NYC Good Neighbor Committee Grant

The New York City Good Neighbor Committee (GNC), part of the Ford Foundation, offers annual funding to support small community-based organizations working locally across the five boroughs of New York City. The GNC seeks to uphold the foundation’s mission by focusing on initiatives in three core areas: Arts and Culture, Education, and Human Services. By supporting organizations that address inequality, increase opportunity, and elevate the quality of life, the committee aims to deepen Ford’s connection to the communities it serves while offering foundation staff who are not grantmakers a closer view into direct philanthropic work. The Good Neighbor Grant is designed to provide unrestricted funding to organizations that meet a specific set of criteria. Organizations must be physically based in New York City and direct their services within the five boroughs. Eligible applicants must have 501(c)(3) nonprofit status or be working with a fiscal sponsor that does. Additionally, applicants must not already be receiving funding from other Ford Foundation programs and should demonstrate accountability and responsiveness to their local communities. Each year, the committee selects 10 to 15 organizations to receive funding. Awards range between $30,000 and $100,000, with grants typically lasting for one year. Funding is flexible and unrestricted in nature, allowing recipients to apply resources where they are needed most. The committee places a strong emphasis on supporting work that reduces systemic barriers and builds long-term community resilience and equity. Applications are accepted through a two-stage process beginning with a Letter of Inquiry (LOI). For the 2026 funding cycle, the LOI window opens on September 1, 2025, and closes at 5:00 PM EST on September 30, 2025. All submissions must be made through the designated Good Neighbor Grant Application form. Applications will not be reviewed on a rolling basis; all submissions are evaluated together following the deadline. A small group of applicants will be contacted between December 2025 and February 2026 to provide additional materials and complete the full proposal stage. Those invited to proceed will be able to reuse most of their LOI content for the narrative section of their final proposal. The final decisions and disbursements are anticipated after the second stage review concludes. Questions about the process should be directed to goodneighbor@fordfoundation.org. Direct inquiries to Ford Foundation staff or submission of materials outside the designated platform are not permitted.