Booth Ferris Foundation

Information About the Trust and Grant Program

The Booth Ferris Foundation was established in 1957 under the wills of Willis H. Booth and his wife, Chancie Ferris Booth. Since that time, approximately $281 million has been contributed from the Foundation to worthy organizations for a variety of charitable purposes. Grants are made to charitable organizations that are exempt from federal taxes under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and that are not classified as private foundations.

In 2023, $10.5M was distributed through 92 grants.

Requests for conversations prior to proposal submission will be considered on a case-by-case basis between October 15 and January 15. Staff will follow-up for additional interviews, as needed, during the proposal review period.

We will make every effort to inform applicants promptly if their proposal will not be successful. An applicant whose proposal has been turned down is not encouraged to apply again until the following calendar year.

Grants are not made to organizations whose primary work is conducted outside of the United States, and grants are not made to individuals, to federated campaigns or to work with specific diseases or disabilities. Proposals from educational institutions for scholarships and fellowships and for unrestricted endowment are discouraged, as are proposals for individual research efforts at such institutions. Proposals from social services and cultural institutions from outside the metropolitan New York area will not be considered.

– JPMorgan Chase Bank, Trustee

General Guidelines

Funding Interests:

  • Arts and culture,
  • Education (K-12 and higher education),
  • Parks and outdoor spaces, and
  • Strengthening the nonprofit sector.

Geographic Focus:
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.

Restrictions:
Maintain an annual budget over $1 million. A minimum of three years must elapse between grant awards. No grants are made to individuals, private foundations or for loans. Grants are not made to organizations whose primary work is conducted outside of the US, to individuals, to federated campaigns, or to work with specific diseases or disabilities. Proposals from educational institutions for scholarships, fellowships and for unrestricted endowment are discouraged, as are proposals for individual research efforts at such institutions. Proposals from social services and cultural institutions from outside the metropolitan New York area will not be considered.

Eligibility:
Organizations must be classified by the Internal Revenue Service as public charities and tax-exempt under section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

Application Deadlines:
The annual application deadline is February 1, with grant decisions finalized in late June or early July. If February 1 falls on a weekend, applications are due the next business day. Please see the Contact page for more information.

Type of Support:
Capital and capacity building

JPMorgan Chase Relationship:
Sole trustee.
 

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. Grants may be single-year or multi-year commitments, and typically range from $75,000 – $150,000 per year.

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

The following requests will receive priority:

  • Requests for capacity building efforts or capital projects (see guidelines below) directly linked to long-term strategic planning
  • For capacity building, requests that lay out a plan for sustainability beyond the funding period
  • Requests that come at a period of transformative organizational growth or at a critical juncture in the organization’s life cycle
  • Requests that lay out clear benchmarks for success and a plan for measuring project outcomes

Support is available for an organization’s own capacity building or for its capacity building activities on behalf of a group or network of nonprofits.

Guidelines for capacity-building support:
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:

  • Adaptive Capacity- Strategic planning, organizational assessment, needs assessment, strategic plan implementation, program evaluation, collaborations and mergers
  • Leadership Capacity- Board development, professional leadership development and succession planning
  • Management and Technical Capacity- Human resources management, financial management, fundraising, marketing/communications and technology

Guidelines for capital support:
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.

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

The Foundation supports:

1. Organizations which 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:

a. Organizations providing capacity building, management or technical assistance to nonprofits in New York City
b. Organizations engaged in advocacy or public policy work on behalf of underserved communities in New York City
c. Organizations supporting and working on behalf of membership agencies or a network of nonprofits

2. 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:

a. Maintain an annual budget over $1 million
b. Be able to demonstrate a proven record of success in achieving measurable outcomes
c. Requesting support for capacity building efforts directly linked to long-term planning efforts
d. Requesting support at a period of transformative organizational growth or at a critical juncture in the organization’s lifecycle

Guidelines for capacity building support:
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. The Foundation does not provide general operating support or support for ongoing programs. Examples of capacity building activities supported by the Foundation include:

  • Adaptive Capacity – Strategic planning, organizational assessment, needs assessment, strategic plan implementation, program evaluation, collaborations and mergers
  • Leadership Capacity – Board development, professional leadership development and leadership transitions
  • Management and Technical Capacity – Human resources management, financial management, fundraising, marketing/communications and technology

Guidelines for capital support:
Capital campaigns and major capital improvement projects must have already met at least 50% of their fundraising goals in order to apply for support.

Application

Please include the following items in your organization’s request:

1. Proposal (maximum of three pages, 12 pt font, normal margins) which includes:

a. Overview of the organization (i.e., primary goals, needs or problems being addressed, population served)
b. Description of the project for which you are seeking support

i. Statement of purpose and the needs being addressed by the project
ii. Population served and how they will benefit from the project
iii. Project timeline/anticipated project duration

c. Brief biography of the executive director and key project staff

2. Project budget

a. If it is a two-year request, please include a two-year projected budget
b. Include a list of foundation, corporate and other support applied to the budget

3. Current fiscal year organizational budget

a. Also include a projected budget for upcoming year (if available)
b. Indicate if the organization has an endowment

i. Quote the most recent value of the corpus
ii. Indicate if the funds are permanently restricted or board restricted

4. List of foundation and corporate supporters

a. Include a list of funders for the current fiscal year
b. Also provide a list from the most recently completed fiscal year
c. Include foundation and corporation names and amounts

5. Most recently completed audited financial statements.

6. List of board members

a. Include professional affiliations (employer)
b. Include length of board service
 

Please note:
All applications to the
Booth Ferris Foundation
must be submitted online.

Contributions

Booth Ferris Foundation – Grants 2023

Total Contributions in 2023: $10,500,000

651 Arts, Brooklyn, NY
$75,000 as the first installment to support a full-time Marketing Manager

Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York, New York, NY
$125,000 as the first installment for Theatrical Member Analysis

American Museum of the Moving Image, Astoria, NY
$100,000 to support working with a consultant to increase accessibility

Arts Connection, Inc, New York, NY
$50,000 as the final installment for Building Arts Connection’s Capacity: Expanding Program Models Through Youth-Adult Partnership

BRIC Arts Media Brooklyn, Inc., Brooklyn, NY
$100,000 as the first installment for Strategic Planning & Branding Program to Develop BRIC 2.0

Bronx Council on the Arts, Inc, Bronx, NY
$75,000 as the final installment for Project Manager and Data Support Services for the Cultural Assets Mapping Initiative

Bronx Documentary Center, Bronx, NY
$75,000 as the final installment to hire a full-time Development Director

Bronx River Alliance, Bronx, NY
$100,000 as the first installment to support leadership transition and strategic planning

Brooklyn Arts Exchange, Inc, Brooklyn, NY
$100,000 as the final installment for The Brooklyn Arts Exchange Strategic Facility Plan

Central Park Conservancy, Inc, New York, NY
$100,000 as the final installment to support a new Program Coordinator for the Institute for Urban Parks ‘New York City program

City Parks Foundation, New York, NY
$100,000 for the next iteration of the NYC Green Relief and Recovery Fund to create a sustainable and equitable parks stewardship network

Dance/NYC, New York, NY
$100,000 as the final installment for Dance/NYC Infrastructure and Strategic Planning

Gibney, New York, NY
$100,000 as the second installment for the Strengthening Gibney’s Capacity: Senior Director of Operations

Japan Society, Inc, New York, NY
$150,000 as the final installment for the Japan Society's Auditorium and Public Event Space Lighting System Upgrade

The Jazz Gallery, New York, NY
$100,000 as the first installment for TJG Capacity: Additional Staffing

Kinetic Light, New York, NY
$100,000 as the first installment to support Kinetic Light’s transition to a permanent home

LaMama Experimental Theatre Club, New York NY
$125,000 as the first installment for the 47 Great Jones Street Building Vault Repair and Sidewalk Rehabilitation; hire a new Operations Manager and increase staff salaries

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, New York, NY
$50,000 as the first installment to expand a contracted position to salaried, launch a Legacy planed giving campaign, and lunch a new company website

Louis Armstrong House Museum, Corona, NY
$125,000 as the first installment to develop and secure LAHM’s fundraising, finance and communications infrastructure as we ready ourselves to expand and serve a continually increasing number of Corona residents, local NYC neighbors, national visitors, and global fans

Lower East Side Tenement Museum, New York, NY
$100,000 as the first installment to hire a Director of Education & Access Programs

Movement Research, Inc, New York, NY
$75,000 as the final installment for the Build-Out of Movement Research's First Long Term Home

National Dance Institute, Inc, New York, NY
$125,000 as the final installment for Bolstering NDI's Capacity: Additional Staff Positions

National Park Conservation Association, New York, NY
$100,000 as the first installment for the National Parks Conservation Association’s project to expand research and outreach capacity in NYC

Natural Areas Conservancy, New York, NY
$100,000 as the first installment to hire a Senior Manager of Communications and conduct a website redesign

New York Foundation for the Arts, Inc, Brooklyn, NY
$100,000 as the final installment to pilot the Volunteer in the Arts program

New York Shakespeare Festival, New York, NY
$150,000 for 425 Lafayette Street Heating System Upgrade

Performing Arts Center at the World Trade Center, New York, NY
$75,000 as the first installment for the Associate Producer, Lobby Stage

Queens County Farm Museum, Floral Park, NY
$110,000 as the final installment to hire a Director of Visitor Services and Public Programs

Queens Theatre in the Park, Corona, NY
$125,000 as the first installment to hire their first Director of Programming

South Street Seaport Museum, New York, NY
$75,000 as the final installment for Augmenting Staff Capacity for Capital Projects with New Director of Facilities

Signature Theatre Company, New York, NY
$150,000 as the first installment for Capital Projects and Upgrades for Pershing Square Signature Center

Silver Art Projects, New York, NY
$100,000 as the final installment for the Community Building and Expansion Capacity Building and to support the new ED

Society of the Educational Arts, Inc, New York, NY
$70,000 as the first installment to support key hires including a Development Director, Technical Director and Office Manager

Soho Repertory Theatre, Inc, New York, NY
$125,000 as the final installment for the Soho Rep Fundraising Capacity Building

STEM from DANCE, Brooklyn, NY
$100,000 as the first installment to support the hiring of their First Director of Development

Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation (WHEDco), Bronx, NY
$125,000 as the final installment to hire a Technical Director and purchase ticketing software

Women’s Project & Productions, New York, NY
$125,000 as the first installment for WP Theater’s Capacity Expansion: Audience and Community Engagement Manager and Associate Production Manager

Young People’s Chorus of New York City, New York, NY
$100,000 to support database migration and hiring of a full-time Registrar and Database Manager

Bank Street College of Education, New York, NY
$200,000 as the first installment to build leadership capacity for equitable math instruction in NYC

Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY
$150,000 as the final installment for the Bard College Center for Ethics and Writing

Bridges from School to Work, Bethesda, MD
$150,000 as the final installment for capacity building

CAMBA, Inc, Brooklyn, NY
$75,000 as the final installment for the hiring of a college success advisor

Center for Educational Innovation, New York, NY
$150,000 as the first installment to build internal capacity in the evaluation of programs

Center for New York City Affairs, New York, NY
$100,000 as the final installment for InsideSchools+

Center for Supportive Schools, New York, NY
$100,000 as the final installment for building capacity to provide mentoring to NYC students in temporary housing

Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, New York, NY
$150,000 as the first installment for a new model for transformative academic leadership through the lens of diversity, inclusion, and social justice

CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy Foundation, New York, NY
$150,000 as the first installment for the Health Equity and Literacy Program

DREAM, New York, NY
$150,000 as the final installment to secure stability and growth in the midst of The Great Resignation

Educational Video Center Inc, New York, NY
$140,000 as the final installment to hire a Deputy Director of Operations and Development Director

ExpandED Schools, New York, NY
$100,000 as the first installment for a streamlined Professional Development System

Futures Ignite, New York, NY
$100,000 as the first installment to develop capacity to embed college and career access supports in multiple NYC high schools

iMentor, New York, NY
$100,000 as the final installment to hire a post-secondary partnership program supervisor

Le Moyne College, Syracuse, NY
$150,000 as the first installment to build resiliency among peers at Le Moyne College

Macauley Honors College at the City University of New York, New York, NY
$190,000 as the first installment to enhance career support through data-driven solutions

Metropolitan College of New York, New York, NY
$100,000 as the final installment for a full-time Engagement and Retention Specialist

New Settlement, Bronx, NY
$125,000 as the first installment for the Transfer to Success Pilot Project through the Bronx Opportunity Network

NYU Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools, New York, NY
$150,000 as the first installment to strengthen the leadership of NYU’s Metro Center

OneGoal - New York, New York, NY
$100,000 as the final installment to expand leadership capacity

ParentChild+, New York, NY
$150,000 as the first installment to build capacity for the home-based child-care model

Research Foundation of the City University of New York, New York, NY
$100,000 for the College Completion Innovation Fund

Saint Peter’s University, Jersey City, NJ
$90,000 as the first installment for the Pathways to Careers program

Student Success Network, New York, NY
$150,000 as the final installment to strengthen network engagement

Teak Fellowship, Inc, New York, NY
$100,000 as the final installment to hire a Director of Counseling and Youth Development

Urban Assembly, New York, NY
$125,000 as the final installment for operations capacity building

Advocates for Children of New York, Inc, New York, NY
$150,000 as the final installment to hire a Director of Equity and Impact

America on Tech, New York, NY
$90,000 as the first installment for a Workforce Development Manager

Benefits Data Trust, New York, NY
$185,000 as the first installment for building an intelligent outreach service to connect low-income New Yorkers to benefits

Callen Lorde Community Health Center, New York, NY
$100,000 as the final installment to support planning and program development in LGBTQ+ clinical education

Center For Alternative Sentencing And Employment Services (CASES), Brooklyn, NY
$150,000 as the final installment to hire a Director of Clinical Initiatives and Implementation

Central Family Life Center, Staten Island, NY
$150,000 for cybersecurity, IT upgrades and preparation for a capital campaign

City Harvest, Inc, Brooklyn, NY
$150,000 as the first installment for updating City Harvest’s Technology Infrastructure

Community Food Advocates, New York, NY
$125,000 as the final installment for the NYC Supermarket Access Program

Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation, New York, NY
$75,000 as the final installment for Cypress Hills/East New York Community Center

Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, New York, NY
$125,000 as the first installment for strategic plan implementation

Fifth Avenue Committee, Inc, Brooklyn, NY
$50,000 as the first installment for a Director of Programs

FJC, New York, NY
$100,000 as the first installment for the NYC Fund to End Youth and Family Homelessness

Fund for Public Housing, Inc, New York, NY
$75,000 as the final installment for NYCHA Family Self-Sufficiency: Expansion Evaluation and Landscape Analysis

Girls Incorporated, Inc, New York, NY
$150,000 as the first installment for building capacity to measure and share key data on NYC’s girls’ mental health

JQY, New York, NY
$100,000 as the first installment for Building JQY’s Organizational Capacity through Planning and Data Management

Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, Inc, New York, NY
$150,000 as the first installment for Expanding Performance Management and Data Evaluation Capacity

LiveOn NY, New York, NY
$100,000 as the first installment for Improving Access to Affordable Housing for Older New Yorkers via Capacity Building

Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY
$150,000 as the final installment to hire two Community Healthcare Workers as part of the Community Linkage to Care Program

New York Community Trust, New York, NY
$75,000 as the first installment for the Fund for New Citizens

New York Legal Assistance Group, Inc, New York, NY
$110,00 as the final installment for a Pro Bono Coordinator

Nontraditional Employment for Women, New York, NY
$90,000 as the first installment to hire a Director of Workforce Development

Queens Community House Inc, Forest Hills, NY
$100,000 as the second installment for the Capital Campaign to Create an Expanded and Renovated Forest Hills Community Center

Safe Passage Project, New York, NY
$150,000 as the first installment for a Safe Passage Project Communications Director

Sanctuary for Families, New York, NY
$125,000 as the first installment for a New Chief Program Officer

Sunnyside Community Services, Inc, Sunnyside, NY
$75,000 as the final installment for to hire a Director of Impact and Evaluation

The Child Center of NY, Forest Hills, NY
$150,000 as the final installment to hire a Chief Development & Communications Officer

UnLocal Inc, New York, NY
$150,000 as the first installment for UnLocal’s Financial Capacity-Building Project

Urban Resource Institute, New York, NY
$75,000 as the final installment to hire an Assistant director of Data Management and Improvement

Contact Information

PLEASE NOTE: The contact person varies based on the program area. The annual deadline for applications is February 1. If February 1 falls on a weekend, the deadline is the next business day. All application materials must be submitted online.

Receipts and reports should be sent to: Grant.Reports@jpmorgan.com. All other correspondence should be addressed to the appropriate contact person

Arts and Culture:
Lindsey Crane, Program Officer, lindsey.s.crane@jpmorgan.com
Cheryl Anhava, Program Officer, cheryl.b.anhava@jpmorgan.com

Parks and Gardens:
Lindsey Crane, Program Officer, lindsey.s.crane@jpmorgan.com

Strengthening NYC’s Nonprofit Sector:
Carolyn Winter, Program Officer, carolyn.r.winter@jpmorgan.com
Lindsey Crane, Program Officer, lindsey.s.crane@jpmorgan.com
Cheryl Anhava, Program Officer, cheryl.b.anhava@jpmorgan.com

Education:
Carolyn Winter, Program Officer, carolyn.r.winter@jpmorgan.com