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THE B. ROBERT WILLIAMSON JR. FOUNDATION

IN ACTION

A fundamental element of the B. Robert Williamson Jr. Foundation’s mission is to provide financial support in the form of charitable contributions to nonprofit organizations that primarily focus on the education and empowerment of young people. Our core principles include:

  • 1. Dedication to under resourced, vulnerable populations
  • 2. Investment in high-impact, preventive strategies
  • 3. Provision of general operating support
  • 4. A belief in open and transparent communication with grantees

When the Foundation started, we spent much of the first year collaborating with our three grantees to help define what they needed most to succeed. Following extensive interviews and site visits, they identified leadership training as a critical, yet often neglected, area. By investing in leadership training, the B. Robert Williamson Jr. Foundation could help these grantees to decrease staff turnover, increase engagement and enhance long-term outcomes for program participants of each organization. Since our founding, we have donated over $2.3 million in recurring grants to outstanding educational organizations.

We expanded our adaptive leadership grants to include support for courses taught to post graduate students by Dr. Linda Lausell Bryant, MSW, PhD at the NYU Silver School of Social Work (and the former Executive Director of Inwood House). We have also funded 7 cohorts of NYU Fellows each spring to integrate the adaptive leadership training into their social work field placements.

As we approach our 10th anniversary, we have returned to offering direct service general operating grants to several organizations working with education and youth development.

WE INVITE YOU TO MEET SOME OF OUR GRANTEES

Through prevention and support programs, the Inwood House programs at CV help youth overcome the cycles of poverty associated with teenage pregnancy. The holistic needs of young people are of the utmost concern, and programs focus on physical and mental health, education, employability, relationships, parenting skills and infant wellbeing. Inwood House’s prevention and teen family support programs are designed to help teenagers take charge of their lives, actively participate in their families, communities and society, and serve as positive examples to other young people.

“The Children’s Village is proud to partner with the Robert Williamson Jr. Foundation! Both of our organizations believe that education and empowerment are essential to building strong communities in New York City and beyond. We look forward to continuing our partnership and providing young people and families with the resources they need to flourish.”

Inwood House was a 185-year-old direct service nonprofit that merged with The Children’s Village (CV) in 2016 and serves more than 1,200 young people throughout New York City each year.

For more than 30 years, New Life has served urban youth through programs and relationships aimed at improving the lives and communities of the poor and at risk. Founded in Manhattan by Robert and Mary Nixon, New Life provides inner-city kids with educational opportunities, field trips, sports leagues, counseling, skills training and self-improvement programs. These offerings continue to fulfill New Life’s mission of challenging New York City youth to expand their world, explore new places and help them develop their potential and fulfill their dreams.

“We are so grateful for the generosity and ongoing support of the B Robert Williamson Jr Foundation. They are more than financial donors, they are true partners in our work of reaching New York City teens!”

New Life of NYC has increased its capacity over the last four years to serve 950 students a year and is collaborating with a new partner to extend its mission to the Bronx for the first time, and to serve an additional 150-200 youth.

Founded on the belief that a strong school can transform a community, PAVE focuses its efforts in neighborhoods where schools have historically struggled to prepare children to graduate from high school. PAVE students are two times more likely to be on a college trajectory than students attending the other neighborhood public school options. Using the school’s four core values of Perseverance, Achievement, Vibrance and Excellent Character, PAVE prepares students for a lifetime of success in competitive high schools and four-year colleges. PAVE’s team of highly qualified, certified educators and school leaders reaches economically-disadvantaged students, many living in public housing, and continues to lead their charge of: Building Citizens and Scholars Brick by Brick. Today PAVE Schools educates over 750 Pre-Kindergarten through 8th Grade students in New York.

“The Williamson Foundation has made valuable contributions to PAVE Academy Charter School and the community that we serve over the years. Caroline has been a tremendous support, helping to make connections, build bridges and develop capacity in our leaders. We look forward to our continued partnership for the next 10 years and beyond.”

In elementary school, PAVE is close to having eliminated the achievement gap in both ELA and Math! In 2015-2016, our PAVE 3rd and 4th graders were 60% proficient/advanced in ELA and math combined vs. 61% for white and Asian students.

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Fencing in the Park began as a summer weekend program for children in Flatbush Brooklyn. It was founded by Nzingha Prescod, an Olympic fencer who benefitted from a fencing program when she was young that allowed her to attend Columbia University on a fencing scholarship. With our support and others, she opened Prescod Institute of Sport, Teamwork and Education (PISTE) and left her consulting job to build the organization and teach fencing along with an Olympic teammate to children four times a week. Nzingha also co-authored legislation to create the newly formed Mayor’s Office of Sports.

“Working with the Williamson Foundation has been a unique experience of authentic support for PISTE to succeed and achieve its mission. Thank you for not only financially contributing but also giving us the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with other nonprofit leaders!”

The grant from Caroline and The Robert Williamson Jr. Foundation has allowed us to continue making a deep impact in the NYC community. We offer fencing-based youth development and academic enrichment to our students at no required cost.

The Adaptive Leadership in Human Services Institute teaches aspiring human service practitioners an adaptive framework approach to societal challenges so they can apply it to their work and bring about positive change. This growing institute promotes connection and collaboration, and addresses barriers to social justice in the human services field. Part of the institute, the Adaptive Leadership Fellowship features intensive weekend seminars covering the adaptive leadership framework. Fellows are equipped with a set of strategies and tools to help practitioners bring about needed social change.

nyusilver School of Social work group

The B. Robert Williamson Jr. Foundation has been a crucial partner to NYU Silver School of Social Work, supporting the preparation of the next generations of social workers who will serve our City’s youth and families and the systems that they come in contact with.

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The mission of Harlem Grown is to inspire young people to maintain healthy and ambitious lives. They achieve this through mentoring kids in urban farming, sustainability, and nutrition. The program’s nutrition education primarily targets elementary-aged students to establish healthy habits at an early age. Harlem Grown raises funds for physical renovation of abandoned Harlem lots so they may transform them into urban farms. Currently, Harlem Grown hosts 10 urban agriculture locations including from soil-based farms, hydroponic greenhouses, and school gardens.

In Action

HARLEM GROWN

We are so grateful for the continued support from the B Robert Williamson Jr. Foundation! It’s through your support that we purchased our Mobile Teaching Kitchen, which is the first of its kind in NYC! Our Mobile Teaching Kitchen allows us to go to our families to provide our vital services. Thank you so much and congratulations on 10 years of making the world a better place!

“Thank you so much to the Williamson Distinguished Scholar Program. Becoming a Williamson Distinguished Scholar at The University of Chapel Hill has meant so much to me. I will never forget the day I opened my acceptance letter from UNC-Chapel Hill with tears in my eyes after learning I received a full-ride scholarship. I was beyond grateful to the Williamson Scholarship Foundation for supporting me on my journey to attend my dream University and helping me be one step closer to making a difference in my community. I am honored to be a Williamson Scholar. I look forward to carrying on the Williamson Scholarship Foundation legacy by committing to academic excellence, community service, and leadership.”
UNC BRW Scholarship Student – Jordyn Middleton

“I am so grateful to you and the foundation for the generous and thoughtful scholarship which will help us enormously in our mission to create a new generation of leaders for North Carolina and beyond. I appreciate the clear vision and goals you and the board have for making the scholarship something truly special and helping those who might not otherwise be able to attend Carolina and go on to do great things.”

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The Williamson scholarship has been a true blessing. I will never forget the generosity of Caroline and how this scholarship has allowed me to become the first person in my family to attend a university. On top of this, it has allowed me to pursue additional experiences during the summer that I would not have been able to do otherwise and has provided an amazing network of peers and mentors. It was an honor to be chosen for this scholarship, and it has changed my life!

The mission of Connections is to work in partnership with young people, families, organizations, and volunteers to curate long-lasting, supportive mentoring relationships that improve self-worth for young people with past, current, or peripheral contact with the child welfare or juvenile justice systems in New York City or Westchester County.

The B. Robert Williamson Foundation is more than just a funder – they are a relationship, support network, and resource that makes us a stronger, more impactful organization. Not only does their financial support make a big difference in our ability to mentor NYC’s most vulnerable young people, but the trust The Foundation puts in us as the experts in our mission, and the connections they build with other grantees and resources, allows us to put our limited resources where they are needed most – with the kids.

Boys & Girls Clubs has been helping Wake County youth reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens for over 50 years. They operate seven neighborhood Clubs across Wake County, including a Teen Center dedicated to building our next generation of leaders. Thanks to our donors and volunteers, we ensure all young people, especially those who need us most, have the greatest opportunity to succeed in school, at work, and in life. Great futures start here!

Our organization has always described itself as a family – to our kids, our volunteers, and our donors. We have been very fortunate to have the support of members of the Williamson family for our entire 56 years history, and are honored that this has continued through the B. Robert Williamson, Jr. Foundation

Culture For One transforms the lives of New York City children in foster care through the power of the arts. It provides opportunities to inspire their creativity, stimulate their intellect, and introduce them to broader possibilities for their future. Its cultural excursions, creative workshops, art scholarships, and one to one mentoring nurture big dreams and encourage higher education and career planning.

In Action

CULTURE FOR ONE

Our heartfelt gratitude to the B. Robert Williamson Jr. Foundation , whose continued support has made a critical difference in the depth and diversity of arts programming that Culture For One can offer to NYC children and youth living in foster care. Caroline’s leadership and openness with all her grantees is a constant source of inspiration and encouragement, and a reminder that we are not alone in this journey to create a better life for all children.

Hudson River Community Sailing (HRCS) is a non-profit youth development and community sailing organization with locations in Chelsea and Inwood. We develop leadership and academic success in underserved New York City youth through partnerships with public schools, and our diverse and vibrant community sailing center provides maritime education and recreation to the city at large. Core to our work is the belief that everyone can learn to sail, and that sailing provides a unique opportunity for growth and discovery.

The Williamson foundation brings a thoughtful and personal approach to their grantmaking. Caroline manages to be an advocate, a thought-partner, and a source for information and opportunities. While hands-on, they are not directive or prescriptive. It is that trust, and commitment, that makes the BRW JR foundation not simply a grantor, but a true partner

For over 35 years, Naked Angels has operated at many levels, big and small. They have proudly helped develop work that has gone everywhere from downtown dives, to regional theaters, major Off-Broadway productions and even Broadway itself. At its core is unyielding support of dynamic storytelling, serving artists with communal spirit and helping to get work done.

In Action

NAKED ANGELS, LTD

We are a small theater company that brings free playwriting workshops to children in foster care, public school students, and youth facing incarceration.  The B. Robert Williamson, Jr. Foundation  understands that a multi year grant for general operations makes us a more stable organization.  With this stability we are able to serve more youth and pivot quickly to meet the needs of the schools and residential homes we work in.  Being partners with the B .Robert Williamson, Jr. Foundation makes us feel like we are a part of a movement to equitably address the needs of the youth in NYC with understanding, curiosity, and heart.

ADDITIONAL GRANTEES

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