Children of Promise NYC (CPNYC), a Bronx nonprofit dedicated to working with children with incarcerated parents, recently announced a $2 million gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.
A gift of this size — the largest ever for the organization — will be “transformative,” according to founder and Executive Director Sharon Content.
Children of Promise, which has locations in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, and the South Bronx, works with about 350 youth between the ages of 6 and 18. The organization offers a Monday through Friday after-school program, a summer day camp, academic tutoring and mentorship — all with mental health services woven in.
Over the 15 years that CPNYC has operated, Content told the Bronx Times that their numbers have only grown and grown. Today, approximately 105,000 children in New York have a parent who is serving time in jail or prison, according to the state Office of Children and Family Services — and that population is often “ignored and neglected by society,” said Content.
Even identifying kids to participate in the program can be tricky because of the stigma surrounding incarceration, according to Content. Early on, she assumed schools would refer students to Children of Promise. But she realized that schools often aren’t informed when a parent goes to jail.
So the team goes grassroots, popping up in train stations, grocery stores and school plays to let people know what they do. They also receive referrals from other organizations that work with youth in communities.
At first glance, CPNYC looks like any after-school program, Content said. But what’s different is the emphasis on providing youth with incarcerated parents “a safe space to share experiences they all understand.”
For kids who can only see mom or dad behind plexiglass or are only allowed one brief hug per visit, being around others who can relate is crucial to their well-being, said Content. And for these young people, their emotions often simmer beneath the surface.
Content recalled a group art project creating and painting papier-mache faces. But one elementary-aged student made two completely different faces — one painted with bright colors to represent what people see on the outside, and the other gray and brown to represent how they felt inside.
“If we don’t put that emotion into something positive, it’ll manifest into something negative,” said Content.
Knowing that CPNYC’s work was showing no signs of slowing down, Content applied in June 2023 for MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving Open Call. The philosophy behind Scott’s giving is to “give up control” and donate to local organizations doing important work in communities nationwide. Several Bronx programs and schools, including Lehman College and Hostos Community College, have received philanthropic funds from Scott in recent years.
Content figured there was a 4% chance of being selected for the grant. It required an extensive application and vetting process, she said, but it was also uncommonly transparent and unrestrictive, limited only to “what you can dream for your organization.”
In the end, from a pool of over 6,000 applicants, Children of Promise was among the 361 community nonprofits selected — and Content was thrilled with what the gift will allow the organization to do.
Most nonprofit grants are designated for a service to be provided, she said — you get the money and provide the service, end of story — but Scott’s gift will allow CPNYC to expand its entire operation, including assembling a team of executives to further the mission and bring more salaried employees onboard.
“I’m now able to bring in a C-suite,” Content said.
The organization also plans to expand its reach beyond New York to five other states they identified as having the highest incarceration rates: California, Florida, Texas, Ohio and Georgia.
Locally, Content said some of the funds will help the Bronx location give kids some experiences outside of their home borough. Even a trip into Manhattan for a movie can be a welcome change of pace for a kid who has lost a parent to jail or prison.
“The need does continue because incarceration is a never ending battle,” said Content.
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
