Until 2005, children who were not diagnosed early with retinoblastoma, a rare cancerous eye tumor, lost their eyes to save their lives.

Retinoblastoma is an “orphan disease,” one that affects only a small number of people, and therefore has not been “adopted” by the pharmaceutical industry because investment in developing treatments would never pay off. “These diseases also don’t get much federal funding,” says Len McNally, program director for health and people with special needs. “The Trust finds places where our money will make the most difference, so when a targeted treatment that

December 2011 Newsletter

Groundbreaking Procedure to Save Children’s Sight

table of contents

2 Put the Arts Back in School, for Good

4 How to Get a Job Without a College Degree

5 Other Grants Dr. David H. Abramson, chief of the ophthalmic oncology service at Memorial sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

GrantSMaking your giving matter more...

since 1924

You know that good feeling you get when you help make things better?This newsletter looks at grants that were made possible in large part by generous New Yorkers who wanted to make a difference—and set up endowed funds with us. To find out how you can leave your own legacy, contact our general counsel, Jane Wilton at (212) 686–2563 or janewilton@nyct-cfi.org.

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saves the eye was developed, The Trust invested in a program to train pediatric ophthalmologists around the world to use it—and our investment has paid off again and again.”

Over the past seven years, The Trust has given Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center $600,000 to train doctors and other health professionals to treat retinoblastoma using intra-arterial chemotherapy. The authority on this treatment is Dr. David Abramson, chief of the ophthalmic oncology service at Sloan-Kettering. “The Trust has been with us from the very beginning of our efforts to transform the treatment of retinoblastoma,” says Abramson. “Early on, it recognized that to accomplish something new it would be prudent to invest in people and systems, not just projects.” Since 2006, Abramson and his team have performed the eye-saving procedure almost 500 times and taught pediatric intra-arterial chemotherapy to doctors in 27 countries. “Not only has no child in our care died from retinoblastoma, but [this treatment] has completely replaced the use of systemic chemotherapy and its many side effects for these children . . . We are saving 90% of the eyes we used to remove as recently as 6 years ago.” In 2010, The Trust awarded a two-year grant to Sloan-Kettering to start an ophthalmic oncology fellowship in retinoblastoma. His is one of the country’s first fellowships in the field.

The Trust combined income from the David Warfield Fund for visual disabilities, the Orland S. and Frances S. Greene Fund for people with cancer, and the Simon Finck Fund for the blind and those with cancer to make the grants. Abramson says: “Parents and children worldwide—most of whom cannot speak English and have never heard of The Trust—can enjoy a full life with vision because of the vision of The New York Community Trust.”

“Not only has no child in our care died from retinoblastoma, but [this treatment] has completely

replaced the use of systemic chemotherapy and its many side effects for these children . . . We are

saving 90% of the eyes we used to remove as recently as 6 years ago.” — Dr. David Abramson

Put the Arts Back in School, for Good

No school wants to flunk its progress report, an assessment largely determined by students’ reading and math scores on standardized tests. Department of Education (DoE) “report cards” determine a school’s community standing, desirability, principal bonuses—and in some cases, whether it is shut down.

In an underfunded school system, math and reading are prioritized at the expense of the arts, civics, and social

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Assisted by a $30,000 grant, educators from the Staten Island Children’s Museum will use arts and crafts to teach social studies to 1,500 students on the North Shore. Activities include mosaic, puppet, and mask making that integrate traditional folklore and learning about global cultures. Addy Manipella, director of education at the Museum, reinforces the importance of teaching children art and social studies simultaneously: “That’s what the arts help do. You learn something in context because life is lived in context. Everything in life is related to everything else.”

With a $40,000 grant, ArtsConnection is teaching 330 English language learners using playwriting, storytelling, and creative dramatics. Deputy director of education for ArtsConnection, Carol Morgan, says that students who initially enter the program “can’t use English as they would their native tongue. Having multiple ways to express themselves helps them open up and communicate complex ideas.”

Other groups improving arts education for needy kids:• BrooklynArtsCouncil,$75,000 to provide folk arts

instruction in four elementary schools in Bushwick. • HarlemSchooloftheArts,$50,000 to provide

instruction in music and African drumming in five elementary schools in Harlem and the South Bronx.

studies. Test-prep classes replace drama or world history. Musical instruments go unused because the teacher retired and was not replaced. Many schools don’t have art rooms at all.

The arts are an essential part of learning, especially for tomorrow’s jobs that demand creative thinking. “The arts help people learn how to think critically and independently come up with ideas,” says Kerry McCarthy, program officer at The Trust. “They also help children develop problem-solving skills. But more important, the arts are an expression of our common humanity and our culture.”

Museums and arts groups work with public schools to bring song, dance, theater, and visual arts to City classrooms. But they need to develop a more systemic approach to working with the DoE, designated school-support organizations, and principals—and The Trust is helping them do just that. Grants totaling $485,000 will help eight arts groups lead programs that involve all the necessary players. Our hope is that this participation will foster commitment to reintegrating arts into the school curriculum. Katherine Damkohler, executive director of Education Through Music says: “Research shows us that children who have access to the arts not only perform better in school, but in life.” With a grant of $90,000, the group will teach 3,900 students how to read music, understand motifs and musical styles, and perform.

elementary school kids make masks and mosaics while learning about other cultures in staten Island Children’s Museum workshops at their schools.

the teachers of these children have been trained by Visual Understanding in education to use art to teach critical thinking skills.

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• LincolnCenterforthePerformingArts,$30,000 to provide arts instruction and teacher training at three schools in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn; Harlem; and Flushing, Queens.

• MuseumofArtsandDesign,$50,000 to provide arts instruction for suspended students in alternative learning centers in Harlem, Clinton, and Lower Manhattan.

• TeachersandWritersCollaborative,$90,000 to provide creative writing instruction at eight middle schools in the Bronx and Queens.

• VisualUnderstandinginEducation,$60,000 to train teachers in eight elementary and middle schools to use art to teach critical thinking skills.

How to Get a Job Without a College DegreeAfter serving in Afghanistan, Tyrone is back in the Bronx trying to find a job. While a fine soldier, his civilian job resumé is limited.

Innocencia is a young mother who works in child care. She would like a better-paying job, but needs help with English and learning a trade.

Joey is 20 years old and has a knack for computers—but also had a knack for getting in trouble, which is why he has a record of suspensions and juvenile detention, and no high-school diploma. He would like to work in IT but has no formal training and has never had a full-time job.

These three New Yorkers—and many like them—have a hard time plugging into today’s already-tough job

market. But with the economy in flux, job-placement counselors who still use their rolodex of local businesses aren’t much help. Large retailers have their own hiring systems. Current information on labor trends is making it easier to see who’s hiring and for what, but placement agencies need staff who can use the data.

The Trust is helping nonprofit workforce developers adapt by supporting personalized, intensive training and paid internships for disadvantaged New Yorkers and veterans; holding workshops on using labor-market data for job counselors; and connecting large employers with a network of youth employment agencies.

Learn and EarnJoey is in luck. The City has recently ramped-up its investment in out-of-work and out-of-school youth. It has committed more than $400,000 to Project Rise, a program where Joey can get an education and get paid for working in an internship that teaches him job skills and office etiquette. A $400,000 Trust grant to the Center forEconomicOpportunity will match the City’s money.

A $100,000 grant to AmeriCorps’ PublicAllies program will provide paid apprenticeships to highly motivated but cash-poor young adults for careers in nonprofits. Participants have included single mothers, veterans, formerly imprisoned youth, and former foster children.

(left) teachers and writers Collaborative teaching artist David stoler and Bronx middle school students have fun brainstorming ideas for short stories. Photo by lauren V. Fiorelli; (below) a Public Allies apprentice talking to a middle school student in the Police Athletic league in east New York.

Help for Girls & Young Women BoroughofManhattanCommunityCollegeFoundation, $100,000 to expand a program, now operating at Hostos, LaGuardia, Queensborough, and Kingsborough community colleges, that helps students graduate.CommunityHealthActionofStatenIsland,$60,000 for a reproductive health clinic for young women on Staten Island. NewYorkCityHousingAuthority,$140,500 to expand a literacy program for 4th- to 6th-grade girls in 11 Brooklyn public housing projects that includes field trips to literary events and readings by female and minority writers. SakhiforSouthAsianWomen,$30,000 to advocate for policies that deal with cultural differences among domestic violence victims. ServiceWomen’sActionNetwork(SWAN),$66,000 to expand mental health and legal services for female veterans, including those who have experienced sexual trauma.

children’s emotional & Physical HealthGreaterNewYorkHospitalFoundation,$53,000 to refer children and families, especially those with multiple problems, to health and social services close to home. HourChildren,$60,000 to sustain a successful mentoring program for children who have a parent in prison. MFYLegalServices,$120,000 for the Kinship Caregiver Law Project, which helps grandparents caring for their abandoned grandchildren get legal help to keep them fed, healthy, and educated.

lGbt communityGriot Circle, $30,000 for social and legal services for gay and lesbian elders of color in Brooklyn. LesbianandGayCommunityServicesCenter,$46,000 to expand and improve the YES internship program, which places gay youth in paid positions in companies and nonprofits. QueensCommunityHouse,$30,000 for a recreational and social services program run by SAGE (see below) for gay and lesbian elders. ServicesandAdvocacyforGLBTElders(SAGE),$40,000 for workshops for gay and lesbian elders on the benefits of marriage, changes in Medicare, finances, and social services.

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As a child-care worker, Innocencia makes $11 an hour. As an electrician, she would make $25 an hour, enough to live on without relying on food stamps. To help women learn trade skills, a Trust grant of $100,000 to NontraditionalEmploymentforWomen supports apprenticeship programs in construction and green jobs, such as electrical retrofitting and weatherization. Women will also attend career-planning sessions on the long-term benefits of union wages, health benefits, and contributing to one’s pension.

Bringing Job Placement Groups Up to SpeedThe Trust helped start the WorkforceProfessionalsTraining Institute to make job placement agencies more effective. A $60,000 grant will help the Institute train staff at these agencies to use software that tracks real-time information on job trends. With a 2010 grant of $85,000, the Institute trained staff of 52 groups and helped them implement recruitment and placement strategies that use up-to-date labor-market information. This year the Institute will train 75 additional job developers. “When staff know how to access this data, they can give job seekers very useful, concrete information: types of available jobs, average wages, and education requirements,” says Amy Landesman, executive director of the Institute.

New Employers Demand a New ApproachYouth not working and not in school are having a hard time finding entry-level jobs because “older or displaced workers are competing for jobs once more readily available to younger people,” says Lou Miceli, executive director of JobsFirstNYC. In addition, employment agencies must deal with big corporations and institutions that demand large pools of potential employees. A grant of $125,000 to JobsFirst will help it develop a network of youth-employment agencies to strategize and offer a broader range of services to regional employers. JobsFirst will also work on creating employment pipelines by holding networking events with the Association for a Better New York and the Partnership for New York City.

other Grants

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the edward & sally Van lier Post-college fellowships for Young artistsAlvinAileyDanceFoundation,$60,000 to provide two-year fellowships for four dancers to dance with Ailey II dance troupe. AmericanOperaProjects,$40,000 to provide two-year fellowships for two composers to work with a Brooklyn com-pany of singers and musical directors to create original works. DanceTheatreofHarlem,$60,000 to provide one-year fellowships for ten dancers who will perform locally and nationally. Firelight Media, $60,000 to provide six film and digital media fellowships for emerging minority artists. Flea Theater, $40,000 to provide four fellowships for young theater directors. InternationalStudioandCuratorialProgram,$60,000 to provide four-month residencies for six emerging visual artists. NewDramatists,$60,000 to provide two-year fellowships for three aspiring playwrights. NewYorkFoundationfortheArts,$40,000 to provide one-year fellowships for ten immigrant artists. SnugHarborCulturalCenter,$60,000 to provide two-month fellowships for 16 visual artists on Staten Island.SocratesSculpturePark,$60,000 for year-long, outdoor residencies for six emerging visual artists. SpanishTheatreRepertoryCompany,$60,000 to provide two-year fellowships for three aspiring Hispanic directors. StudioMuseuminHarlem,$40,000 to provide one-year fellowships for two visual artists and two curators. WaveHill,$40,000 to provide four fellowships for visual artists from the Bronx and northern Manhattan.

nurturing the arts AmericanMusicCenter,$75,000 to help it merge with Meet the Composer to form New Music USA. BronxMuseumoftheArts,$62,000 to publicize the Museum’s free admission policy.

Greener, Healthier schools & communitiesCenterforHealth,EnvironmentandJustice,$50,000 to promote healthier, greener alternatives to toxic PVC plastics in City schools. Funders’NetworkforSmartGrowthandLivableCommunities, $100,000 to make cities better places to live by connecting members of the Urban Sustainability Directors Network with local foundations. Nescaum,$75,000 to develop a regional clean-fuels standard in 11 Northeast and mid-Atlantic states. NewYorkLawyersforthePublicInterest,$50,000 to eliminate toxic polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in schools. OneRegionFund,$200,000 for a funders’ group that promotes equitable and sustainable transportation in the tri-state region. PaceLawSchool,$50,000 to develop effective energy-efficiency programs in New York State.

clean WaterNaturalResourcesDefenseCouncil,$50,000 to continue to protect the sources of the City’s drinking water from pharmaceutical waste, development, and agricultural runoff. Riverkeeper,$50,000 to protect the City’s drinking water by monitoring and reporting compliance with federal, State, and local clean-water laws and policies.

Reducing toxic chemicalsBlueGreenAllianceFoundation,$75,000 to involve labor unions in chemical policy reform, helping members and leadership understand, value, and communicate the economic benefits of a sustainable economy. CleanandHealthyNewYork,$50,000to build grassroots support for federal and state chemical policy reform. ColumbiaUniversity,MailmanSchoolofPublicHealth,$63,000 to develop a new method to test how chemicals impact the body’s translation of information from DNA proteins. InstituteforAgricultureandTradePolicy,$75,000 to expand and standardize the production and use of bioplastics. PesticideActionNetworkNorthAmerica,$50,000 to expand the market for crops grown without toxic pesticides.

blindness & Visual DisabilitiesHelenKellerInternational,$65,000 to screen low-income, middle school, and alternative high school students for vision problems. PreventBlindnessTri-State,$70,000 to integrate vision screening and treatment into community health centers.

People with special needsBrooklynAcademyofMusic,$35,000 for a free film program for poor and disabled elders. CoalitionofInstitutionalizedAgedandDisabled,$55,000 to help adult-home residents move to supportive housing. InstituteforCommunityLiving,$65,000 to train staff to provide health education to seriously mentally ill people with chronic health problems. ResourcesforChildrenwithSpecialNeeds,$75,000 to help parents of disabled children understand changes in special education and get services for their kids.

better Health careCommunityHealthCareAssociationofNewYorkState,$125,000 to develop a plan to create new federally qualified health centers in areas that need them most. NewYorkCityAIDSFund,$50,000 for continued support for an AIDS funding group. NewYorkCityHealthandHospitalsCorporation,$90,000 to help the City’s public hospital system apply for federally qualified health center designation for its outpatient clinics. NewYorkImmigrationCoalition,$90,000 to improve access to health care for immigrants. NewYorkUniversity,CollegeofNursing,$125,000 to study the effectiveness of combining two nursing programs to improve hospital care for elderly patients. PrimaryCareDevelopmentCorporation,$100,000 to strengthen medical home programs in community health centers.

CoolCulture,$35,000 to provide early childhood cultural programs for Harlem families. FourthArtsBlock,$45,000 to provide dance rehearsal space in underused studios. FranklinandEleanorRooseveltInstitute,$175,000 to help the Pare Lorentz Film Center create, disseminate, and promote educational films. NationalGuildforCommunityArtsEducation,$25,000 to help community arts schools sustain programs.

Improving the High school choice ProcessTheNewSchool,$70,000 to help students and parents participate in the City’s high school choice process. NewYorkUniversity,$56,000 for research on how students with low test scores fare in the high school choice process.

Improving education for allAdvocatesforChildrenofNewYork,$75,000 to advocate for students who are being suspended from school. FundfortheCityofNewYork,$50,000 to strengthen the QUEST ATD program, which provides educational services for juvenile delinquents with mental health problems. TheNewSchool,$92,500 for continued support of Feet in Two Worlds, a program that helps immigrant journalists expand their audiences and impact.NYCCoalitionforEducationalJustice,$90,000 for advocacy to improve instruction in the City’s neediest schools through a longer school day and year.

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(Clockwise from left) A grant to the Blue green Alliance Foundation will work with labor unions to improve chemical laws to protect the health and safety of workers, including this woman employed by an oil refinery. Photo by earl Dotter; a grant is supporting Prevent Blindness tri-state to screen clients, including those at risk for diabetes, at two community health centers in the City; soprano Adrienne Danrich performs with Brooklyn’s American Opera Projects, a Van lier Fellowship grantee.

December 2011 Newsletter

Inside: Put the Arts Back in School, for Good, How to Get a Job Without a College Degree,and More... the 2011 class of Public Allies after visiting homebound seniors. the program

helps highly motivated but cash-poor adults start careers in nonprofits. the trust helped bring this AmeriCorps project to the City and is currently funding it.

The grants described in this issue were approved by The New York Community Trust’s governing body at its October 2011 meeting. For grantee contact information, or for more information about the grants, please call The Trust’s receptionist at 212.686.0010, ext. 0.

This issue and past newsletters can be found at www.nycommunitytrust.org.

If you’d prefer to receive our newsletter by e-mail, write to newsletter@nyct-cfi.org.

Most of the grants in our newsletter are made possible through the generosity of past donors who established permanent, charitable funds with us during their lifetimes or through their wills. to learn more about setting up a fund, please contact our general counsel, Jane wilton, at 212.686.2563.

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