Grace & Mercy Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The New York City-based Grace & Mercy Foundation supports housing and homelessness, work and opportunity, education, mental health and human rights. A significant portion of funding goes to Christian organizations.
IP TAKE: The Grace and Mercy Foundation tends to support Christian and church-affiliated organizations in its areas of grantmaking interest. New York and New Jersey appear to be geographic areas of priority. This funder is not accessible and does not accept unsolicited proposals for funding. This funder is risk-averse and funds a narrow geographical area, so make sure your work is a close fit to receive funding. If it is a good fit, also note that the foundation keeps funding notably open in its areas of focus, which means you may have more opportunity for funding here - so long as your work has a religious, Christian position. Contact the foundation to learn more about how it chooses grantees and be ready to briefly pitch your work.
PROFILE: The Grace & Mercy Foundation was established in 2006 by Bill Hwang, the founder and CEO of the New York-based securities firm Archegos Capital Management. The foundation “supports the poor and oppressed, and helps people learn, grow and serve.” Grace and Mercy’s grantmaking prioritizes underserved populations and makes grants in the areas of housing and homelessness, work and opportunity, education, mental health and human rights. A decidedly Christian funder, this foundation supports many religious and religion-affiliated organizations and runs a number of scripture reading programs and book clubs.
The foundation maintains a sparse website and does not outline specific goals for its grantmaking. Grace & Mercy is affiliated with separate foundations in South Korea and Japan.
Grants for Housing, Homelessness and Community Development
The Grace & Mercy Foundation’s housing and homelessness grantmaking mainly supports well-established programs for the homeless in New York City. Past grantees include the Bowery Mission, the NYC Rescue Mission and the Rescue Alliance NYC, all of which provide or facilitate emergency and transitional shelter for homeless individuals and families, as well as counseling services, basic needs and case management. In nearby New Jersey, the foundation has supported the Nehemiah Community Development Corporation, which works to revitalize the Gateway area of the city of Camden.
Grants for Work and Opportunity
In the area of work and opportunity, the Grace and Mercy Foundation has supported organizations in the U.S. and abroad, prioritizing communities and areas of high need and vulnerability. One grantee, the Mango Fund, supports local entrepreneurs who engage in “value addition activities within their countries.” Another grantee, NURU International, works globally to provide poor rural communities with the physical and financial infrastructure needed to overcome widespread poverty. And in the U.S., the foundation has supported Rising Tide Capital, which helps to build strong and sustainable businesses in struggling communities.
Grants for K-12 Education
The Grace and Mercy Foundation’s K-12 funding prioritizes private and charter schools in New York and New Jersey. It does not appear to invest in public schools, but that could change. Grantees include New Jersey’s Dwight-Englewood School, Manhattan Christian Academy, New York City’s Geneva School and Pave Schools, a charter organization. The foundation has also supported Young Life NYC, a mentoring program for teens in New York City.
Grants for Higher Education
Grace and Mercy’s higher education funding prioritizes Christian colleges, seminaries and student outreach programs. Past grantees include the City Seminary of New York, California’s Fuller Theological Seminary, the King’s College in New York City and the Reformed University Fellowship of New York City, a program for undergraduate students focused on the teachings of Jesus Christ. Additionally, the foundation has supported SUNY Korea, which is the first U.S. institution of higher education to have a campus in South Korea.
Grants for Mental Health
Mental health services figure prominently in the Grace and Mercy Foundation’s support of poor, homeless and vulnerable people. Grantees working in mental health include the Children’s Aid Society of New York, Family Touch USA, Inheritance of Hope and Los Angeles’s Korean American Family Service Center.
Grants for Global Security and Human Rights
The Grace and Mercy Foundation has demonstrated a commitment to helping and rehabilitating victims of human trafficking in the U.S. and abroad. In Mexico, the foundation has funded El Pozo de Vida, which works to “restore, rehabilitate and re-socialize” victims of trafficking, while in India and Cambodia, the foundation has funded NOMI, which works to prevent the trafficking of women and girls and to rehabilitate victims. In the U.S. Grace and Mercy has supported Restore NYC, which aims to prevent sex trafficking and rehabilitate survivors. Another grantee, the International Justice Mission, works to prevent the exploitation of the poor in developing nations by strengthening institutions and empowering communities.
Important Grant Details:
In a recent year, the Grace & Mercy Foundation made over $16 million in grants ranging from $10,000 to over $1 million. The foundation’s average grant size is about $25,000. Many grants go to organizations with Christian affiliations, and while there are no geographic restrictions placed on grantmaking, many grants have gone to organizations in the New York area. For additional information about past grantmaking, see the grantees section of the foundation’s website or its recent tax filings.
The Grace and Mercy Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals for funding. General inquiries may be submitted to the foundation via its online form or by telephone at 212-984-2561.
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