Grant Restrictions

As per our donors’ directives, The Cummings Fund is legally prohibited from contributing, in any manner, to “the Cultural Arts.”

Further, as a matter of general practice, The Cummings Fund does NOT typically approve grant requests falling into the following categories:

  • Programs located outside of New York City and outside of the following Northeastern New Jersey Counties: Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Passaic and Union, unless a Co-Trustee has special personal knowledge of another geographic area. [view map]
  • Advocacy, Public Policy
  • Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Treatment Programs
  • Bereavement Programs
  • Camping Programs
  • Capital Campaigns
  • Capital Expenses including building, equipment and moving expenses
  • Community Organizing Initiatives
  • Conferences
  • Day Care Programs for Children or Adults
  • Entrepreneurship Programs
  • Environmental Programs
  • Faith-based Initiatives
  • Financial Literacy Programs
  • General Operating Expenses
  • Legal Representation/Legal Aid Programs
  • Private and Parochial Educational Institutions
  • Pooled funding/re-granting programs
  • Private Individuals
  • Publications and Media Projects
  • Public Opinion Polls, Surveys, and Research Studies
  • Scholarship Programs
  • Senior Citizens’ Programs
  • Soup Kitchens and/or Food Banks
  • Sports-focused Youth Development Programs
  • Well-Endowed Institutions
  • Organizations during an Executive Director Transition
  • Organizations without Audited Financial Statements
  • Organizations lacking tax exempt status under I.R.C. Section 501(c)(3)

Except in unusual circumstances, The Cummings Fund approves grants for only one year at a time and will generally not consider more than two consecutive grants towards the same project. Additionally, organizations which have received a grant must typically wait until the completion of the term of that grant before submitting any other funding requests to the Fund. For example, charities which received grants stemming from their Spring of 2024 submissions are not generally eligible to request additional funding until the Fall of 2025’s submission period.