Make a Difference Grants

The Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan (CFOS), based in Montgomery, New York, has opened its 2025 application cycle for the Make a Difference Grants program. Established in 2003, the Make a Difference Fund was created to address evolving community needs throughout the region. This year’s grant cycle shifts its focus specifically toward the arts and humanities, with an emphasis on programs that serve disadvantaged children and elderly populations. The Foundation is known for its regional philanthropic work and for providing targeted funding to address social equity and enrichment through community-based programming. For 2025, CFOS is inviting eligible nonprofit organizations to submit proposals for arts and humanities initiatives that enrich the lives of underserved youth and seniors. This strategic focus reflects CFOS’s commitment to enhancing cultural access and fostering community well-being through creativity, education, and human connection. Grants are intended to fund projects that use artistic and humanistic engagement as tools to bridge opportunity gaps and improve quality of life for these vulnerable groups. Grants will be awarded in amounts of up to $5,000 per county, specifically serving Orange, Sullivan, and Rockland Counties in New York State. Eligible applicants must be 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organizations based in one of the three counties and must have an annual operating budget not exceeding $2 million. Additionally, proposed projects must directly benefit underserved children or seniors through arts and humanities programming. Funding may not be used for endowment funds, political activities, academic or medical research, private or religious education unless it addresses a broad community need, completed or ongoing projects, fundraising events, government funding replacement (unless for bridge funding), scholarships for higher education, or staff compensation. Organizations that have received a Make a Difference Grant in the past 12 months are also ineligible to apply for this cycle. Applications must be submitted online through the CFOS website (cfosny.org) no later than July 31, 2025. The Foundation expects to announce awards by September 2025. Applications will be reviewed on several criteria, including alignment with the Make a Difference Fund’s mission, the potential for community impact, organizational capacity to execute the proposed initiative, and the scope of individuals served. No additional pre-application deadlines, Q&A sessions, or proposal stages were noted. Interested organizations may reach out to Lisa Mitchell at (845) 769-9393 or via email at lisa@cfosny.org for more information. The grant does not operate on a rolling basis but is expected to recur annually, making it a recurring opportunity for regional nonprofits. The focus for 2025 on cultural programming underscores CFOS’s dedication to equity and creative inclusion within the Hudson Valley community.