As New York’s community foundation, we foster and engage in enduring and innovative philanthropy.
The grant, named "Thriving Communities," aims to fund projects that enhance community welfare in multiple key areas. This includes protecting and creating affordable housing, promoting equity in the arts, improving civic engagement, and protecting the environment. It focuses on supporting neighborhood-level agencies, alongside government and nonprofit institutions that work towards developing effective strategies in these areas. Additionally, it seeks to improve the functioning of nonprofits and government institutions. Specifically, within the civic affairs focus area, the grant program has goals to ensure a representative political process and improve government function. This includes encouraging voting by reforming election practices, removing voting obstacles, and providing nonpartisan information. It also aims to increase state and local government accountability through policy improvements and nonprofit support and to promote civic literacy among children and new immigrants by enriching learning opportunities and encouraging citizenship participation.