Strategic Impact Grants

Strategic Impact Grants provide funding to nonprofit organizations for innovative projects through a competitive application process for both single neighborhood and Citywide projects. The goal of this funding opportunity is to encourage commercial revitalization and place management work to promote innovation, support positive systems change, and expand the impact of the many organizations serving New York City commercial districts. Strategic Impact Grants provide short and long-term funding depending on the geographic scale and project focus.

Single Neighborhood Strategic Impact Grant

This grant provides seed funding to launch innovative projects for place-based organizations working in a single neighborhood. The highly targeted focus of this funding opportunity will change each time the grant opens, depending on current needs. Each selected focus for Single Neighborhood Grants will fall within one or more of the following three options:

1. To expand both the applicant's and SBS' understanding of targeted NYC neighborhoods;
2. To prototype new tools or approaches to commercial revitalization strategies and tactics that can be tested by the applicant, evaluated by SBS, and potentially replicated in other neighborhoods;
3. To prototype new public-private partnerships that involve multiple City agencies in a way that improves coordination and local service delivery.

Funding for Single Neighborhood Strategic Impact Grants will be made available multiple times per year – contingent upon available funds – and provide exactly $20,000 in dedicated project funding for terms up to six-months.

The Single Neighborhood Strategic Impact Grants Spring 2020 focus is to conduct a Commercial District Needs Assessment (CDNA) in the following target neighborhoods:

• Astoria, Queens
• Flatbush/Church Avenue, Brooklyn
• Sunset Park, Brooklyn

Who Can Apply

Applicants must be:

• Incorporated nonprofit corporations that operate, or have the authority to operate, in New York;
• Compliant with annual State and Federal filing requirements that are pertinent to their type of organization, including NYS Charities Bureau filings;
• A community-based development organization providing services to a local commercial district; and
• Not receiving other concurrent grant funding from SBS neighborhood development programs.

Read the Strategic Impact Grant (Single Neighborhood) program guidelines for more information.

The deadline for Single Neighborhood Strategic Impact Grants has been extended. Applications close at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, March 9, 2020.

Citywide Strategic Impact Grant

Citywide Strategic Impact Grants provide matching funds to organizations serving multiple boroughs for the development and deployment of new tools, strategies, and frameworks for collective impact to address commercial district needs and provide direct assistance to place-based organizations across multiple neighborhoods and boroughs.

Funding for Citywide Strategic Impact Grants will be made available on an annual basis – contingent upon available funds – and provide up to $100,000 per year in dedicated project funding, with a 1:1 matching requirement, for one to three-year terms.

Who Can Apply

Applicants must be:

• Incorporated nonprofit corporations that operate, or have the authority to operate, in New York;
• Compliant with annual State and Federal filing requirements that are pertinent to their type of organization, including NYS Charities Bureau filings;
• Providing services to multiple community-based development organizations located across multiple boroughs of the city; and
• Not receiving other concurrent grant funding from SBS neighborhood development programs.

Read the Strategic Impact Grant (Citywide) program guidelines for more information.

Applications for Citywide Strategic Impact Grants are now closed.