Citizens Philanthropic Foundation
ActivePhilanthropy & VoluntarismFunds Individuals
About Citizens Philanthropic Foundation
The foundation concentrates large, targeted investments in community economic development and workforce training in the New York City metro area, particularly New York boroughs and nearby New Jersey. Its giving emphasizes job pathways into growing industries (e.g., offshore wind) and practical supports for small businesses and vendors. Grants are sizable and directed to intermediaries that deliver training, market access, and employer-connected programs rather than direct service startups. The foundation appears outcome-oriented, prioritizing scalable workforce pipelines and neighborhood economic resilience.
Focus Areas
Offshore wind workforce training in BrooklynSupport for small-business markets and street vendors (Queens Night Market)Adult workforce development & corporate partnership programs in NY/NJ (Year Up model)
Who They Fund
low-income individuals and familieswomen, mothers, and gender-expansive peopleimmigrants and people of coloryouth and young adults (including high-school students)veterans
About Citizens Philanthropic Foundation
Citizens Philanthropic Foundation Inc. centers its giving on workforce pipelines and community economic development in New York City and New Jersey, with repeated support for programs that connect people to jobs, training, and market access. One of its largest recent commitments was a $500,000 grant to Year Up Inc for a national partnership and adult workforce talent in New York and New Jersey, signaling a strong preference for intermediaries that can move participants into employment pathways at scale. The foundation also backed a Brooklyn offshore wind training program through Local Initiatives Support Corporation with multiple six-figure grants, and supported Queens Economic Development Corporation for Queens Night Market small businesses and vendors in both 2024 and 2025. Those grants point to a mix of workforce preparation and small-business stability rather than one-off charitable aid. Across the recent record, the pattern is practical and programmatic: job readiness, training-to-hire models, vendor support, and ecosystem building. It also reaches beyond workforce development into related supports such as tax assistance, housing security, veterans’ mentoring, environmental stewardship, and maternal health, usually through established organizations with defined local programs.
What Citizens Philanthropic Foundation Funds
Workforce development is the clearest throughline. The foundation gave $100,000 to Urban League of Essex County for a clean energy careers preparation program and another $100,000 to the same organization in 2023 for clean energy training, alongside a $50,000 grant to Focus NJ for workforce development initiatives and opportunities. In the youth and early-career space, it also funded Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow in Brooklyn for the Innovation Lab and the Stay at Work Alumni Program. Small-business support appears through place-based programs and practical skill building. Citizens Philanthropic Foundation Inc. awarded $50,000 to Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York for a small business digital marketing literacy expansion, and supported Queens Economic Development Corporation for Queens Night Market small businesses and vendors in both 2024 and 2025. The foundation also funds stability services. Food Bank for New York City received VITA support in two consecutive years, and New Jersey Citizen Action Education Fund received funding for housing security and financial empowerment.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$3.1M
Total Assets
$18.7M
Total Revenue
$1M
Total Expenses
$3.2M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $500 and $3K, with a median of $1K.
25th Percentile
$500
Median
$1K
75th Percentile
$3K
Geographic Reach
Regional6 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Unlock Deep Analysis
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeSee Similar Funders
Free Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeExplore related grant guides
Want a Personalized Pitch for Citizens Philanthropic Foundation?
Sign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Free plan available
No contracts
Cancel anytime