Community Service Society of New York

About Community Service Society of New York

Community Service Society of New York funds direct service organizations that help New Yorkers access health coverage, legal help, housing stability, employment supports, and student debt assistance. Its recent grants show a steady pattern of large operating support to intermediaries and service providers working with people facing economic insecurity across the state. A defining feature of the portfolio is the repeated support for health access networks and legal aid organizations. The foundation gave $1,107,880 in 2024 to Aids Community Resource in Syracuse and $826,092 to Finger Lakes Migrant Health Care Project Inc in Penn Yan, indicating sizable support for community-based service delivery. Medicare Rights Center in New York also appears repeatedly among the largest awards, with grants of $753,379 in 2025 and $732,829 in 2024. The grant list also includes disability and consumer-advocacy organizations such as Center for Independence of the Disabled NY, New York Legal Assistance Group, and Legal Assistance of Western NY, alongside immigrant and worker-serving groups like Make the Road NY. The overall picture is of a funder that backs organizations doing direct assistance and policy-adjacent service work rather than one-off projects.

What Community Service Society of New York Funds

Health coverage and public benefits access are central. Through Keep New York Covered, the foundation supports Navigator and FE-ABD enrollment agencies that conduct marketing and outreach so consumers can get and keep health insurance. That same concern shows up in grants to Adirondack Health Institute Inc in Glens Falls, including $709,042 in 2024 and $575,720 in 2025. Student loan guidance is another clear area. Its National Student Debt Counselors Network supports nonprofit and community-based organizations across the United States with resources and support to provide free student loan counseling. In the recent grants list, The Center for Independence of the Disabled NY in New York received $535,399 in 2023, $530,068 in 2024, and $517,122 in 2025. Legal justice and workforce-related supports also appear through awards to organizations such as Neighborhood Legal Services Inc in Buffalo and Empire Justice Center in Rochester, both serving residents who need direct legal assistance and consumer support.

How Community Service Society of New York Gives