In the last 20 years, New York State has lost half its newspapers. These latest grants from The Trust’s Westchester office support local journalism along with other pressing community issues.
Emily Karol
Development Director, Westchester
(212) 419-7461
Lauren Stewart, Turn Two
(804) 690-9966
lauren@turn-two.co
HARTSDALE, NY (March 20, 2025) – The Westchester office of The New York Community Trust, New York’s largest community foundation, today announced $702,000 in grants to 18 nonprofits working to meet Westchester County’s pressing needs, from strengthening local journalism and supporting home-based child care providers to improving sustainability initiatives in municipalities.
The grants are fueled by the generosity of hundreds of donors who have established permanent funds at The New York Community Trust or given to its Community Needs Fund, which accepts contributions of any size to support local nonprofits.
Since 2004, New York State has lost half of its newspapers. In 2022, more than 30 papers closed; today, twenty-five percent of New York counties are either down to their last local newspaper or without one entirely. The collapse of local news journalism creates information vacuums that provide fertile ground for misinformation and disinformation. And as national matters increasingly overshadow local political discourse, communities can become more polarized, leading to lower rates of voter turnout and other civic engagement.
“Nonprofit news outlets are uniquely positioned to foster a forum for healthy community dialogue,” said Laura Rossi, vice president of The New York Community Trust’s Westchester office. “With a rise in disinformation and mistrust, as well as a knowledge gap on how to contribute to positive change, we are deepening our focus in Westchester on strengthening spaces for impactful civic engagement.”
Today, The Trust is announcing two grants, totaling $100,000, that will support the Peekskill Herald and The Recorder, so that they can continue to provide in-depth coverage of community issues, including education, the environment, and the need for increased affordable housing.
As the community foundation for NYC, Long Island, and Westchester, The Trust brings together the contributions and passions of donors past and present to address the region’s immediate challenges and advance long-term systemic change.
The following is a list of the grants announced today. Longer descriptions of the programs supported are available upon request.
Education
The Trust’s Westchester office is deepening its commitment to supporting home-based child care providers, who make up nearly half of the county’s child care businesses. With our support, the following four organizations will each receive $10,000 to engage in a planning process to create a sustainable system for connecting home-based providers with business training: All Our Kin; Child Care Center of Westchester, Inc.; Women’s Enterprise Development Center; and The Acceleration Project.
Hunger and Homelessness
Community Food Advocates (Healthy Meals for All campaign): $20,000 to increase access to school meals for all children.
Youth Development
Alliance for a Viable Future: $90,000 to provide cultural and leadership programming for Native American youth.
Arts & Culture
Friends of Music Concerts: $20,000 to present chamber music by German composers, from the Reimss Memorial Fund.
Westchester Oratorio Society: $15,000 to present an all-Mendelssohn concert, with chorus, professional soloists, and orchestra.
Hammond Museum: $5,000 to support an Indian Classical Music workshop and concert.
Conservation & Environment
Center for Economic and Environmental Partnership: $168,000 to improve municipal capacity for sustainability initiatives.
Long Island Sound Funders Collaborative: $10,000 for a funder collaborative dedicated to protecting and restoring the Long Island Sound.
Sustainable Westchester: $50,000 to support the development of a thermal energy network in the Village of Port Chester.
Civic Affairs
Peekskill Herald: $60,000 for a series of education stories and community convenings in Peekskill.
The Recorder: $40,000 to increase access to credible news coverage on environmental and affordable housing issues in Northern Westchester.
Community Development
Builder’s Institute of Westchester and Putnam Counties: $55,000 to coordinate an advocacy campaign for municipal policies that encourage affordable housing development.
Scholarships
African American Men of Westchester: $19,000 to provide scholarships in honor of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Rockland Community College Foundation: $25,000 to provide scholarships to students attending Rockland Community College.
Westchester Community College Foundation: $85,000 to provide scholarships for students attending Westchester Community College.
