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:

  1. Increase sustained engagement and participation of underserved populations in high-quality programming at established arts and cultural organizations
  2. Strengthen the arts infrastructure in the city and build capacity at critical junctures for organizations providing high-quality arts and cultural programming
Grants 2024

American Composers Orchestra, Inc.
$75,000
To support composer initiatives and pilot programs in New York and related organizational capacity

ArtsPool, a project of Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York, Inc.
$100,000 (over two years)
To provide capacity building support for ArtsPool

The Billie Holiday Theatre, Inc.
$150,000 (over two years)
To sustain and enhance marketing, community engagement, and audience development

Brooklyn Academy of Music, Inc.
$200,000 (over two years)
To help support the implementation of core elements of its new strategic plan

Brooklyn Arts Council, Inc.
$120,000 (over two years)
To support capacity building efforts across the Council’s programmatic areas

Community-Word Project (CWP)
$110,000 (over two years)
For capacity building support for the Teaching Artist Project

Gina Gibney Dance
$50,000
To help promote access for individual artists and nonprofits to subsidized rehearsal space at the Gibney Center

Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning, Inc.
$150,000 (over two years)
To support a comprehensive marketing plan and efforts to refresh its brand

Jazz at Lincoln Center, Inc.
$150,000 (over two years)
To support its Youth Programs: Middle School Jazz Academy and High School Jazz Academy

Mind-Builders Creative Arts Company, Inc.
$100,000 (over two years)
For general operating support

The Museum of the City of New York, Inc.
$200,000 (over two years)
To expand the reach of MCNY Education Programs

New York City Arts in Education Roundtable
$100,000 (over two years)
To provide capacity building support

Queens Museum of Art New York City Building
$100,000 (over two years)
To provide capacity building and planning support for its Children's Museum

Sphinx Organization, Inc.
$100,000 (over two years)
To support service-to-the-field programs and partnerships in NYC that help advance diversity, equity, and inclusion within the classical music and performing arts field

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:

  1. Significantly increase mastery of program-specific competencies and developmentally appropriate life skills
  2. Prepare participants to transition successfully to post-secondary and/or professional opportunities, including employment in the creative economy
Grants 2024

The ArtsConnection, Inc.
$50,000
To help support the Teen Reviewers and Critics (TRaC) program, the college and career readiness program OnTRaC, and Culture Connected

Building Beats
$70,000 (over two years)
For capacity building support for the bbLeaders program

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 the free, pre-collegiate, studio-based Saturday Program for portfolio prep in the visual arts

Dancing Classrooms
$40,000
For capacity building support

DreamYard Project, Inc.
$ 100,000 (over two years)
To support curriculum expansion and program implementation at BX Start, an entrepreneurship and creative career center in the Bronx

Green Guerillas, Inc.
$70,000 (over two years)
To provide flexible operating support for the Youth Empowerment Program and Summer Youth Tiller's Program

Harlem Lacrosse and Leadership
$40,000
To support Harlem Lacrosse and Leadership's College and Career Pathing Program in New York  

Mama Foundation for the Arts, Inc.
$40,000
For general support

MOVE NYC Foundation Inc
$70,000 (over two years)
To provide general operating support

NYC Salt, Inc.
$40,000
To help support its high school digital photography program

New York State Youth Leadership Council
$80,000 (over two years)
To provide general operating support

Peter Westbrook Foundation, Inc.
$50,000 (over two years)
To provide program support for this youth development program anchored by the sport of fencing

Roundabout Theatre Company, Inc.
$100,000 (over two years)
To support the Theatrical Theatre Workforce Development Program

Row New York, Inc.
$120,000 (over two years)
For general operating support

STEM From Dance
$70,000 (over two years)
To support program expansion in New York City

Urban Arts Partnership
$50,000
To support the School of Interactive Arts

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