The Walentas Family Foundation is strongly committed to the cause of public education in New York City. The Neighborhood School Grants program was founded on the belief that vibrant and successful schools are a fundamental part of any thriving community—and that the community in turn plays a critical role in the success or failure of our schools. 2013 marked the inaugural cycle of this annual grant program to nurture and support innovative school-based projects in the neighborhoods where we live and work. At this time, the Neighborhood School Grants program is open to all public schools in Brooklyn Districts 13 & 14.
 

Funding Priorities

Two Trees and the Walentas Family Foundation believe that individual schools themselves know best how to assess their needs and how to address them given their unique capabilities and resources. 

We seek to support those projects that do the most to enrich students' learning experiences and help a school to achieve its central mission, but which are not supported by a school's existing budget allocation. We believe this can best be achieved through initiatives that draw on the creativity, vision, and energy of the entire school community—from students and their families, to faculty and staff, and even beyond to the neighborhood at large.

There is no restriction on the type of projects we will consider. However, we generally do not fund turn-key enrichment residencies or basic equipment purchases.

Past Grant Categories

Career and Vocational Training, Curriculum Development, In-School Enrichment and Clubs, Field-Trips, Mentoring, Guidance, Advocacy, Professional Development, Project-based Learning, Race and Gender Equity, Restorative Justice, Transition to High School / Transition to College, Tutoring and Remediation.

Application Timeline

    Open Proposal Period — January 1 - February 14, 2025
    Virtual Info Session — January 16, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. Register for the meeting here.
    Application Opens — June 1, 2025

     Application Deadline — August 1, 2025
    Grant Notification — September 15, 2025
    Funds Available — October 2025 

First-time applicant or have questions? Send us an email schoolgrants@twotreesny.com or schedule a brief check-in call: https://calendly.com/awillmott/schoolgrants. 

Application Logistics
 

• You DO NOT need to complete your application in one sitting. You can save your application and come back to it later by scrolling to the bottom of the application page and clicking "Save Draft."
• You can review the Application Questions in a printable document here: Application Questions Word Document
• For your reference Sample Applications can be viewed here: Sample 1 & Sample 2
• We recommend beginning your application well ahead of the deadline as late applications will not be accepted.
• Supplemental materials are optional. You are invited to include with your application up to three documents including, for example, short videos, photos, letters or testimonials from team members or participants, or any other item that will help us understand your proposed project. 
• You can review all Neighborhood School Grants provided reference documents here, including Application Questions Word Document and Sample Applications, Budgets, and Logic Models.
• Once you hit "SUBMIT" you will NOT be able to further edit your application.
• Once your application is submitted you will receive an email from Submittable. It will include a link you can use to open your report in its final document format.
• With any content-related questions, you may reach out to the Neighborhood School Grants officer Kate Gavriel, at schoolgrants@twotreesny.com.
• If you have any issues with the Submittable application host platform itself, you may contact Submittable directly.
• Grantees will be announced in September, and grant funds will be distributed in October.
• Please note that the data collected during the application process may be utilized and shared for research purposes.

 
Questions?
 For more information about our the Neighborhood School Grants program, our funding priorities, and how to apply, please see our FAQ.