About Us

The Puffin Foundation, Ltd. seeks to open the doors of artistic expression by providing grants to artists and art organizations who are often excluded from mainstream opportunities due to their identities or social philosophies.

Why the Puffin?

The Puffin, once endangered in the northeastern United States, was returned to its native habitats through the efforts of a concerned citizenry. Our name is a metaphor for how we perceive our mission in the arts: to join with other concerned groups and individuals to ensure that the arts not merely survive, but flourish at all levels of our society.

Special Projects

Teaneck International Film Festival

2025 Film Festival | November 6-13 MORE INFO

Opens 24 Sep, 2025

Gallery for Social Activism

The Puffin Gallery for Social Activism at the Museum of the City of New York
MORE INFO

Opens 4 Feb, 2020

Puffin Prize for Creative Citizenship

Supporting visionaries who challenge the status quo
MORE INFO

Opens 4 Feb, 2020

Puffin Cultural Forum

Fostering a dialogue of art, issues & community
MORE INFO

Opens 4 Feb, 2020

News & Blog

Presidents’ Day 2026 – Office Closure

February 13, 2026

Happy Presidents’ Day! The Puffin Foundation, Puffin Cultural Forum, and Puffin Brooklyn will be closed for the holiday on Monday, 2/16. We will reopen on Tuesday, Read More

Future Tense: Where is Journalism Heading?

February 12, 2026

On Thursday, January 29, The Puffin Foundation was honored to host a conversation at our Brooklyn space about the future of independent media, presented by The Nation. The panel featured StudentNation writers Ilana Cohen, Aina Marzia, and Lara-Nour Walton and was moderated by Nation editor and publisher Katrina vanden Heuvel.  It’s safe to say that the young journalists made a huge Read More

image is black with white text Steal This Story Please surrounded by film festival accolades

“Steal This Story, Please!” Post-Screening Talkback

January 29, 2026

Steal This Story, Please! is the story of fiercely independent journalist Amy Goodman and her three decades holding the powerful to account, reporting from conflict zones and the Democracy Now! newsroom. In Steal This Story, Please!, Oscar-nominated filmmakers Carl Deal and Tia Lessin craft a riveting portrait of journalism’s power – Read More

History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people. -Martin Luther King Jr.

Puffin Holiday Hours

January 19, 2026

This Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we honor and remember Dr. King and his vision for racial and economic justice. We hope you will take some time to sit with his words, learn about his life, and reflect on how you can continue his vision and legacy for a better Read More

indie lens pop-up

PBS’ Independent Lens Launches 20th Season of Pop-Up Screenings in Teaneck & Nationwide

January 6, 2026

The award-winning PBS documentary series, Independent Lens, announced today the launch of the upcoming season of Indie Lens Pop-Up in partnership with the Teaneck International Film Festivaland the Puffin Cultural Forum both projects of The Puffin Foundation, Ltd. The season kicks-off on February 4th with The Librarians and continues through Read More

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