Long Island Community Foundation Announces $607K in Local Grants

The Long Island Community Foundation announced Friday $607,000 in grants to 31 Long Island nonprofits for projects ranging from protecting waterways in Riverhead to teaching students in Hempstead to use money wisely.

The East End’s many nonprofits were well represented on the list, providing a testament to the efforts of our benevolent communities in the Hamptons and the North Fork.

“These grants, generously given by Long Islanders and other New Yorkers, will have an immediate effect on improving schools, the environment and the arts across the Island,” said David M. Okorn, executive director of the Syosset-based Long Island Community Foundation.

Okorn announced the latest grants, which are intended to make the Island a better place to live and work, in a variety of categories. They are listed below.

Promote, Encourage, Innovate Arts

CHILDREN’S ORCHESTRA SOCIETY, Rockville Centre – $10,000 for a scholarship program for needy, talented, student musicians.

CINEMA ARTS CENTRE, Huntington – $20,000 for a digital projector.

EAST END ARTS & HUMANITIES COUNCIL, East End – $10,000 for an arts program that will bolster economic and community development.

LONG ISLAND ARTS ALLIANCE, Woodbury – $20,000 for the annual Arts Alive LI Arts and Culture Festival that showcases Long Island’s cultural assets, fosters economic development and encourages collaboration amongst arts groups.

Stewards of Our Environment

CITIZENS CAMPAIGN FUND FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, Farmingdale –  $20,000 to promote the safe disposal of pharmaceuticals by Long Island healthcare institutions and the public.

CORNELL COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SUFFOLK COUNTY, Riverhead – $22,000 to support environmentally sound pest-management programs at six vineyards on the North Fork.

LONG ISLAND PINE BARRENS SOCIETY, Riverhead – $20,000 for a multi-year plan to protect Long Island water quality.

PECONIC BAYKEEPER, Quogue – $20,000 to advocate for nature-based solutions to coastal hazards and climate change, like wetlands and eelgrass beds instead of hardening shore structures.

STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY School of Marine & Atmospheric Sciences, Southampton Campus – $15,000 to launch the Shinnecock Bay Restoration Project, which help will limit nitrogen contamination and improve water quality with organic filtration.

SUSTAINABLE LONG ISLAND, Farmingdale – $15,000 to build the capacity of two grassroots organizations to create a movement for environmental justice in their communities.

THE NATURE CONSERVANCY, East Hampton – $35,000 to help create messaging for a campaign to improved water quality on Long Island.

VISION LONG ISLAND, Northport –  $20,000 to promote public investment in housing and commercial development built near transit hubs.

Fostering Equal & Creative Learning Experiences

LONG ISLAND CHILDRENS MUSEUM, Garden City – $20,000 to bring first-graders to the Museum to learn about science.

PARRISH ART MUSEUM, Water Mill – $20,000 to provide arts education and programs to economically and culturally diverse students on Long Island’s East End.

CITY OF GLEN COVE YOUTH BUREAU, Glen Cove – $25,000 to support continued operation of the Glen Cove After 3 after school program for elementary and middle school students.

ERASE RACISM, Syosset – $20,000 for the Education Equity Campaign, a program promoting equal access to quality public schools.

FAMILY SERVICE LEAGUE, Huntington – $25,000 for continued operation of the Brentwood Community School, which is both a school and partnership that includes families, educators, and community leaders working closely together according to the needs of the local students and families.

JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF NEW YORK, Westbury – $20,000 for programs that teach students in the Westbury School District how to balance a budget, save money and deal with debt.

Helping Nonprofits Thrive

KIMMEL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION, Westbury – $20,000 to plan a pilot program for Virtual Senior Centers-an interactive experience through which homebound seniors connect to a range of programming via the internet.

NORTH FORK SPANISH APOSTOLATE, Riverhead – $10,000 grant to support an organization serving Latino immigrants diversify its funding, create volunteer programs and serve more people.

Hunger & Homelessness

AMAGANSETT FOOD INSTITUTE, Amagansett – $20,000 to provide Long Island food pantries with fresh locally-grown organic produce.

INTERFAITH NUTRITION NETWORK, Hempstead – $25,000 to provide job training to patrons of soup kitchens.

CONCERN FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING, Medford –  $25,000 to help formerly homeless veterans with mental health problems find safe and more permanent housing.

Protecting and Developing LI’s Future Generations

HERSTORY WRITERS WORKSHOP, Centereach – $25,000 to elevate the voices of Long Island’s teens to promote juvenile justice reform.

LONG ISLAND GAY AND LESBIAN YOUTH, Bay Shore –  $20,000 to support a LGBT bullying prevention program to change bystander behavior.

WOMEN’S FUND OF LONG ISLAND, Jericho – $20,000 for a leadership development program for young women.

Supporting Health Needs After Sandy

ADELPHI UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH, Garden City – $15,000 for a study to examine the physical and emotional health of low-income elderly Sandy survivors and to evaluate the services they need.

LONG ISLAND JOBS WITH JUSTICE, Hauppauge – $25,000 to gather information on worker safety and the impact of mold, while advocating for local policies to set disaster recovery health practices.

MAKE THE ROAD NEW YORK, Brentwood – $15,000 for safety training and legal advocacy for immigrant workers on Long Island.

NEW YORK COMMUNITIES FOR CHANGE, Hempstead – $15,000 to assess the health needs of low-income seniors in Long Beach and help them advocate for improved services.

NORTH SHORE CHILD & FAMILY GUIDANCE ASSOCIATION, Roslyn Heights – $15,000 for mental health services for Hurricane Sandy survivors.

Through the generosity of local donors, the Long Island Community Foundation invests in groups that significantly improve the quality of life on Long Island. To learn more about these grants and the Long Island Community Foundation—or to become a donor—visit licf.org, like them on Facebook or follow the organization on Twitter @LICommunityFndt.

The Long Island Community Foundation (LICF) is the Island’s community foundation, making grants to improve our region and helping donors with their philanthropy since 1978. They identify community needs, strengthen the Island’s nonprofit sector, encourage philanthropy and, with generous donors, build a permanent endowment to address these needs. LICF has made more than $130 million in grants from hundreds of funds established by individuals, families and businesses. LICF is a division of The New York Community Trust, one of the country’s oldest and largest community foundations.