{"value"=>"<p>The grant records comprise the bulk of the collection and contain extensive documentation of the Foundation's grant making activities over almost a century. They include grant files, a card file, a ledger, and files related to small grants the Foundation awarded to select grantees for specific purposes. Although in earlier years programs were sometimes funded for many consecutive years, the renewal procedure subsequently became more formalized, requiring grantees to apply for renewal of their grant each year, for up to five years. Occasionally grants were canceled due to the grantees' failure to submit timely reports or for inappropriate use of funds. It should be noted that many organizations which received Foundation support underwent one, or several, name changes. Folder titles have not been changed, so researchers should look for files under all known names of an organization. Also, some folder titles include an approval number (e.g. #811) which was used internally to keep track of which applications were awarded grants. These can be cross-referenced with related entries in the card file and ledger, also in this series.</p> <p>The grant files are arranged alphabetically. It should be noted that personal names, or organizations named after individuals, were alternately alphabetized by forename or surname, so both possible alphabetical locations should be checked. The grant files include some or all of the following: copies of applicants' verification of tax-exempt status (Internal Revenue Service forms), applications for grant funding and renewal, signed grant agreements, correspondence between grantees and Foundation staff, printed materials about the applicants (newspaper clippings, annual reports, letters of recommendation, flyers, brochures, photographs), interim and final progress reports, and other records related to the awarding and administration of grants.</p> <p>The grant files may hold less formal documentation of grantees' accomplishments and setbacks, including anecdotal accounts about their programs. New York Foundation staff conduct site visits periodically, and their notes and feedback from those visits are often placed in the files. Grant applications and interim reports provide extensive information about the development of strategies and techniques to address particular social problems. The grant files also include files for intermediary agencies whom the Foundation paid to provide training and other services to grantees, including Arete, Brooklyn in Touch, the Non-Profit Computer Exchange, Infoshare, Cause Effective, Community Resource Exchange, and Accountants for the Public Interest. This series also contains a card file used to track applications and grants awarded; a ledger with entries for each applicant between 1933 and 1960, noting approvals and amounts granted; records from conferences held in the 1980s to support grantees; and files related to special small grants which supplemented some grantees' funding and provided specific training and support. These special grants include Organizer's Expense Account (OEA) grants, which covered incidental expenses of community organizing, national travel to conferences, training, and retreats for joint strategizing; Summer Internship in Community Organizing (SICO) grants, which supported 10-week internships in community organizing for young people between the ages of 16 and 23; and Technical Assistance Grants, which helped defray the cost of hands-on consulting help in areas including public relations, fundraising, special events, planning, and technology. Also included are files concerning Director's Discretionary Grants (DDGs), most often awarded when an organization faced unexpected, severe economic crisis, and files about Summer Youth Programs. Records of these smaller grants are filed chronologically, with files from each year alphabetized.</p>"}