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New World Foundation
The New World Foundation was created in 1954 by Anita McCormick Blaine, daughter of International Harvester magnate Cyrus McCormick. Her initial $7 million...
New World Foundation
The New World Foundation was created in 1954 by Anita McCormick Blaine, daughter of International Harvester magnate Cyrus McCormick. Her initial $7 million bequest established an institution designed to support leaders and organizations advancing democracy and social justice. Colin Greer has led the foundation as president since 1985, giving the institution unusual leadership continuity across four decades of progressive philanthropy. Grantmaking spans civic engagement, climate action, workers' rights, and immigration justice. The foundation operates through several thematic funds, including the Civic Opportunities Initiative Network, the Climate Action Fund, the New Majority Fund, and the Phoenix Fund for Workers and Communities. The foundation does not limit itself to a single grantmaking stage, providing both general operating support and project-specific funding to community-based organizations across the United States. Its geographic footprint concentrates on domestic US programs, with a notable asset in New York's Hudson Valley where the foundation owns the Hudson Valley Farm Hub, a working farm and food-systems research center operated in partnership with the NoVo Foundation. The foundation's scale remains modest relative to major national endowments. It maintains memberships in the Council on Foundations and the Democracy Alliance, a network of progressive donors where early board member Hillary Clinton held a leadership role in the 1980s. Partner organizations include Open Society Foundations, with which the New World Foundation collaborates on shared initiatives such as the Resource Lab. The foundation operates from a single commercial property on Manhattan's Upper West Side, which serves as its headquarters. Structurally, the New World Foundation functions less like a permanently endowed institution and more like a spend-down vehicle with a long time horizon. Its approach mirrors small-footprint private foundations that prioritize grantee relationships over institutional scale — a model distinct from the professionally managed, CIO-led endowments that dominate institutional investing. The foundation has maintained this operating posture under Greer's leadership, making it a durable though low-profile presence in American social-justice philanthropy.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
1954
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
New York
Corporate office
627 West End Avenue, New York, NY 10024, United States
Principals
Anita McCormick Blaine
Founder
Colin Greer
President
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who makes grantmaking decisions at the New World Foundation?
Colin Greer has served as president of the New World Foundation since 1985 and leads the foundation's grantmaking strategy. The foundation operates with a lean governance structure typical of smaller private foundations, where the president works closely with a board of directors to allocate grants. Day-to-day program staff manage specific funds and initiatives under Greer's leadership.
What is the relationship between the New World Foundation and the NoVo Foundation?
The New World Foundation and the NoVo Foundation are frequent partners, particularly on place-based initiatives in New York's Hudson Valley. Their collaboration includes the Hudson Valley Farm Hub, a 1,255-acre working farm and research center in Ulster County. The collaboration reflects shared progressive philanthropic goals but maintains separate institutional structures and governance.
Where does the New World Foundation's funding come from?
The foundation was established with a $7 million bequest from Anita McCormick Blaine, heir to the McCormick industrial manufacturing fortune built on the mechanical reaper and International Harvester. The endowment today is funded from investment returns on that original corpus plus additional contributions accumulated over decades. The foundation does not engage in external fundraising.
Does the New World Foundation accept unsolicited grant applications?
The foundation historically has maintained a closed grantmaking process, preferring to identify and cultivate grantees through its own networks and partner organizations. Its small team size makes unsolicited application review impractical. Prospective grantees typically reach the foundation through existing relationships with program officers or partner organizations in the progressive funding ecosystem.
How is the New World Foundation's investment portfolio managed?
As a foundation with roughly $187 million in assets, the New World Foundation's endowment is managed through a conventional foundation investment structure. Public details on asset allocation or external managers are not disclosed. The foundation's asset base makes it a small institution by endowment standards, and its investment returns fund an annual grantmaking budget that is modest relative to major national foundations.
What is Hillary Clinton's connection to the New World Foundation?
Hillary Clinton served as chair of the New World Foundation's board of directors during the 1980s, early in her career before becoming First Lady. This role placed her within a network of progressive philanthropic leaders at a formative moment for the foundation. The position gave her governance experience in a grantmaking institution focused on civil rights, citizen participation, and community organizing.
How does the New World Foundation differ from a community foundation?
Despite being occasionally categorized alongside community foundations, the New World Foundation operates as a private foundation with a national grantmaking scope. Unlike community foundations that pool donor-advised funds and serve a specific geographic region, the New World Foundation draws its funding from a single endowment and pursues a mission-driven progressive agenda across the United States. Its Hudson Valley Farm Hub is a notable exception to its otherwise non-geographic focus.
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