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New York Life Foundation

Annual Giving
$27.1M
Grant Range
$1K - $0.2M
Decision Time
4mo

New York Life Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $27,078,468 (2023)
  • Total Assets: $140,917,777
  • Number of Grants (2023): 668
  • Grant Range: $500 - $160,000 (depending on program)
  • 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 Program 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 organizations. The Foundation invests in programs 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 organizations through various grant programs. 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 Programs

Aim High Grant Program: $20,000 - $100,000 over two years

  • $20,000 grants provide general operating support to OST programs helping students transition from 8th to 9th grade
  • $100,000 grants ($50,000 per year over two years) support programs reducing chronic absenteeism among middle school students
  • Applications administered through the Afterschool Alliance
  • Annual competition with applications typically due in February/March
  • 30 grants totaling $1.8 million awarded annually
  • Since 2013, over $85.8 million invested in middle school OST initiatives

Grief Reach Grant Program: $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 program development
  • Applications typically due in 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 organizations, 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) programs that help students transition successfully to high school
  • Chronic Absenteeism Prevention: Programs 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: Programs that address systemic issues affecting young people
  • Youth Entrepreneurship: Programs fostering entrepreneurial mindset among young people
  • Mentoring and Safe Places: Environments where young people can learn and grow

What They Don't Fund

While the Foundation does not publish a comprehensive exclusions list, their focus is clearly on youth-serving programs in education and bereavement. Programs outside these focus areas are unlikely to be funded. For the Aim High program, organizations 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 program.

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: "While 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 due February 6, 2026 at 5 p.m. ET (for 2026 cycle)
  • 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 (December 16, 2024 at 8:00 p.m. for recent cycle)
  • Must be 501(c)(3) nonprofit with at least three years of continuous operation
  • Must employ at least one paid staff member
  • Organizations with current or incomplete Grief Reach grants are disqualified
  • Organizations 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 organizations, and Foundation grantees

Decision Timeline

Aim High Grants:

  • Applications due: Early February (February 6, 2026 for current cycle)
  • Awardees notified: June
  • Grant period begins: Mid-July following notification
  • Expert panel of external reviewers evaluates applications

Grief Reach Grants:

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

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

Success Rates

For the Aim High program, 30 grants are awarded from the national applicant pool, making this a competitive opportunity. In 2023, the Foundation made 668 total awards across all programs. 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 $40,831.

Reapplication Policy

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

Application Success Factors

Program-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
  • Programs should address chronic absenteeism or provide robust afterschool/summer programming

Evidence-Based Approaches: The Foundation values programs with demonstrated impact. Recent grantees have included established organizations like Boys & Girls Clubs, Girls Inc., and The Shirley Proctor Puller Foundation, suggesting preference for organizations 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: Organizations 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 program design and evaluation plans are critical.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Focus Area Precision: Ensure your program 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 organization
  • 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 organizational capacity for sustained program 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

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