The New York City-based Surdna Foundation has announced thirty-nine grants totaling more than $6 million in support of efforts to foster just and sustainable communities in the United States.

First-quarter grants were awarded in the areas of strong local economies, sustainable environments, and thriving cultures. Recipients include the Aspen Institute, which will receive $150,000 in support of efforts by its Economic Opportunities Program to better understand how employment is changing and how job quality can be improved; the Center for Popular Democracy, which was awarded $200,000 in support of its Local Progress initiative, a national network of progressive municipal officials; Perseverance Theatre in Douglas, Alaska, which will receive $50,000 over two years to commission five plays by diverse Alaskan playwrights showcasing the value of new voices and the impact of theater in Alaskan communities; and the Urban Manufacturing Alliance in Brooklyn, New York, which was awarded $250,000 to advance research, thought leadership, and coalition-building efforts with respect to manufacturing policy and its relationship to economic equity.

Through its Flexible Grantmaking Fund, the foundation also awarded $450,000 over three years to the Neighborhood Funders Group in support of the organization’s efforts to engage more funders in place-based, community-led efforts targeting the root causes of economic and racial inequities in the United States.

For a complete list of the foundation's fourth-quarter grants, see the Surdna website.