.

Elizabeth M. Pfriem was the daughter of a Polish immigrant coal miner moves with her family at the end of World War II from the dying coal mines of Scranton, Pa., to the prospect of a better life in the prosperous city of Bridgeport. When you talk about business impact and philanthropic influence in Bridgeport, Mrs. Pfriem’s legacy is to be admired with the likes of P.T. Barnum and industrialist Frank D’Addario. She went about her business quietly yet her impact was wide and loud that benefited school kids, neighborhoods, social service organizations, medical facilities and the Barnum Festival for which she served as ringmaster, the only woman to occupy that role in its 70-year history. 

The Elizabeth M. Pfriem Foundation is dedicated to improving the human condition by supporting public charities that provide education, health services, food security, and safe, affordable housing, primarily focusing on the greater Bridgeport, Connecticut area. The foundation's mission centers on facilitating provisions that help vulnerable populations, especially children and families in need. It supports organizations that align with its goals of enhancing education, healthcare, food access, and housing safety. The foundation is committed to sustainable, high-impact programs that address community needs, particularly in Bridgeport.

Foundation Grants

Grants are made by invitation only to 501(c)(3) public charities that demonstrate fiscal responsibility, strong leadership, and innovative programs poised for growth. The Elizabeth M. Pfriem Foundation considers organizations that fit our funding criteria and align with our mission statement. The Foundation reviews Letters of Inquiry on an ongoing basis. Applications received after the deadline date will be considered for the following year.