CARNEGIE CORPORATION OF NEW YORK

Contact information:
437 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10022-7003
Phone: (212) 371-3200
Fax: (212) 754-4073

Website: www.carnegie.org

Type of foundation: Independent

Types of grants: Conferences/seminars; Continuing support; Curriculum development; General/operating support; Program development; Program evaluation; Publication; Research; Technical assistance.

Description: Carnegie Corporation of New York was created by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to promote "the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding." The Corporation has long been a leader in creating major, legacy institutions in the U.S., ranging from its extensive support of libraries to its role in the creation of public television. In the 1960s, it created the Carnegie Commission on Educational Television and, in 1967, published the report, Public Television: A Program for Action. The report’s recommendations were adopted in the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. The Corporation subsequently gave $1,000,000 to PBS and then continued long-term support for public television and radio. The Corporation also supported the launch of the Children’s Television Workshop and later supported the creation of the PBS series, NOVA.

The Corporation’s national grantmaking supports the revitalization of democracy by funding new pathways both to educational and economic opportunity, and to citizenship, civic participation and immigrant integration in a pluralistic society. Most of the Corporation’s media grantmaking is related to supporting content around its priority interest areas.

Priority interests are:

• International peace and security.
• Improving understanding of Muslim communities and societies.
• Higher education and libraries in Africa.
• Higher education in Eurasia.
• Urban and higher education in the U.S.
• Democracy and civic integration.

The Corporation also supports a dissemination program (through which it supports media initiatives that disseminate content around its priority interest areas) and an initiative to revitalize journalism education in the United States.

The Future of Journalism Education

Carnegie Corporation President Vartan Gregorian created a partnership with the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation which led to the intellectual foundation for the Carnegie-Knight Initiative on the Future of Journalism Education, launched in 2005. The primary components of the Initiative are:

• Curriculum enrichment, a process aimed at offering students a deep and multi-layered exploration of such complex subjects as history, politics, classics and philosophy to undergird their journalistic skills while raising the profile of journalism education within the university.
• News 21: National reporting projects organized on an annual basis through which “the nation’s most talented journalism students” come together to report and produce in-depth multimedia projects.

In addition, the Carnegie-Knight Task Force provides journalism deans with an opportunity to speak out on issues affecting journalism education and the field of journalism.

Sample grants:

• $2,000,000 to Public Affairs Television, New York, NY, for broadcast of Something Different with Bill Moyers, new half-hour show on PBS (2011).
• $1,000,000 to Educational Broadcasting Corporation, New York, NY, toward broadcast series on diversity of Islam.
• $500,000 to National Public Radio, Washington, DC, toward expanded news reporting on education reform issues (2003).
• $500,000 to WETA-Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association, Arlington, VA, for broadcast of international news coverage for the PBS Newshour (2011).
• $500,000 to WETA-Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association, Arlington, VA, toward foreign news reporting on NewsHour, over three years (2008).
• $400,000 to Educational Broadcasting Corporation, New York, NY, toward series to explore ancestry and family stories of American ethnicities (2009).
• $400,000 to National Public Radio, Washington, DC, toward in-depth coverage of role of Islam in the world today, over two years (2008).
• $400,000 to WNET Channel 13, New York, NY, for television series that explores the ancestry and family stories of American ethnicities (2011).
• $350,000 to Cabin Creek Center for Work and Environmental Studies, New York, NY, toward documentary film on development of one of New Century High Schools, also known as High School for Contemporary Arts, in the Bronx (2004).
• $303,000 to Learning Matters, New York, NY, toward series of reports tracking impact of education stimulus package on school reform for The News Hour with Jim Lehrer (2009).
• $300,000 to National Public Radio, Washington, DC, for in-depth coverage on international peace and security issues (2011).
• $275,000 to WETA-Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association, Arlington, VA, for comprehensive adolescent literacy web site (2007).
• $270,000 to WETA-Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association, Arlington, VA, toward comprehensive adolescent literacy website (2008).
• $250,000 to WETA-Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association, Arlington, VA (2010).
• $200,000 to National Public Radio, Washington, DC, for expanded news reporting on education reform issues (2011).
• $200,000 to Center for Independent Documentary, Sharon, MA, toward public television documentary, Reflections on An American Dilemma, that retells groundbreaking investigation into race relations in America in the 1940s, focusing on discourse among viewers about beliefs and practices of American citizens, with special focus on the perspective of new immigrants (2010).
• $200,000 to National Public Radio, Washington, DC, toward expanded news reporting on education reform issues (2009).
• $200,000 to National Public Radio, Washington, DC, toward expanded news reporting on education reform issues (2007).
• $200,000 to Paley Center for Media, New York, NY, for forums on role of journalists and state of journalism education in the 21st century (2007).
• $200,000 to National Public Radio, Washington, DC, toward initiative to improve local public news reporting capacity (2006).
• $200,000 to Public Radio International, Minneapolis, MN, for final grant toward in-depth coverage of Africa for World (2005).
• $200,000 to ETV Endowment of South Carolina, Spartanburg, SC, toward Schools That Work, documentary film on urban school reform (2004).
• $200,000 to Public Radio International, Minneapolis, MN, toward in-depth coverage of Africa on The World (2003).
• $150,000 to Public Radio International, Minneapolis, MN, for in-depth coverage of international affairs on The World, a daily global news program (2011).
• $150,000 to Epidavros Project, New York, NY, toward outreach and public education in connection with documentary series on how the federal legislative process works (2010).
• $150,000 to United Nations Foundation, Washington, DC, for one-time only support toward expanding radio news service (2009).
• $127,000 to Koahnic Broadcast Corporation for a radio outreach project to encourage voting among Alaska Natives and other Native Americans (2007).
• $102,900 to Pundit Productions, Washington, DC, toward deepening and expanding investigative and analytical reporting on immigration debate and election issues relating to citizen engagement (2006).
• $100,000 to WETA-Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association, Arlington, VA, for Women's 2.0 Media Project digital oral history archive (2011).
• $100,000 to Paley Center for Media, New York, NY, for meetings discussing media coverage of topics associated with Islam (2009).
• $100,000 to Paley Center for Media, New York, NY, to convene 12 journalism schools of Carnegie Knight Initiative to examine progress of education reform and changes in the news business (2009).
• $100,000 to WETA-Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association, Arlington, VA, toward work to understand young people's attitudes toward wide range of social, economic, and political issues (2006).
• $100,000 to WETA-Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association, Arlington, VA, toward international reporting for NewsHour (2006).
• $100,000 to Learning Matters, New York, NY, toward education coverage for NewsHour with Jim Lehrer (2006).
• $75,000 to World Security Institute, Washington, DC, toward production and distribution of television series promoting global dialogue (2007).
• $75,000 to WGBH Educational Foundation, Boston, MA, toward fellowship program to train and mentor young journalists (2006).
• $75,000 to World Security Institute, Washington, DC, toward production and distribution of television series promoting global dialogue (2006).
• $60,000 to Fund for the City of New York, New York, NY, toward local media program that informs and empowers immigrant parents in children's education (2009).
• $60,000 to Educational Broadcasting Corporation, New York, NY, toward Back to School, documentary film spotlighting global crisis in access to education (2006).
• $50,000 to WETA-Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association, Arlington, VA, to enhance Colorin Colorado website to include Common Core State Standards content applied to English-language learners. Colorin Colorado is a bilingual site for families and educators of English language learners (2011).
• $50,000 to WNET Channel 13, New York, NY, for International Summit on the Future of the Teaching Profession (2011).
• $50,000 to WNET Channel 13, New York, NY, for International Summit on the Teaching Profession (2011).
• $50,000 to Community Initiatives, San Francisco, CA, toward better understanding of immigrant integration through public education and outreach around promotion of documentary on Shelbyville, TN (2010).
• $50,000 to Educational Broadcasting Corporation, New York, NY, toward Time for School, documentary film spotlighting global crisis in access to education (2009).
• $50,000 to Bureau for International Reporting, New York, NY, to produce international news reports on states at risk (2009).
• $50,000 to New America Foundation, Washington, DC, for weekly online video program on U.S. national security issues (2009).
• $50,000 to Teachers College Columbia University, New York, NY, toward online digital archive of The Open Mind, long-running television interview broadcast shown on CUNY Television (2008).
• $50,000 to Downtown Community Television Center for an online video series on immigrant policy, over seven months (2008).
• $50,000 to WETA-Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association, Arlington, VA, toward work to understand young people's attitudes toward wide range of social, economic, and political issues (2007).
• $50,000 to International Women’s Media Foundation, Washington, DC (2007).
• $50,000 to Educational Broadcasting Corporation, New York, NY, toward daily broadcast and digital news service for middle and high school students (2006).
• $50,000 to Teachers College Columbia University, New York, NY, toward online digital archive of The Open Mind, long-running television interview broadcast shown on CUNY Television (2006).
• $50,000 to United Nations Development Programme, New York, NY, toward documentary and media campaign to disseminate UN study on conflict diamonds and costs of war on African society (2006).
• $50,000 to Center for Investigative Reporting, Berkeley, CA, toward investigative documentary on proliferation of nuclear weapons (2006).
• $50,000 to Epidavros Project, New York, NY, toward documentary on immigration, identity and democracy in United States (2006).
• $50,000 to Koahnic Broadcast Corporation, Anchorage, AK, toward radio outreach project to encourage voting among Alaska Natives and other Native Americans (2006).
• $50,000 to Learning Matters, New York, NY, toward education coverage for NewsHour with Jim Lehrer (2005).
• $50,000 to Public Campaign, Washington, DC, toward updating public education DVD/video on public financing of elections (2005).
• $50,000 to WETA-Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association, Arlington, VA, toward Do You Speak American, MacNeil/Lehrer Productions educational outreach documentary program (2004).
• $50,000 to Camera News/Third World Newsreel, New York, NY, toward educational outreach and dissemination of documentary on Ralph Bunche, under-secretary general of the United Nations and first person of color to win the Nobel Peace Prize (2004).
• $50,000 to Firelight Media, New York, NY, toward public outreach related to documentary on fiftieth anniversary of landmark Supreme Court decision, Brown v. Board of Education.
• $50,000 to American Documentary, New York, NY, toward public education campaign around immigrants, particularly those who recently arrived (2004).
• $40,000 to Foundation for New Jersey Public Broadcasting, Trenton, NJ, for development study for New Jersey Campus Television Channel (2007).
• $25,000 to Koahnic Broadcast Corporation, Anchorage, AK, to produce and evaluate nonpartisan Native American voter engagement radio campaign (2010).
• $25,000 to Educational Broadcasting Corporation, New York, NY, toward weekly television interview program on public affairs and digital archiving of past programs (2009).
• $25,000 to Rhode Island Public Radio, Providence, RI, toward series of news stories on how immigrant population impacts life in Rhode Island (2008).
• $25,000 to Women Make Movies, New York, NY, toward documentary on education in South Africa (2008).
• $25,000 to Radio Television Digital News Foundation, Fredericksburg, VA, toward study on use of new media platforms by television stations to increase civic engagement during 2008 presidential election (2007).
• $25,000 to Paley Center for Media, New York, NY, toward forum series on media portrayal of Middle Eastern culture (2007).
• $25,000 to New York Foundation for the Arts, Brooklyn, NY, toward documentary on Averroes, 12th century Muslim philosopher (2006).
• $25,000 to University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, toward monitoring public interest performance of local television election news coverage (2005).
• $25,000 to Public Agenda Foundation, New York, NY, toward Clarifying Issues, interactive source of voter education information (2004).
• $20,200 to ETV Endowment of South Carolina, Spartanburg, SC, for dissemination and outreach to educators of Making Schools Work, documentary film on urban school reform focusing on ways to improve high schools (2006).

Fit for public broadcasting: The most likely fit for public media is support for production and distribution of high-quality journalism on topics of strong interest to the Corporation. Potential applicants should review the Corporation’s website, including its repository of Corporation-produced reports and research on topics including journalism.

Eligibility: Carnegie Corporation does not make grants for construction or maintenance of facilities. It does not make grants to endowment drives or for existing deficits. It will not fund individuals, nor will it fund activities to lobby for or against pieces of legislation.

Deadline: None.

How to apply: Initial approach is by online letter of inquiry.

Giving range: Recent media grants range from $25,000 – $500,000.

Assets: $2,548,230,211 (September 30, 2011).

Total giving: $119,805,090 (year ending 9/30/11). Many grants are paid out over multiple years.

View 2011 Annual Report here.