Sills Family Foundation Grants

Sills Family Foundation Grants

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Sills Family Foundation
Amount: US $10,000 - US $25,000
Last Updated: December 04, 2025

Summary

The Sills Family Foundation provides grants to nonprofits focused on early childhood education, environmental justice, arts and culture, and support for families in crisis. They prioritize programs benefiting communities affected by the criminal justice system, as well as refugees and asylees. Grants typically range from $10,000 to $25,000, with an emphasis on systemic change and community-based solutions. The foundation operates primarily in metro New York City and California, accepting applications for one-year grants only.

Overview

NOTE: The Sills Family Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and limits its grants to organizations that we invite to apply. However, we do not discourage you from sharing your ideas with us. If you would like the Sills Family Foundation to consider supporting a program that fits our goals and mission, please send a brief description of the project and contact information where we can learn more. Our Program Areas The Sills Family Foundation’s primary grants program intends to help children from low income families live up to their highest promise by concentrating on the following four areas: Comprehensive Services to Families in Crisis- With a special focus on families impacted by incarceration The Sills Family Foundation has a major focus on programs that support families impacted by the criminal justice system. We partner with programs that work to strengthen the parent/child bond during incarceration through facilitating transportation for prison visits, creating child-sensitive visiting areas in correctional facilities, providing parenting education classes to incarcerated parents, as well as supporting families through the re-entry period. This effort extends to addressing the inequities in the bail system, preventing juvenile detentions, and providing high quality legal services to low income populations. In considering the rehabilitative opportunities so rarely provided to incarcerated individuals, the Foundation supports higher education and arts programming inside correctional facilities. The Foundation has begun to play a role in deepening policy makers and service providers’ capacity in this field. The Sills Family Foundation is proud to be a member of the NY Initiative for Children with Incarcerated Parents, as well as the New York Youth Justice Initiative. Support to Underserved Communities- Through improved access to early education and reduction of neighborhood violence Low income neighborhoods and schools experience a disproportionate amount of school suspensions, violence, arrests and damage to the community through involvement in the criminal justice system. We support programs that seek to intervene in this destructive cycle and help young people stay on the path to success. Early education can make a world of difference in how a child goes on to succeed in school, work and life. This is especially true for children challenged by poverty, homelessness and other forms of trauma. Children who start kindergarten behind their peers may continue to face problems throughout school. Getting kids off to a good start is critical to their future. We are committed to high-quality education experiences that help children live up to their highest potential. We want to improve chances for all children to succeed in life through access to education, early intervention and family supports such as mental health counseling and job skills classes for their parents. Programs Supporting Immigrants, Refugees and Asylees We believe all human beings have the right to pursue their dreams of building a better home for themselves and their families, and that newcomers to the US should have access to necessary legal, educational, and material needs. Environmental Justice- With a focus on contaminants that harm the developing embryo, fetus and infant Toxic chemicals are released into our environment every day. Children consume pollutants in their food, air and water, their toys, candy, even baby bottles. These hazards can cause serious health problems, ranging from asthma and cancer to brain impairment and behavioral problems. They take a greater toll on the most vulnerable: pregnant women, fetuses and children. We want to protect families from lead, mercury and other toxic compounds. The foundation supports organizations that embrace the ideals of environmental justice and that protect against poor communities carrying a greater share of the toxic burden. We invest in programs that work to reduce pollutants in our air, water, food and homes so that the minds and bodies of our infants and children stay healthy and strong. Arts and Culture- Arts education and other creative opportunities to support underserved populations Arts and cultural activity can provide people of all ages important tools of self expression, can open paths to new forms of communication and can strengthen self esteem. We believe that high quality arts programming in schools, community centers and senior centers can be a powerful tool of social justice. The Foundation seeks to support culturally sensitive collaborations between teaching artists, educators and community leaders to bring the positive power of the arts to under-resourced schools and communities. Funding Priorities The Sills Family Foundation funds nonprofits that support early childhood education, environmental justice, arts and culture, and families in crisis, with a focus on families and communities impacted by the criminal justice justice system as well as refugees, migrants and asylees. Funding Criteria The organizations we invest in support families and communities to overcome obstacles created by poverty, racism and other forms of marginalization. The programs we support have passionate leaders, are community based and offer potential for systemic, sustained change, including the possibility of replication. We seek to fund organizations for whom our grantmaking capacity will make an impact. Grant Making Budget Most of our grants range from $10,000 to $25,000. The Foundation accepts applications for one-year grants only, with the possibility of renewal grants for extended periods. Many of our grants support general operating needs.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. The Sills Family Foundation funds nonprofits that support early childhood education, environmental justice, arts and culture, and families in crisis, with a focus on families and communities impacted by the criminal justice justice system as well as refugees, migrants and asylees.The Foundation accepts applications for one-year grants only.With the exception of environmental justice organizations that may be national in scope, the foundation awards grants in metro New York City and California..