The New York Women's Foundation

The New York Women's Foundation creates a more equitable and just future for New York City's women and families by bringing together a cross-cultural alliance that inspires people to act and invest in bold, community-led solutions.

The New York Women's Foundation funds women leaders building solutions in their communities. Having distributed $7.6 million in 2016, The New York Women's Foundation's grantmaking places it at the top women's foundations in the U.S., and second in the world. We boldly invest in organizations and leaders that strive for justice, economic security, safety, and health for women and families. We prioritize organizations that promote women's leadership, gender equity, and asset-based community approaches. The Foundation goes beyond funding to deliver the resources and networking opportunities that emerging organizations and leaders need in order to continue to progress and succeed. We practice participatory grantmaking—guidance for grantmaking comes directly from the communities to be supported; and grantmaking is principally carried out by volunteer activists. Our approach provides diverse stakeholders with a deep, first-hand knowledge of the key issues and players, and continually reinforces their determination to promote success.

Throughout our 30-year history, The New York Women's Foundation has been a crucial partner to organizations implementing local, community-based solutions. We have a number of strategies that we use to make sure our grantmaking is comprehensive. The Foundation's Early Investor strategy deepens this key element of our work: identifying, funding, and supporting small and/or emerging organizations and programs that serve historically underinvested communities of women, girls, and gender-fluid individuals. Our goal is to ensure the effectiveness and impact of these organizations, programs, and community leaders in order to create long-term economic security for these individuals and communities living at or below the poverty line in the five boroughs of New York City.

The New York Women's Foundation's "Accelerating Change" strategy leverages targeted investment to accelerate change for women, families and gender-fluid individuals in New York City with the highest levels of poverty, violence, unemployment, and related social, educational and economic disparities. This funding expands the approaches and strategies implemented by our grantee partners and are carried out in partnership with grantee partners as well as donors, and other philanthropic organizations.

The Foundation's "Rapid Response" strategy responds to unexpected stressors that affect women and their communities with rapid investment, followed by sustained support. Examples include our response to unexpected events such as the tragedy of 9/11, the Great Recession, and Hurricane Sandy. In these cases. The New York Women's Foundation provided emergency funding to community-based organizations working on the ground to help women and families during and also provided sustained investment, which is crucial to the success of recovery approaches.

The New York Women's Foundation leverages strategic partnerships to accelerate change for women, families and gender-fluid individuals in New York City with the highest levels of poverty, violence, unemployment, and related social, educational and economic disparities. Our partnerships with institutions and stakeholders support a variety of customized, place-based solutions promoting peace, safety and prosperity as determined by the community members. Partnerships include, but are not limited to geographic and population-based institutions; research and thought-leader institutions; regional and national advocacy organizations and movements; and other philanthropic stakeholders. Grantmaking supports the strengthening of existing, authentic networks of community partners working together towards common goals, including the initiation, refining and scaling up of such solutions.