Helping Hands
We seek to help people at a critical moment with a need triggered by an emergency. Our hope is that this assistance will make a difference in someone’s life with lasting impact.
The primary way that we offer assistance is by making grants to social service and other organizations (including colleges), whose staff then applies strict criteria and distributes grants averaging approximately $1,200. It is important that the organizations that receive our grant offer additional support services.
We focus on programs that work directly with individuals one-on-one. The majority of our Helping Hands grants go toward rent, particularly needed in the primary areas where we fund – New York City, Boston, and Palm Beach County – where there is not enough affordable housing. We also help with expenses such as utilities, transportation, moving, furniture, or clothing that an individual is temporarily unable to pay for because of an unexpected hardship.
We may make a limited number of grants to programs that connect individuals to additional community resources.
Reflections on Helping Hands
Lou Gerstner shares the origin of and his vision for the emergency grants program, lessons learned over the past decade, and his belief in the critical importance of the work.
Watch the videoFeatured Grantee
Family Promise
Family Promise (“FP”) is a network of over 200 Affiliate agencies across 43 states that delivers innovative solutions for family homelessness, providing prevention, shelter, and stabilization services. Gerstner Philanthropies partnered with Family Promise in 2022 to pilot a national leveraged model for our Helping Hands program. FP National manages the program’s administration and subgrants funds to a select cohort of Affiliates with homelessness prevention and diversion programs. Affiliates commit to raising an additional $5,000 in local support, to ensure the sustainability of the program and engage with members of their community. The $500,000 pilot grant provided emergency cash to nearly 400 families, enabling them to regain stability at a critical moment. The success of the pilot grant led to a renewal in 2023 with the expectation of assisting another 400 families as they navigate financial crises. To learn more, please visit familypromise.org and view the list of Affiliates funded through the Family Promise model here.
Our Grantees
Major Helping Hands Grants
Grants listed below may be from the Gerstner Family Foundation or another Gerstner family philanthropic vehicle. Amounts may reflect cumulative annual grants or multi-year grants. To see annual amounts, please see listings of grants paid each year.
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Adopt-A-Family
Lake Worth, FL | Visit Website
To support the Housing Stabilization Program.
$2,684,500
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The Havens Relief Fund Society
New York, NY | Visit Website
To support the emergency cash grant program.
$2,625,100
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Safe Horizon
New York, NY | Visit Website
To fund the Emergency Client Assistance Program.
$3,475,358
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Coalition for the Homeless
New York, NY | Visit Website
To support the emergency cash grant program.
$1,680,000
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Sanctuary for Families
New York, NY | Visit Website
To support the emergency cash grant program.
$1,579,500
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United Neighborhood Houses
New York, NY | Visit Website
To support the eviction prevention program across 26 settlement houses. For a list of participating settlement houses and their websites, please click 'Visit Website' above.
$5,221,125
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Stories
Pia was injured when she was attacked by an unknown assailant and was unable to work for a month. When she reported the assault to her local precinct, the desk sergeant introduced Pia to a crime victim advocate with Safe Horizon’s Crime Victim Assistance Program. After reporting the crime, Pia connected with Safe Horizon’s Crime Victim Assistance Program and shared that she would be unable to pay her rent because of lost income while recovering from her injuries. Thanks to a Gerstner Helping Hands Program, Pia was able to pay her rent and recover in peace without worrying about falling into arrears. Pia is now back at work and very grateful for the one-time assistance to help her through such a difficult time
Helping Hands News
Gerstner Philanthropies Awards $4.9 Million For Helping Hands Emergency Grant Program
