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, over $425 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. Grants may be single-year or multi-year commitments, and typically range from $50,000 – $200,000 per year.

In 2024 more than $10.5 million was distributed through 95 grants. 

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

– JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A., Trustee

General Guidelines

Funding Interests:

  • Arts and culture,
  • Education,
  • Parks and outdoor spaces, and
  • Strengthening the nonprofit sector.

Geographic Focus:
Organizations applying under Arts and Culture, Parks, and Strengthening New York must be located in NYC. Those applying under Higher Education must be based in New York State. National education organizations must have leadership and  a governance structure in New York City demonstrating a major and priority footprint for the organization.

General Eligibility and Restrictions:

  • Organizations must have maintained an annual operating budget of over $1 million for at least three years, excluding in-kind contributions. If your budget declined due to the COVID-19 pandemic, please contact the appropriate program officer for guidance.
  • 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.
  • A minimum of 3 years must elapse between grant awards, including the last year funds were allocated. For example, if an organization received a two-year grants in 2024, they cannot reapply until February 2028.
  • No grants are made to individuals or private foundations or for loans.

The Foundation generally will not fund:

  • Ongoing general operating support or program costs; projects restricted to an organization’s membership; benefit events, galas or similar fundraising activities; scholarships, fellowships, unrestricted endowments, individual research efforts; grant requests exceeding the organization’s total budget.
  • Organizations whose primary work is conducted outside of the U.S., to individuals, to federated campaigns, or to work with specific diseases.

Application Deadlines:
The annual application deadline is February 1. If February 1 falls on a weekend, applications are due the next business day.

Funding Timeline:
All applications are reviewed in the spring, with announcements made and grants awarded by the end of July each year. Due to the volume of applicants, we do not offer feedback on declined proposals.

Type of Support:
Capacity building

Reporting:
Reports are required annually and should include a narrative (no more than two pages) on how the funds were spent, along with the corresponding project budget.

JPMorgan Chase Relationship:
Sole trustee

The Foundation supports arts and culture organizations, including parks and open spaces, located in New York City and working directly to enhance the vibrancy and cultural richness of New York City. Support is available for organizational capacity building with limited support for 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 of NYC residents and reach a diverse audience and constituency base.
  • Demonstrate a proven record of success in achieving measurable outcomes.
  • Organizations must maintain a strong track record of fiscal health, demonstrated through sound financial planning and robust funding from diverse sources. We understand that some organizations may experience financial challenges or fluctuations. If your organization has faced a difficult period but is moving towards a more stable financial position, possibly due to this grant, please provide context and details in your application. We are committed to supporting organizations on a path to financial stability.

The following requests will receive priority:

  • Requests that clearly demonstrate the increase in capacity that will result from a successful project.
  • 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.
  • For capital requests, projects for which more than 50% of funds have been raised. Priority will be given to smaller-scale projects and discrete capital requests.

Early Childhood and K-12 Education:
The Early Childhood and K-12 Education Program provides capacity building support for organizations working directly with or on behalf of schools in the New York City public school system or working to advance early childhood education in New York City. Organizations must maintain an annual budget over $1 million. The following requests will not be considered:

  • Requests from or on behalf of individual schools or private and/or independent schools,
  • Requests for activities outside of New York City,
  • After-school programs,
  • Scholarship funds,
  • Endowment funds, or
  • 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 State of New York. 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,
  • Endowment funds, or
  • 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, and

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. Priority organizations will demonstrate a record of strong outcomes in NYC and/or deep impact in the communities they serve.

Capacity-Building Guidelines

The Foundation views capacity building as a one-time investment to help an organization increase efficiency and effectiveness. Typically, funds support new expenses, which may become ongoing depending on the project. Requests should cover expenses that an organization would otherwise need to dip into reserve funds or fundraise for. Capacity-building should support the nonprofit’s infrastructure and long-term sustainability, enabling greater performance and impact. Notably, the Foundation does not consider organizational growth or scale a requirement for a successful capacity-building project. The Foundation will consider up to three years of support for competitive projects.

Given that our capacity-building grants are short-term, organizations should demonstrate why the project is a priority now, how they are ready to achieve the project’s goals, and what capacity will be built upon successful completion. Strong proposals will clearly articulate intended goals, a process for measuring outcomes, and describe the capacity that will be built. Proposals resulting in new ongoing costs that must be absorbed into an organization’s budget, should indicate how the project will be sustained once Foundation funds expire.

Examples of capacity-building activities supported by the Foundation include:

  • A discrete infrastructure project that improves efficiency or outcomes.
    • Example 1: A social services nonprofit needs new financial systems as they begin to receive larger government contracts.
    • Example 2: An education organization transitions to a single database to improve data management and impact.
  • Projects that adapt or enhance the business model or service offering.
    • Example 1: An arts organization hires a Rentals Manager to support space rentals, generating consistent revenue.
    • Example 2: A social services organization hires a Director of Mental Health to coordinate clinical staff and improve care quality.

Examples of less competitive projects:

  • Strategic planning processes. Strategic planning is a best practice and should be implemented by organizations independently. The Foundation generally does not fund planning processes, with limited exceptions. Project implementation after a strategic plan may be a fit.
  • Development staff. The Foundation generally does not find additional development staff compelling, with limited exceptions. Competitive proposals must demonstrate the additional capacity created by the new position. Requests for additional staff in well-staffed departments are also often less competitive.
  • Consultants. While consultants can be valuable, an organization must be able to justify the related costs. Requests to engage consultants are considered on a case-by-case basis. Special care should be given to underscore how a consultant was determined to be the most pressing investment and how the results of the consultant’s engagement will be implemented and/or sustained.

Application

Using our application portal, you will be required to upload the following information:

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

a. Brief overview of the organization (primary goals, needs or problems addressed, population served). Keep this short and capture key elements of who your organization serves and its role in the nonprofit and/or NYC ecosystem.

b. Description of the project for which you are seeking support:

i. Statement of purpose and the needs being addressed by the project – why is this capacity-building project critical now?

ii. Description of the capacity that will be built/manifested with the project.

iii. Population served and how they will benefit (staff, people served, or both).

iv. Project timeline/anticipated duration. How is the organization prepared to take on the project now? What conditions make this project successful at this time?

v. Sustainability Plan for after foundation funds expire.

2. Organization chart with names, roles, and any vacant/or interim positions.

3. Project budget

a. Show the full costs of the project. Include other potential, committed, or requested sources of support. Clearly indicate the request to Booth Ferris and specify which expenses the Foundation would support.

b. Applications without a project budget, separate from the organizational budget, will not be considered.

4. Current fiscal year organizational budget

5. List of foundation and corporate supporters

a. Include funders for the current fiscal year and most recently completed fiscal year.

b. Include foundation and corporation names and amounts (kept confidential).

c. Label as confirmed, pledged, or prospect where appropriate.

6. Most recently completed audited financial statement. If none, include your most recent Form 990.

7. List of board members

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

PLEASE NOTE: All applications to the Booth Ferris Foundation must be submitted online.

Contributions

Total Contributions in 2024: $10,510,000

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

Abraham.in.Motion Inc, New York NY
$50,000 as a first installment for support of Building Legacy: Comprehensive Website Redesign and Archiving Implementation for A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham

Afro-Latin Jazz Alliance of New York Inc, New York, NY
$100,000 as a first installment to hire a Human Resources Manager and a Community Partnerships Manager

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

American Composers Orchestra, New York, NY
$70,000 as a first installment to support the creation of a General Manager position

American Folk Art Museum, Long Island City, NY
$100,000 as a first installment for the support of the Museum Website Redesign Project

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

Bronx River Alliance, Bronx, NY
$50,000 as a final installment to support leadership transition and strategic planning

Center for Curatorial Leadership Inc, New York, NY
$100,000 as a first installment for the hiring of CCL’s first Development Director

Chelsea Factory, New York, NY
$75,000 as a first installment for strategic planning

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

Clubbed Thumb, New York, NY
$100,000 as a first installment for the hiring of a Development Director

Cool Culture, Brooklyn, NY
$100,000 as a first installment to build Cool Culture’s communications and marketing capacity

The Culture and Arts Policy Institute, Jackson Heights, NY
$25,000 for the Open Culture and Arts Data Repository for New York City

IndieSpace Inc, Astoria, NY
$125,000 as a first installment for the soft costs of IndieSpace Hell’s Kitchen

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

The Joyce Theater Foundation, New York, NY
$100,000 as a first installment for the Joyce’s New York Center for Creativity & Dance

Kinetic Light, New York, NY
$100,000 as a second installment for Capacity Building of Kinetic Light

LaMaMa Experimental Theatre Club, New York NY
$50,000 as a final 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 a final installment to expand a contracted position to salaried, launch a Legacy planned giving campaign, and launch a new company website

Louis Armstrong House Museums, Corona, NY
$100,000 as a second installment to develop and secure LAHM’s fundraising, finance and communications infrastructure

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

Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, New York, NY
$100,000 as a first installment for LMCC’s Database Improvement & Database Manager

National Park Conservation Association, New York, NY
$100,000 as a final 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 a final installment to hire a Senior Manager of Communications and conduct a website redesign

New York Live Arts, New York, NY
$125,000 as a first installment for Legacy/Transition Planning and Capacity Building

People’s Theatre Project, New York, NY
$125,000 as a first installment for PTP’s capital campaign

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

Primary Stages Company Inc, New York, NY
$65,000 for strategic planning

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

RISE Rockaway, Far Rockaway, NY
$150,000 as a first installment for the RISE Rockaway’s capital project to build a new native plant nursey, seed bank and educational garden

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

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

Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden, Staten Island, NY
$100,000 as a first installment to build capacity through refreshing digital brand identity

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

The Moth, New York, NY
$100,000 as a first installment for Capacity Building in support of Systems Integration & Data Accessibility

The Tank, New York, NY
$90,000 as a first installment to support a new CRM and ticketing system

Vineyard Theatre and Workshop Center, New York, NY
$100,000 as a first installment to support Vineyard’s capital renovations (façade and marquee)

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

The Wooster Group, New York, NY
$75,000 as a first installment to support a website redesign to showcase the Wooster Group archive and enhance audiences’ experiences of their new work

Bank Street College of Education, New York, NY
$100,000 as a final installment to build leadership capacity for equitable math instruction in NYC

Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, New York, NY
$150,000 as a final 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 a final installment for the Health Equity and Literacy Program

The DreamYard Project, Bronx, NY
$125,000 as a first installment for Taft Campus Career Readiness

The Eagle Academy Foundation Inc, New York, NY
$150,000 as a first installment for a Director of External Affairs

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

Eugenio Maria de Hostos Community College Foundation, Bronx, NY
$125,000 as a first installment to establish a Marketing Team

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

Facing History & Ourselves, Boston, MA
$150,000 as a first installment to support professional development for New York City Public School Leaders, specifically allowing Facing History to hire an Account manager for Social and District Engagement

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

Geisinger Health Foundation, Danville, PA
$100,000 to establish the Behavioral & Mental Health Career Pathways Program

The GO Project, New York, NY
$55,000 as a first installment to support the revamp of its data management systems and redesign of its website

Internationals Network for Public School, Long Island City, NY
$150,000 as a first installment for a Senior Director of Advancement and Advocacy

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

Macauley Honors College at the City University of New York, New York, NY
$110,000 as a final installment to enhance career support through data-driven solutions

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

New Visions for Public Schools, New York, NY
$150,000 as a first installment for the New Visions Science of Reading High School Initiative

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

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

Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY
$100,000 as a first installment for the Student Success & Wellness Center

Research Foundation for the City University of New York, New York, NY
$125,000 for the Complete College Innovation Fund

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

Teaching Matters Inc, New York, NY
$125,000 as a first installment for a Program Manager for NYC Reads

University of Mount Saint Vincent, Bronx, NY
$100,000 as a first installment to establishing Seton College

Webb Institute of Naval Architecture, Glen Cove, NY
$100,000 as a first installment to support a Website Redesign and Admissions and Communications Marketing Initiatives

World Savvy Inc, Minneapolis, MN
$100,000 as a first installment for New York City expansion and capacity building

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

Anthos Home, New York, NY
$150,000 as a first installment to hire a Director of Data and Evaluation

Care for the Homeless, New York, NY
$150,000 as a first installment for Essential Healthcare Workforce Development Initiative

Catholic Charities Community Services, Archdiocese of New York, New York, NY
$125,000 as a first installment for Legal Assistance for Asylum Seekers

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

Commonpoint Queens, Little Neck, NY
$150,000 as a first installment to support Commonpoint’s human resources strategic systems enhancement

The Door – A Center for Alternatives Inc, New York, NY
$150,000 to build capacity to provide mental health services

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

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

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

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

God’s Love We Deliver, New York, NY
$150,000 as a first installment for the Needs Assessment and Action Plan: A Second Hub for Medically Tailored Meal Delivery

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

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

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

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

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

Riverdale Neighborhood House Inc, Bronx, NY
$90,000 as a first installment for Farm & Food System Director

Rocking the Boat, Bronx, NY
$150,000 as a first installment for a Director of Business Development & a Site Manager

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

Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE), New York, NY
$100,000 as a first installment for strategic plan implementation

Thrive for Life Prison Project Inc, New York, NY
$150,000 as a first installment for Seeding the Future: Catalyzing Thrive for Life’s Growth, including the hiring of a new Managing Director in FY25

Times Square Alliance, New York, NY
$150,000 for Technical and Communications Capacity Building for Times Square Alliance’s new Website

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

University Settlement Society of New York, New York, NY
$150,000 as a first installment for University Settlement’s Operation Impact: Organization-Wide Data Transformation

We All Really Matter (WARM Inc), New York, NY
$150,000 as a first installment to hire WARM’s first Director of Development

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:
Arts and culture groups should email the corresponding Program Officer that is aligned most closely with the organization’s primary mission and/or focus of activities as follows:
Dance, Individual Artists, Literature, Museums, Music (contemporary), and Visual Arts groups should contact Cheryl Anhava, Program Officer, at cheryl.b.anhava@jpmorgan.com
Arts Education, Media, Theater, Music (classical), and Presenting groups should contact Lindsey Crane, Program Officer, at lindsey.s.crane@jpmorgan.com

Parks and Open Spaces:
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