NYYM Financial Resources for Individuals and Meetings

Funds to which Individuals and Meetings May Apply

Trust funds to which individuals may apply

See the NYYM Invested Funds Description document for an overview of how the Yearly Meeting’s invested trust funds are managed and for descriptions of each fund’s restrictions and designated use(s).

Designated use funds to which individuals may apply:

  • Stevens and Nathaniel Smith Funds—for members of NYYM (through a monthly meeting or at-large) in need through age or disability; under the care of the NYYM Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee.
  • Sufferings Fund—for support of Friends suffering because of an act of conscience; under the care of the Witness Coordinating Committee.
  • Lindley Murray Fund—to support Black and North American Native American concerns around education; to purchase books on the principles of Quaker faith; to assist and relieve those in need. Individuals may apply on behalf of an organization which must be a 501(c)3 and public charity; However, no grants can be made to individuals at this time.
  • Witness Activities Fund—for the support of monthly meetings pursuing witness ministries. Individuals led to undertake a witness activity are expected to apply through their local meetings; under the care of Witness Coordinating Committee.
  • Earthcare Fund—for providing spiritual and material support to those engaged in the compelling task of transforming our relationship with Earth, including addressing the climate crisis.
  • Mahlon York Fund—to support the religious and educational needs of New York Yearly Meeting, with first consideration given to individuals and meetings in Butternuts Quarter.
  • Committees with funds—Individuals may also recommend recipients for grants to committees that manage the disbursement of various Trustee-managed funds. These include:
    • Barrington Dunbar Fund for Black Development—for scholarships for students of color.
    • Black Concerns—for purposes discerned by the committee using various funds.
    • Indigenous Affairs—for stipends for North American Native [indigenous] students, residing in the New York Yearly Meeting region, enrolled or planning to be enrolled full time in a college-level program.
    • World Ministries—for individuals with a sense of ministry who are members of NYYM, or whose vision is shared and endorsed by a meeting or organization within NYYM.

Designated use funds to which Meetings may apply:

  • Meeting Houses and Properties Fund—for building and repairing meetinghouses; under the care of the NYYM Trustees.
  • Lindley Murray Fund—to support Black and North American Native American concerns around education; to purchase books on the principles of Quaker faith; to assist and relieve those in need. Meetings may apply on behalf of an organization which must be a 501(c)3 and public charity;
  • Witness Activities Fund—for the support of monthly meetings pursuing witness ministries; under the care of Witness Coordinating Committee.
  • Earthcare Fund—for providing spiritual and material support to those engaged in the compelling task of transforming our relationship with Earth, including addressing the climate crisis.
  • Mahlon York Fund—to support the religious and educational needs of New York Yearly Meeting, with first consideration given to individuals and meetings in Butternuts Quarter.
  • Committees with funds—Individuals may also recommend recipients for grants to committees that manage the disbursement of various Trustee-managed funds. These include:
    • Barrington Dunbar Fund for Black Development—for scholarships for students of color.
    • Black Concerns—for purposes discerned by the committee using various funds.
    • World Ministries—for meetings or organizations within NYYM with a sense of ministry.

Stevens and Nathaniel Smith Funds

The Stevens and Nathaniel Smith Funds are two small funds held by NYYM Trustees in order to assist New York Yearly Meeting Friends who, through age or disability, may be in a need. These Friends may be pastors, ministers, or other members of New York Yearly Meeting who have been of service to our Yearly Meeting.

What: For members of New York Yearly Meeting in need through age or disability.

Applying: Applications are under the care of the Ministry and Pastoral Care committee. Please apply online. Alternatively, open the application document, download as a Word document, fill it out and send it by email to stevens-fund@nyym.org. If you have any questions, email stevens-fund@nyym.org.

Fund description: See the descriptions of the funds managed by the Trustees.

Sufferings Fund

The Fund for Sufferings is available to provide support for Friends who suffer financially as a result of their faithful witness, their acts of conscience, or their fidelity to Friends’ testimonies. It is intended to respond to urgent needs in a timely manner.

What: For Friends in need because of an act of conscience.

Applying: Applications are under the care of Witness Coordinating Committee. Before submitting an application to the Yearly Meeting, the applicant should approach their local meeting, care committee, or a Yearly Meeting committee requesting financial assistance. Once that meeting or committee has reached discernment about assisting the applicant, they can forward the request to the Liaison for the Fund for Sufferings. Normally it is expected that the Fund will supplement a meeting’s financial contributions to an individual. For requests requiring immediate attention, discernment by the individual’s meeting or care committee and the Liaison and Witness Coordinating Committee may occur in parallel. A Yearly Meeting committee may also endorse and forward an application to the Liaison.

Please apply online.  Alternatively, open the application document, download as a Word document, fill it out and send it by email to sufferings-fund@nyym.org. If you have any questions, email sufferings-fund@nyym.org.

Lindley Murray Fund

What: To support Black and North American Native American concerns around education; to purchase books on the principles of Quaker faith; to assist and relieve those in need.

Applying: Applicants must be a 501(c)3 organization and public charity. Applications are sent to the Lindley Murray Committee.  Please apply online.  Alternatively, open the application document, download as a Word document, fill it out and send it by email to lindley-murray@nyym.org. If you have any questions, email lindley-murray@nyym.org.

Fund description: See the descriptions of the funds managed by the Trustees.

Witness Activities Fund

The Witness Activities Fund receives a percentage of the Sharing Fund income, which comprises both contributions from individuals and monthly meetings, and income from its endowment. Grants from the Witness Activities Fund are allocated by Witness Coordinating Committee.

What: For support of Friends pursuing witness ministry.

Applying: Apply to Witness Coordinating Committee. Please apply online. Alternatively, open the application document, download as a Word document, fill it out and send it by email to witness-activities-fund@nyym.org. You can also send a completed paper application to the NYYM office: NYYM Witness Activities | 15 Rutherford Place | New York NY 10003. If you have any questions, email witness-activities-fund@nyym.org.

Fund description: See the Witness Activities Fund page.

Friends may also recommend recipients for grants to the committees with funds. These include:

  • Barrington Dunbar
  • Black Concerns
  • Indigenous Affairs
  • World Ministries
  • Earthcare

Meeting Houses and Properties Fund

What: for building and repairing meetinghouses; under the care of the NYYM Trustees. See this Description of Fund Distribution for the Meeting Houses Fund, and this document with further information.

Applying: Apply to the NYYM Trustees. Please apply online.  Alternatively, open the application document, download as a Word document, fill it out and send by email to meetinghouses-application@nyym.org.
If you have any questions, email meetinghouses-application@nyym.org. Applications must be sent to the Trustees by the end of April for grants in that year.  Applications received after that time will be considered on an ad hoc basis. The Trustees' decisions as to the fund allocations will be announced by the end of May.

Fund description: See the descriptions of the funds managed by the Trustees.

Earthcare Fund

What: for providing spiritual and material support to those engaged in the compelling task of transforming our relationship with Earth, including addressing the climate crisis.

Applying: Applications for mini-grants are discerned by a joint task group of NYYM's Earthcare Working Group (EWG) and Climate Justice Working Group (CJWG), both under the care of the NYYM Witness Coordinating Committee.  Applications are reviewed in an ongoing basis - Please apply online. Alternatively, open the application document, download as a Word document, fill it out and send by email to earthcare-grants@nyym.org.

Fund description: the fund is supported by New York Yearly Meeting's Sharing Fund. Grants will be from $50 to $500 per application.

Indigenous Affairs - Educational Stipend

What: This stipend is open to North American Native [indigenous] students, residing in the NYYM region, enrolled or planning to be enrolled full time in a college-level program.

Applying:  Applications are sent to the Indigenous Affairs Committee.  Please apply online.  Alternatively, open the application document, download as a Word document, fill it out and send it by email to indigenous-affairs-committee@nyym.org. If you have any questions, email indigenous-affairs-committee@nyym.org.  Applications should be received well in advance of one of the Indigenous Affairs Committee’s three meetings a year-roughly April, July and November.  If documentation is complete and the application is approved, checks will be made out to the applicant and mailed to the Mailing Street Address provided in the application.  

Fund description: The fund is supported by New York Yearly Meeting's Sharing Fund.  See the descriptions of the funds managed by the Trustees.

World Ministries

What: For supporting individuals, meetings and organizations within NYYM who have a sense of ministry in the wider world. Individuals need a minute of support for their ministry. See the World Ministries Mission Statement.

Applying:  Apply to the World Ministries Committee clerk(s).  Please apply online.  Alternatively, open the application document, download as a Word document, fill it out and send it by email to world-ministries-grants@nyym.org. The application should say specifically what the funds are needed for, for which purpose a detailed budget is expected, including information about other sources of funding. 

Each application should designate someone as the main Contact Person for the project, and this person must have a specific connection to NYYM, usually through individual membership, and must accept responsibility for stewardship of any funds granted to the project. The deadline for grant applications is the first of the month prior to the committee's planned meetings in January, June, and October.

When grants are formally reviewed, the clerk(s) of World Ministries Committee will notify applicants of the committee's decision. We ask that grantees acknowledge receipt of the awards when received. World Ministries Committee needs to know how the funds are used. Therefore, about nine months after the check is issued, the clerk(s) will write to those recipients who have not yet submitted reports, requesting an update on the status of the project and use of funds. Applicants will not receive further grants until reports are received by the committee. Reports should be sent to world-ministries-grants@nyym.org.

If you have any questions, email world-ministries-grants@nyym.org.  

Fund description: The fund is supported by New York Yearly Meeting's Sharing Fund and other invested funds.  See the descriptions of the funds managed by the Trustees.

Mahlon York Fund

What: To support the religious and educational needs of New York Yearly Meeting, with first consideration given to individuals and meetings in Butternuts Quarter.

Applying: Applications are discerned by the York Committee of Butternuts Quarterly Meeting. Please apply online. Alternatively, open the application document, download as a Word document, fill it out and send by email to york-fund@nyym.org.

Fund description: The fund is supported by New York Yearly Meeting's invested funds. See the descriptions of the funds managed by the NYYM Trustees.