Booth Ferris Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Booth Ferris Foundation is a New York City-focused funder of the arts and education. It runs a separate initiative dedicated to strengthening the nonprofit sector in New York City.
IP TAKE: The Booth Ferris Foundation is an important source of capacity building grants for organizations working in public K-12 education, arts and culture or community development in New York City. The foundation accepts unsolicited applications via its website at any time.
PROFILE: Established in 1957 by Willis H. Booth and his wife, Chancie Ferris, the Booth Ferris Foundation has awarded over $281 million to charitable causes over the course of its history. Booth was a successful banker and business executive who became the vice-president of the Guaranty Trust Company and Hotpoint Electric Heating Company. Booth Ferris invests in education and arts and culture. A third initiative focuses on strengthening NYC.
Booth Ferris’s education programs works in both K-12 and higher education. K-12 funding is exclusive to New York City and provides capacity building grants to organizations working with or on behalf of New York City’s public schools, which collectively make up the largest public school district in the U.S. In higher education, the foundation supports colleges and universities in the northeastern U.S. with capacity building grants. The foundation’s arts and culture initiative supports organizations involved in performing and visual arts as well as cultural organizations, public parks and gardens. Arts and culture funding is exclusive to New York City and supports performances, exhibitions, arts education, advocacy and organizational capacity building. Booth Ferris’s Strengthening NYC initiative aims to support the growth of the city’s nonprofit sector and prioritizes organizations working to end systemic inequity and build vibrant communities throughout the five boroughs.
Booth Ferris’s grants range from $25,000 to $500,000, with an average grant size of about $100,000. In a recent year, the foundation awarded over $10 million in grants, the majority of which stayed in New York City. Grants generally support a variety of well-established and lesser-known New York organizations, including City Year New York, La MaMa Experimental Theater Club, John Jay College, the Bronx Defenders, Flushing Town Hall and the Staten Island Children’s Museum. For additional information about the foundation’s past grantmaking, review the contributions section of its website.
The Booth Ferris Foundation accepts unsolicited proposals via its online application system and provides guidelines on its website. Contact program officers with general inquiries.
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