Carnegie Corporation of New York

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $174 million (FY 2023-2024)
• Total Assets: $4.5 billion (as of September 30, 2024)
• Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed (invitation-based grantmaking)
• Decision Time: Quarterly board meetings
• Grant Range: $200,000 - $3,000,000 (typical range based on recent approvals)
• Geographic Focus: National (United States) and International (select Commonwealth countries in Sub-Saharan Africa)

Contact Details

Main Office:

• Phone: (212) 371-3200
• Website: www.carnegie.org
• Location: New York, NY
• EIN: 13-1628151

Programme Areas:

• Education
• Democracy
• International Peace and Security
• Higher Education and Research in Africa

Overview

Founded in 1911 by Andrew Carnegie with an initial endowment of $135 million, Carnegie Corporation of New York is one of America's oldest and most influential philanthropic foundations. With $4.5 billion in assets and $174 million in annual giving (FY 2023-2024), the Corporation awarded 353 grants during its most recent fiscal year. Dame Louise Richardson became the Corporation's 13th president in January 2023, making history as the first woman to lead the foundation. The Corporation operates as a proactive grantmaker, with programme staff identifying and inviting organisations to apply rather than accepting unsolicited proposals. The three pillars of Carnegie's work are promoting peace, advancing education, and strengthening democracy, with a particular emphasis under Richardson's leadership on reducing political polarisation in American society. The Corporation's charter allows for up to 7.4% of funds to be granted to nonprofit organisations in countries that are or have been members of the British Commonwealth, with current grantmaking in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

Andrew Carnegie Fellows Programme:

• Amount: $200,000 per fellow for 12-24 months
• Focus: High-calibre research in humanities and social sciences, currently focused on political polarisation in the U.S.
• Annual Investment: Approximately $6 million (around 30 fellows per year historically; 28 fellows in 2024 cohort)
• Application: Open competition with nominations
• Note: Unsuccessful nominees can be nominated again in subsequent years

Education Programme:

• Annual Distribution: Approximately $60 million
• Focus: Helping young people move from classroom to meaningful careers, creating socioeconomic mobility, and encouraging civic participation
• Recent Examples:
  • Big Picture Learning: $1.5 million (36 months) for network of schools
  • NYC Public Libraries: $4 million total for English language learning, workforce development, and civic engagement
  • The Institute for Citizens & Scholars: $2.05 million (24 months) for Civic Spring Fellowship

Democracy Programme (Strengthening U.S. Democracy):

• Focus Areas: Legal pathways for immigrant integration, voting and elections, state community service, and civic learning
• Recent Examples:
  • Columbia World Projects: $500,000 for Renewing Democratic Participation initiative
  • Aspen Institute: $1.2 million (24 months) for Congressional Programme
  • Various grants supporting nonpartisan organisations working to reduce political polarisation

International Peace and Security:

• Annual Distribution: Approximately $48 million
• Focus: Preventing and managing conflict, movements of people, and non-state actors
• Recent Examples:
  • Boston University: $750,000 (36 months) for project on China and international economic order
  • Brookings Institution: $700,000 (24 months) for Foreign Policy Programme
  • Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (separate organisation)

Higher Education and Research in Africa:

• Historical Investment: $134.43 million from 2010-2019 (164 grants)
• Recent Examples:
  • University of Ghana: $3 million (36 months) for doctoral and early-career fellowships
  • African School of Economics: $350,000 (24 months) for Sahel region research
• Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Programme: 749 fellowships awarded since 2013
• Average Award: $1,029,000 (range: $95,000 - $2.6 million)

Priority Areas

Education:

• Secondary and higher education reform
• Career pathways and workforce development
• Civic learning and participation
• Educational equity and access
• Library programmes supporting community needs

Democracy:

• Reducing political polarisation
• Voting rights and election integrity
• Immigrant integration
• Community and national service programmes
• Civic education for young people

International Peace and Security:

• Conflict prevention and management
• Nuclear dangers reduction
• Multilateralism and U.S. foreign policy
• Transregional trends in Africa and Arab region
• Migration and refugee issues

Higher Education and Research in Africa:

• Development and retention of early-career African academics
• Support for regional centres of doctoral education
• Strengthening connections between African universities and diaspora communities
• Higher education policy and research

What They Don't Fund

• Building construction projects
• Religious organisations
• Organisations outside the United States except in select Commonwealth countries (primarily Sub-Saharan Africa)
• Unsolicited proposals (with rare exceptions for specific calls for proposals)
• For-profit entities

Governance and Leadership

President: Dame Louise Richardson, the Corporation's 13th president since January 2023, is the first woman to lead Carnegie Corporation. Previously, she was Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University (first woman in that role) and Principal of the University of St. Andrews (also first woman). She has stated about her role: "I expect I am going to discover all sorts of extraordinary people out there doing amazing work. My task will be: How do we help them do more of it?" On polarisation, she noted: "Having been outside the U.S. for 14 years, to come back and see the polarisation and its pace of acceleration has been really quite shocking."

Board Chair: Janet L. Robinson, retired president and CEO of the New York Times Company, succeeded former New Jersey Governor Thomas H. Kean as chair after his nearly 30 years of service.

Vice Chair: Kurt L. Schmoke, president of the University of Baltimore.

Notable Board Members:

• Martin "Marty" Baron (retired executive editor of the Washington Post)
• Ann Claire Williams (retired federal judge)
• Maria Elena Lagomasino (CEO & managing partner of WE Family Offices)
• Kevin J. Conway (vice chairman of private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice)

Strengthening U.S. Democracy Programme Leadership: Geri Mannion, managing director of the Strengthening U.S. Democracy programme, has overseen $394 million and 1,735 grants in support of immigration reform, voter participation and rights.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

General Grantmaking: Carnegie Corporation operates as a proactive grantmaker, meaning nearly all organisations they fund are identified and contacted by Corporation programme officers. The foundation does not accept or review unsolicited proposals or requests for funding in most cases. Programme staff identify organisations to implement projects designed to help the foundation achieve its programmatic goals.

For organisations interested in funding:

1. Review the Corporation's website thoroughly to understand programmes, goals, strategies, and limitations
2. Ensure alignment between your organisation's work and Carnegie's priorities
3. Be aware that intensive and collaborative planning between the Corporation and identified institutions generally precedes grant awards
4. In rare cases when specific Calls for Proposals are issued, follow the instructions provided

Andrew Carnegie Fellows Programme: This programme operates differently, with an open application process:

• Nominations accepted during specified application periods
• Applications reviewed by independent jury
• Unsuccessful nominees can be nominated again in subsequent years
• Due to high volume, feedback on unsuccessful applications is not provided

Occasional Requests for Proposals (RFPs): Carnegie occasionally issues specific calls for proposals in targeted areas such as:

• Reducing Nuclear Dangers
• Reimagining Approaches to Multilateralism and U.S. Foreign Policy
• Other strategic initiatives

When RFPs are issued, detailed application instructions and deadlines are provided on the website.

Decision Timeline

Quarterly Board Meetings: The Board of Trustees approves grants at quarterly meetings throughout the year. Recent board meeting dates have included:

• March 2024: 51 grants totalling $26.2 million
• September 2024: 97 grants totalling $57.8 million
• December 2024: 44 grants totalling $34.3 million

Letter of Inquiry Response Time: When letters of inquiry are accepted (for specific programmes like Higher Education and Research in Africa), applicants are typically notified within 4-6 weeks via email if their letter is declined or if they have been invited to submit a full proposal.

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly disclosed. Given the proactive nature of Carnegie's grantmaking model, traditional success rate metrics do not apply. The foundation reaches out to organisations rather than evaluating a pool of unsolicited applications.

For the Andrew Carnegie Fellows Programme, the programme is highly competitive with around 30 fellows selected annually from a national pool of nominations (28 fellows in 2024 cohort).

Reapplication Policy

General Grantmaking: Due to the proactive nature of Carnegie's grantmaking, traditional reapplication policies do not apply. Organisations may be contacted by programme staff in the future if their work aligns with Carnegie's evolving priorities.

Andrew Carnegie Fellows Programme: Unsuccessful nominees can be nominated again in subsequent years. The programme does not prohibit reapplication.

Application Success Factors

Key Alignment Factors

Proactive Identification: The most important factor is being identified by Carnegie programme officers as an organisation capable of implementing projects aligned with the Corporation's strategic goals. Success comes from:

• Demonstrated track record in areas aligned with Carnegie's three pillars
• Organisational capacity to execute significant, high-impact projects
• Leadership and expertise in education, democracy, peace and security, or African higher education
• Strong reputation in relevant fields

Strategic Fit: Dame Louise Richardson emphasises that the Corporation must be "as disciplined, as targeted, as focused, and as flexible as we can be." This suggests they look for:

• Organisations doing work that directly advances specific programmatic goals
• Projects with potential for measurable impact and transformative change
• Innovative approaches to complex problems
• Ability to contribute to broader strategic initiatives

Recent Funding Examples

Education:

• Network-wide support for innovative school models (Big Picture Learning: $1.5M)
• Library-based community programmes addressing English language learning and workforce development
• Fellowship programmes supporting civic engagement (Institute for Citizens & Scholars: $2.05M)

Democracy:

• Nonpartisan research and convening on democratic participation (Columbia World Projects: $500K)
• Congressional leadership development (Aspen Institute: $1.2M)
• State and national service programmes

International Peace and Security:

• Academic research on international relations and foreign policy (Boston University: $750K)
• Policy research and analysis (Brookings Institution: $700K)

Higher Education and Research in Africa:

• Multi-year institutional support for doctoral programmes (University of Ghana: $3M)
• Regional research initiatives (African School of Economics: $350K)

Process Insights

Collaborative Planning: Intensive and collaborative planning between the Corporation and institutions generally precedes grant awards. This indicates:

• Grants are not one-off decisions but part of ongoing relationships
• Programme officers work closely with grantees to shape projects
• Flexibility and responsiveness during the planning process are valued

Focus on Impact: The Corporation seeks to invest in projects that can create "meaningful, transformative change" rather than incremental improvements. This suggests they favour:

• Ambitious projects with clear theory of change
• Organisations with capacity to scale impact
• Work that addresses root causes rather than symptoms
• Projects that can influence policy or practice in broader fields

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Understand the proactive model: Carnegie Corporation identifies and contacts potential grantees rather than accepting unsolicited applications. Building visibility and reputation in your field is essential.

• Align with strategic priorities: Focus your work clearly on one or more of Carnegie's three pillars (education, democracy, peace and security) with particular attention to current emphases like political polarisation reduction.

• Build relationships over time: Given the collaborative planning approach, Carnegie funding often results from ongoing relationships and programme officer awareness of your work. Engage in convenings, publish research, and maintain visibility in relevant networks.

• Demonstrate capacity for significant impact: Typical grants range from $200,000 to $3 million. Your organisation must show capacity to manage substantial funding and deliver transformative results, not incremental change.

• Watch for specific calls for proposals: While most funding is proactive, Carnegie occasionally issues RFPs in targeted areas. Monitor their website and sign up for updates to be notified of these opportunities.

• Consider the Andrew Carnegie Fellows Programme: This is one of the few open application opportunities, providing $200,000 for individual scholars, journalists, and authors conducting research on political polarisation.

• Emphasise innovation and scalability: Richardson has stated the foundation seeks "extraordinary people doing amazing work" and wants to help them "do more of it." Show how your work can be replicated, scaled, or influence broader practice.

References

1. Carnegie Corporation of New York. (2024). "About." Retrieved from https://www.carnegie.org/about/
2. Carnegie Corporation of New York. (2024). "Financials." Retrieved from https://www.carnegie.org/about/financials/
3. Carnegie Corporation of New York. (2024). "Carnegie Corporation of New York Annual Report FY2023–2024." Retrieved from https://www.carnegie.org/publications/carnegie-corporation-of-new-york-annual-report-fy20232024/
4. Carnegie Corporation of New York. (2024). "Programs." Retrieved from https://www.carnegie.org/programs/
5. Carnegie Corporation of New York. (2024). "Grants Database." Retrieved from https://www.carnegie.org/grants/grants-database/
6. Carnegie Corporation of New York. (2024). "Trustees." Retrieved from https://www.carnegie.org/about/trustees/
7. Carnegie Corporation of New York. (2024). "Dame Louise Richardson." Retrieved from https://www.carnegie.org/about/staff/dame-louise-richardson/
8. Carnegie Corporation of New York. (2024). "Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program." Retrieved from https://www.carnegie.org/awards/award/andrew-carnegie-fellows/
9. Carnegie Corporation of New York. (2024). "Democracy Program." Retrieved from https://www.carnegie.org/programs/strengthening-democracy/
10. Carnegie Corporation of New York. (2024). "Higher Education and Research in Africa." Retrieved from https://www.carnegie.org/programs/higher-education-and-research-in-africa/
11. Carnegie Corporation of New York. (December 12, 2024). "Carnegie Corporation of New York Board Approves 44 Grants Totaling $34,300,000." Retrieved from https://www.carnegie.org/news/articles/carnegie-corporation-of-new-york-board-approves-44-grants-totaling-34300000/
12. Carnegie Corporation of New York. (September 2024). "Carnegie Corporation of New York Board Approves 97 Grants Totaling $57,785,500." Retrieved from https://www.carnegie.org/news/articles/carnegie-corporation-of-new-york-board-approves-97-grants-totaling-57785500/
13. Carnegie Corporation of New York. (March 7, 2024). "Carnegie Corporation of New York Board Approves 51 Grants Totaling $26,225,000." Retrieved from https://www.carnegie.org/news/articles/carnegie-corporation-new-york-board-approves-51-grants-totaling-26225000/
14. Carnegie Corporation of New York. (2024). "Grantmaking Highlights." Retrieved from https://www.carnegie.org/about/grantmaking-highlights/
15. Carnegie Corporation of New York. (2024). "Grant Inquiries." Retrieved from https://www.carnegie.org/grants/grant-inquiries/
16. Inside Philanthropy. (April 8, 2024). "The Latest in a Life of Firsts: Carnegie President Louise Richardson Talks About Her Role." Retrieved from https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2024-4-8-the-latest-in-a-life-of-firsts-carnegie-president-louise-richardson-talks-about-her-role
17. Inside Philanthropy. (July 15, 2024). "The Election Isn't the End Point. A Deep Dive into the Carnegie Corporation's Democracy Giving." Retrieved from https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2024-7-15-the-election-isnt-the-end-point-a-deep-dive-into-the-carnegie-corporations-democracy-giving
18. Carnegie Corporation of New York. (June 2023). "Political Polarization in the U.S. Is the New Focus of Significant Research Fellowship Program from Carnegie Corporation of New York." Retrieved from https://www.carnegie.org/news/articles/political-polarization-us-new-focus-significant-research-fellowship-program-carnegie-corporation-new-york/
19. Carnegie Corporation of New York. (2024). "A Decade of Strengthening Higher Education and Research Capacity in Africa." Retrieved from https://www.carnegie.org/our-work/article/decade-strengthening-higher-education-and-research-capacity-africa/
20. Carnegie Corporation of New York. (2024). "Getting to Know Dame Louise Richardson with Judy Woodruff." Carnegie Reporter Winter 2022. Retrieved from https://www.carnegie.org/our-work/article/getting-know-our-new-president-dame-louise-richardson/

All sources accessed November 2024.