If you had $3 million to give away, which New York causes would you support?
It might seem like a hypothetical question, but a major local community foundation is asking New Yorkers which causes it should support with its grant money next year.
The New York Community Trust, an organization that pools donations to address local needs, is celebrating its centennial with the launch of Our Votes, Our Vision, Our Community, an initiative that gives New Yorkers a chance to vote on various issue areas they feel most need funding in their neighborhoods.
The initiative invites New Yorkers to vote on the causes they hold most dear through a survey on the foundation’s website. Issues to choose from include affordable housing, nonprofit resilience, workforce development, mental and behavioral health, decarceration, democracy and immigration.
The votes will shape the trust’s grantmaking in 2025, determining three causes to which it will allocate $1 million each, for a total of $3 million in grants.
“The trust has always helped New Yorkers champion the causes they care about,” Amy Freitag, New York Community Trust’s president, said. “Our goal with this initiative is to include even more voices from the community in our grantmaking to better serve our region.”
Grant money for the initiative will come from the trust’s unrestricted funds pot, which includes donations from New Yorkers to support various causes.
The trust will select the nonprofit grantees supporting the three winning causes. Voting started on Sept. 10 and will stay open until Nov. 30.
Freitag is encouraging New Yorkers to vote, as well as take part in various free and informative community events scheduled in recognition of the organization’s anniversary throughout NYC, Long Island and Westchester.
“We hope as many New Yorkers as possible will vote and join our celebrations this fall,” she said.
The events include panel discussions with nonprofit leaders, donors, activists, artists, public officials and community organizers to seek solutions that could advance various causes in NYC, including food security, accessibility, an equitable justice system, neighborhood cultural preservation and building climate resilience.
Per a press release from New York Community Trust, the organization has worked with donors and nonprofits to support causes such as education, health care and affordable housing throughout its 100-year history. It also played a vital role in the region’s response to the AIDS crisis, September 11 and COVID-19, the press release states.
For more information about the survey and upcoming events, visit thenytrust.org.
