Menu
November 19, 2020   |   By The New York Community Trust
Trust Grantmaking Featured by The New York Times

Twice this year, The New York Community Trust has been honored by The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund for our COVID-19 relief efforts. The impact of our work and that of several other organizations has been told through a series of powerful articles about New Yorkers facing poverty, health crises, food scarcity, disabilities, and isolation—and the heroic nonprofits that are helping through the pandemic.

Some of the people and nonprofits aided by our Emergency Fund and the NYC COVID-19 Response & Impact Fund are featured in this series, and you can read about them below. We thank The New York Times for its vital and thorough coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic and its dedication to improving the lives of New Yorkers through its Neediest Cases Fund.

Buoying Artists and Educators During the Pandemic

11/12/20
An initiative provides cultural programming to the city’s 1,800 public schools and supports arts organizations in the process.
As part of the city’s budget cuts due to the pandemic, funding for arts education was reduced. The Trust gave $680,000 to five groups to create free arts curriculums online. The programming will be free and easily accessible for all teachers, so students can learn the arts and have the chance to express themselves during this difficult time.

Mylo Martinez, whose dreams of becoming an animator took a back seat to his desire for a fresh start, arrived in New York City just before the pandemic began. Credit Sara Naomi Lewkowicz for The New York Times

When Schools Closed, These Children Needed Help

10/22/20
As city schools went into lockdown, some families faced challenges in helping their children keep up.
Families of children with disabilities and those in homeless shelters struggled to make the transition to remote learning. The Trust’s grants to nonprofits are highlighted, including one to BronxWorks, which operates three family shelters.

In March, Joy Williams’s daughter, Verona, lost the in-person support she received at her school. Credit Calla Kessler for The New York Times

Helping Isolated Seniors During the Pandemic

10/08/20
The loss of Mayya Gil’s husband was compounded by concerns for meeting her basic needs.
Many older adults are facing during the pandemic, from getting access to healthcare to paying their bills. The article discusses The Trust’s $150,000 grant to the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, which is surveying about 1,500 senior citizens within the five boroughs about the impact of the pandemic on their health and day-to-day lives.

Mayya Gil needed additional help from a home health aide after her husband died. Credit Sasha Maslov for The New York Times

Helping Artists and Social Services Survive the Crisis

05/06/20
A special COVID-19 fund is supporting hundreds of nonprofits providing cultural programming and essential services in New York.
The role of our NYC COVID-19 Response & Impact Fund in supporting arts and social services nonprofits early in the pandemic is featured. The coverage follows Quality Services for the Autism Community, which received a $165,000 grant, as it struggled to assist families who had become de facto caregivers for people with disabilities. The Trust also awarded an $80,000 grant to Ping Chong and Company, and a $250,000 grant to Gibney, two arts nonprofits dedicated to promoting social justice and artists of color.

Leal Zielińska, a member of the dance company at Gibney, a performing arts and social justice organization, in an online class. Gibney received a grant to help with digital programming and staffing.

Remembering the Neediest During the Coronavirus Pandemic

04/01/20
Through the Times’ Neediest Cases Fund, a new relief campaign will support organizations on the front lines of serving those affected by the virus.
A look into the origin and history of the New York Times Neediest Cases Fund, and the formation of the COVID-19 Relief Campaign. The piece mentions The Trust as one of the recipients of the campaign due to our work through our NYC COVID-19 Response & Impact Fund.

A volunteer for World Central Kitchen distributes meals to residents in Miami. Credit Lynne Sladky/Associated Press
Press Contact Information

Peter Panapento
peter@turn-two.co
(202) 531-3886

Courtney Biggs
cbi@nyct-cfi.org
(212) 889-3963

>> Get our press kit <<

Press Releases

Statue of Liberty in Red
Press Contact Information

Peter Panapento
peter@turn-two.co
(202) 531-3886

Courtney Biggs
cbi@nyct-cfi.org
(212) 889-3963

>> Get our press kit <<

Statue of Liberty in Red