Grantees

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the FAL Foundation diverted from its typical mission to train, educate, and provide access to the arts by pivoting to address the more urgent issue at hand: widespread hunger. Upon seeing thousands of New Yorkers without work and without the means to feed their families, the Foundation donated one million meals to the Food Bank for New York City. These meals will go to the areas hit hardest by the virus in Queens including Rego Park, Corona, and Forest Hills. Join us and donate at FoodBankNYC.org/LeFrak

WIN provides homeless women and their children with shelter, life and business skills, employment opportunities, and after-school programs for children in the New York City Area. The Francine A. LeFrak Foundation Computer Training Program is an extension of Win's income building program. This training positively impacts 200 women annually. The program was funded by a grant from the Foundation in partnership with the UNFCU Foundation. A second site for the program is funded by a grant from Google and Bank of America.

The most in-demand jobs are in tech, offering sustainable wages and growth opportunities. The Francine A. LeFrak Foundation recognized that women are being left out of this booming industry and partnered with Per Scholas to establish the Women in Tech Scholars Program. The Francine A. LeFrak Foundation provided funding for 100 women to enroll annually in competitive technology training at Per Scholas in the Bronx. These women will participate in professional development seminars and be supported by mentors through the Same Sky Ambassador Mentor Program.

‍

The Grace Institute empowers low-income women in the New York area to achieve employment and economic self-sufficiency by providing job skills training, counseling, placement services and continuous learning opportunities that lead to upward mobile employment. The Francine A. LeFrak Foundation donated books, micro-grants, and support for the food pantry at Grace, all in an effort to help women get job training and rise out of poverty.

TheCOVID-19 Pandemic has impacted students around the world in different ways. By December 2020, students at FIT were at risk of not returning for the Spring Semester because of job losses and other economic barriers. The Francine A. LeFrak Foundation stepped in to establish a fund for 400 students to help them continue their education and follow their dreams.

‍

Operation Hope is a for-purpose organization working to disrupt poverty and empower inclusion for low and moderate-income youth and adults. Their focus is on financial dignity and inclusion. The Francine A. LeFrak Foundation provided transportation support for women entrepreneurs in New York to participate in the Launch and Grow business training course helping them take their businesses to the next level.

Fights poverty and empowers low-income New Yorkers by creating living-wage employment opportunities. They break the cycle of dead-end jobs and connect graduates not just to work, but to careers with long-term potential and the chance for growth and advancement. The Francine A. LeFrak Foundation’s Tools of the Trade Fund provides micro-grants to support New Yorkers as they embark on their new careers. The funds are used to provide access to materials and equipment that BWI graduates require to pursue their careers.

Bridge2Rwanda was formed in 2007 to create opportunities for Rwandan students to study in the United States. The LeFrak-Friedberg Scholars Program supports 14 students from East Africa as they begin their studies at renowned universities in the United States. These Scholars are chosen based on their leadership, academic credentials and passion to bring their newfound knowledge back to their communities as change agents for the future.

Harvard Kennedy School improves public policy and public leadership across the United States and around the world so that people can lead safer, freer, and more prosperous lives. The Francine A. LeFrak Seminar Room for Gender Equity was established as part of the Kennedy School’s campaign. The purpose of the Seminar Room is to bring awareness to gender equity issues and to provide a space for those studying these issues through the Women and Public Policy Program at the school.

Crystal Bridges fosters scholarship in the fields of American art and art history, as well as research that expands our understanding of the power of art experiences to positively impact lives. The Foundation provides operating support for the Museum.

The Central Park Conservancy restores the landscapes, structures, and water bodies that make up New York City’s urban oasis. Like any living thing, Central Park is constantly changing. The Conservancy is committed to ensuring that this evolution is thoughtful — both considerate of today’s visitor and true to the Park’s original purpose. The Foundation provides operating support for the Park.

The "Great American Songbook" is the canon of the most important and influential American popular songs and jazz standards from the early 20th century. These popular and enduring songs, created for Broadway theatre, musical theatre and Hollywood musical film between the 1920s and 1950s, are often referred to as “American standards”, which are the very cultural treasures that the Great American Songbook Foundation is dedicated to preserving and promoting in our mission and programs. The Foundation provides scholarship support to ensure that low-income students can participate in this summer program.

charity: water is a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing countries. The Foundation provides operating support so that all remaining funds that are raised can go directly into building wells for those in need of clean water.