Civic Engagement

The Illumination Fund supports a limited number of initiatives that build civic engagement and inclusion in New York City communities. We believe that New Yorkers should have every opportunity to become more active participants in shaping their local community and government.

Our civic engagement initiatives include a major role in catalyzing the service year movement in the city with NYC Service and promoting civic leadership and fostering dialogue through the Aspen Institute’s New York City-based Conversations with Great Leaders in Memory of Preston Robert Tisch.

We also recognize that not all New Yorkers are afforded the access to fully participate in the political and economic process that shapes the city. In response, we support organizations and initiatives that advance the voices and civic participation of immigrant and underrepresented communities in New York City through support of the New York Immigration Coalition, Make the Road New York and the Center for Urban Pedagogy.