As per our donors’ directives, The Cummings Fund is legally prohibited from contributing, in any manner, to “the Cultural Arts.” This includes therapy programs involving the 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
- 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
- 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
Further, these factors are among the most frequent issues with proposals:
- Organizations at which the Agency Head (CEO/Executive Director) also serves upon the Board of Directors are given heightened governing scrutiny.
- Organizations undergoing an Agency Head (CEO/Executive Director) Transition
- Organizations without Audited Financial Statements (No exceptions)
- 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 2026 submissions are not generally eligible to request additional funding until the Fall of 2027’s submission period.