Community Fund

The Community Fund is a flagship grantmaking initiative of NewYork-Presbyterian, one of the nation’s leading academic healthcare systems serving New York City and Westchester County. As part of its broader community engagement and population health strategy, the fund represents the hospital’s largest targeted investment in community-based organizations working to improve health outcomes. The program is grounded in the institution’s commitment to addressing the social and environmental determinants of health that significantly influence long-term well-being. Through sustained partnerships and financial support, NewYork-Presbyterian seeks to strengthen community infrastructure and advance health equity across the regions it serves. The purpose of the Community Fund is to support scalable, community-driven programs that address systemic challenges contributing to health disparities. The 2026 funding cycle is directly informed by the findings of the 2025–2027 Community Health Needs Assessment, which identified housing instability and food insecurity as critical barriers to health. As such, this funding opportunity is narrowly focused on these two priority areas. The fund is designed to support organizations capable of implementing complex interventions that improve access to stable housing or nutritious food, while also enhancing community resilience and long-term stability. Funding is structured as multi-year support, with grants ranging from 75000 to 150000 per year for a period of up to two years, resulting in a maximum total award of 300000. If organizations opt for the full two-year term, funds are distributed evenly across both years. Allowable uses of funds are broad and include direct services, training programs, legal assistance, capital and equipment expenses, advocacy efforts that are non-legislative, and partnerships or subcontracting arrangements. Funds may also be used for direct assistance to beneficiaries, such as housing-related costs or access to public benefits. However, funds may not be used for general administrative overhead, unrelated travel, or organizational planning activities not tied to program delivery. Eligibility is limited to organizations that demonstrate strong operational capacity and community impact. Applicants must be registered nonprofit organizations, government agencies, or eligible faith-based or community-serving entities with a minimum annual operating budget of 1 million dollars. Organizations must serve residents within specified priority communities across New York City and Westchester County and demonstrate measurable impact within those areas. Applicants must also show the ability to track outcomes, manage funds responsibly, and comply with nondiscrimination and conflict-of-interest policies. Organizations affiliated with hospital systems, universities, or current Community Fund grantees are not eligible. The application process follows a two-step structure. First, all applicants must submit a Letter of Inquiry through an online portal by June 26, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Only a select group of applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal in the second stage. The LOI is reviewed internally by subject matter experts, while full proposals are evaluated by an external review panel. Applicants may only submit one LOI as a lead organization and must select a single focus area. Collaboration between organizations is permitted, but one entity must serve as the lead applicant. Applications are evaluated based on several criteria, including demonstration of community need, clarity and feasibility of the proposed program, alignment with the priority focus areas, and the organization’s capacity to execute and scale the initiative. Additional emphasis is placed on meaningful community engagement, potential for measurable impact, and the strength of the evaluation plan. Innovative approaches are encouraged, even if the proposed work represents a new direction for the organization, provided there is sufficient evidence of capacity and planning. The timeline for the 2026 cycle includes an information session held on June 2, 2026, followed by the LOI deadline later that month. Selected applicants will be invited to submit full proposals, with final award decisions announced in fall 2026. Fund disbursement and the official grant period are expected to begin in January 2027. The Community Fund operates on a recurring annual cycle, continuing to align future funding priorities with updated Community Health Needs Assessments to ensure responsiveness to evolving community conditions.

Ensure strong alignment with housing or food insecurity priorities and demonstrate measurable community impact with clear evaluation plans