The Heckscher Foundation for Children

Mission Statement

The Heckscher Foundation was founded in 1921 to promote the welfare of children in New York and elsewhere throughout the United States.  Today, it provides grants to youth-serving organizations in the fields of education, family services, child welfare, health, arts and recreation.

The primary aim of the Heckscher Foundation's grantmaking is to "level the playing field" for needy youth by providing access to education and the varied experiences that make for a richer, forward-reaching life. It seeks to identify under-funded issues and projects that can provide widespread benefit and generate other engagements and funding, and then help leverage that interest to scale. The Foundation also seeks to incubate ideas and initiatives that will lead to high-impact services and improved opportunities.