Westchester Community Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Westchester Community Foundation supports workforce development, basic needs, youth development, arts and culture, social justice, legal services, environment, technical assistance, and health in the Westchester region of New York.
IP TAKE: This community funder is backed by the expertise of the New York Community Trust and is an excellent one to know for nearly any nonprofit need in the Westchester region. While many of its grantees receive funding year after year, the Westchester Community Foundation is not afraid to take risks on smaller organizations and new projects that serve residents of the county. It also posts RFPs for new and timely areas of grantmaking interest. Reach out with ideas to staff members, whose contact information is offered on website.
PROFILE: Established in 1975 the Westchester Community Foundation (WCF) is a community foundation based in Hartsdale, New York. It is a division of the New York Community Trust. WCF aims “to improve the quality of life for all Westchester residents by connecting past, present, and future generous Westchester residents with nonprofits working to make a healthy, equitable, and thriving community.” This funder makes grants through hundreds of competitive, donor-advised and area-of-interest funds. Areas of grantmaking currently include health, mental health, justice, housing, economic opportunity, education, arts, social justice, the environment and other community needs in Westchester County.
Grants for Public Health and Mental Health
Two of this funder’s largest areas of giving concern disparities in access to health and mental health services in Westchester County. While the foundation does not name specific priorities for its giving in these areas, its guidelines express a preference for programs and projects for “marginalized and underserved communities,” as well as those that have “countywide impact.” Recent public health grantees include St. Joseph’s Hospital in Yonkers, the Westchester Medical Center and the Long Term Care Community Coalition. In mental health, the foundation has given to many smaller organizations that serve specific and vulnerable populations. Grantees include My Sister’s Place, addiction counseling programs run by Westchester Community Jewish Services and the Harris Project, and the Guidance Center of Westchester in Mount Vernon, New York.
Grants for Civic and Democracy, Immigrants and Refugees, and Criminal Justice Reform
The Westchester Community Foundation names human justice as one of its main giving initiatives and supports a broad range of “programs that protect civil liberties and human rights through access to civil legal services.” While the foundation does not name specific goals or strategies for its justice grantmaking, it has demonstrated a strong interest in immigrants rights and criminal justice reform. Grantees supporting immigrants and refugees include Neighbors Link, Legal Services of the Hudson Valley and the Hispanic Resource Center of Larchmont and Mamaroneck. Criminal justice reform recipients include the Hudson Valley Justice Center, the Center for Court Innovation and The foundation has also supported some organizations involved in civic engagement and grassroots organizing. Recent grants have supported Community Voice Heard, Make the Road New York and Generation Citizen, which works to educate and engage young people in civics and citizenship.
Grants for Housing, Food Systems, Work and Opportunity
Helping residents to achieve greater economic stability is a central priority of the Westchester Community Foundation. Its giving for human services focuses on basic needs like housing and food, while its workforce development giving supports opportunities for residents to “train for and get good jobs.” Housing grants have focused on emergency, transitional and affordable housing for vulnerable individuals and families, with recent funding going to the Family Services Society of Yonkers, Community Capital of New York and Westhab, which develops communities of affordable housing throughout the county. Grantmaking to combat hunger in the county has supported Hillside Food Outreach and the Community Food Pantry of Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown. Workforce development grantmaking prioritizes “programs that lead to industry-recognized certification and include job placement and post-placement services.” Recent recipients include the Westchester Chamber Educational Foundation, the Workforce Professionals Training Institute, the Women’s Enterprise Development Center and the Acceleration Project.
Grants for Education
This funder takes a broad approach to its education grantmaking, supporting organizations that serve young people from birth through age 24 in the areas of education and social-emotional development. The goal of this grantmaking is simply to help young people “become resilient adults” with grants supporting schools and organizations that provide out-of-school and summer learning and development opportunities. Recent recipients include GOOD for Girls, the Ossining Union Free School District, the Child Care Council of Westchester, Westchester Community College and several local chapters of Boys and Girls Clubs.
Grants for Arts and Culture
Arts and culture grantmaking supports initiatives that “broaden access” to the arts for all residents of the county, as well as programs that “provide professional development opportunities for artists from diverse backgrounds.” Grantmaking also appears to support arts education programs for young people. In recent years, the foundation has made grants to the Tarry Town Arts Camp, the Hoff Barthelson Music School, the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, the Clay Arts Center and the Jacob Burns Film Center.
Grants for the Environment, Climate Change and Clean Energy
The Westchester Community Foundation names the environment as a grantmaking priority and names the goal of promoting “more environmentally sustainable, resilient, and just communities.” In addition to conservation, the foundation supports programs that focus on emissions reduction, climate change mitigation, sustainability and climate change justice. Grantees in these areas have included Save the Sound, the Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation, Groundwork Hudson Valley and Riverkeeper, Inc.
Grants for LGBTQ Causes
LGBTQ populations have become a recent priority at the Westchester Community Foundation, with a recent RFP calling for programs for transgender and non-conforming youth. Beginning in 2023, grantmaking will support programs concerning the “health, mental health, and other quality of life concerns” for youth up to the age of 25 with grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000.
Important Grant Details
This funder made almost $12 million in grants in a recent year. Most of its grants range from $5,000 to $250,000, and its average grant size is about $25,000. Grantmaking is mainly limited to organizations serving the communities of Westchester County, New York, although the foundation gives to organizations of all sizes within this geographic area. Across all giving areas, the foundation prioritizes access and and services for marginalized, vulnerable and low-income residents of the county. For additional information about past grantmaking, see this funder’s results page.
This funder accepts letters of inquiry on an ongoing basis via email with due dates on October, January and May of each year. After review, some applicants will be invited to submit full proposals, which are usually doe on specific dates in December, March and July. This funder also posts RFPs for areas of special and timely interest. Direct questions to relevant staff members, whose contact information is available at the foundation’s staff page.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).
LINKS:
