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City Limits surveyed 26 major foundations and relief funds that put significant amounts of money into grants for 9/11-related projects and services in New York City. The findings show most of their $170 million in funding going into two types of efforts: general support dollars for organizations that suffered financial setbacks, and new initiatives intended to directly address the social and economic impacts of the attack on individuals.
By far the biggest investment went not into social initiatives, but culture. Thanks to large grants from the Andy Warhol Foundation and Carnegie Corporation, more than $62 million, or 37 percent of the total, went to arts groups, which reported serious deficits last fall.
Efforts to address the economic impact of the attacks accounted for about 21 percent of grants, which went to programs for job placement and training, business development and other efforts to ensure employment for workers who lost their jobs following the disaster. Support for mental health programs amounted to about $15 million. And a significant amount of funding, nearly $12 million, went to help nonprofit organizations that had lost office space or revenue.
Smaller amounts, from $2 to $10 million, went to research and public education, immigrant advocacy, legal services, and programs for young people.
Just $40,000, from the Tides Foundation, went to community organizing efforts.
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