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BELAFONTE FAMILY FOUNDATION INC
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 843047731 · Form 990EZ · FY2024 · NTEE B82 · Education · Micro (<$100K) · belafontefamilyfoundation.org
revenue
$25K
expenses
$226K
net assets
$271K
employees
—
program ratio
79%
mission · from form 990

THE BELAFONTE FAMILY FOUNDATION'S (BFF), MISSION IS TO CREATE ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY FOR HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED, MARGINALIZED YOUTH, ADULTS AND COMMUNITIES ACROSS RACIAL, GENDER, AND ECONOMIC LINES. THE BELAFONTE FAMILY FOUNDATION OFFERS PROGRESSIVE PROGRAMMING ANDRESOURCES WITH A DEMAND FOR DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION. AS A FAMILY HAVING SPENT A LIFETIME SERVING OTHERS, THE BELAFONTE FAMILY FOUNDATION HAS TAKEN A MULTI-GENERATIONAL APPROACH TO PHILANTHROPY WITH PILLARS IN AREAS THAT ARE CRITICAL TO HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND SUCCESS.WHILE THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF GLOBAL, HARMONIOUS CO-EXISTENCE SHOULD BE PURSUED, A MASSIVE, IMBALANCED PLAYING FIELD EXISTS WHERE EDUCATION, OPPORTUNITY, HEALTH AND WELL BEING ARE SEEMINGLY INACCESSIBLE TO A MASSIVE SWATH OF OUR FELLOW HUMANS. BFF LOOKS TO DO ITS UTMOST TO HELP LEVEL THAT FIELD, CREATE ACCESS AND OFFER PATHWAYS FORWARD TO A BETTER LIFE.

profile · synthesized from sources

The Belafonte Family Foundation (BFF) is a New York-based nonprofit focused on creating access and opportunity for historically underserved youth, adults, and communities across racial, gender, and economic lines. The organization runs progressive programs centered on education, health, and wellness, including martial arts-based mentoring, urban farming initiatives, and virtual mental health support spaces for at-risk youth. BFF takes a multi-generational approach to philanthropy, emphasizing diversity, equity, and inclusion.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2023

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $54K
    BRIGHT ROAD MENTORING PROGRAMIN KEEPING WITH A COMMON THREAD OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS THROUGHOUT ITS PROGRAMS, THE BELAFONTE FAMILY FOUNDATION'S BRIGHT ROAD MENTORING PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO HELP YOUNG PEOPLE FIND THEIR WAY IN A WORLD THAT IS, FOR MANY, A GAUNTLET OF SEEMINGLY INSURMOUNTABLE CHALLENGES. FINDING A BASELINE OF STABILITY IS A CRITICAL PIECE OF A YOUNG PERSON'S HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT. DELIVERED THROUGH A MARTIAL ARTS-BASED CURRICULUM, THE INITIATIVE WAS CREATED AS AN ALTERNATIVE PATH TO A POSITIVE LIFESTYLE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAVE A GREAT NEED TO BE PART OF A GROUP, AND OFTEN CHOOSE THE WRONG GROUP SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THIS VERY REAL NEED FOR SUPPORT FROM PEERS AND ELDERS, EVEN IF THAT CHOICE PUTS THEM ON A WRONG PATH. --CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O.WHEN PRACTICED WITH COMMITMENT AND CONSISTENCY, THE BENEFITS OF A MARTIAL ARTS LIFESTYLE TEACHES COMMITMENT TO SELF-DISCOVERY, ACCEPTANCE, CONTROL, AND RESPECT FOR AN ENLIGHTENING WAY OF LIFE FOR THOSE WHO LIVE IT. BRIGHT ROAD IS A WAY TO REACH THESE YOUNG PEOPLE BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER THEY POSSIBLY ENGAGE IN POTENTIALLY NEGATIVE LIFE-ALTERING BEHAVIOR.
  2. #2 $52K
    THE BRIGHT ROAD MARTIAL ARTS SCHOLARSHIP SPONSORS QUALIFYING AT-RISK-YOUTH IN MARTIAL ARTS MENTORSHIP PROGRAMS ACROSS MULTIPLE DISCIPLINES, PARTNERED WITH RENOWNED ACADEMIES AND INSTRUCTORS. FOR THE PAST THREE SUMMERS, WE HAVE BROUGHT OUR MARTIAL ARTS MENTORSHIP PROGRAM TO CAMPERS FROM UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES IN THE BRONX. MARTIAL ARTS AS A LIFESTYLE IS AN INCREDIBLY POWERFUL WAY TO FIND PURPOSE AND MENTAL STRENGTH TO BECOME THE BEST YOU CAN BE FOR YOURSELF AND FOR OTHERS. IT IS MUCH LESS ABOUT COMBAT SKILLS THAN ABOUT SENSE OF SELF AND MENTAL SURVIVAL SKILLS. CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O.COMMITMENT TO A MARTIAL ARTS DISCIPLINE CAN BE A LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE THAT CAN BECOME AN INTEGRAL LIFESTYLE COMPONENT ESPECIALLY FOR AT RISK YOUTH WHO ARE LONGING FOR PURPOSE, SUPPORT SYSTEMS AND ROOM FOR SELF DISCOVERY. HERE THEY LEARN SELF CONTROL, SELF RESPECT, RULES OF ENGAGEMENT, AND ENGAGE IN TEAM ORIENTED TRAINING. MARTIAL ARTS REQUIRES THAT YOU PUSH YOUR LIMITS RESULTING IN GREAT SELF DISCOVERY, INCREASED FOCUS ON INNER BEING AND SYNCHRONIZATION OF THE MIND AND BODY.
named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

Bright Road Farms
Urban indoor farming initiative using mobile, vertical production farms to grow fresh greens and herbs for underserved communities and schools, particularly in food deserts.
Bright Road Martial Arts Scholarship
Provides scholarships for at-risk youth to participate in martial arts mentorship programs, partnering with renowned academies and instructors in the Bronx.
Bright Road Mentoring Program
Martial arts-based curriculum designed to provide stability and positive lifestyle alternatives for at-risk youth, fostering self-discovery, respect, and mental resilience.
Tic Talk Space
Virtual safe space for tweens and teens affected by bullying or abuse, featuring peer-led forums supported by psychologists to discuss mental health and emotional well-being.
activities · 6 groups

What they do

  • Community-Based Urban Agriculture 1 activity
    • Developing and operating Bright Road Farms
      Manages an urban indoor farming initiative using mobile vertical farms to grow and distribute fresh greens and herbs to underserved communities and schools, with a conceptualized distributed farming network to expand access and train youth in sustainable agriculture.
  • Culinary Workforce Training Programs 1 activity
    • Hosting the Food for Thought cooking workshop
      Conducts a 7-week culinary workshop for young adults in New York City in partnership with Avenues for Justice, including weekly individual counseling for all participants to support personal development.
  • Peer-Led Mental Health Support Groups 1 activity
    • Operating Tic Talk Space virtual mental health support
      Runs a virtual safe space offering weekly peer-led mental health support meetings for tweens and teens affected by bullying, abuse, or depression, with oversight and support from licensed psychologists.
  • Martial Arts Instruction and Training 1 activity
    • Operating the Bright Road Mentoring Program
      Runs a martial arts-based mentoring program designed to provide stability, positive peer support, and healthy development for at-risk youth, including implementation at the Mid-Hudson Valley Camp in Esopus, NY.
  • Arts Education Scholarships 1 activity
    • Providing educational and performing arts scholarships
      Offers full-ride scholarships covering tuition, transportation, food, textbooks, clothing, and fees for at-risk, low-income students from underserved communities, including Caribbean youth attending regional universities, and supports students in musical theater and martial arts programs requiring sustained participation.
  • Summer Camp Access Scholarships 1 activity
    • Sponsoring youth participation in martial arts training programs
      Provides access to domestic and international martial arts training programs for qualifying youth, including through scholarship support and partnerships with renowned academies and instructors, with documented programming delivery to campers in the Bronx over three summers.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$25K
Contributions & grants$25K100%
Program service revenue——
Investment income——
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$226K
Program expenses79%
Admin / overhead4%
Fundraising17%
Salaries & benefits$99K
Grants paid out—
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$378K
Cash$33K
Investments$0
Liabilities$114K
Net assets$271K
Liquid reserves1.8 mo
3 years on record · 2022–2024 · YoY revenue -68.4%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
DAVID BELAFONTE PRESIDENT/EXEC DIRECTOR 30 $99K
board members · 2
  • IRMGARD MATHIESEN — DIRECTOR
  • JUDGE MILT TINGLING — DIRECTOR
relationships · 5

Who they work with

  • Academía de la Costa Partner — Collaborates with Academía de la Costa in the Dominican Republic to provide full scholarships to outstanding students from Cadaret village for Brazilian jiu-jitsu and mentoring.
  • Avenues for Justice Partner — Partner organization co-hosting the 7-week "Food for Thought" cooking workshop in New York City.
  • Freight Farms, Inc. Partner — Collaborates with Belafonte Family Foundation to design a distributed indoor farming network using container farms.
  • Mid-Hudson Valley Camp Partner — Partners with BFF to host the Bright Road Mentoring and Martial Arts program.
  • NYC Mayor's Office Government — Collaborates with Belafonte Family Foundation on developing a vertical farming initiative for the public school system in New York City.
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Food and Culinary Arts as Therapeutic Practice
    methodology: food_as_therapy
    By using cooking and culinary training as a therapeutic medium, the foundation supports emotional regulation, confidence-building, and skill development in young adults, because structured, creative engagement with food fosters healing, self-efficacy, and community connection.
  • Legacy-Driven Geographic Investment in Youth
    methodology: legacy-based geographic targeting
    By targeting scholarship support to at-risk students in impoverished Caribbean communities, the foundation honors Harry Belafonte’s roots and leverages legacy-based commitment to inspire sustained investment, because place-based philanthropy rooted in cultural identity increases trust, relevance, and long-term impact.
  • Martial Arts-Based Character and Mentorship Development
    methodology: martial-arts-based_mentoring
    By using a martial arts curriculum to engage at-risk youth, the foundation provides a structured, long-term environment that builds self-esteem, focus, and resilience, because disciplined skill mastery and mentorship from elders offer a positive alternative to negative peer influences and support character development.
  • Multi-Generational Philanthropy
    methodology: multi-generational_philanthropy
    By integrating insights and experiences across generations, the foundation creates interconnected and mutually reinforcing programs in human development, because intergenerational collaboration strengthens program relevance, sustainability, and community ownership.
  • Urban Agriculture as Education and Resilience
    methodology: urban-indoor-farming
    By deploying modular indoor and vertical farming systems in urban environments, the foundation increases local food production and builds community resilience, because hands-on engagement in sustainable agriculture educates youth, strengthens food security, and fosters economic opportunity in underserved communities.