Summer 2024 Quarterly by The New York Community Trust

VISION

Equitable and thriving communities throughout New York City, Long Island, and Westchester.

MISSION

As New York’s community foundation, we foster and engage in enduring and innovative philanthropy.

We’d like to hear from you.

Please contact us with questions or comments: (212) 686-0010 or info@thenytrust.org.

Inspired by what you read here?

Join us. Make a difference. Give to the nonprofits in these pages directly or through your fund at The Trust.

ON THE COVER: Trust grantee G.O.O.D. for Girls provides leadership training and mentoring programs to girls in Westchester County. Pictured: Zaryha (right) does a final check of her equipment before signaling to the team that she’s ready for ziplining at the Princeton-Blairstown Center, where program participants spent a weekend practicing their communication, teamwork, critical thinking, and decision-making skills.

The Tony Awards Administration Committee presented Trust Board Member Judith O. Rubin with the 2024 Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre, awarded to outstanding contributors to the Broadway industry, in recognition of her “passionate advocacy for culture.”

Program Officer Leigh Ross was a panelist at NYC Arts in Education Roundtable’s Face to Face conference for a session titled “Behind the Curtain at the Funder’s Office: How Grantors Make Decisions.”

The Association for Fundraising Professionals featured Donor Relations Assistant Skyelar Andrews in its Spotlight series, which highlights “inspiring fundraising professionals.”

Congrats ... Recommendations from our staff

The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker

Recommended by President Amy Freitag: “Apropos of The Trust’s centennial year and our long history of gathering generous donors and high-impact nonprofits, Priya Parker’s meditation on bringing people together with meaning and purpose is inspiring.”

Untermyer Gardens Conservancy in Yonkers

Recommended by Grants Management Associate Emilia Jourdain: “It feels like you’ve stepped into another world. The Conservancy spans more than 43 acres with so much to see, including a beautiful walled garden inspired by ancient Indo-Persian paradise gardens, a staircase overlooking the Hudson and Palisades, and much more!”

Shirley Chisholm State Park in Brooklyn

Recommended by Director of Marketing Amy Wolf: “It’s very uncrowded, has lots of birds, bike paths for beginners and more advanced riders, and they have a bike library where you can borrow bikes for free. And there is a huge shopping center across the street for weekend errands.”

New brand illuminates the power of community philanthropy

Deroy Peraza Partner, Creative and Marketing Director Hyperakt

With the Brooklyn-based branding firm Hyperakt, Peraza has developed new brands for the Ford Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Pete for America 2020, and, most recently, The New York Community Trust.

“When The Trust approached us, I was thrilled. As a long-time New Yorker, I have a deep love for this city and its people. The chance to help evolve our local community foundation’s brand—in what would be its first update in decades—to feel more representative of and accessible to all New Yorkers was a dream project. With 100 years of local experience and a growing team of experts, The Trust is better poised than ever to meet the monumental needs and opportunities in our region.

Because we specialize in working with complex organizations, we knew that speaking with as many people as possible from The Trust’s diverse community, including staff and board members, donors, and nonprofit leaders, would be key. After many conversations and workshops exploring visual metaphors together, we landed on a core brand idea: For New York. Forever. The metaphor of The Trust as a throughline from past to future emerged to crystallize The Trust’s persistent role as a beating heart for our beloved region.

Big changes involving your name, language, and visual identity are not things to take lightly when you’re a 100-yearold organization.” “

Donors who create permanent charitable legacies with The Trust provide a powerful gift to help the foundation address our region’s most pressing issues. These gifts are invested so they can make grants while growing to meet future needs— forever! It was by weaving this notion of “forever” through all of the issue areas, communities, and regions The Trust works in that we were able to start to communicate the breadth and depth of the foundation’s impact.

The new branding also unifies The Trust’s NYC, Long Island, and Westchester offices and streamlines how we understand its many collaborative funds, awards, and special projects.

Every project comes with its own set of surprises. Working with The Trust, I was most surprised by the willingness of its staff and board to engage in such a significant transformation of the foundation’s identity. Big changes involving your name, language, and visual identity are not things to take lightly when you’re a 100-year-old organization. It was heartening to experience the thoughtfulness and passion with which everyone considered these courageous moves. The result is a brand that feels more authentically like The Trust and the region it serves than ever before.

I’m proud of the work that we did together and that the new brand accomplishes what we set out to do—create a welcoming, joyful mark that invites all New Yorkers, and New Yorkers at heart, to give together. The Trust democratizes philanthropy, and the new brand brings this to life. n

Photo courtesy of Hyperakt

Nonprofits address barriers to civic participation

Engaging people of all ages and backgrounds in voting and other civic activities is critical to a healthy democracy. Yet too often, the very communities that have been traditionally underrepresented face the greatest obstacles to fully participating in the democratic process.

In New York, this contributes to one of the lowest voter-turnout rates in the country. In fact, just one in four registered voters cast ballots in the city’s last mayoral election.

Rapidly shifting political parameters, including new electoral maps and voting schedule changes, can create obstacles for some voters— especially those who have difficulty accessing information

online. To support equitable opportunities for civic engagement, The Trust is funding several nonprofits working to ensure that all New Yorkers have a voice in the political process that shapes our region.

“Our grantmaking supports nonprofits that have close relationships with communities that are typically overlooked in the democratic process,” said Eve Stotland, The Trust’s senior program officer for civic affairs and co-chair of GoVoteNYC, a funder collaborative at The Trust that supports nonpartisan efforts to increase voter participation across the city.

City neighborhoods where residents have limited opportunity for civic participation are often home to low-income immigrant

communities. These neighborhoods tend to be overlooked by electoral campaigns—usually because of low voter turnout—perpetuating a cycle of disinvestment and disengagement.

Barriers to voting also can increase with age: More than 22 percent of New York State residents who are eligible to vote are 65 or older. Yet only 64 percent of New Yorkers in this age group voted in the last presidential and national midterm elections.

“This is my time”

Voter turnout among older New Yorkers is critical this year, as proposed budget cuts threaten already underfunded aging services. LiveOn NY is the

A Trust grant to LiveOn NY helped Homecrest Community Services provide civic engagement opportunities to older New Yorkers.

Photo by Homecrest Community Services

membership organization for New York City’s nonprofit aging services providers and a leading voice for older New Yorkers. With a recent Trust grant, it is working with five older adult centers to provide civic literacy and engagement training in neighborhoods such as Flushing, Queens, and Coney Island, Brooklyn, which are home to South Asian, Indo-Caribbean, and

“When I hear participants say, ‘I’ve never done this before,

but this is my time and this is how I’m spending my later years—really using my voice,’ it’s so gratifying.”

- Allison Nickerson Executive Director LiveOn NY

Central American communities.

LiveOn NY also worked with the city’s Civic Engagement Commission to educate older adults about participatory budgeting. Unlike electoral voting, the city’s participatory budgeting process is open to all New Yorkers over the age of 11, regardless of immigration status, making it an important opportunity for those who are ineligible to vote to influence how the city allocates funding.

“When I hear participants say, ‘I’ve never done this before, but this is my time and this is how I’m spending my later years—really using my voice,’ it’s so gratifying,” said Allison Nickerson, LiveOn NY’s executive director. “It’s also an opportunity for people to learn a new skill and to get engaged in their community in a new way.”

Stronger civics classes

Young people in New York are eligible to register to vote at age

16. But less than 20 percent of 16- and 17-year-olds register, and many are unaware that they have the option to register in advance of their 18th birthday. Engaging future voters begins with a strong civics education, yet most of the region’s public middle and high schools do not offer a robust civics curriculum—and many offer none at all.

Trust grantee Generation Citizen is working to change that with its Community-Based Action Civics program. Students take a civics class and work in small groups to research an issue that is important to them—from unregulated cannabis shops to migration—propose a solution, and present their concerns to the appropriate elected official or government agency. Students also will participate in outreach efforts to register their peers and encourage voter turnout. n

Collaborative gets New Yorkers to the polls

The Trust’s GoVoteNYC funder collaborative supports nonprofits’ nonpartisan efforts to strengthen democracy by reversing the decades-long downward trajectory of voter participation in New York City. Grantees have galvanized voter turnout with noteworthy results. One study showed that GoVoteNYC grantees nearly doubled voting rates among low-turnout voters through their canvassing work.

Learn more about the collaborative:

Get involved at: nycvotes.org/get-involved/

A grant from our GoVoteNYC funder collaborative to the Asian American Federation helped Sapna NYC conduct voter outreach in the Bronx.

Celebrate our centennial with us!

Join us at these exciting events!

We’ll discuss timely topics across the region and celebrate our vibrant communities. We hope you’ll come to one (or more!) of our free in-person events. Join us for panel discussions and stay for food, drinks, and connecting.

For Food. Forever.

From Farms to Food Security

September 10, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Gatsby on the Ocean 2000 Ocean Parkway, Wantagh, NY 11793

For the Arts. Forever.

Keeping it Real: Neighborhood Arts, Culture & Preservation

September 17, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Brooklyn Academy of Music

30 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11217

Learn a thing (or 100) about New York

Our donors often have impressive New York stories. Did you know that it was Trust donors who designed Miss Piggy, founded Zabar’s, and helped save landmarks like the Beacon Theatre and St. Bartholomew’s Church? Or that the engineers who built the Brooklyn Bridge created a scholarship fund at The Trust for future generations of engineering students?

Find all this and more on our website by scanning this QR code or by visiting qrco.de/ForNewYorkForever

Gallim Dance Company is a grantee of The Trust’s Van Lier Fellowship program, which provides support for talented young artists from historically underrepresented backgrounds. You can see Gallim perform at our free centennial event in Queens at the Museum of the Moving Image on October 22.

Home health care workers unite to end 24-hour shifts

NYC’s home health care workforce, largely comprising immigrant women and women of color, is expected to double in size in the coming years, as the city’s population ages.

Many home health care agencies require employees to work 24-hour shifts but pay for only 13 of those hours—deducting 11 hours for sleeping and eating. In reality, patients often require around-the-clock care, and few workers receive the breaks or compensation they are entitled to, jeopardizing both the health and livelihood of workers and the quality of patient care.

With The Trust’s support, National Mobilization Against Sweatshops (NMASS) partnered with Chinese Staff & Workers Association, Flushing Workers Center, and Women Against Racist Violence to train home health care workers to advocate for legislation to eliminate their 24-hour shifts. As this advocacy continues, some employers have quietly started to phase out 24-hour shifts, replacing them with two 12-hour ones.

Luz Estrella has over 20 years of experience as a home health care worker. She currently works for an agency in New York City that still has 24-hour shifts.

As told to The Trust by Luz Estrella Translated from Spanish by NMASS staff.

“For 12 of the 20 years I have worked as a home health care worker, I’ve worked 24 hours—day and night. The 24-hour workday has destroyed the health of all of us home health care workers.

When you’re working with somebody who is very ill and might walk around at night, you need to be constantly on alert. I have bedbound patients whom I have to turn every three hours. I help patients use the bathroom. You can’t ever sleep.

very hard, and this campaign is also for them. If we can divide shifts into two 12-hour shifts, it means more shifts for more people and more opportunities for young people. I want this justice for my grandchildren. I want to make things right for them.

Through NMASS, I have learned so much, met so many people, and formed a community. Before, I was really shy. But now, if I need to speak up, I speak up. I’ve lost my fear of speaking up about the work conditions. I’ve met all these beautiful people, and they have supported me.

I want this justice for my grandchildren. I want to make things right for them.”

When we go to the agency to apply for work, if we ask not to be assigned 24-hour shifts, we are told we will not receive any shifts and that there is no work for us. We are obligated to take the 24-hour shifts because we need to pay our rent.

In addition to us more experienced workers, there are so many young people who are working

I’ve seen how our unity is our strength. By organizing to stop this racism that says it’s okay for immigrant women to work 24-hour shifts, we are inspiring many others to come forward to defend their rights.

We will continue fighting. And we will never give up until we end the 24-hour workday and the agencies pay back the money that they owe us. We need to keep going out there and gaining more support to tell elected officials that the 24-hour workday must end.” n

Luz Estrella, center, joins a public demonstration to advocate for the end of the 24-hour workday.

Community support for parents of children with disabilities

Raising kids in New York City presents challenging financial and organizational burdens, and for parents of children with disabilities, these can be intensified by everything from navigating specialized services and mounting expenses to managing complex health care needs. When families also face barriers related to language, immigration status, and financial and housing instability, the challenges multiply.

The Trust has a long history of supporting New York’s families and expanding opportunities for people with disabilities.

Over 40 years ago, we provided INCLUDEnyc—now a preeminent resource for families of children with disabilities—one of its first grants, and we’ve continued to

“Our parents don’t want sympathy; they want to be empowered and find a community that empathizes with their experiences.”

- Lucina Clarke Cofounder & Executive Director My Time Inc.

fund programs working to make sure all children in our region can thrive.

Recently, Senior Program Officer Rachel Pardoe developed a plan to reach additional families. Pardoe, who handles The Trust’s grantmaking for people with disabilities, had noticed that she received few proposals from nonprofits with the cultural and linguistic competencies needed to serve New York City’s immigrant communities.

“Many of the city’s newest residents live in the outer boroughs, don’t speak English as a first language, and are hesitant

Left: Ran, a student volunteer at Kindred Bakery BK, demonstrates a baking technique for Manny (center), a program participant, while an instructor, Marie, looks on. Kindred Bakery incorporates peer modeling and an “I do – We do – You do” teaching method into its programs. Right: After watching Ran model the technique, Manny practices it on his own.

to seek help from unfamiliar providers. A cultural stigma around disability can also add to these barriers,” Pardoe said.

To address this need, Pardoe began community outreach and learned about a variety of grassroots nonprofits in Brooklyn and Queens that provide critical support to these communities. She also learned that many of the groups were led by community members and parents of children with disabilities, leaders who speak the language—literally and figuratively—and understand the cultural intricacies.

Pardoe saw an opportunity to reach more families and support the efforts of these nonprofits, many of which had never applied for a private foundation grant and relied primarily on donations and volunteers. She issued a request for proposals, and in February 2024, The Trust made seven three-year grants that are helping eight grassroots community organizations support families of children with disabilities.

Empowering parents to advocate for their children

My Time Inc., one of these recent grantees, focuses on supporting parents. Lucina Clarke is a Caribbean immigrant who, while working in special education, witnessed the frustrations of parents who lacked resources and support. She started My Time Inc. with her husband, Wayne Clarke, to create a safe haven for parents—one where they could access resources and emotional wellness programs, build community, and advocate more powerfully for their children.

“In our classes, we teach parents to navigate the system, understand the acronyms, and understand what services and resources you can request for your child. We make sure that as they learn, they are

partnering with their peers to have that support system,” said Clarke. “Our parents don’t want sympathy; they want to be empowered and find a community that empathizes with their experiences.”

“Inclusivity is a moral and economic imperative—people should not be excluded from the economy or the workforce due to their disability.”

- Nigel Thompson Cofounder Kindred Bakery BK

Life skills for young people with disabilities

Trust grantee Kindred Bakery BK in Flatbush, Brooklyn, is a nonprofit community bakery and training program founded in 2022 by the parents of a child with autism. While searching for opportunities to prepare their

son for adulthood, they found a dearth of programs for lowincome young people, especially those with disabilities, to build social, occupational, and life skills.

The nonprofit offers classes to help low-income young people and those with learning disabilities develop tools and skills to use in their home kitchens, and potentially beyond. The Trust provided Kindred Bakery’s first grant, allowing them to reach a broader group of participants.

“Inclusivity is a moral and economic imperative—people should not be excluded from the economy or the workforce due to their disability,” said Nigel Thompson, the Bakery’s cofounder. “Our program offers an arena for personal growth, as well as for the development of academic, professional, and lifebuilding skills.”

Kindred Bakery creates a safe, inclusive space for people from diverse backgrounds to learn about making healthier baked goods, share food, and build community. n

My Time Inc. staff and community members celebrate the 90th birthday of Ms. Willie Mae Goodman, whose daughter Margaret has a disability and uses a wheelchair. Margaret is also a survivor of the notorious and now-shuttered Willowbrook State School on Staten Island.

Westchester nonprofits advocate for girls and young women

Studies show that teenage girls have been hardest hit by the mental health crisis affecting young people, and that social supports can make a big difference. The Trust recently made a series of grants to Westchester nonprofits focused on supporting girls and young women.

“There is no one path to resiliency or feeling agency over our lives. Some find it through a great mentor, creative expression, or physical activities and sports,” said Laura Rossi, The Trust’s executive director for Westchester. “That’s why our support of programs for girls and young women covers a range of approaches.”

Participants in Trust grantee Girls on the Run Hudson Valley’s leadership program work together to complete both a community impact project and a 5K run.

“Our programs make an impact at a critical age when girls’ confidence and physical activity levels begin to decline,” said Kim Quimby, the organization’s executive director.

“There is no one path to resiliency or feeling agency over our lives. Some find it through a great mentor, creative expression, or physical activities and sports.”

- Laura Rossi Executive Director, Westchester The New York Community Trust

Employers pay women an average of 84 cents for every dollar they pay men—just one example of persistent gender inequities in the workplace. Mentoring relationships can help young women prepare to pursue rewarding career paths, especially when the mentors are women who have built successful careers themselves.

Trust grantee Her Honor Mentoring matches young women with mentors from a range of industries to explore topics such as education, career paths, and financial literacy. With our support, the organization is expanding its financial literacy program for young women in Westchester high schools.

Trust grantee G.O.O.D for Girls incorporates leadership training into its mentoring program, which also introduces girls to science, technology, engineering, arts, and math projects.

“We believe every girl deserves a chance to succeed—and exposure and opportunity are

the key,” said Lori Stephens, the program’s founder and executive director.

Girls in the New Era Creative Space program in Peekskill, supported by a recent Trust grant, focus on autonomy and independence, healthy selfesteem, and moral leadership. With the goal of engaging in a community impact project, they explore issues that are important to them, community service, and social expression through art and literature.

The Trust is helping Girls Inc. of Westchester County expand its in-school and afterschool leadership programs to new locations throughout Westchester, with modules such as community action, academics, and healthy relationships.

“Our programming is designed to empower girls and build their confidence, enabling them to reach their full potential,” said Dr. Sharlise Smith-Rodriguez, the nonprofit’s executive director. “The benefits extend to themselves, their communities, and society at large.” n

Girls on the Run Hudson Valley’s programs include a team-building 5K run.

Photo by Kimberly Quimby

An Atlas to Advance Affordable Housing on Long Island

Affordable housing is an urgent issue on Long Island, where a third of homeowners and half of renters spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing. As income inequality increases across the Island and more residents struggle to meet basic needs, the median cost of a home has surpassed $600,000—making buying or renting a stable home even more out of reach for many Long Islanders.

While advocates have worked to address this issue, there is often no clear path to policy change on Long Island. The most populated island in the United States has a complicated municipal structure, with more than 1,200 overlapping zoning districts for its 13 towns, two cities, 100 villages, nearly 200 unincorporated hamlets, and 127 school districts.

Long Islanders have long sought clarity on their region’s maze of zoning ordinances. For years, local advocates have called for transparent and accessible zoning data to help them organize for more affordable housing across all communities.

In response to these calls, The Trust’s Long Island office (formerly known as the Long Island Community Foundation) worked with the Rauch Foundation to help the CUNY

The Long Island Zoning Atlas allows users to identify zoning districts on the Island, such as primarily residential (yellow), mixed residential (pink), and nonresidential (blue).

Mapping Service at the CUNY Graduate Center’s Center for Urban Research, Community Development Long Island, and the Regional Plan Association develop an online zoning map of Long Island.

The Long Island Zoning Atlas—the first tool of its kind in New York State—went live in December 2023.

Online Atlas users can click on a location or enter an address to discover how it is zoned—for example, as primarily residential, mixed-residential, or nonresidential; how many housing units may be built; and whether creating more housing would require a public hearing. The Atlas also provides web links to relevant zoning ordinances and filters to identify the elected officials representing each district.

“The Atlas democratizes data for Long Islanders who lack

centralized municipal services, and it will help local governments promote needed zoning reforms,” said Sol Marie Alfonso-Jones, The Trust’s program director for Long Island. “We helped create an accessible tool for a variety of users to understand what is possible for housing within their communities and thus increase their participation in land-use decisions.”

As of August 2024, the Atlas boasted 6,700 users, who account for more than 11,550 visits. From students to developers, the Atlas serves a wide range of Long Islanders.

“By promoting smart and sustainable growth, we can enhance economic stability for all Long Islanders—ensuring that safe, quality housing remains accessible and that our communities thrive,” AlfonsoJones said. n

OR AT www.FloridaConsumerHelp.com REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. Maryland: For the cost of postage and copying, from the Secretary of State. Michigan: MICS No. 22265. Mississippi: The official registration and financial information of The New York Community Trust may be obtained from the Mississippi Secretary of State’s office by calling 1-888-236-6167. New Jersey: INFORMATION FILED WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL CONCERNING THIS CHARITABLE SOLICITATION AND THE PERCENTAGE OF CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED BY THE CHARITY DURING THE LAST REPORTING PERIOD THAT WERE DEDICATED TO THE CHARITABLE PURPOSE MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY BY CALLING (973) 504-6215 AND IS AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET AT http://www.state.nj.us/lps/ ca/charfrm/htm. New York: A copy of our most recent financial report is available from the Charities Registry on the New York State Attorney General’s website at www.charitiesnys. com or, upon request, by contacting the NYS Attorney General, Charities Bureau, at 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271 or at 212-416-8401. North Carolina: Financial information about this organization and a copy of its license are available from the State Solicitation Licensing Branch at (888) 830-4989 (within N.C.) or (919) 814-5400 (outside N.C.). Pennsylvania: The official registration and financial information of The New York Community Trust may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free, within Pennsylvania, 1-800732-0999. Virginia: From the State Office of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs, P.O. Box 1163, Richmond, VA 23218. Washington: From the Charities Program at 1-800-332-4483, or www.sos.wa.gov/charities. West Virginia: West Virginia residents may obtain a summary of the registration and financial documents from the Secretary of State, State Capitol, Charleston, WV 25305. Wisconsin: A financial statement of the organization disclosing assets, liabilities, fund balances, revenue and expenses for the preceding fiscal year will be provided to any person upon request. CONTRIBUTIONS ARE DEDUCTIBLE FOR FEDERAL INCOME TAX PURPOSES IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAW. REGISTRATION IN A STATE DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION OF

Regional Grantmaking

Four-year-old Lida picks

on Long

North Fork. Since The Trust provided a start-up grant to the Peconic Land Trust in 1983, the nonprofit has conserved more than 10,000 acres of farmland and natural land on the Island.

raspberries

Island’s

Photo by Amy Wolf

100 Years of Making History in Long Island and Westchester

For the past 100 years, The New York Community Trust has served the diverse communities and needs of New York City, Long Island, and Westchester.

While our Long Island and Westchester offices previously had different names (the Long Island Community Foundation and Westchester Community Foundation) they have always been part of The Trust, and both regions have always been central to our mission.

Even before the establishment of the Westchester Community Foundation in 1975, and the Long Island Community Foundation in 1978, The Trust made pioneering grants in each region, supporting critical causes such as medical research on Long Island and affordable housing in Westchester.

As early as 1927, Dr. Walter B. James, a professor of clinical medicine at Columbia University, established a designated fund at The Trust to support Long Island’s Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. This marked the beginning of The Trust’s long relationship with a local world-class institution.

The laboratory has gone on to shape contemporary biomedical research and education, with programs in cancer, neuroscience, plant biology, and quantitative biology. Its labs have been home to eight Nobel Prize winners.

Since Dr. James’ early grants, our Long Island office has continued to support innovative biomedical research along with many other causes—from education and mental health care to affordable housing and racial justice—that improve the quality of life of all Long Islanders. It also has helped some of Long Island’s historic nonprofits get their start.

In 1983, our Long Island office provided a startup grant to the Peconic Land Trust, which has since conserved more than 6,000 acres of farmland, 3,300 acres of woodland, and 2,000 acres of wetlands and meadows. More recent grants have supported habitat restoration and helped Long Island’s farm and fishing communities remain viable.

In 1926, The Trust demonstrated its early commitment to Westchester when it formed the Westchester Advisory Committee to guide funds for charitable causes throughout the county.

The Trust supported a detailed, 18-month housing study conducted in 1956 by the

Westchester Council of Social Agencies, which found there were 18,000 substandard dwellings in the county, half of Westchester families were living on less than $4,000 a year, and fewer than a thousand units of public housing had been built from 1950 to 1958.

As a result of the study, in 1958 the Westchester Citizens Housing Council was incorporated to address housing for the county’s low- and lowermiddle-income residents.

Our Westchester office has carried forward its early commitment to equity and improving living conditions for local communities through its grants to build a healthier, more equitable region, supporting causes such as advocacy for affordable housing, justice reform initiatives, welcoming communities for immigrants and refugees, cleaner water, and environmental conservation.

To help mark our centennial and better reflect how we’re one organization working with a unified mission across the region, we’re now using The New York Community Trust name for all three of our offices.

We look forward to this next century of partnering with our local communities across the eight counties we serve to build a stronger region, together.

For Long Island. For Westchester. For New York. Forever. n

Children playing in a Westchester park. Photo by John Gass, 1952. Our Westchester office funds organizations that support thriving communities, from early childhood initiatives to growing and preserving green spaces.

Your Philanthropy

Leave a New York legacy with a permanent fund at The Trust

How do you want to be remembered?

For 100 years, people who love New York have chosen to house their charitable legacies at The Trust by establishing permanent funds.

Trust donors reflect the multitudes of our region. They come from diverse backgrounds and they’ve made their mark as artists, parents, immigrants, neighbors, students, caregivers, judges, cab drivers, teachers, nurses, Broadway producers, and activists—to name just a few examples.

Many of these donors have found a powerful way to continue giving back to our region for generations to come: They’ve opened permanent funds at The Trust.

Our permanent funds fuel our work supporting innovative nonprofits and a thriving region. They allow our grantmakers to provide the consistent support needed to effect long-term change, respond to emerging needs, make the first foundation grants to grassroots organizations serving under-resourced communities, and more.

Which fund type is right for you?

Establishing a permanent fund is simple. You’ll choose the name of your fund and what issue areas you’d like to support. To meet urgent needs as they come up and have a powerful impact across the widest range of causes, many donors choose an unrestricted fund. If you have one or more specific areas you’d like to fund, you may decide to set up a field-of-interest fund.

With either fund type, you’ll be eligible for a charitable tax deduction, and you can contribute to your fund each year, based on your tax and estate planning goals.

Unrestricted funds may be used to support all of our grantmaking areas, from addressing climate change and reforming the justice system to fostering equitable access to education, health care, and the democratic process.

Field-of-interest funds support one or more causes of your choice, for example, education, the arts, or biomedical research. Your gift will address the causes you care about in a multifaceted and thoughtful way. When the urgency of an issue changes—for example, a disease gets cured—our staff will make sure your gift continues to meet the needs of the day.

When you establish a permanent fund at The Trust, we’ll invest the fund’s assets while making grants each year. Your gift will live on in perpetuity and improve life for generations to come.

Learn more about leaving a New York legacy

Our team is happy to talk with you about how we can help you map out your charitable legacy and position your gift to meet the challenges of tomorrow, as we’ve been doing with our diverse community of donors for 100 years.

Call us at (212) 686-0010 x363 or email giving@thenytrust.org to get started. n

Trust donor Pamela A. Recchio-Goldfarb visits Pal-O-Mine Equestrian, a Long Island grantee that provides therapeutic horseback riding programs. Photo by Allison Michael Orenstein

909 Third Avenue, 22nd Floor

New York, NY 10022

thenytrust.org

A future for our region—shaped by you.

What’s YOUR vision for our region’s future?

As The Trust looks toward its next 100 years of philanthropy, we want to hear your ideas—in 100 words or less—on how to make our communities better places to live, work, and play.

Tell us by visiting qrco.de/NYvision or scan this QR code: