Who We Fund

The James Conlon Fund was created to provide financial awards to nonprofit programs and institutions in memory of James Conlon and his many areas of activity and interest (see Who We Are for a list of these areas).

The fund is supported by its investments. The board will accept donations; however, note that as we are not a registered charity, donations to the fund by individuals do not qualify as tax deductions.

Since its creation in 2012, the Fund has supported these programs:

A $54,000 gift to Recycle-A-Bicycle. This remarkable program, founded in 1994 and now a part of Bike New York, “utilizes the bicycle as a resource to foster youth development, environmental education, community engagement, and healthy living.”
A $35,000 gift to the University of Rochester, where James completed his undergraduate degree, to establish the James Conlon Lecture in the Department of Religion and Classics. Beginning in 2016, the James Conlon Lecture will be presented one or more times annually with first preference given to lecture topics exploring Middle Eastern religions, cultures, art and architecture as well as Arabic languages.
A $38,000 gift to Queens Council on the Arts, whose mission is to support individual artists and arts organizations in presenting their cultural diversity for the benefit of the community. Funds will go towards the organization’s portfolio development program for high school seniors in Queens who are applying for admission to college-level art programs.
A $20,000 gift to The Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP). This nonprofit organization “uses design and art to improve civic engagement. CUP projects [explain] and demystify urban policy and planning issues that impact our communities so that more individuals can better participate in shaping them.” The gift will support a CUP project in 2015.
A $7,500 gift to the Sophomore Class Service Learning Project for the 2015-16 school year at Hyde Leadership Charter School, a public, K-12, college-preparatory school in the South Bronx of New York City. Students will engage in a service-learning, project-based program promoting social justice and civic responsibility in the Hyde school community and the Hunts Point neighborhood.
A $2,500 gift to Fund for the City of New York: Service Learning Project (SLP). The funds will support a Residency Program within a New York City school, which will enable SLP faculty to work with classroom teachers on implementing a service learning project with up to 70 students.
A $2,000 gift to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JFRF). The Foundation is champion for the millions of children and adults affected by type 1 diabetes (T1D). This gift targeted the Southwest Ohio Chapter Ride to Cure Diabetes on October 7, 2014.
A $2,000 gift to the Arab American Association of New York. The association works to support and empower the Arab immigrant and Arab American community through services that enable them to adjust to their new home in New York and become active members of society.
A $2,000 gift to WFMU-FM, a listener-supported, non-commercial radio station in Jersey City, NJ. It is currently the longest running freeform radio station in the United States. Experimentation, spontaneity, and humor are among the station’s distinguishing traits, and close to 100% of its programming originates at the station.
A $2,000 gift to Flux Factory. Based in Long Island City, NY, Flux provides affordable space to 40 local and international emerging artists annually. Through its residency programs, exhibitions, and collaborative opportunities, the organization builds sustainable artist networks, and helps retain creative forces in New York City.
A $2,000 gift to UNICEF to support its efforts in the Yemen humanitarian crisis. UNICEF is working to provide emergency medical relief for Yemeni children through health screenings, vaccines, malnutrition treatment, water and school supplies.