Robin Hood Grant Readiness and Insights Training (GRIT) Program Open for Applications

NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 1, 2022 – Today, Robin Hood, New York City’s largest poverty-fighting philanthropic organization, has opened applications for its Grant Readiness and Insights Training (GRIT). GRIT provides training and support for talented leaders from New York City’s social service nonprofit sector to qualify for and secure funding from results-driven, evidence-based funders. This year’s cohort will focus on organizations that serve children and families.

“The nonprofit sector is vital to the city’s economy and the delivery of its human services, which has become even more acute in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, many small and mid-size nonprofits still rely heavily on government contracts and single sources of funding, which limits their impact and prevents scalability. Robin Hood’s GRIT program aims to make New York City’s nonprofit sector more resilient by training organizations to secure more diverse funding streams,” said Suzi Epstein, Robin Hood’s Managing Director of Field Building and Public Benefits. Over the last six years, GRIT has enabled 72 New York nonprofits to diversify their funding base, attracting $10.8 million in new philanthropic funding that they didn’t have access to before joining the program.

GRIT sessions guide nonprofit leaders towards greater financial flexibility, organizational independence, innovation, and growth. Through weekly half-day sessions, leaders learn to refine models for programs, governance, and leadership; optimize learning and measurement protocols; and communicate impact to funders. In a recent survey, 90% of GRIT alumni responders reported successfully applying for and receiving new corporate and philanthropic support after completing the program.

Robin Hood invites talented leaders of nonprofit social services organizations at a crucial development milestone to apply to GRIT. Candidates must be based in New York City and serve New York City residents, be operational for at least three years, and oversee an annual budget between $500,000 and $10 million in revenue. Robin Hood’s community partners are not eligible. GRIT seeks to support up-and-coming organizations especially those led by women and people of color. In the most recent cohort of 2021, two thirds of the chief executives of participating organizations were female and half were people of color.

To learn more about eligibility and the application process, visit www.robinhood.org. Applications are due by July 15, 2022 and require proof of nonprofit status. Candidates will be notified on September 9, 2022, and the program will run from October 3 to November 9, 2022.

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GRIT directors at Robin Hood are available to discuss this opportunity for growing nonprofits.

About Robin Hood
Robin Hood has been fighting poverty in New York City since 1988. Because Robin Hood’s board covers all overhead, 100% of every donation goes directly to the poverty fight. Last year, Robin Hood awarded $172 million in grants, filling a critical void during the COVID-19 pandemic by providing cash assistance, meals, housing, healthcare, education, and other urgent needs to one million New Yorkers impacted by COVID-19, as well as funding an array of programs and initiatives developed to elevate families out of poverty in New York City. Follow the organization on Twitter @RobinHoodNYC and learn more at www.robinhood.org.