Mission

The New York Foundation is a steadfast supporter of community organizing and advocacy. We believe that the resilience and vitality of New Yorkers is the city’s greatest resource, and we value the courage and experience of community groups and their leaders. In the ongoing struggle for equity, the Foundation supports grassroots initiatives that confront systemic barriers and inspire people to work toward a more just and inclusive city.

How We Support Our Grantees

Core Grants
Most core grants fall into the following categories:

• Start-up grants to new, untested organizations;
• Grants to organizations for new projects that have a high probability of receiving future support or that anticipate operating for only a limited time period;
• General institutional support, usually for relatively new projects or for organizations in transition.

Start-up organizations are eligible for five consecutive years of renewal; other categories are eligible for up to three years. Grants are made for one year at a time, and grantees must reapply annually.
Our core grants are $40,000 for each year of eligibility.

Capacity Building Program
Once a core grant is approved, grantees have access to the foundation’s extensive Capacity-Building Program, which offers grantees one-on-one consultation with experienced providers of nonprofit management assistance; monthly trainings; and access to our Small Grants Program, which offers up to $5000 in supplementary grants for technical assistance, leadership development, and increasing capacity to engage in community organizing.

Our capacity-building partners include: Community Resource Exchange, Lawyers Alliance for New York, Center for Urban Pedagogy, TakeRoot Justice, and Advocacy Institute.

If you are a current grantee of the New York Foundation, and want more information about this year’s capacity building and small grants program, click here.

Summer Internship in Community Organizing
The foundation also operates a summer internship in community organizing, which supports ten-week placements for young people who want to explore the field of community organizing.