2016 Grant Recipients

The foundation supported a wide range of organizations this past fiscal year.  From historic preservation in downtown Hudson, NY to supporting youth and the arts in New York City to international support of educational programs in Haiti, the Board’s interests, expertise and passions were in evidence in our grant-making program.  We continue to support organizations with which our Board members are actively involved and passionate about.  In fact, several members of the Board will be heading to Haiti next month to see first hand how our grant to buildOn is being put to use building a second school in the town of Franchpagne, Haiti. Two generations of the Phillips family will be on hand to support this important work and we are excited to see the second school come to fruition.

Apollo Theater

New York, NY

Amount granted: $20,000

Grant year: 2016

Grant categories: Historic Preservation, Visual Arts and Music

 

To support its Teen Takeover program for high school students.

Apollo Theater’s mission is to preserve and develop the Theater through world class live performances and education programs that: 1) honor the influence and advance the contributions of African-American artists; and 2) advance emerging creative voices across cultural and artistic media.  Funds will be used support its annual Teen Takeover program for high school students, which is an evening of performances “for teens, by teens.”

buildOn

Stamford, CT

Amount granted: $20,000

Grant year: 2016

Grant category: Education

 

To support building an elementary school in Haiti.

buildOn’s mission is to enhance education and empower youth in the US to make a positive difference in their communities while helping people of developing countries increase their self-reliance through education.  Funds will be used to build a three classroom primary school, in partnership with the local Ministry of Education, and improve adult literacy in Southwestern Haiti.

Friends of Matènwa

Matènwa, Haiti

Amount granted: $20,000

Grant year: 2016

Grant category: Education

 

To support the Matenwa Institute of Learning in Haiti.

The mission of Friends of Matènwa is to support initiatives generated from Haiti’s rural communities for the betterment of their education, social justice, health and economic well-being.  Funds will be used to support The Matènwa Community Learning Center (MCLC) and its Institute of Learning.  The Institute was developed to provide a training model of its successful school model.  Its model bans corporal punishment, offers instruction in Creole, incorporates gardening as part of its core curriculum, and puts an emphasis on child-centered learning in an environment of mutual respect, investigation and critical thinking.

Hudson Opera House

Hudson, NY

Amount granted: $15,000

Grant year: 2016

Grant category: Historic Preservation

 

To support the restoration of the Grand Staircase leading from the Center Hall Gallery to the upstairs performance hall.

Built in 1855 as Hudson’s City Hall, the Hudson Opera House houses New York’s oldest surviving theater.  Its mission is to promote the arts and to play a pivotal role in the cultural and economic advancement of the region.  Funds will be used to support the restoration of the Grand Staircase leading from the Center Hall Gallery to the upstairs performance hall of this historic building.

MIT LIST Visual Arts Center

Cambridge, MA

Amount granted: $6,500

Grant year: 2016

Grant category: Visual Arts and Music

 

To develop a new program for college-age students from the MIT community and beyond to become trained Museum Guides.

The LIST Visual Arts Center is a creative laboratory that provides artists with a space to freely experiment and push existing boundaries in their art.  As the contemporary art museum at MIT, the List Center presents a dynamic program of six to nine special exhibitions in its galleries annually, including a program of evolving site-specific work by emerging artists known as List Projects, as well as a broad range of educational programs, events, and scholarly publications.  Funds will b used to develop a new program for college-age students from the MIT community and beyond to become trained Museum Guides.

MOUSE

New York, NY

Amount granted: $15,000

Grant year: 2016

Grant category: Education

 

To support the Mouse Design League, a youth centered design and Technology program that develops emerging leadership, professional and technical skills from Mouse Squads across NYC.

Mouse’s mission is to support technology’s potential for empowering youth from underserved communities to use technology as a force for good. Since 2000, more than 32,000 students across the country have participated in Mouse programs, while creating a multiplier effect through their support and leadership for more than 1.9 million students, teachers and administrators in their schools and communities.   Funds will be used to support the Mouse Design League, a youth centered design and Technology program that develops emerging leadership, professional and technical skills from Mouse Squads across NYC.