[4] The Trust's first grant was awarded in 1924, when Rosebel G. Schiff gave $1,000 to establish a fund in memory of her principal at P.S.
The Westchester and Long Island Community Foundation names were sunsetted to better reflect the organizational structure in 2024.
[6] In 1983, in the early years of the HIV/AIDS crisis, the foundation made the first grant for HIV research from a private institution.
[8] In March 2020, The Trust partnered with Bloomberg Philanthropies, Carnegie Corporation of New York, and the Ford Foundation to launch the NYC COVID-19 Response & Impact Fund, which ultimately raised $110 million from 734 donors to support nonprofits impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
[10][11] In 2024, The Trust and the Robin Hood Foundation announced efforts to lead a philanthropic response to the influx of more than 200,000 migrants to New York City.