The Staten Island Foundation Grant

The Staten Island Foundation Grant aims to enhance the educational, health, and community service sectors in Staten Island. This grant prioritizes projects that show measurable benefits for the community, particularly for the least advantaged. Applicants must align their proposals with one of the Foundation's target outcomes and demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity, and sustainability. For detailed guidelines and eligibility criteria, visit the Foundation's website.

NOTE: After reviewing our targets and thinking about your proposal and its anticipated results, please contact Foundation staff with an email that provides a few paragraphs about your proposal and how it might align with a Foundation target. Foundation staff will discuss potential requests with applicants to help determine which application is needed for a proposed project.
Education
The Staten Island Foundation is committed to providing schools and community organizations with support so that all students have access to an education that prepares them for life and to become productive members of our community. Grant applicants with an Education focus will identify one of the Foundation’s target outcomes below and develop an anticipated results statement which aligns with one of the following:

• Increases in the number of K-12 students that are improving their academic achievement to at or above grade level.
• Increases in the number of pre-K children meeting their developmental milestones.
• Increases in the number of parents that are actively involved in supporting their child’s educational success.
• Increases in the number of youth that obtain a high school diploma, HSE or vocational credential.
• Increase the number of least-advantaged students that enter and succeed in college.
• Increases in the number of English language learners become proficient in English at a level that meets their educational or career needs.
• Increases in the number of youth that demonstrate their leadership skills at school or in the community and improve their academic performance.
• Additional information for the Education focus area may be found here.
• Health

Good physical and mental health are essential to ensure successful outcomes for all Staten Island residents. Grant applicants with a Health focus will identify one of the Foundation’s target outcomes below and develop an anticipated results statement that aligns with one of the following:

• Increases of those at risk for health problems that connect to needed health services.
• Increases in the number of residents that increase their level of daily physical activity and/or improve their diet with nutritious foods.
• Increases in the number of residents, particularly youth, that abstain from substance abuse.
• Increases in available health services for the least advantaged, including mental health services.
• Improvements in organizational effectiveness and efficiency leading to enhanced delivery of community health services.
• Additional information for the Health focus area may be found here.
• Community Services

The Staten Island Foundation seeks a community that offers a wide range of strong supports and opportunities that help residents, especially our youth, reach their full potential, for all to make a positive contribution. Grant applicants with a Community Services focus will identify one of the Foundation’s target outcomes below and develop an anticipated results statement that aligns with one of the following:

• Improvements in community service organizations’ effectiveness and efficiency that lead to improved results for those they serve.
• Increases in the availability and use of social services to stabilize the lives of at-risk individuals and families.

Increases in the number of individuals and families experiencing poverty that get their basic needs met (food, clothing, shelter) and connect to other needed resources.
Increases in the number of residents that volunteer their time and experience to better the community.
Increases in the number of residents, particularly youth, that demonstrate their leadership skills in the community, at home, school, or in the workplace.
Increases in the number of Staten Island residents getting and keeping jobs at a level that meets their employment goals.
Additional information for the Community Services focus area may be found here.
Arts & Culture
The Staten Island Foundation believes that strong arts and culture programs contribute to a more vibrant community and enhance the quality of life for all residents in Staten Island. Grant applicants with an Arts and Culture focus will identify one of the Foundation’s target outcomes below and develop an anticipated results statement that aligns with one of the following:

• Increases in the number of individuals participating in Staten Island art and culture offerings.
• Increases in the number of schools and community organizations that offer strong arts education.
• Increases in the number of youth that participate in the arts in or out of school through multiple experiences.
• Increases in diversity, equity & inclusion in our area’s existing arts & culture offerings.
• Improvements in effectiveness and efficiency of arts organizations that leads to their enhanced sustainability.
• Additional information for the Arts & Culture focus area may be found here.
• Types of Grants
• Direct Service Grants

The Foundation invests in programs and projects that are focused on improving the lives of those being served, with a particular focus on those who are least advantaged. Grant funds can only be used to support the program or project described in an approved application.
The application must align with one of the Foundation’s target outcomes listed under the appropriate Focus Area and propose an anticipated results statement that describes concrete, measurable results.
Capacity Building Grants
The Foundation makes grants to support nonprofits achieve and sustain better results for those they serve by strengthening strengthen an organization’s infrastructure, management, and governance. Various capacity building projects may include improving internal systems, training staff, volunteers, or Board members, developing strategic plans, expanding fundraising efforts, evaluating overall effectiveness.
Capital Improvement Grants
Although these grants are very limited at this time, the Foundation recognizes that at times investing in capital improvement is the best investment we can make to increase the efficiency or effectiveness of your organization. Please contact Foundation staff to discuss your potential request. Typical Capital Improvement Grants help an organization buy or improve a physical asset and in most cases Foundation dollars will be paid out over multiple fiscal years and will contribute to an overall project budget that includes multiple sources.
Focused Opportunity Grants
At times, The Foundation will encourage applications to support projects that may have a powerful impact but are limited in focus by the duration of the project, the amount of funds required, or the scope of the work. Examples of projects that would fall into this category may be an emergency food distribution, a professional training opportunity, a volunteer-led community event. The application for a Focused Opportunity Grant must align with one of the Foundation’s target outcomes listed under the appropriate Focus Area.

Eligibility

The Foundation supports organizations with current 501(c)3 status that serve Staten Island residents.The Foundation supports organizations with established track records and demonstrated financial capacity.  At the Board of Director’s discretion, newly established organizations or those using a fiscal conduit may be considered.The Staten Island Foundation looks for projects  with the following characteristics:Projects that clearly and directly benefit the Staten Island community with measurable, long-term results

Projects that demonstrate their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion
Projects that can be effectively implemented and ultimately continued without our funding
Projects that contribute to one of the Collective Impact initiatives supported by the FoundationThe Foundation’s Board of Directors may review applications that are beyond these guidelines when, in its discretion, they believe the project goals further the mission of the Foundation.

Ineligibility

Scholarships
Fundraising event sponsorships, journal ads, or yearbook ads
Tickets to events
Requests from solicitors on behalf of an organization (response to organizational leaders only).