Open Competitive Grants Program: Civic Affairs New York City

The Open Competitive Grants Program by The New York Community Trust aims to enhance civic engagement in New York City. It supports initiatives that promote voting, accountability in government, and civic literacy, particularly among children and immigrants. Eligible applicants include public charities that drive policy change and improve community services. The program explicitly excludes individual grants and funding for general operational costs or religious purposes. This initiative is essential for fostering an informed and participatory citizenry.

Thriving Communities
We make grants to groups that protect and create affordable housing, promote equity in the arts, improve civic engagement, and protect our environment. We support agencies working on these issues at the neighborhood level, as well as government and nonprofit institutions developing strategies. We also support efforts to improve the functioning of nonprofits and government.
Focus Area: Civic Affairs
Program goals: to ensure a representative political process and improve the function of government by encouraging voting, holding state and local government accountable, and promoting civic literacy for children and new immigrants.
Grants are made to:

• Encourage voting through projects that:Support reform of election administration and voting infrastructure.
• Remove obstacles to voting, especially for low-propensity voters.

Share nonpartisan information about candidates and elected officials.Make local and state government more accountable through projects that:Support efforts to make Albany work better for the citizens of the city and the state.
Strengthen nonprofit civic groups.
Provide citizens and advocates with information and skills needed to promote effective governance.Promote civic literacy in children and civic learning for our newest citizens through projects that:Encourage civic engagement among immigrants and their children.
Enrich civic learning opportunities for children and youth.
Focus on neighborhoods and constituencies with low levels of civic participation.

Eligibility

Most of our competitive grants go to public charities, or groups sponsored by one. While our focus is on New York, we support some organizations headquartered outside the City. Grantees (or fiscal agents) should have a board of directors with at least four members, and no more than one paid board member. We fund programs that promote change in policy or systems, build capacity of organizations, and expand and/or improve direct service

Ineligibility

We do not make grants to individuals, or for general operating support, capital and building campaigns, endowments, equipment, deficit financing, or religious purposes.