The Staten Island Foundation

The Staten Island Foundation operates as a deeply place-based funder with a single-minded commitment to improving life for the borough's most disadvantaged residents. Founded in December 1997 when the Staten Island Savings Bank converted to a public company — an act done voluntarily, not by legal requirement — the Foundation has distributed more than $76 million since inception. With $95.4 million in assets as of FY2024, it is the anchor philanthropic institution for Staten Island's nonprofit ecosystem.

The Foundation's giving philosophy rests on three pillars: measurable outcomes (not activity counts), organizational capacity, and collective impact. Applications that describe programming without specifying how change will be tracked consistently underperform. The Foundation's own language — "measurable results for our community rather than funding activities or events" — is not boilerplate; it is the actual evaluation standard applied to every grant request.

Relationship progression is intentional and sequential. Before portal access is granted, every applicant must email Foundation staff at info@thestatenislandfoundation.org with 2-3 paragraphs describing the proposal and its alignment with the Foundation's four focus area targets. Staff reviews these outreach emails and responds with next steps — or declines to proceed. Only organizations that pass this screening receive an Access Code for the GrantInterface online portal. Organizations that skip this step or submit through outside solicitors are explicitly excluded from consideration.

First-time applicants should understand the Foundation strongly prefers organizations with established track records and demonstrated financial capacity. New organizations may be considered at board discretion, but face higher scrutiny. The firm one-grant-per-year policy means organizations must complete each grant cycle — including all required Progress and Final Reports — before becoming eligible for a new request.

Long-term grantee relationships are common. Richmond Medical Center, the Jewish Community Center of Staten Island, Snug Harbor Cultural Center, and Seamen's Society for Children and Families have each received multiple grants totaling six figures, suggesting the Foundation views strong grantees as partners rather than one-time recipients. First-time applicants should realistically expect smaller initial grants in the $25,000-$50,000 range while the relationship develops.

The Collective Impact framework — particularly the SI Alliance for North Shore Children and Families — signals a preference for organizations that collaborate across systems. References to collective impact participation and cross-sector partnerships can meaningfully differentiate an application.

The Foundation's financial profile is investment-income-driven and remarkably stable. Assets grew from $71 million (2015) to $95.4 million (2024), while annual giving has held in the $3.5M–$4.6M band across a full decade. Net investment income funds nearly all grantmaking: $3.7 million in FY2023, $2.1 million in FY2022, $3.0 million in FY2021, with an exceptional $11.8 million in FY2020 (a market-driven outlier). No contributed income has been recorded since 2014, confirming this is a fully endowed, independent foundation.

Across 275 tracked grants totaling $9.57 million in the database, the median grant is $30,000 and the average is $40,358. Grant sizes follow a clear tiered structure: - Micro grants: $5,000–$15,000 (Focused Opportunity grants, director matching gifts, small community events) - Standard Direct Service: $25,000–$75,000 (the most common range, representing roughly 60% of grants by count) - Larger capacity or capital grants: $100,000–$175,000 (multi-year commitments, construction, collective impact backbone) - Diamond Matching Program: up to $500,000 (new as of 2025, for fundraising capacity development)

A distinctive pattern is the $9,999 school grant — NYC public schools in District 31 (PS 21, PS 23, PS 45, PS 46, PS 56, Susan E. Wagner HS) consistently receive awards at exactly $9,999, suggesting a streamlined review track for individual school improvements in literacy, math, and arts.

By program area, analysis of recent grant rounds suggests Education and Community Services together account for approximately 65-70% of dollars distributed. Arts & Culture represents a meaningful 15-20% (Snug Harbor, Staten Island Children's Museum, historical societies, performing arts organizations). Health rounds out the remaining 10-15%.

Geographically, the data is unambiguous: 267 of 275 tracked grants (97%) went to New York-based organizations. The four DC-based recipients (Research Foundation of CUNY, WNET) likely reflect national organizations with direct Staten Island programming. The remaining four grants across AL, CA, MA, and VA are consistent with director and employee matching gifts, which are explicitly noted in grant purpose descriptions.

Giving has been remarkably consistent despite asset volatility: FY2019 giving was $4.38 million; FY2023 giving was $4.05 million — a 7% decline on assets that grew 16% in the same period, suggesting a conservative 4-5% annual distribution policy.

The Foundation's $95.4 million in assets places it in the mid-size tier among independent foundations — substantial enough to serve as a lead or co-lead funder for most Staten Island organizations, but well below major NYC-area foundations such as the Robin Hood Foundation or New York Community Trust. The database identifies several foundations with comparable asset profiles in the Philanthropy & Grantmaking NTEE category:

What distinguishes The Staten Island Foundation from its asset-class peers is its extraordinary operational transparency and applicant accessibility. Where the comparable foundations offer no public application guidance, TSIF publishes detailed guidelines, a full recent grants history updated after every board meeting, specific deadlines for four annual cycles, and step-by-step portal instructions. This transparency reflects the Foundation's self-described leadership role in the Staten Island nonprofit ecosystem — not merely distributing funds but actively building sector capacity.

TSIF's four-meetings-per-year cadence (January, March, June, September) also sets it apart from private family foundations of similar size, which typically hold one or two annual grant rounds. Organizations capable of aligning proposals with multiple annual cycles have meaningfully more access to this funder than to most comparable foundations.

The Foundation's most significant 2025 initiative is the Diamond Matching Grant Program, launched April 22, 2025, which offers a 2:1 match on new fundraising strategies for repeat grantees — up to $250,000 raised for a maximum $500,000 grant. This is the largest single grant the Foundation has ever offered and represents a strategic expansion of its capacity-building mission. To support applicants, the Foundation hosted the inaugural Diamond Forum on April 25, 2025 at Wagner College, a half-day workshop on fundraising strategy development. Program-specific questions go to Shakeia McPherson, Special Projects Manager (mcpherson@thestatenislandfoundation.org).

The September 30, 2025 board meeting approved more than 35 grants, including several first-time recipients: Youth Justice Network ($75,000 for the 'Shifting Gears' mobile anti-violence initiative), Staten Island Zoological Society ($80,000 for a Collection Manager position salary), Bait-ul Jamaat ($25,000 for mental health awareness through arts), and Selfhelp Community Services ($10,000 for senior diet and exercise improvement). The NY Early Childhood Professional Development Institute received $175,000 — its largest single grant in the dataset — for continued backbone support of the SI Alliance for North Shore Children and Families.

In September 2024, the Foundation posted openings for a Program Officer and an Intern, indicating organizational capacity investment. Executive Director Laura Jean Watters remains in her role with compensation at $173,275 in FY2024, consistent with prior years. The Elizabeth Dubovsky Fellowship in Social Work, established in memory of the Foundation's prior executive director, is active for 2026-2027 with applications due February 20, 2026 and 2-4 fellows anticipated.

The single most common mistake applicants make is attempting to access the grant portal without first contacting Foundation staff. The GrantInterface portal at grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=statenisland requires an invitation-only Access Code. To receive one, email info@thestatenislandfoundation.org with 2-3 paragraphs describing your organization, the proposed project, and how it aligns with one of the Foundation's four focus areas. Staff will respond with next steps — or decline to proceed if alignment is weak.

Optimal timing: The Foundation holds board meetings in January, March, June, and September. The 2026 application deadlines are: November 3, 2025 (January meeting), January 19, 2026 (March meeting), and April 6, 2026 (June meeting). Missing a deadline by one day rolls your application to the next quarter. Contact staff 8-10 weeks before your target deadline to allow time for the pre-screening conversation and any revisions to strengthen your proposal.

What they look for: The Anticipated Results Statement is the most important section of any application. Do not describe activities — describe what will change. Include a baseline (where things stand now), a target (what measurable change you expect by grant end), and the measurement methodology (surveys, attendance data, test scores, revenue figures). The Foundation's own standard is "ambitious goals" — modest or vague outcome statements are a red flag.

Alignment language to use: 'Collective impact,' 'population-level change,' 'sustainability beyond Foundation funding,' 'measurable long-term results,' 'diversity equity and inclusion,' and 'capacity building' are the Foundation's own evaluation criteria. Using this language — accurately and specifically, not generically — signals genuine alignment.

Common mistakes to avoid: (1) Requesting funding for scholarships, event sponsorships, places of worship renovations, or fundraising journals — all are explicitly excluded. (2) Submitting without clearing all prior report obligations in the portal. (3) Applying for a second grant while a current grant year is still active — the one-grant-per-year policy is firm. (4) Having a solicitor or consultant submit on the organization's behalf — only organizational leaders may apply. (5) Neglecting to add administrator@grantinterface.com to safe senders, causing Access Codes and approval notices to land in spam.

Relationship-building: The Foundation values repeat partnerships. After a successful grant, submit the Final Report on time, include strong outcome data, and begin your next pre-screening email with a clear summary of what was accomplished. Prior grantees who demonstrated measurable results consistently receive consideration for follow-on grants.