| Founder(s) | Charles August Heckscher |
|---|---|
| Type | Private Foundation |
| Founded | 1921 |
| Key people |
Howard G. (Peter) Sloane, Chairman of the Board of Trustees Heather Sutton, Program Officer |
| Area served | New York City / metro area |
| Focus | Child welfare: education, recreation, arts, family services, job training |
| Mission | Level the playing field for needy youth |
| Method | Grants |
| Endowment | $254,602,204 (2009) |
| Website | heckscherfoundation.org |
The Heckscher Foundation for Children is a New York City-focused private foundation that provides grants to underserved New York City youth. Most often, the Foundation’s grant giving takes the form of program support, capacity-building, capital projects and general operating support. Its primary goal is to “level the playing field” for needy youth by providing access to education and experiences that make for a richer, forward-reaching life.
Contents |
The Heckscher Foundation for Children was founded in 1921 by German-born industrialist, financier and philanthropist Charles August Heckscher. Responding to a request for a donation for the purchase of a bus by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, August Heckscher donated a Manhattan property on Fifth Avenue from 104th to 105th Street that opened as The Heckscher Foundation for Children in 1922 and provided housing for children and community activities.[1]
However, the Great Depression of the 1930’s resulted in the deterioration of the Foundation’s assets to the point of near collapse. August Heckscher recruited Arthur Smadbeck and Ruth Smadbeck, friends and financial equals[2] [3][4]who shared his dedication to public service to help rebuild the Foundation.
Ruth Smadbeck began as a volunteer in the 1930’s and ran the Foundation for over 50 years, including its programs of dance, orchestra, exercise, swimming, the purchase and distribution of necessities for indigent children, a kindergarten, a theater, a craft room, a senior lounge, a photography group, a library, and a thrift shop. The Communications and Learning Center at Marymount Manhattan College is named for Ruth Smadbeck.[5]
At August Heckscher’s death in 1941, Foundation income such that no distributions to charity were possible. From 1941 until his death in 1977, Arthur Smadbeck donated his time and efforts to disposing of losing Foundation assets, consolidating others and creating a profitable platform on which he positioned the Foundation to support major outside charitable efforts. At Ruth Smadbeck’s death in 1986,[6]distributions to charity had grown to $1,169,219 and assets had grown to $22,072,773. Renowned real estate entrepreneur and civic leader Louis Smadbeck became Chairman of the Foundation in 1986, and continued in this capacity until his death in 1992.[7] Virginia Sloane was elected President in 1986, and continues to preside over the Foundation’s philanthropic projects.[8][9][10] In 1997, a new generation assumed leadership roles. Howard G. (Peter) Sloane [11] [12] became Chair of the Board of Trustees and under his leadership the Foundation’s assets and distributions to charity have dramatically increased.
The modern day Foundation identifies strategic giving opportunities and projects, and helps to leverage these programs to scale for the widespread benefit of underserved New York City children and young adults.
- The Heckscher Foundation and The William and Mary Greve Foundation incubated, launched and provided the initial funding for the Take the Field project in 2005, which subsequently united public and private funds to rebuild 43 outdoor athletic facilities between 2006 and 2008 at New York City’s public high schools. The John Dewey High School athletic facilities were renovated as part of this project and are named for the Heckscher Foundation.
- In 2010, The Heckscher Foundation underwrote Swim for Life NYC, a pilot program that teaches 2nd graders to swim. The program includes facilities sharing and complimentary unlimited memberships for participating students and their families to local NYC Parks Department recreation centers.
- Responding to the economic crises, The Heckscher Foundation gave grant funding to Yorkville Common Pantry, Manhattan’s community-based food pantry that serves local families in areas with the highest incidence of obesity and diabetes with nutritiously-balanced food. Together, the two organizations developed Yorkville's Nutrition Initiative for Children and families that funds the purchase of 450,000 nutritious meals a year.
- In 2006, Heckscher Foundation developed and funded the Summer Meals Outreach project, and through it expanded The New York City Department of Education's Summer Meals Program [13] that provides free breakfast and lunch to as many New York City public school students in the summer months as it does during the school year.
- In response to the aging out foster care crisis in New York and in collaboration with New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services, foster care agencies, and two youth service providers, Heckscher Foundation developed and funded the Academy Foster Care Project[14] designed to help older foster care teens reach their educational goals, prepare for work and achieve personal growth and development. Since 2009, The Academy has been operated by F.E.G.S Health and Human Services System in cooperation with the New York City Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) and multiple foster care agencies across the city. The Academy project continues to be funded by The Heckscher Foundation.[15]
- In 2006, Heckscher Foundation funded the New York Restoration Project which renovated a 5,000 square community space, renamed The Heckscher Foundation Children’s Garden[16], into an outdoor classroom and recreational garden for nearby students.[17]
- The Foundation provides funding[18] to Teach for America, a not-for-profit that recruits outstanding recent college graduates from all backgrounds and career interests to commit to teach for two years in urban and rural public schools.
- The Foundation is a funder of The Education Innovation Laboratory at Harvard University (EdLabs), which employs a research and design model designed to identify root causes of performance gaps, vet options for reform, and identify and replicate "solutions" that will improve public schools in the U.S.
- In collaboration with Children for Children, Heckscher Foundation developed the Teacher's Aid Program, which awards grants to teachers for out-of-pocket expenses such as books and school supplies.
- The Heckscher Foundation has been a substantial supporter of Harlem RBI a year-round youth development program based in East Harlem, New York serving youth ages 5-21.
- Heckscher and J.P. Morgan Chase fund the “Brick by Brick” education program that connects local artists, designers and educators with middle and high school students from four local community centers in Miami, FL.[19]
- In 2010, the Foundation helped to create the Central Park Conservancy’s Woodlands Educational Expansion Initiative, a five year program to significantly expand educational programming in the woodlands areas of Central Park by summer youth interns, teen students and youth groups.
- Heckscher developed the SingleStop USA project which helps low-income, high needs students attain college degrees by connecting them to the government funds and benefits to which they are eligible for such as food stamps, health care, child care and tax credits. The program was started at Kingsborough Community College and has since expanded to CUNY campuses. On the basis of the Foundation's initial grant, Single Stop has been building system-wide collaborations for expansion, including partnerships with the Association of Community College Trustees, the City College of San Francisco, and Miami Dade College.
- Heckscher launched a Library project that is operated by New Visions for Public Schools and builds “campus” libraries in public school buildings. A state-of-the-art library at the Prospect Heights campus in Brooklyn was completed in 2009.[20]
- Responding to the “drop out crisis” among low-income, minority children attending large, public schools, in 2010 the Foundation introduced Student Sponsored Partnership that gives tuition assistance and tutoring to a group of high school students in the class of 2015.
- The Heckscher Scholars program offers individual tutoring and college guidance to juniors and seniors from Urban Assembly schools in New York.
- Heckscher’s Summer Internship program was introduced in 2006 to high school students from Urban Assembly schools in New York, combining service to not-for-profit agencies, individual tutoring and college guidance.
- In 2006, The Foundation sponsored a competition, "Free Arts Mural Kids", to promote the work of young artists. The competition was judged by architects Martin Finio and Taryn Christoff. The winning design is displayed in the lobby of the Foundation's Headquarters.