New York City benefits from a robust network of well-established, highly effective nonprofit organizations that operate at a citywide scale.
The Starr Foundation has funded more than 100 such organizations, including well-known partners such as the YMCA of Greater New York, Children’s Aid Society, Fresh Air Fund, the Doe Fund, New Alternatives for Children, The New York Times Communities Fund (formerly known as The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund), and the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies. When Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration wanted to test if cash payments could help disrupt intergenerational poverty by offering low-income families cash rewards based on participation in human capital–building activities, like making preventive doctor visits or graduating from high school, The Starr Foundation awarded a $10 million pilot project grant. In a similar collaboration among nonprofits and city government, The Starr Foundation awarded a $12.5 million grant to Enterprise Community Partners to help capitalize the New York City Acquisition Fund, a $600 million+ bridge-loan fund for creating or preserving affordable housing. The NYC Acquisition Fund is still operating today, having reached a major milestone in 2024 of 100 projects supported, creating more than 16,000 affordable homes.
The Starr Foundation is one of the only foundations of its size that supports international priorities, while also having invested hundreds of millions of dollars in New York City direct-service programs.