Northfield Bank Foundation

Northfield Bank Foundation operates as a classic community-bank philanthropic vehicle, channeling investment returns from its $16.5 million endowment (2023) into nonprofits serving the bank's three core territories: Staten Island, Brooklyn, and Central New Jersey. Founded in 2007 and now with over $12 million distributed cumulatively, the foundation reflects the priorities of a traditional community bank: local, relationship-based, and concentrated in institutions that anchor neighborhoods.

The foundation's grantmaking philosophy is demonstrated by its known grantees. Project Hospitality ($100,000 grant), Staten Island University Hospital Northwell Health, Richmond University Medical Center, Staten Island Children's Museum, We Feed Woodbridge, and Imagine are all organizations with deep community roots, long operating histories, and strong board governance. This is not an incubator for emerging nonprofits or experimental pilot programs — it is a sustainer of proven institutions delivering direct services to vulnerable populations.

The two-stage application process reflects this orientation. A preliminary proposal submitted by regular mail in letter format serves as the first screen — not an invitation to pitch broadly, but a mechanism to determine whether an organization fits the foundation's giving framework before a full application is invested. Organizations accepted at the preliminary stage are invited to complete a formal grant application. Executive Director Diane Senerchia (compensated at $89,477 in 2023) is the foundation's sole professional staff member; the board includes bank leadership with President & CEO Steven Klein serving without foundation compensation.

First-time applicants should absorb two realities. First, competition is genuine but selection is not open in the traditional sense. The foundation does not publicly announce deadlines or host information sessions. Geographic embeddedness and demonstrated community impact are the implicit qualifiers. Second, the February 2026 announcement that Columbia Financial will acquire Northfield Bancorp for $597 million introduces meaningful uncertainty for 2026 and beyond. Klein will become COO of the combined entity. The foundation has issued no public statement on continuity. A direct call to Diane Senerchia at (718) 303-4265 before submitting any 2026 proposal is strongly advisable to confirm the grant cycle is proceeding normally.

Annual grants paid have ranged from $380,500 in fiscal year 2020 — a COVID-constrained outlier — to $771,910 in 2021. The three most recently reported years show a declining trend: $771,910 (2021), $715,650 (2022), $611,575 (2023). Total giving including administrative expenses follows a similar arc: $1,050,275 (2021), $938,017 (2022), $830,957 (2023). The 2023 effective payout rate on grants alone is approximately 3.7% of $16.5 million in total assets; inclusive of officer compensation ($89,477) and other costs, total giving reaches the 5.0% minimum required of private foundations.

The foundation receives zero external contributions — the endowment is entirely self-funded and earns income through investment returns. Net investment income has varied dramatically: $4,434,674 in 2021 (a strong equity market year), dropping to $280,485 in 2022 and recovering modestly to $325,617 in 2023. Despite negative total revenue in both 2020 (-$53,821) and 2022 (-$517,376), the foundation maintained grant volumes above $380,000 and $715,000 respectively — indicating a deliberate policy of sustaining community commitments through market cycles rather than tying disbursements tightly to annual returns.

From the public grantee record, individual grant sizes span a wide range by program type: - Flagship program grants: $100,000 (Project Hospitality supportive housing center) - Health partnership grants: $7,200 (Hunterdon Health Mental Wellness Partnership Program, September 2025) - Sustained institutional giving: The annual Charity Golf Classic has raised over $1.3 million cumulatively for RUMC, SIUH Northwell, and We Feed Woodbridge since inception — implying sustained annual support of roughly $50,000-$150,000 per beneficiary per year depending on year and participation levels.

Geographically, Staten Island dominates all publicly disclosed grants. Central New Jersey represents a secondary market with smaller individual awards (the $7,200 Hunterdon Health grant is illustrative). Brooklyn has not surfaced in recent public disclosures but remains in-scope per the foundation's stated mission. Grant seekers should calibrate request size to program type: direct service at established institutions appears most competitive in the $10,000-$100,000 range, with larger sustained investments reserved for anchor health and social service organizations with multi-year relationships.

The table below compares Northfield Bank Foundation to its five closest asset-tier peers — all private foundations classified under NTEE code T20 (Philanthropy & Grantmaking) with total assets within $1 million of Northfield's $18.3 million asset base.

Northfield Bank Foundation distinguishes itself in this peer group by its comparatively high transparency. It maintains a functioning website, publishes its application process (letter-format preliminary proposal), names its executive director, and lists contact information publicly. All five asset-tier comparables lack public-facing application guidance and most maintain no public web presence — making them effectively inaccessible to new applicants without prior relationships.

For grant seekers active in New York and New Jersey, the most geographically relevant peer is L R Bauman Foundation Inc. (NJ, $18.3M), which operates in the same state market but provides no public application pathway. The Gantcher Family Foundation (NY, $18.3M) is a New York-based peer at the same asset tier but is similarly opaque. Northfield's documented two-stage process and accessible leadership make it meaningfully more approachable than its comparables for qualified community organizations in its service territory.

The most consequential development in the foundation's recent history is the announced $597 million acquisition of Northfield Bancorp by Columbia Financial, reported February 4, 2026. The all-stock merger creates a combined institution with approximately $18 billion in assets, with Columbia Financial entering New York State for the first time. Foundation CEO Steven Klein will transition to chief operating officer of the combined company under Columbia Financial's president and CEO Thomas Kemly. The foundation has issued no public statement regarding continuity of operations, grant cycle changes, or any impact on its independent grantmaking — making direct outreach to Diane Senerchia essential before submitting any proposal in 2026.

On the programmatic front, the 2026 Charity Golf Classic (May 11, 2026, Richmond County Country Club, 1122 Todt Hill Road, Staten Island) continued the foundation's signature annual fundraiser benefiting Richmond University Medical Center, Staten Island University Hospital Northwell Health, and We Feed Woodbridge Food Bank. The event has generated over $1.3 million cumulatively for these three beneficiaries since inception.

In September 2025, the foundation awarded $7,200 to Hunterdon Health Foundation for the Mental Wellness Partnership Program, covering fitness and wellness center memberships for behavioral health participants in Central New Jersey. During the same grant cycle, Project Hospitality received $100,000 for a community center within a new supportive housing building for homeless and low-income Staten Island residents. The Staten Island Children's Museum received sensory tool kits and weighted vests for young visitors with autism spectrum or sensory processing disorders. Imagine received a grant supporting grief counseling programs for bereaved children. These awards reflect the foundation's established pattern: concentrated, recurring giving to known community institutions with direct service missions across health, social services, education, and youth programming.

Submit by mail, not online. The preliminary proposal must be submitted in letter format by regular mail. There is no online portal or email submission pathway. Address your letter to Diane Senerchia, Executive Director, Northfield Bank Foundation, 4142 Hylan Boulevard, Staten Island, NY 10308. Use professional organizational letterhead and keep the preliminary proposal to 2-4 pages.

Call before you mail. The foundation's office is not staffed daily. Call (718) 303-4265 to confirm the grant cycle is active and to ask whether the February 2026 Columbia Financial acquisition has altered application timelines or priorities. A brief, professional call with Diane Senerchia positions your organization as proactive and respectful of the foundation's process.

Geographic specificity is the first filter. Name the exact neighborhoods, ZIP codes, or service sites your program operates within Staten Island, Brooklyn, or Central New Jersey. Claiming the greater New York metropolitan area will not advance. The foundation's service territory is defined by where Northfield Bank branches operate — be precise.

Use the foundation's vocabulary. Alignment language that resonates with reviewers includes: 'quality of life improvement,' 'health and human services,' 'youth programs,' 'community development,' 'civic affairs,' and 'not-for-profit organizations, institutions, schools, and civic projects.' Avoid advocacy, systems-change, or policy-reform framing — this foundation funds direct service delivery, not structural reform.

Lead with institutional credibility. The foundation's tracked grantees — SIUH Northwell, Richmond University Medical Center, Project Hospitality — are large, financially stable organizations. First-time applicants should open with: years of operation, annual operating budget, audited financials status, number of full-time staff, and board composition. Individual board member giving levels are a required disclosure at the formal application stage.

Know the exclusions. The foundation will not support political organizations or candidates, activities for sectarian purposes, individual endeavors (scholarships are the stated exception), or officers, directors, or employees of Northfield Bank and its affiliates.

Prepare formal application materials before the preliminary proposal is submitted. If accepted, you may be asked to advance quickly. Have ready: your IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter, most recent audited financial statement with actual line-item expenditures and revenue, and a full board list showing each member's professional affiliation and their personal financial and in-kind contributions to the organization in the prior 12 months.