Strengthening New York Communities Program

Since the Foundation’s modest beginnings, there has been a focus on challenging inequities and improving the conditions of New York City communities most in need. Although the Foundation focused on supporting charities that provided direct social services in its first five decades, its longstanding Social Welfare program was renamed Strengthening New York Communities (SNYC) in 2012, acknowledging and formalizing the ongoing shift of funding toward systemic change efforts. 

Since then, the Foundation has funded a mix of single and multi-issue organizations using various strategies to create long-term social justice outcomes. The Foundation prioritizes the support of groups pursuing community organizing and advocacy strategies, through which limited Foundation dollars can leverage significant results. Community organizing brings people together to identify issues, shape an agenda, and take joint action. Organizing groups develop and train leaders, work to promote accountability, and bring about both personal transformation and systemic change. Advocacy provides significant leverage as it rallies public attention and action, bringing issues into the realm of public concern and affecting policy and systematic change. These efforts can address changes on multiple levels, from local and citywide to state and federal. While the Foundation's primary focus is New York City, the SNYC program is open to a limited number of organizations in Long Island and Upstate New York working on critical campaigns with statewide impact.

While elevating organizing as a critical approach to social change that centers people most directly impacted, the Foundation has recognized the importance of acknowledging the history and persistent impacts of racism. Anti-Black racism is in every facet of life and institution in New York City. BIPOC communities experience the compounded impacts of the overlapping systems of injustice that result in persistent harm and inequity. The Foundation has recently been strengthening and making more explicit the commitment to ending structural racism as a core principle of the SNYC program. We will continue investing in organizations led by and for BIPOC communities utilizing intersectional approaches and building political, economic, and social power as a core strategy to strengthen New York City's neighborhoods.

As such, the Foundation’s grantmaking in the SNYC program includes a longstanding focus on funding housing justice to preserve affordable housing, as well as work that includes, but is not limited to, equitable economic development; advancing gender equity; ensuring worker rights; addressing the unique challenges faced by immigrant communities; promoting community-led sustainable development; and reform of police and carceral systems. On a more limited basis, the Foundation supports policy reform organizations working in collaboration with neighborhood-based groups to assist with community planning, policy research and analysis, and legislative and legal advocacy. The Foundation is open to high-impact litigation efforts, either as stand-alone initiatives or integrated into a comprehensive strategy.

The Foundation maintains its commitment to general operating support, especially to smaller neighborhood groups for whom the capacity to respond quickly and imaginatively to new opportunities and challenges is critical. For larger and policy-focused groups, and in the case of collaborative campaigns, project-specific support may be appropriate.

Type & Size of Grants

General operating and project grants are considered. Grants average $45,000 over two-years.

Strengthening New York Communities Program will not fund:

• Direct services

• Individuals

• Annual or capital campaigns

• Endowments

• Conferences

Program Staff

• Mike Pratt

• Gisela Alvarez

• Naiche Parker