As New York’s community foundation, we foster and engage in enduring and innovative philanthropy.
The grant program, Thriving Communities, has broad goals of supporting diversity and access in the arts, strengthening the management of community-serving arts groups, developing talented young historically underrepresented artists, and improving arts education in public schools. It emphasizes the importance of arts advocacy and aims to increase the capacity of smaller-budget arts groups. Specifically, the program supports projects that attract broader audiences for arts organizations, help cultural groups to integrate arts into the curriculum of needy public schools, advance arts advocacy on critical policy and funding issues, and support the professional development of historically underrepresented young artists through grants to arts organizations. The program particularly focuses on serving communities within the five boroughs of New York City.
Preference is accorded to culturally specific organizations located outside of Manhattan, particularly those with annual operating budgets between $250,000 and $1 million.