The Foundation has had a longstanding interest in the arts, reflecting Benjamin Altman’s personal commitment and our belief in the essential role that cultural engagement and the arts play in enriching the lives of New Yorkers and creating new avenues of exploration and opportunity for the city’s young people. Given our particular focus on issues of access and inclusion, the Foundation invests in organizations, programs, and projects that achieve results aligned with the objectives outlined below. As a general rule, the programs that we support take place outside of the public schools. Please note that the "Results Sought" reflect the specific outcomes of interest to us.
Promote access to arts and culture for all New Yorkers, with a special focus on people from underserved communities
Results Sought:
American Composers Orchestra, Inc.
$150,000 (over two years)
For capacity building in support of its composer advancement initiatives
ArtsPool, a project of Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York, Inc.
$100,000 (over two years)
To provide capacity building support for ArtsPool's efforts to develop and implement strategic improvements to its business plan, financial model, and accountability procedures
The Billie Holiday Theatre, Inc.
$150,000 (over two years)
To support critical investments in marketing, audience development, and its community engagement capacity
The Council on the Arts and Humanities for Staten Island, Inc.
$50,000
To provide capacity building support for implementation a new strategic plan
Dancing Classrooms
$40,000
To provide capacity building for the organization's out-of-school time programming
DreamYard Project, Inc.
$50,000
To provide professional development training and coaching to help NYC educators and school administrators use the arts to center racial equity in their curricula, school procedures, policies and practices
Gina Gibney Dance
$140,000 (over two years)
To provide flexible organizational development support during a transitional period for Gibney and the dance sector
Groundswell Community Mural Project, Inc.
$80,000 (over two years)
To provide organizational capacity building support during a leadership transition
Jazz at Lincoln Center, Inc.
$50,000
To support the Middle School Jazz Academy and High School Jazz Academy
New York City Arts in Education Roundtable
$100,000 (over two years)
To provide capacity building support to help advance its strategic plan
New York Foundation for the Arts, Inc.
$50,000
To provide capacity building support for the Incubator for Executive Leaders of Color leadership development program
Queens Council on the Arts, Inc.
$50,000
To provide capacity building support
Queens Museum of Art (dba Queens Museum)
$75,000 (over eighteen months)
To provide capacity building support in preparation for opening the new Children’s Museum at the Queens Museum
Sphinx Organization, Inc.
$100,000 (over two years)
To support its field-building work to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion within the classical music and performing arts fields
Promote positive youth development among underserved youth through engagement in arts, cultural, and other unique programs that provide sequential opportunities to participate over an extended period of time.
Results Sought:
ArtsConnection, Inc.
$50,000
To support the Teen Reviewers and Critics (TRaC) program and the implementation of ArtsConnection’s new strategic plan
Beam Center Inc.
$50,000
To support the expansion of the Project Leaders Enterprise Program
Brooklyn Conservatory of Music
$35,000
To support the launch of the Community Music Center Initiative
CitySquash
$35,000
To support its comprehensive youth development program
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
$100,000 (over two years)
To support an arts intensive, college-preparatory program for New York City high school students from underserved communities
Harlem Lacrosse and Leadership
$40,000
For the development of the Leadership Expanded Access Program for 8th and 9th grade students
Legal Outreach, Inc.
$40,000
To support the Civic Engagement and Social Justice Program
Mama Foundation for the Arts, Inc.
$40,000
To provide capacity building support for the Mama Music Matters arts education and youth development program
Mind-Builders Creative Arts Company, Inc.
$100,000 (over two years)
To provide instructional classes, youth leadership activities, and arts-based crisis intervention programs for children and youth in the Bronx
New York State Youth Leadership Council
$40,000
For general support
The Noel Pointer Foundation
$50,000
To support the On-Campus Strings Program
NYC Salt, Inc.
$130,000 (over two years)
To help support the implementation of strategic plan priorities for organizational infrastructure, including staffing and revenue strategy development
Peter Westbrook Foundation, Inc.
$50,000 (over two years)
To provide program support for this youth development program anchored by the sport of fencing
Queens Council on the Arts, Inc.
$25,000
For the High School to Art School portfolio development program
Reel Works Teen Filmmaking
$50,000
To support MediaMKRS, a coalition effort to create sustainable career pathways for underrepresented young New Yorkers in the city's growing media and film industries
Roundabout Theatre Company, Inc.
$100,000 (over two years)
To support the Theatrical Workforce Development Program
Row New York, Inc.
$120,000 (over two years)
For general operating support
STEM From Dance
$35,000
To support program expansion in New York City
Teens Take Charge
$35,000
For general operating support
Urban Arts Partnership
$50,000
For the continued growth of the School of Interactive Arts, including post-secondary and career pathways programs to prepare young people for jobs in the creative economy