The Dyson Foundation makes grants to nonprofit organizations in the Mid-Hudson Valley (Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, and Ulster counties) that are addressing basic human needs including housing, family stability, youth development, health care access including behavioral health, food access, and other human services, with a special focus on organizations working with those who are economically disadvantaged or otherwise marginalized.

General Operating Support Grants

General operating support, or “unrestricted” grants, are flexible funds that can be used by organizations at their discretion. These grants are available to organizations working on priority funding issues if they:

• Meet our principles of best practice for nonprofit governance, finance, public disclosure, and programming

• Have at least three years of stable executive leadership

• Have received a designated Dyson Foundation grant within the last three years.

Unrestricted grants are aligned with the grantee’s fiscal year; submit an initial letter of inquiry no later than six months prior to the start of the fiscal year. Organizations with annual budgets in excess of $20 million are generally not eligible for unrestricted grants.

Designated Grants

Designated Grants are grants made for a specific purpose or program. These grants are available towards:

• Activities that align with our priority funding areas but operate within an organization with a broader mission

• Youth after-school and summer programs (see our specific guidelines)

• Economic development with a clear charitable purpose, public benefit, and a direct link with our priority funding areas

• On a very limited basis, arts councils and/or arts organizations that have demonstrated significant job creation and local economic impact

Management Assistance Program

Our Management Assistance Program provides three types of support:

• Organizational capacity-building activities through our Mini-Grants

• Mergers, acquisitions, and/or collaborations through our Strategic Restructuring Initiative

• Short-term loans through our Cash Flow Loans

• Scholarship funding toward nonprofit, finance, grantsmanship, and executive leadership programs through our Professional Development Scholarships