The New World Foundation

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680 West End Avenue, #1C
New York, NY 10025
(212) 249-1023
[email protected]

Foundation Guide - New World Foundation

Mission

The New World Foundation was founded in 1954 by Anita McCormick Blaine. “The New World Foundation aims to bring about better international understanding and a condition in which …all people might live in amity, and in recognition of their responsibility toward one another.” (Anita Blaine) Its mission is to eradicate apathy in the American political system and to cultivate and create pathways for individuals to become advocates and change agents.

The New World Foundation seeks to maximize its impact by providing cluster operating grants in regions where several organizations can collaborate to bring maximum resources to address the needs in their communities.

Regions with a higher demographic of impoverished and working poor receive priority. By focusing its grantmaking in this way, the Foundation can also contribute to building solidarity among stakeholders and encourage organizations to move past the single-issue mindset.

Supported Causes

In the initial years after its founding, the New World Foundation focused primarily on funding educational initiatives and programs that created positive dialogue between constituent groups and international governments. In its second decade, the Foundation expanded its focus to include civil rights and political organizations. Today, the Foundation also supports programs related to economic development, climate and food justice, and immigration reform.

The New World Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals. Community-based organizations and social movements that aim to change the paradigm in their state or region receive priority consideration. The Foundation is especially concerned about collaborating with organizations and individuals from socio-economically disadvantaged communities.

The Foundation prefers to provide operating support rather than fund specific programs. This aligns with the Foundation’s focus on strengthening leaders and community-based organizations so they can create the initiatives needed in their communities. To this end, the Foundation provides multi-year operating grants that not only allow programmatic activities to flourish but create an environment for new leaders to emerge and succeed.

Projects

The New World Foundation provides operating grants. Funded organizations may also be eligible for:

  • Technical Assistance: To help an organization improve its operational capacity.
    Seed Grants and Matching Grants: These are for startup initiatives, and to build sustainability in focus areas.
  • Small Discretionary Grants: On an infrequent basis, the Foundation may find it valuable to provide emergency assistance to help an organization cover its cash-flow deficit, develop marketing materials for pitches to new donors or cover the cost of travel to institutional capacity-building workshops.
  • Special Project Grants: These grants support new ideas and new influencers at the local level.
  • The New Majority Fund
    The New Majority Fund is engaged in labor organizing and initiatives in immigrant communities to fight against exploitation, poor working conditions, and unsafe residential environments.
    The New Majority Fund collaborates with the Phoenix Fund for Workers and Communities. The Foundation has supported worker centers and national advocacy channels focused on labor and immigration rights.
  • Climate Action Fund
    The New World Fund supports the work of the Climate Action Fund to reverse the impacts of fossil fuels on global climate change, funding leading organizations across the globe in countries including Nigeria, Mexico, Brazil, India, Thailand, South Africa, and the Philippines.
  • Civil Opportunities Initiative Network
    The New World Foundation funded the project launch of the Civil Opportunities Initiative Network, identifying 21 at-risk high school graduates from five states who would be supported and tracked through their 4-year college education. In addition to monetary support, the Foundation provided mentorship, internship and networking opportunities that were designed to increase the students’ chances for college success and becoming leaders in their communities.
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