The Booth Ferris Foundation supports the arts and culture, education (K-12 and higher education), parks and gardens, and strengthening the nonprofit sector. In the area of the arts, K-12 education and strengthening the nonprofit sector, the Foundation focuses on projects in New York City. With respect to the field of higher education, the Foundation will consider proposals from organizations in the Northeast US.
Education
K-12 Education
The K-12 Education Program provides capacity building support for organizations working directly with or on behalf of district public schools in the New York City school system. Organizations must maintain an annual budget over $1 million. The following requests will not be considered:
- Requests from or on behalf of individual schools
- Requests from or on behalf of private and/or independent schools
- Non-New York City activities
- After-school programs
- Scholarship funds
- Endowment funds
- Requests for general support
Higher Education:
The Higher Education Program of the Booth Ferris Foundation provides capacity building support for institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. Organizations must maintain an annual budget over $1 million. The following requests will not be considered:
- Capital campaigns
- Arts-related facilities or initiatives (the Booth Ferris Foundation directs all arts giving through the Arts and Culture Program in New York City)
- Scholarship funds alone
- Endowment funds
- Requests for general support
Arts and Culture
The Foundation supports arts and culture organizations, including parks and gardens, located in New York City and working directly to enhance the vibrancy and cultural richness of New York City. Arts and culture organizations eligible to apply include performing, presenting, arts education, intermediary, advocacy, public policy and capacity-building organizations. Support is available for capacity building or capital projects. The Foundation does not provide general operating support or support for ongoing programs or activities.
Priority organizations will meet the following criteria:
- Demonstrate standards of artistic excellence
- Engage significant numbers and reach a diverse audience and constituency base
- Maintain an annual budget of over $1 million for the last complete fiscal year
- Demonstrate a proven record of success in achieving measurable outcomes
- Maintain a strong track record of fiscal health, including sound financial planning and robust funding from diverse sources
Strengthening the NYC Nonprofit Sector
Organizations that build the capacity and infrastructure of New York City's nonprofit sector and work to address issues of systemic inequity. Support is available for an organization's own capacity building or for its capacity-building activities on behalf of the field. Eligible organizations include:
- Organizations providing capacity building, the management or technical assistance to nonprofits in New York City
- Organizations engaged in advocacy or public policy work on behalf of underserved communities in New York City
- Organizations supporting and working on behalf of membership agencies or a network of nonprofits
Organizations working directly to build vibrant communities and to promote equity for underserved populations in New York City. Support is available for capacity building or capital projects. Priority organizations will meet the following criteria:
- Maintain an annual budget of over $1 million
- Be able to demonstrate a proven record of success in achieving measurable outcomes
- Requesting support for capacity building efforts directly linked to long-term planning efforts
- Requesting support at a period of transformative organizational growth or at a critical juncture in the organization's lifecycle
A history of past funding can be found here: https://www.jpmorgan.com/private-bank/foundations/boothferris
The Foundation supports capacity building activities that build nonprofit infrastructure and sustainability, enabling organizations to achieve greater performance and impact. The Foundation supports activities to strengthen leadership and adaptive capacities, as well as management and technical capacities. Strong proposals will clearly articulate intended goals and a process for measuring capacity building outcomes. Examples of capacity building activities supported by the Foundation include:
Capital campaigns and major capital improvement projects must have already met at least 50% of their fundraising goals in order to apply for support. Priority will be given to smaller-scale projects and discrete capital requests.