Application Process

Given the high volume of recent inquiries, our Letter of Inquiry (LOI) portal is currently closed. Please revisit the site after January 15th for an update.

Letter of Inquiry

Typically, the Altman Foundation uses letters of inquiry to learn more about organizations working in its five program areas. When openings in the Foundation’s portfolio become available, candidates that are a strong fit receive more in-depth reviews by the Foundation’s staff and, potentially, are invited to submit a full application for funding. Given the volume of proposals in the Foundation's current pipeline, including active grantees that are eligible for renewal consideration, we have modified our LOI process and identified areas of specific interest. These interests reflect our overall commitment to advancing racial and economic equity and promoting a sound and just recovery from the impact of the pandemic.

While opportunities for new grants are limited, our priorities for new grantmaking in the upcoming period are outlined below under the corresponding long-term objectives for each program area. Once you have reviewed this guidance, if you wish to submit a Letter of Inquiry (LOI), please answer our eligibility questionnaire.

SERVICES TO NOT-FOR-PROFITS

  • Significantly enhance the ability of key umbrella organizations to help their member or constituent agencies address critical community issues in the Foundation’s areas of interest.

    Here, a particular focus will be:
    • Efforts that help multiple organizations or service sectors improve their capacity to address the impact of COVID-19 on their communities and constituents, and/or realign their work in ways that support a more equitable recovery.

CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT, YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, AND THE ARTS

  • Strengthen the arts infrastructure in the city and build capacity at critical junctures for organizations providing high-quality arts and cultural programming.

    Here, a particular focus will be:
    • Neighborhood-based arts and cultural organizations that serve as anchors for arts, culture, community-building and youth development; and
    • Efforts that help multiple institutions or segments of the arts sector improve their capacity to meet new operating demands.

HEALTH

  • Expand and strengthen quality out-of-hospital health care for the most underserved and vulnerable populations.
  • Expand access to health care for underserved, uninsured, or vulnerable populations or communities.

    Here, a particular focus will be:

Projects that utilize lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic to inform or create momentum around efforts to address both new and long-standing priorities, including:

    • Tackling social determinants of health and barriers to health and healthcare that -- at a structural, community, or individual level -- contribute to inequity and result in health disparities;
    • Strengthening and expanding access to home- and community-based coordinated physical, mental, and social care for vulnerable low-income New Yorkers;
    • The need to invest in and embrace the role of trusted and culturally/linguistically competent messengers/service providers in advancing public health priorities.

EDUCATION

We give priority to programs/initiatives in our areas of interest that expand or enhance multiple programs or schools across a system or network. (Generally, we do not provide support for individual early childhood programs, or individual district schools, charter schools, public universities, or private colleges/universities.)

  • Provide disadvantaged children and youth with more high-quality learning time through early childhood education and afterschool, summer, and expanded learning programs.

    Here, a particular focus will be programs/initiatives that:
    • Address the loss of learning time among underserved students at significant scale.
  • Increase access to and success in high-quality post-secondary educational opportunities.

    Here, a particular focus will be robust counseling, training, and other initiatives that:
    • Provide non-college-going youth with credentials and/or in-demand skills that result in living-wage employment.

STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES

  • Build and preserve economic security and independence among low-income individuals and families.

    Here, a particular focus will be:
    • Resources and services that help low-income young adults 18-24 to become employed or re-employed in jobs that support economic independence.
  • Promote and sustain the availability of, and equitable access to, essential community resources needed to support stable, healthy communities, with an emphasis on systemic efforts.

    Here, a particular focus will be:
    • Closing the digital divide for underserved students, families, and communities.
      (Please note, we will not consider requests solely for the purchase of hardware and devices.)

Full Proposal

If we have suggested that you follow your Letter of Inquiry with a full proposal or if you are a current grantee applying for renewed funding, please log in to the grant portal where you will find the related application form in the “Proposals in Progress” section. Please fill out the application and submit it with the required documents. In the application form, please select from the three types of investments most relevant to your request:

  • Investments in Direct Service
    In this area we support programs and projects that create human gain for people in our areas of focus. Historically, most of the grants in our portfolio have fallen into this category.
  • Investments in Capacity Building*
    At times we believe that making an investment in an organization so that it can achieve and sustain stronger gains for those served is the best investment we can make.
  • Investments in Systems Change
    At times we believe that the most pressing need is to make an improvement in the larger context of factors and forces that affect programs and organizations. The Foundation will consider requests for strategic policy, advocacy, and applied research initiatives that advance the Foundation's grantmaking priorities.

* Please note that if you are providing technical assistance services to other organizations, they are your clients and you should designate your request as a “direct service” application. The “capacity building” designation refers to organizations seeking to build their own internal capacity.

Additional Documents Required: All full proposals should include the items listed on the Application Checklist. We cannot review your request until all required attachments have been received.

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