The results of our centennial community grantmaking project
As The Trust’s centennial anniversary approached in 2024, we reflected on our goals for our second century, including finding new ways to invite community voices to help guide our work. We decided to highlight this priority with a special centennial initiative.
New Yorkers from all five boroughs, Long Island, and Westchester took part in Our Votes, Our Vision, Our Community by voting for three issue areas to which we would direct a total of $3 million in 2025.
As promised, we’ve made over $1 million dollars in grants this year to each of the following winning causes: affordable housing, mental and behavioral health, and nonprofit resilience. These grants were made possible by the legacies of generous donors who established flexible funds at The Trust to support the good of the region for future generations.
We’re excited to share some examples of how these grants are driving positive change across the region.
An innovative approach to affordable housing
Community land trusts make it possible for nonprofit organizations to acquire and steward land to provide permanently affordable housing for low- and moderate-income households. With support from The Trust, Brooklyn Level Up, a community development corporation and community land trust, engaged more than 200 neighbors in south and central Brooklyn to reimagine five vacant lots.
Participants used virtual reality activities, drawing, and writing to envision community-owned, climate-resilient spaces that could serve as permanent housing for community members.
“These neighbors’ lived experiences now sit alongside hard data to shape our plans for the community land trust and climate mitigation strategies,” said Allyson Martinez, executive director of Brooklyn Level Up. “This project isn’t just about protecting land—it’s about protecting legacy, culture, and our collective right to call East Flatbush, Flatbush, and Flatlands home.”
The grant to Brooklyn Level Up, made possible with funding from Our Votes, Our Vision, Our Community, is part of The Trust’s broader effort to support community land trusts across the city, including in Harlem, Queens, and the Bronx.
Championing peer-led mental health responses
Many countries use peer-led crisis response centers as an alternative to emergency departments or hospitalization for people experiencing a serious mental health crisis. This model focuses on long-term recovery and patient safety rather than short-term stabilization, and it has been shown to yield better clinical results.
A grant to Community Access will help open New York City’s first peer-led crisis respite center, providing a voluntary safe haven for New Yorkers in need. The center will combine 24-hour support from peer counselors—trained individuals who have experience receiving mental health services—with professional care from psychiatrists and nurse practitioners.
Supporting nonprofit leadership transitions
People who start nonprofits often do so out of a deep personal connection to the cause, dedicating substantial time, energy, and resources to advancing their mission. When it’s time for them to move on, leadership transitions often require considerable planning and support to avoid destabilizing organizations or interrupting their programs and services.
Our grant to Community Resource Exchange is helping it design and launch a first-of-its-kind training and support program for organizations navigating the transition from founder-leaders to new leadership. In addition to directly supporting participating organizations, it is making its tools and learnings available to the broader nonprofit sector.
“Founder transitions can be among the most delicate and defining moments in a nonprofit’s life cycle,” said Tiloma Jayasinghe, president and chief executive officer of Community Resource Exchange. “By investing in this moment, we can ensure that nonprofits—and the communities they serve—emerge from leadership change with greater clarity, continuity, and resilience.”
