Grants for Churches in New York (2026 Guide)

This guide is for: pastors, vestries, church councils, and administrators of New York congregations who want to know which foundations, state programs, and local funders actually reach churches in New York, and which rules apply.

Full answer: New York has more recorded foundation grants to churches and ministries than any other state, but they're small. According to Grantsights analysis of Form 990-PF grant records, 2,671 foundations made 4,924 grants totaling $82.1 million to New York churches, ministries, and congregations, with a median of $3,890. More than half were under $5,000. State money reaches churches through 3 main routes: Environmental Protection Fund historic preservation grants (with special rules for worship buildings), the Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes security program, and TEFAP and HPNAP food through regional food banks. The private Sacred Sites Fund, with deadlines January 15 and June 1, is the most church-specific grant in the state.

Data note: Foundation figures are Grantsights analysis of Form 990-PF grant records (mostly tax year 2023, the latest year most foundations have filed), as of October 2026. A grant counts when the recipient's name says church, parish, ministry, or congregation, or the purpose names a church, and the recipient's address is in New York. Grantsights checked the New York Constitution on the NY Senate site, OPRHP's EPF pages and sectarian project instructions, the DCJS and DHSES funding pages, the OGS TEFAP state plan, and each funder's own site on October 15, 2026.

Last updated: October 15, 2026.

For the national picture, including federal programs and preservation funds, start with our grants for churches guide. This page goes deep on one state.

Foundation Giving to Churches in New York, by the Numbers

According to Grantsights analysis of Form 990-PF grant records, New York churches, ministries, and congregations received 4,924 foundation grants, about 9% of the roughly 53,000 church grants in our national data. They came from 2,671 foundations and went to 3,167 different recipients, for $82.1 million in all.

Three things stand out.

The median is low. The national median in the same data is $5,000. New York's is $3,890, the lowest of the six states with the most church grants. The total looks large, but it's spread across thousands of small gifts, and one gift above $1.9 million sits at the top. A church planning around a typical New York foundation gift should think in the low thousands, not tens of thousands.

Most funders give to one place. 72% of the foundations that gave to a New York church gave to just one recipient in the state. That's often a family foundation supporting its own congregation. The 358 foundations that gave to 3 or more different recipients are the better first targets, because they show a habit of funding churches they may not belong to.

Purpose lines are thin, but food stands out. Only a small share of grants named a purpose a keyword could catch: 109 named food, 87 named building, repair, or capital work, and 80 named youth. New York's 109 food grants are the most of any of the six largest states, which fits the density of church pantries and soup kitchens in New York City.

Want to see the counts for New York before reading further? See how many foundations gave to churches in New York, along with two of their names, in the free preview.

Where New York Church Grants Go: Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Rockland

Six cities account for 2,679 of New York's 4,924 church grants, about 54%, according to the same Grantsights analysis of 990-PF records.

Per the same analysis, Brooklyn alone holds about 27% of the state's church grants, more than any other city in the six largest states. Read the Brooklyn and Rockland County numbers carefully. Brooklyn, Monsey, and Spring Valley grants are heavy with gifts to synagogues, yeshivas, and other Jewish congregations, which our matching rule counts alongside churches. A Protestant or Catholic church in Brooklyn shouldn't assume that 1,305 grants means 1,305 grants to churches like it. The Manhattan figure mixes parishes, ministries, and congregations of every tradition.

Upstate, the numbers are much smaller. Rochester's 92 and Buffalo's 76 are real, but they suggest a pool of dozens of funders, not hundreds. That makes local community foundations and denominational funds relatively more important for a church in Albany, Syracuse, or the Southern Tier.

How the $29 Church Funder List Helps in New York

Our $29 list covers the foundations that reported grants to churches and ministries on their own IRS Form 990-PF filings, by state. Buy it for New York and you get all 2,671 funders behind the numbers above, each with what it gave, to which church or ministry, for what, and a link to its filings, plus every other state. One payment, no subscription, and a 30-day refund if it doesn't help a New York congregation find a real prospect.

How to use it well in New York:

1. Sort out the one-recipient funders first. Most of the 1,929 one-recipient foundations gave to a congregation tied to the family. Skip them unless you have a real connection.
2. Filter by your borough or county. A foundation that gave to 3 churches in Queens is a better prospect for a Queens church than one that gave to 20 yeshivas in Monsey.
3. Check the filing before you write. Open the 990-PF and read Part XIV, line 2. If the box says the foundation only gives to preselected organizations, don't send a proposal.

Our guide to foundations that give grants to churches walks through reading a 990-PF step by step.

New York's Constitution and Public Money for Churches

Three clauses in the New York Constitution bear on state money and religious organizations, and Grantsights read each in the official text on the NY Senate site on October 15, 2026.

• Article XI, section 3 says the state and its subdivisions can't use property, credit, or public money "in aid or maintenance" of any school or institution of learning "wholly or in part under the control or direction of any religious denomination, or in which any denominational tenet or doctrine is taught." It allows transportation of children. This is New York's version of the clause often called a Blaine Amendment, and it's about schools.
• Article VII, section 8 says "The money of the state shall not be given or loaned to or in aid of any private corporation or association, or private undertaking." This one isn't about religion. It applies to every nonprofit, which is why New York funds nonprofits through contracts and grants for a public purpose rather than gifts. Section 8 also allows aid for "the needy."
• Article VIII, section 1 puts the same kind of limit on counties, cities, towns, villages, and school districts.

How agencies work within these clauses. The clearest example is historic preservation. OPRHP's instructions for sectarian projects say the agency adopted its rules "in consultation with the New York State Attorney General" so that state EPF grants can go to sectarian properties "without violating the New York State Constitution." The rule pays only for the public benefit of true historic restoration, not the church's ordinary upkeep. That's covered in the next section.

The federal cases on top of Article XI. In Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer (2017), the Supreme Court held that a state can't deny a church a generally available grant just because it's a church. Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue (2020) held that a state no-aid clause can't be applied to exclude religious schools from a program offered to other private schools, and Carson v. Makin (2022) rejected Maine's attempt to recast the same exclusion as a rule about religious use. Those cases limit how Article XI, section 3 can be applied to exclude religious applicants from a generally available program. Grantsights didn't find a New York court decision or Attorney General opinion applying them to Article XI, section 3, so we won't predict how a particular New York program would be treated. If a state notice open to nonprofits excludes churches only for being churches, that's a red flag worth raising with the agency and a lawyer.

For the federal side, including the ban on funding worship and religious instruction with direct federal money, see our guide to government grants for churches.

Historic Preservation: EPF Grants and the Sectarian Property Rule

New York's state-funded historic preservation grants offered up to $28,750,000 in the 2026 round, with a maximum award of $675,000, according to the OPRHP Environmental Protection Fund page. The round closed at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, July 31, 2026, and the page now says the cycle is closed. Applications go through the state's Consolidated Funding Application.

Who can apply: municipalities or not-for-profits with an ownership interest in a property listed on the State or National Register. According to the 2026 FAQ, grants are matching, up to 50% of the approved cost, or up to 75% in areas where 10% or more of residents are below the poverty level. They're paid by reimbursement, nonprofits must be prequalified in the state's Statewide Financial System, and the state records preservation or public access covenants on the deed.

The sectarian rule. For properties used for worship or owned by religious organizations (OPRHP's list includes rectories, convents, cemeteries, synagogues, residences, and schools), the state pays the lesser of:

1. up to 50% of the eligible true restoration cost (75% in a qualifying poverty area), or
2. the difference between the cost of basic repairs and true historic restoration.

The applicant has to submit a parallel budget showing both. OPRHP's own worked example compares $52,000 of basic repairs with $168,400 of true restoration. On those figures, 50% of restoration is $84,200 and the difference is $116,400, so the lesser amount, $84,200, is the most the state could pay. Work that mainly serves worshippers and doesn't restore something historic, such as a new elevator or ramp, isn't eligible.

Two common mistakes: starting work before the award (work done before award generally isn't reimbursable), and pricing the project as an ordinary repair. A church that replaces a slate roof with asphalt shingles is doing basic repair; the state only funds the historically accurate version.

Tax credits don't fit most churches. New York's historic homeowner credit requires the applicant to own and live in the home, and the commercial credit requires a building that first qualifies for the federal credit, which applies only to depreciable, income-producing buildings. A worship building is neither. A rectory rented out at market rate or a church building converted to housing is a different case worth asking SHPO about.

Our church building repair grants guide covers national preservation funders and FEMA disaster aid.

The Sacred Sites Fund: New York's Church-Specific Grant

According to our analysis of the Conservancy's announcements, the New York Landmarks Conservancy's Sacred Sites Fund made 21 grants to 18 houses of worship totaling $287,500 in its May 2026 round, plus $82,000 in New York City consulting grants. It's private, not state money, but it's the most targeted church grant in New York.

According to the Conservancy's grant criteria, a property must be:

• in New York State,
• owned by a religious institution and actively used for worship, and
• listed on the State or National Register, or locally landmarked.

A case in point for timing: the grants announced May 27, 2026 were voted on by the Conservancy's committee in April, so expect months between a deadline and a pledge. Work already under contract or started isn't eligible, so apply before you sign with a contractor. The next standing deadline is January 15, 2027. Our view: a landmarked New York church should apply here before it tries the EPF round. The application is lighter, there's no state prequalification, and a pledge in hand shows other funders the project is real.

Security Grants for New York Houses of Worship

New York has two separate routes for security money, and churches are eligible for both.

Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes (state-funded). On September 8, 2026, the Governor's office announced a record $70 million for 290 nonprofit organizations, with a maximum of $250,000 each, the highest cap since the program began in 2017. Eligible applicants include religious organizations and houses of worship. The release reports more than $201 million for 2,035 projects since 2021. By region, New York City received 147 grants worth $35.8 million, Mid-Hudson 99 worth $24.2 million, and Long Island 25 worth $6.0 million. The program is run by the Division of Criminal Justice Services, and no new SCAHC application was listed on the DCJS funding opportunities page on October 15, 2026.

Federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program. The state agency for FEMA's NSGP is the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services. Its NSGP page says the FY2026 application period has ended. Applicants need state prequalification in SFS, a UEI from SAM.gov, and registration with the Attorney General's Charities Bureau. According to USAspending.gov records for Assistance Listing 97.008, New York's NSGP obligations were $48.0 million in FY2025 and $42.7 million in FY2024, second only to New Jersey in FY2025.

Both programs reward preparation done before the notice: a site vulnerability assessment, quotes from vendors, and current registrations. Our church security grants guide explains the FEMA program in detail.

Food: TEFAP, HPNAP, and New York's Food Banks

About 2,500 pantries, soup kitchens, and similar agencies in New York get TEFAP food through 8 food banks, according to the state's TEFAP plan. The distributing agency is the New York State Office of General Services, not the social services department. The plan names these food banks:

• Food Bank for New York City
• Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York
• FeedMore WNY
• Food Bank of Central New York
• FoodLink
• Long Island Cares
• Food Bank of the Southern Tier
• Feeding Westchester

Each pantry signs an agreement with its food bank. The plan notes that religious nonprofits are automatically tax exempt, so a church pantry doesn't need a separate IRS letter for that purpose.

New York adds its own money on top. The Department of Health's Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program supports about 2,700 emergency food relief organizations. Its 2025 report says it directly funds 44 organizations, including the 10 regional food banks and 34 direct service providers. For a church pantry, the practical door is the same: the regional food bank.

According to USDA rules at 7 CFR part 16, the faith-based limits still apply to TEFAP food. Prayer or worship can't be part of the distribution, and anything religious has to be separate and voluntary. Our church food pantry grants guide covers recordkeeping and the faith-based rules.

EFSP: Emergency Food and Shelter Money in New York

The Emergency Food and Shelter Program got $117 million for each of Phase 42 (FY2024) and Phase 43 (FY2025), according to the EFSP National Board's latest news page. Allocations are posted, but official award announcements and the spending period were still pending on October 15, 2026.

New York's Phase 43 allocation is $6,579,566, down from $7,773,987 in Phase 42, according to the National Board's Phase 43 allocation table. New York City gets $3,471,922 of that, more than half. The next largest are Suffolk County at $424,093, Nassau County at $349,910, and Erie County at $276,247, and the State Set-Aside Committee gets $138,243 for areas that didn't qualify on their own.

EFSP money goes to qualifying jurisdictions, and a Local Board picks the nonprofits. In New York City, United Way of New York City convenes the board with nine other organizations, including Catholic Charities, UJA-Federation, FPWA, and Food Bank for NYC, according to a 2023 UWNYC post. Grantsights didn't find a current New York State set-aside committee page or current NYC phase dates, so check the national site for your county's Local Board contact once Phase 43 awards are announced.

Community Foundations and Church Funds in New York

Several large New York funders exclude religious purposes, which surprises churches that apply without reading the guidelines. Grantsights checked each funder's own site on October 15, 2026.

The pattern is the same one the federal rules follow: community foundations will often fund a church's food pantry, after-school program, or shelter, but not its worship or general budget. Write the request around the program and its neighbors, not the congregation.

What New York Church Grant Lists Don't Tell You

Most "grants for churches in New York" lists mix national foundations, closed programs, and funders that exclude churches. Five things they leave out:

1. The typical gift is under $4,000. The New York median in our 990-PF data is $3,890, and 53% of grants were under $5,000. A list that leads with seven-figure gifts sets the wrong expectation.
2. Brooklyn's numbers aren't mostly churches. A large share of grants in Brooklyn, Monsey, and Spring Valley went to synagogues and yeshivas.
3. The state's preservation grant pays only the historic premium. Under OPRHP's sectarian rule, a church gets help with the difference between basic repair and true restoration, not with the whole roof.
4. Security money cycles fast. SCAHC awards came out September 8, 2026, and the federal FY2026 NSGP window has closed. A church that waits to see a notice before ordering a vulnerability assessment will likely miss the next round.
5. Big community foundations often say no to religious purposes. The New York Community Trust and the Capital Region foundation both exclude them, while Rochester's foundation lists religious organizations as eligible.

Our view: a New York church's best first grant is usually small and local. That's a Sacred Sites grant for a landmarked building, a food bank partnership for a pantry, or a foundation that already gave to 3 or more churches in your borough or county.

A 60-Day Plan for a New York Church

1. Week 1: confirm documents. Gather your IRS status evidence (a group exemption letter from your denomination works for many funders), your certificate of incorporation, a board list, and last year's financial statement.
2. Week 2: register where it matters. Get a UEI in SAM.gov if you'll pursue federal or state security money, and start New York's Statewide Financial System prequalification, which state grants require. Our SAM.gov registration guide covers the federal step.
3. Weeks 3 and 4: pick your 3 routes. For most churches, that's one foundation list, one program route (food bank, preservation, or security), and one community foundation or denominational fund.
4. Weeks 5 to 8: write short. A 2-page letter of inquiry to foundations that gave to several churches, and an exterior conditions report if you're aiming at Sacred Sites for January 15, 2027.

To see what else your organization qualifies for, try the free eligibility checker, or pick a route by project type on our church grant path index. For New York programs beyond churches, see our New York grants guide and New York nonprofit grants guide.

New York churches with ties across the region can compare our guides for Pennsylvania, California, Texas, Florida, and Georgia, which use the same 990-PF records.

Limits of This Data

The foundation figures cover only foundations in our dataset, and 990-PF filings arrive a year or more after the grants are paid. Purpose lines are often vague, and our name-based matching misses gifts to churches recorded under another name, such as a school or a community development corporation. Treat the counts as a floor and the median as a guide, not a promise.

Sources Checked

All sources were checked on October 15, 2026:

• New York Constitution on the NY Senate site: Article XI, section 3, Article VII, section 8, Article VIII, section 1
• OPRHP: Environmental Protection Fund grants, Information and Instructions for Sectarian Projects, 2026 EPF FAQ, homeowner and commercial tax credit pages
• New York Landmarks Conservancy Sacred Sites Fund criteria and May 2026 grant announcement
• Governor's office, September 8, 2026 SCAHC release; DCJS funding opportunities; DHSES Nonprofit Security Grant Program
• NYS Office of General Services TEFAP State Plan (October 2025); NYS Department of Health HPNAP and its 2025 annual report
• EFSP National Board latest news and Phase 43 allocations; United Way of New York City EFSP post (2023)
• USAspending.gov, Assistance Listing 97.008 obligations by state, FY2024 and FY2025
• Supreme Court opinions: Trinity Lutheran, Espinoza, Carson
• Funder guidelines on their own sites: Rochester Area Community Foundation, Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region, New York Community Trust, Trinity Church Wall Street, Episcopal Charities of New York
• Grantsights analysis of Form 990-PF grant records, as of October 2026