The Roosevelt Island Public Purpose Fund at The New York Community Trust has announced $250,000 in one-year grants to 14 nonprofits working to benefit Roosevelt Island residents and enhance their quality of life.
NEW YORK, NY (May 16, 2025) – Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) was created in 1984 by the State of New York to plan, design, develop, and maintain Roosevelt Island. RIOC asked The Trust to administer its public purpose grants and created the Roosevelt Island Public Purpose Fund at The Trust in 2022.
The Trust convened an independent, five-person advisory committee of members of the Roosevelt Island community to review applications and make grant recommendations. Committee members live or work on the island, and reflect racial, age, and gender diversity. Members remained anonymous during the review period to keep the process fair and confidential.
Advisory committee:
- Kathy Chen, CPA, Roosevelt Island resident
- Tanzeem Choudhury, Professor, Cornell Tech, Roosevelt Island resident
- Katherine Grimm, pediatrician, Roosevelt Island resident
- Susan Haberman, Roosevelt Island resident
- Jim Luce, founder of the James Jay Dudley Luce Foundation, Roosevelt Island resident
The awards program, which began in 1989, supports projects to make life on Roosevelt Island more enjoyable and equitable for all. Grants from this round will support education and youth development, services for older adults, and arts and culture for the Roosevelt Island community.
The grant recipients are:
The Carter Burden Network: $20,000 to provide culturally responsive case management to older adults on Roosevelt Island.
Idig2learn: $5,000 for general support.
Island Kids: $25,000 to support summer camp scholarships.
Leonardo Suarez-Paz’s PIAZZOLLA100: $15,000 for a festival, concert series, and dance workshops on Roosevelt Island.
Main Street Theatre and Dance Alliance: $25,000 to replace theater lighting and support scholarship, work-study, and internship programs.
PTA PS/IS 217: $25,000 to provide dance arts education to PS/IS 217 students.
RIVAA Gallery Concerts: $15,000 for a concert series and puppetry program on Roosevelt Island.
Roosevelt Island Concerts: $20,000 for six community concerts on Roosevelt Island.
Roosevelt Island Disabled Association: $25,000 to provide field trips, cultural enrichment, and social activities to disabled and older adult communities on Roosevelt Island.
Roosevelt Island Historical Society: $20,000 for activities celebrating Roosevelt Island’s 50th anniversary and the “Keeping History Alive” project.
Roosevelt Island Residents Association: $10,000 to develop a community emergency response team on Roosevelt Island.
Roosevelt Island Senior Association: $15,000 to provide community events and weekend and evening classes for older adults.
Roosevelt Island Visual Art Association: $25,000 for exhibitions and community programs engaging under-represented artists.
Wildlife Freedom Foundation: $5,000 for general support.