our values

Though our strategies for achieving impact are always evolving along with the social and political context, our core values remain firm. Together with our mission, these four principles have guided the Scherman Foundation's approach and grantee relationships, from our founding in 1941 to our work today.

1. Trust grantees.

The Scherman Foundation is committed to providing general operating support—funding for overall missions and operations rather than specific projects or programs—to the majority of our grantees. We believe nonprofit leaders who are closest to the issues are best positioned to determine priorities, and that efforts to bring social change take time. The path forward is unpredictable, and the flexibility made possible by general, long-term support can enable organizations to respond more nimbly to unanticipated events or opportunities, the shifting interests of other funders, and their own occasional ups and downs.

2. Cultivate relationships.

The Foundation’s average relationship with our grantees is close to 15 years, and in some cases has lasted considerably longer. Our long-term relationships stem from our understanding of the complex, interconnected factors that propel change. In cultivating these relationships, the Foundation has remained accessible for conversations around strategy, organizational issues, and ideas for new projects or directions. These exchanges have fostered a deeper level of engagement and mutual trust. Furthermore, some of our grantees’ most notable successes have been achieved by collaborative campaigns that included relationships between multiple organizations.

3. Embrace opportunity.

Beyond our commitment to general operating support, the Foundation also makes room in our operations for unique programs and projects with more targeted impact. An example is the Rosin Fund, established from a $33 million bequest by the estate of Katharine Rosin, née Scherman. This Fund successfully awarded larger, limited-term grants for innovative projects in the areas of Arts, Environment, and Strengthening New York Communities from 2013 through 2019. In 2020, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the uprising in support of Black lives and racial justice, and the growing threat to American democracy, the Foundation suspended new Rosin Fund giving to increase support of movement-building organizations and those engaged in election protection and voter education, with a focus on BIPOC communities.

4. Build beyond funding.

Together with the funds we disburse, the Foundation has forged a role as a strategic partner to grantees and other funders. We work to foster a mutual exchange of ideas around the challenges and emerging opportunities in specific fields as we listen, solicit feedback, and consciously respond. Our staff also participates in funder collaboratives and other institutions that are coming up with new ways to offer resources and build capacity. These partnerships have strengthened the Foundation’s grantmaking, informed work on the ground, and helped leverage support from other sources.

Learn more about how we put these values into action.