← Back to US Funders Directory

New York Life Foundation

Annual Giving
$30.2M
Grant Range
$1K - $0.2M
Decision Time
4mo

Ready to apply to New York Life Foundation?

Let our AI help you write a winning grant application in minutes, not hours.

Start your 4-week free trial →

New York Life Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $30,190,520 (2023)
  • Total Assets: $140,917,777
  • Number of Grants (2023): 668
  • Grant Range: $500 - $160,000 (depending on programme)
  • Geographic Focus: National (all 50 states and Washington, D.C.)
  • Total Given Since 1979: Over $470 million

Contact Details

Website: https://www.newyorklife.com/foundation
Grant Opportunities: https://www.newyorklife.com/foundation/grant-opportunities
Aim High Programme Contact: aimhigh@afterschoolalliance.org
Address: New York, NY

Overview

Established in 1979, the New York Life Foundation has provided over $470 million in charitable contributions to national and local nonprofit organisations. The Foundation invests in programmes that benefit young people and their families as they navigate life's challenges, with particular emphasis on educational enhancement for middle school students and childhood bereavement support. As the philanthropic arm of New York Life Insurance Company, the Foundation's mission extends the company's commitment to providing peace of mind to families. The Foundation operates nationwide, supporting both national initiatives and local community organisations through various grant programmes. President Heather Nesle has led the Foundation since becoming president, focusing on three main areas: educational enhancement in middle school, childhood bereavement, and social justice.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

Aim High Grant Programme: $20,000 - $100,000 over one to two years

  • One-year grants of $20,000 provide general operating support to OST programmes helping students transition from 8th to 9th grade
  • Two-year grants of $100,000 ($50,000 per year) support programmes reducing chronic absenteeism among middle school students
  • Applications administered through the Afterschool Alliance
  • Annual competition with applications typically due in early February
  • Recent grant cycles have awarded 30 grants totalling $1.8 million (15 two-year grants of $100,000 and 15 one-year grants of $20,000)
  • Since 2013, over $100 million invested in middle school OST initiatives

Grief Reach Grant Programme: $110,000 - $160,000 over three years

  • Administered in partnership with the National Alliance for Grieving Children (NAGC)
  • Year 1: Participation in Childhood Bereavement Changemaker (CBC) Initiative led by Judi's House (valued at $10,000)
  • Years 2-3: $50,000 or $75,000 annually for expansion initiatives
  • Focus on community expansion through innovative programme development
  • Applications typically due in mid-December

Volunteer Grants (Volunteers for Good): $500 - $10,000

  • Team grants up to $10,000 for volunteer projects led by New York Life teams (minimum 5 volunteers, 40 hours)
  • Individual grants up to $1,000 for New York Life financial professionals and employees
  • $17.50 Cause Card awarded for every volunteer hour logged
  • Requires personal involvement from New York Life employees, agents, or financial professionals

Community Impact Grants: $5,000 - $25,000

  • Available to nonprofits championed by New York Life field employees and agents
  • Requires connection to New York Life workforce

Matching Gifts: Up to $5,000 per year

  • Matches contributions by employees and agents to accredited schools, childhood bereavement organisations, and the Foundation's educational grantees and their affiliates

Priority Areas

  • Educational Enhancement for Middle School Youth: Out-of-school time (afterschool, summer, and expanded learning) programmes that help students transition successfully to high school
  • Chronic Absenteeism Prevention: Programmes addressing school absences among middle school students in under-resourced communities
  • Childhood Bereavement: Services and support for children and families who have experienced the death of a close loved one
  • Social Justice: Programmes that address systemic issues affecting young people
  • Youth Entrepreneurship: Programmes fostering entrepreneurial mindset among young people
  • Mentoring and Safe Places: Environments where young people can learn and grow

What They Don't Fund

Whilst the Foundation does not publish a comprehensive exclusions list, their focus is clearly on youth-serving programmes in education and bereavement. Programmes outside these focus areas are unlikely to be funded. For the Aim High programme, organisations serving middle school youth must demonstrate that at least 80% of participants are from low-income families. U.S. territories including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are ineligible for the Aim High programme.

Governance and Leadership

Heather Nesle serves as President of the New York Life Foundation and Senior Vice President of New York Life Insurance Company. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Afterschool Alliance, Philanthropy New York, and Monumental Women. She was the recipient of the 2018 "Charlie Award" from Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose (CECP) and was a David Rockefeller Fellow through the Partnership for New York City in 2020.

Key Quotes from Heather Nesle:

On the Foundation's Mission: "Part of New York Life's mission is to provide peace of mind for our policy holders, and we see providing comfort and assistance to children in their time of greatest need as a direct, natural extension of that."

On Childhood Bereavement: Through the relationship with Comfort Zone Camp, "we quickly learned that supporting grieving children was something our employees and agents were particularly passionate about — as well as an issue in urgent need of increased attention and investment."

On Social Justice: "Whilst the New York Life Foundation can't change the entire system alone, we can fund ideas that could lead to larger systemic change."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

For Aim High Grants:

  • Applications administered by the Afterschool Alliance on behalf of the Foundation
  • Begin by clicking "Register" button at the application portal (https://afterschoolalliance.smapply.io/)
  • Complete eligibility questions to determine which grant tiers you qualify for
  • Select and complete application for eligible grant levels
  • Applications typically due in early February
  • Optional webinar held in January for prospective applicants
  • Questions directed to aimhigh@afterschoolalliance.org

For Grief Reach Grants:

  • Full request for proposals available on Foundation website
  • Applications typically due mid-December
  • Must be 501(c)(3) nonprofit with at least three years of continuous operation
  • Must employ at least one paid staff member
  • Organisations with current or incomplete Grief Reach grants are disqualified
  • Organisations previously participating in CBC Initiative are ineligible

For Volunteer and Community Impact Grants:

For Matching Gifts:

  • Available to New York Life employees and agents
  • Matches contributions to accredited schools, childhood bereavement organisations, and Foundation grantees

Decision Timeline

Aim High Grants:

  • Applications typically due: Early February
  • Awardees notified: June/July
  • Grant period begins: Mid-July following notification
  • Expert panel of external reviewers evaluates applications

Grief Reach Grants:

  • Applications typically due: Mid-December
  • Grantees notified: February
  • Three-year grant period

General Timeline: Approximately 3-4 months from application deadline to notification for competitive grant programmes.

Success Rates

For the Aim High programme, 30 grants are awarded from the national applicant pool, making this a competitive opportunity. In 2023, the Foundation made 668 total awards across all programmes. Historical data shows variation in annual grant-making:

  • 2023: 668 awards
  • 2022: 613 awards
  • 2021: 678 awards
  • 2020: 961 awards
  • 2019: 1,520 awards

Average grant size in 2023 was $45,196.

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication restrictions were documented for most programmes. However, for Grief Reach grants, organisations with current or incomplete Grief Reach grants are explicitly disqualified from applying.

Application Success Factors

Programme-Specific Alignment:

  • For Aim High grants, applicants must clearly demonstrate outcomes for middle-school youth that support the transition to high school
  • At least 80% of participants must be from low-income families
  • Programmes should address chronic absenteeism or provide robust afterschool/summer programming

Evidence-Based Approaches: The Foundation values programmes with demonstrated impact. Recent grantees have included established organisations like Boys & Girls Clubs, Girls Inc., and The Shirley Proctor Puller Foundation, suggesting preference for organisations with track records.

Geographic Diversity: Recent grant cycles have awarded funds across 18-20+ states, indicating the Foundation seeks national geographic distribution rather than concentrating awards in specific regions.

Employee Connection Advantage: For Volunteer Grants and Community Impact Grants, having active engagement from New York Life employees, agents, or financial professionals is essential and provides a direct pathway to funding.

Mission Alignment: Organisations should demonstrate clear alignment with one of the Foundation's three priority areas: educational enhancement (especially middle school), childhood bereavement, or social justice. As President Heather Nesle stated, the Foundation "devotes the majority of its funding each year to educational enhancement in middle school, childhood bereavement, and social justice."

Quality of Proposal: Applications are reviewed by expert external panels, suggesting that clear, well-documented proposals with strong programme design and evaluation plans are critical.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Focus Area Precision: Ensure your programme clearly fits within educational enhancement for middle school students, childhood bereavement services, or social justice initiatives—these are the Foundation's three core priorities
  • Data-Driven Applications: For Aim High grants, be prepared to demonstrate that at least 80% of participants are from low-income families and show measurable outcomes supporting high school transition
  • Employee Connection: If seeking Volunteer or Community Impact Grants, cultivate relationships with local New York Life employees, agents, or financial professionals who can champion your organisation
  • Plan for Extended Grant Cycles: With 3-4 month decision timelines and specific annual deadlines, incorporate Foundation grant cycles into long-term fundraising calendars
  • National Competition: Aim High grants are distributed across 18-20+ states with only 30 awards nationally; applications must be exceptionally strong to succeed in this competitive pool
  • Multi-Year Thinking: Both Aim High ($100,000 tier) and Grief Reach grants span 2-3 years, requiring organisational capacity for sustained programme implementation and reporting
  • Mission Continuity: The Foundation's commitment to youth and families stems directly from New York Life's insurance mission of providing "peace of mind"—frame proposals within this values alignment

References

🎯 You've done the research. Now write an application they can't refuse.

Hinchilla combines funder's specific priorities with your organisation's past successful grants and AI analysis of what reviewers want to see.

✓

Data privacy and security by default

✓

Your organisation's past successful grants and experience

✓

AI analysis of what reviewers want to see

✓

A compelling draft application in 10 minutes instead of 10 hours

Start your 4-week free trialLearn More

Spotted something that needs correcting? Let us know

← Back to US Funders Directory