Yale University has launched a three-year, $4.5 million fund for local nonprofit groups working to make substantial and meaningful investments in neighborhoods citywide.
Beginning immediately, the Yale and New Haven Community Fund is seeking applications for project-specific awards of up to $500,000 that will create lasting value for New Haven and its residents.
"The fundamental belief behind this fund is that many of the solutions to many of our challenges are already right here in New Haven," Yale President Maurie McInnis said at the program's announcement today at the Dixwell-Yale Community Learning Center on Ashmun Street. "The hope is that supporting the people working on those solutions will enable them to reach the full horizon of their visions, which will, in turn, help make New Haven a thriving home for all."
New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker lauded the fund's capacity to make a difference in the life of the city.
"New Haven is a stronger city when we are all working together towards common goals that uplift our residents, enhance our neighborhoods, and bolster our city's vitality, vibrancy, and well-being," he said. "That's what the Yale and New Haven Community Fund is all about: supporting New Haven's nonprofit organizations in the extraordinary work they are doing every day on behalf of our residents and city.
"Whether it's a smaller award of $5,000 or a larger award of $500,000, these investments in our nonprofits will help expand existing programs and help support new initiatives that will make a real, tangible difference in the lives of New Haveners and in the life of our city. I want to thank Yale President Maurie McInnis and Yale University for their investment in this new initiative and ongoing partnership in supporting New Haven's nonprofits and their important work in our city."
The new initiative, funded by Yale, advances a six-year, broad-based commitment between the university and the city it calls home. Announced in March, the commitment includes $230 million in voluntary payments Yale will make to the city through fiscal year 2033. Funding for the new initiative is separate from the $230 million.
"This funding will have a major impact," said Karen McIntosh, director of community affairs and the President's Public Service Fellowship in Yale's Office of New Haven Affairs. "My advice to city nonprofits? Dream big, think about how you'd like to expand your impact, and apply."
A five-person reviewing committee of Yale and community representatives will select the award recipients. The application process is open now and will remain open through the end of August; awards will be announced by the end of the year, with the first award period starting in January 2027. Additional application timeline information can be found at the program's website.
"There are so many nonprofits doing great work throughout the city, and they know exactly what is needed in their neighborhoods to do the most good," said Alexandra Daum, Yale's associate vice president for New Haven partnerships and development. "We're saying, we want to be there with you."
Investing in community
On an annual basis, the City of New Haven receives $125 million in direct revenue as a result of Yale's property in New Haven. This includes voluntary payments, property taxes, permit fees and Payments in Lieu of Taxes. In addition, Yale invests $28 million in in-kind contributions each year.
In-kind contributions include medical services, Yale police staffing, Office of New Haven Affairs programs and nonprofit donations.
Continued investment in the New Haven community remains a priority for McInnis, even as the university confronts financial constraints and a significant increase in the university's federal endowment tax. Since becoming Yale's president, in 2024, she has consistently heard from faculty, students, and staff about the importance of Yale's partnership with New Haven.
McInnis has also prioritized several New Haven-centered programs, including:
- the Yale Teaching Fellowship program, which funds master's degrees, certifications, and living stipends for aspiring teachers who commit to work for New Haven Public Schools for at least three years;
- New Haven Promise, a local nonprofit that each year provides scholarships for hundreds of local public school students attending two- and four-year public colleges and universities in Connecticut;
- and Yale's Pathways programs, which provide educational enrichment on the Yale campus for thousands of New Haven-area students annually.
In March, the city and Yale underscored several shared priorities, including support for local nonprofits, housing, food insecurity, public spaces, and new city-university partnerships. The Yale and New Haven Community Fund Program has the potential - and the intention - to advance each of them, leaders said.
"Our nonprofits do so much for New Haven every day," said Ward 21 Alder Troy Streater, who will serve on the fund's review committee. "This funding will help them expand their reach and serve more residents."
Impact categories and eligibility
Of the $4.5 million fund's total amount, $1.5 million will be available each year. City and university leaders said the fund will favor project proposals with clear potential to make a difference in the lives of New Haven residents and address one or more of the following priorities:
- Arts, culture, and community identity, including programs that expand access to arts and cultural experiences, and programs that amplify the voices and creative expression of city communities
- Community vitality and neighborhood strength, including programs and projects that improve quality of life in under-resourced communities; initiatives that create or enhance gathering spaces or cultural programming; and projects that address food access, housing stability, or economic opportunity
- Economic opportunity and workforce development, including job training, skills development, and employment pathways for city residents, and support for small businesses, entrepreneurship programs, and efforts that promote financial stability and long-term economic security
- Education and youth development, including outside-of-school learning opportunities, mentorship programs, college access, workforce readiness, and career pathway initiatives, and partnerships that connect young people to resources and opportunities within New Haven
- Health and wellness, including programs that address the physical, mental, or social health of city residents; initiatives that reduce health disparities or improve access to health-promoting services; and community-based wellness programming.
The eligibility requirements for applicants and their proposed projects include the following:
- Applicants must be New Haven-based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in good standing with the Internal Revenue Service.
- Applicants must have a primary mission or significant program focus that serves New Haven residents, and must demonstrate organizational capacity to manage and account for award funds.
- Projects must have a defined scope, a timeline for completion, and measurable outcomes
- Projects must deliver a direct benefit to New Haven residents, be achievable within the award period, and have a realistic budget.
- Award funds must be applied exclusively to project activities.
Additional information about required documentation for all applicants, as well as review and reporting requirements, is available at the fund's website.
Many neighborhoods, one vision
At the launch event in the city's Dixwell neighborhood, city and university leaders also took note of the Dixwell-Yale Community Learning Center - also known as the Rose Center - and of nearby Scantlebury Park, in terms of their relevance to New Haven's legacy of innovative nonprofit work.
Previously the site of an abandoned laundry facility, the Rose Center opened in 2006 as a partnership between Yale and the Dixwell community. Yale purchased the property at the request of neighborhood residents, and it now serves as a community gathering space and educational resource.
The park, named for Ella B. Scantlebury, New Haven's first woman city treasurer and the first African American elected to citywide office, is the site of a popular skateboard park created and funded by community groups and Yale's Schwarzman Center. The park epitomizes grassroots efforts to improve the lives of residents - an idea the Yale and New Haven Community Fund will amplify, leaders said.
"I have seen up close the incredible positive impact that university investments can have on community-based efforts here in New Haven," said Yale Law School clinical professor Anika Singh Lemar. "I have long been inspired by the university's extensive work in neighborhoods like Dwight and its citywide work through programs like the New Haven Promise. I am looking forward to working with this talented and committed group to further advance Yale's commitment to the City of New Haven."
Christina M. Ciociola, senior vice president for planning and community strategies at the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, echoed that spirit of enthusiasm.
"We are honored to serve on the [review] committee for the Yale and New Haven Community Fund and support the thoughtful distribution of grants to organizations that are improving the quality of life for New Haven residents," Ciociola said.
She and Singh Lemar will both serve on the review committee.
"We look forward to working alongside Yale and community leaders to direct these much-needed resources to advance equity, opportunity, and well-being for residents throughout New Haven," Ciociola said.
