Photo Courtesy of Uncommon Schools
FUNDING GUIDELINES
Tiger Foundation supports organizations and programs serving the five boroughs of New York City across three portfolios: Education; Family Support; and Youth, Workforce, and Justice. Tiger Foundation’s funding is primarily focused on proven, high-impact, direct human services.
ACROSS ALL PROGRAM AREAS, WE SEEK:
- Strong and consistent measurable outcomes over time
- Skilled executive, program, and board leadership
- Cost-effectiveness
- Financial health and skilled fiscal management
- Opportunity for broad impact (replicability, scale, and leverage of public and other private investment)
- Efforts to engage clients and local community and to develop and refine models that are reflective of community needs
Applicants must be exempt from income taxes under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Requests for support are not considered for individuals, annual or capital campaigns, endowments, benefits, public policy or lobbying efforts, legal assistance, existing obligations, or debt liability.
For detailed descriptions of our guidelines, read more on each of the program areas below.
THE TIGER FUNDING CYCYLE
Tiger Foundation provides one-year grants typically ranging in size from $50,000 to $300,000, with an average grant size around $200,000. Unlike many foundations, which determine grant budgets based on a rolling average of endowment values, Tiger Foundation is not endowment-based and has historically relied on donated funds from its board members and a close circle of friends and other partners. Grantmaking budgets are set each year based on the foundation’s resources on hand and its ability to identify and make sound investments in high-performing organizations and programs. In 2022, the foundation made grants totaling approximately $14 million. Though all grants contractually represent a one-time commitment, we do consider grant renewal requests when evidence of continued strong performance and continued financial need have been demonstrated, and there are many organizations in each of our portfolios that we have supported over multiple years.
SEED AND EXPANSION
Tiger Foundation seeks to help New Yorkers thrive by providing funding to exemplary nonprofit organizations that serve low-income communities across the five boroughs. We support programs that provide access to effective, supportive, and transformative opportunities for individuals and families. While the majority of our funding will continue to be directed to proven, high-impact, direct services, we created a Seed and Expansion Fund in 2022 that focuses a portion of our resources on support of earlier-stage organizations that are attempting to fill unmet needs in new and innovative ways.
In addition to bringing new ideas and new leadership to the field, our Seed and Expansion Fund also supports accelerated growth and replication efforts for some of the City’s strongest program models.