About The Gardiner Foundation

The Gardiner Foundation, Inc., helps families struck by tragedy by providing memorial and bereavement assistance and offering mentorship and scholarship opportunities. A few of our programs and initiatives include:

  • Scholarships for first-time, college-bound inner-city youth
  • Community support to those who have suffered tragedies through giveaways, scholarships and mentorship programs, including:
  • Community-building initiatives during an annual basketball tournament where we:
    • Annual giveaway of 350 book bags filled with school supplies
    • Raffles and giveaways of tablet and computers for educational purposes
  • Community-building initiatives during an annual basketball tournament where we:
    • Provide food and beverages to the entire community
    • Invite former and current NBA players to motivate and encourage the kids and youth on education and achieving their life goals

The Board Members of the Gardiner Foundation Inc. Click Here

How It Started

The Gardiner Foundation was started by Dexter Gardiner in 2006 after he suffered the tragic loss of six family members in a single car accident on the Bronx River Parkway. Sadly, his mother and youngest sister also died that year, which meant he lost a total of eight family members in one year.

Through a year mired with tragedy, it was through this adversity that The Gardiner Foundation was born to help others who have suffered tragic losses in their lives.

Since the founding of the Gardiner Foundation, many other people have suffered car accidents and lost their lives on the Bronx River Parkway. Looking to minimize these occurrences, Dexter has since pushed for increased safety measures on the highway. The Department of Transportation (DOT) has since raised the barriers in each lane of the parkway thanks to his efforts.   

If you’re ever riding on the Bronx River Parkway and see that the barriers raised, you’ll know it is because Dexter Gardiner refused to stay silent and decided it was time to make a change.

How to Make a Difference

The Gardiner Foundation motto is “WE ARE OUR BROTHER'S KEEPER!”

While our community-building initiatives are meant to help as many people as possible, we can only do so by taking one kid at a time, one person at a time, and one family at a time in order to make changes in our community.

We hope you continue to support these efforts financially so we can continue to expand our fundraisers and events and do great work in our community.

How We Give Back

Memorial & Bereavement Assistance

One year after its founding, the Gardiner Foundation started raising funds for interment services to benefit those who lack sufficient funds for a memorial service and burial. The first beneficiary was a single mother who lost five of her children in a car accident who also received professional counseling services during and after the crisis.

Year-Round Basketball Tournaments

Extending far beyond the basketball court, our recreational trips are a basis for pre-teen and teenage youth to learn and build the key life skills and importance of relationship-building, sportsmanship, academics and community service.

Gardiner Foundation Scholarships

Since 2009, The Gardiner Foundation has provided $1,500 scholarship to each student entering their first year in college or preparatory school who have earned the honor after having written an essay and received a recommendation from a Guidance Counselor, Dean or Principal. 

Peer Mentoring Programs

"Tru Talk" is a peer mentorship program for youth and young adults to discuss the peer pressures of life and is an extension of the Gardiner Foundation motto, “We Are Our Brother’s Keeper.”

Additional Services

  • Education
  • Employment
  • Mentoring
  • Recreational Activities

For all kind comments and inquires you can contact us.