Robert D. L. Gardiner Foundation Grants

Robert D. L. Gardiner Foundation Grants

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation
Amount: Up to US $500,000
Last Updated: November 27, 2025

Summary

The Robert D. L. Gardiner Foundation, established in 1987, supports the study of Long Island history and its impact on the American experience. It funds projects focused on education, historic preservation, and community engagement, particularly in the Town of Islip and Suffolk County. Grants range from $50,000 to $500,000, with matching options available. Eligible applicants include non-profit organizations and historical societies dedicated to preserving cultural heritage, ensuring that the region's rich history is understood and appreciated.

Overview

The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation, established in 1987, primarily supports the study of Long Island history and its role in the American experience. Robert David Lion Gardiner was, until his death in August 2004, the 16th Lord of the Manor of Gardiner’s Island, NY. The Gardiner family and their descendants have owned Gardiner’s Island since 1639, obtained as part of a royal grant from King Charles I of England. The Foundation is inspired by Robert David Lion Gardiner’s personal passion for New York history. Foundation Purpose The purpose of the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation is: To educate and inform the general public in the State of New York, particularly in the area of the Town of Islip and more generally in Suffolk County, concerning the culture, art and tradition of the locality.To cultivate, foster and promote interest in, and understanding and appreciation of the societal heritage of Town of Islip, particularly during the nineteenth century.To encourage and sponsor the creation and perpetuation by existing and future historical societies of collections and repositories for the deposit, collection and examination of documents and artifacts of various kinds relevant to such heritage and traditions.To sponsor and encourage the preservation, restoration and exhibition by existing and future historical societies of at least one facility appropriate to such purpose. Funding Priorities Objects Conservation Cataloging & Digital Imaging, Conservation of Objects, Collections Care, Acquisitions Historic Preservation Cultural Resource/Historic Landscape Survey, Historic Structure Report/Condition Assessment, Structural Stabilization/Restoration, Adaptive Reuse/New Construction (Structural Stabilization/Restoration, Adaptive Use/New Construction projects are defined as proposals seeking funding to restore or construct a new facility or add to a current facility or purchase equipment with an expected useful life of at least three years. Programs Higher Education, Community Education, Primary/Secondary Education, Outreach Programs, Research (including archeology), Exhibition, Events/Community Activities Capacity Building New technology equipment (e.g. computers); volunteer development; temporary consultant; strategic planning; staff training and internal operations planning, resource development planning; customer service and program delivery planning; marketing and communications planning; community engagement/partnership development; board, governance or leadership Funding Limits and Categories Up to $300,000.00 | Non-Matching Grants Cataloging & Digital ImagingConservation of ObjectsCollections Care Up to $100,000.00 | 50% Matching Grants The following grants require that the applicant has raised half of the funds needed to complete the project: ExhibitionsEducation Up to $50,000.00 | Non-Matching Grants Public ProgramsPublicationsEvents/Community Activities Up to $500,000.00 | 50% Matching Grants The following grants require that the applicant has raised half of the funds needed to complete the project: Structural Stabilization & RestorationAdaptive Reuse & New Construction

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Applicants must be non-profit, qualifying as exempt organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.Historical societies, historians, anthropologists, academic institutions, museums and similar organizations are welcome to apply.Applicants must have submitted a final grant report for any completed project previously funded by the Gardiner Foundation.The project must have a clearly outlined project plan and accompanying activities.The organization must demonstrate its vital role as a cultural entity in its community - enhancing education, promoting interest in and understanding of living history or preserving societal heritage.Matching:No more than 20% of the matching funds may be in-kind (e.g. if you are requesting $20,000.00 and matching $20,000.00, then your in-kind limit would be $4,000.00). Examples of in-kind matching include volunteer hours, donated materials, and donated services. In-kind matching must be dedicated to the project proposed and not for the overall operations of the organization or to any other project (e.g. general volunteer hours in office administration for the organization could not count toward the match for a restoration project). All construction and renovation grant recipients must allocate a percentage of their funds for periodic inspections including a written report to the Foundation of the work completed. Inspectors must be approved by the Foundation.

Ineligibility

Requests for the following will not be awarded:Tuition remission for student employees.Salaries/wages and applicable fringe benefits for current, permanent staff who will work on the project. This program is not intended to provide salary relief for existing staff at institutions. We do not fund existing staff salaries.Property purchase.Lobbying.Fund-raising.Indirect costs (overhead).Expenses incurred prior to award date.Insurance costs.Debt or interest.