The Gifford Foundation Grants

The Gifford Foundation Grants is sponsored by The Gifford Foundation. Provides grants to organizations such as Stanford University and East Palo Alto Tennis and Tutoring.

Support - The Gifford Foundation contact@giffordfoundation. org Opportunities for Organizations & Individuals Explore Our Programs & Resources The Gifford Foundation is a private foundation dedicated to the stewardship of the funds entrusted to its care. We are committed to using our financial and human resources to build the capacity of individuals and organizations to enhance the quality of life for the community we serve.

Explore the opportunities and resources below to see which is the best fit for you: Nourishing Tomorrow's Leaders Is something missing? Tell us what we could do better by submitting a quick and anonymous message here . Talk to Gifford: Micro Capacity Grantmaking is often reactive, but we prioritize community engagement through a personal, relationship-driven approach.

By collaborating closely with each grantee, we aim to help them become strong and durable forces within our community. If you’re seeking funding for a small project to enhance organizational efficiency—such as technology upgrades, staff training, software, office improvements, or consulting—let’s connect! Even if you don’t have a specific project in mind, let’s have a conversation.

Together, we can explore ways to provide technical assistance, build connections, and address challenges your organization may face. We can also review upcoming Gifford programs to identify opportunities that align with your goals. The “What If…” Mini Grant program is designed to help City of Syracuse residents of all ages foster growth in neighborhoods, strengthen their capacity, and improve the safety and wellbeing of their community.

Successful grants will make positive changes in their neighborhood while increasing community participation, awareness, and partnerships. We believe that the people who live in a community should decide what happens in their community. Therefore, we look for projects that are driven by neighbors, grassroots organizations, or others who are actively involved in making our city a better place.

The “What If…” program helps individuals become more active and engaged citizens by building their capacity to organize projects, apply for funding, and build community partnerships. All organizations go through developmental stages – those that have the most impact, and are sustainable in the long run, understand their developmental stage and consciously strive to progress in their development.

Gifford’s cohort capacity building programs help organizations self-assess and plan as they grow and work toward achieving their goals. Under our model, small groups of similarly sized nonprofits embark on a 12 – 24 month journey of self-assessment and deep planning. They are provided with significant personalized consultant support as well as an additional monetary grant to support the goals that emerge during the program.

Past initiatives have included the Embracing Disruption , ADVANS , and POWER programs. In 2019, Gifford commissioned an external evaluation of the ADVANS program which has helped document the success of this approach while providing valuable feedback that has informed how we have implemented this model over the subsequent years.

Nourishing Tomorrow’s Leaders Nourishing Tomorrow’s Leaders (NTL) is a nine-week course designed to teach participants how to become effective board members with the goal of increasing diversity across nonprofit boards and growing the pool of qualified community leaders. The Gifford Foundation is now offering an NTL Toolkit for those who would like to implement an NTL program in their own community.

Nourishing Tomorrow’s Leaders is for… Those who have the desire to give back to the community and strive for fair, just and healthy communities. Those who are interested in her/his personal leadership development and growth. Those who have a desire to join a nonprofit board or are new to board service.

Those who believe that diversity and inclusiveness is important. Those who are interested in expanding their network. Those looking to bring more board diversity can nourish new leaders in their community with Gifford’s complete NTL Toolkit.

The Gifford Foundation hosts a range of learning and development opportunities for Central New York nonprofits. Some are organized year after year while others are offered on an ad-hoc basis in response to community need.

Two of our longest running and most well-known programs include: The Board Development Series: A three part workshop series that gives participants the knowledge and tools necessary to build and maintain a more effective, engaged, and inclusive board of directors. Content centers around board duties, best practices, and strategies for avoiding common pitfalls.

Grantwriting Workshop Series – Getting Grant Ready: A free 6-hour workshop designed to prepare organizations to become “grant ready” by equipping participants with essential skills and tools for proposal writing. Through interactive exercises and real-world examples, attendees will gain hands-on experience writing practical proposals that stand out to potential funders.

The Gifford Foundation maintains a public database of resources curated to support the needs of Central New York’s nonprofit community. Our collection draws on decades of building regional networks, hosting capacity building programs, and studying the needs and stories of our local partners.

If you are looking for leads on board member candidates, preparing to interview local consultants, or are seeking tools and templates to kickstart your organizational development – our collection of resources can help you get started. Since 2004, The Gifford Foundation has partnered with the US Attorney’s Office to administer funding for Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) – a Dept.

of Justice grant aimed at community-wide violence intervention and prevention. We have a lot of stuff in the works - don't be the last to know. Join our mailing list to receive occasional articles and updates about grants, programs, and the CNY nonprofit community.