Annual Report October 1, 2018 - September 30, 2019 BOARD of DIRECTORS Chris Ruggeri, Deloitte Financial Advisory Services LLP, Chair Peter H
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CITIZENS COMMITTEE FOR NEW YORK CITY NEW YORK CITY IS OUR NEIGHBORHOOD FY19 Annual Report October 1, 2018 - September 30, 2019 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chris Ruggeri, Deloitte Financial Advisory Services LLP, Chair Peter H. Kostmayer, Chief Executive Officer Morgan Bale, Esq., Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP Peter Brown, Esq., Peter Brown & Associates PLLC Janet L. Burak, Esq. Yovanka Bylander, ISS-Ethix/Institutional Shareholder Services Susan R. Cullman Stephen J. Dannhauser, Esq., Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP Henry P. Davison, II, Bessemer Trust Co. Jenelle DeCoteau, Esq., Ziff Capital Partners LLC Luc Dowling, Aurelius Capital Management, LP Peter Duchin, Peter Duchin Music, Inc. Douglas F. Eisenberg, A&E Real Estate Frances FitzGerald, Author & Journalist W. Robert Friedman, Jr., Dresner Partners Tatiana E. Gutierrez, Esq., Partner, Nixon Peabody LLP Cynthia Hochman David Hochman, Orchestra BioMed Sharon King Hoge Thomas C. Israel, Ingleside Investors Lucas Joynt, Macquarie Capital Joel Press, Press Management Herbert H. Sambol Stephen C. Savage Paulomi Shah, Apollo Global Management LLC Nithya Sowrirajan, Google Jay Stark DIRECTORS EMERITI Michael E. Clark Henry Cornell Joan Sutton Straus YOUNG CITIZENS COMMITTEE Jasper S. Wilson, New York City Economic Development Corporation, Chair Elizabeth Har, Citi, Vice Chair Ryan M. Adams, HZQ Consulting Jordan Barker, Bark Equities Parul Bhatia, Shearman & Sterling LLP Matthew J. Camp, Teachers College, Columbia University Erik S. Coler, Mercer ADR Sam Fisher, Seven Bridges Advisors Alison I. Mandelker-Burnett Kerri Thompson, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett Kiara Reed, JPMorgan Chase & Co. Amanda C. Rocha, The Actor's Fund America Jeremy Shevett, Compass Karla Esleeck, American Express, Advisor FOUNDERS Osborn Elliott Hon. Jacob K. Javits TABLE OF CONTENTS Letter from the CEO..........................................................................................3 Mission and History...........................................................................................4 2019 Grant Types.................................................................................................5 Strength in Numbers.......................................................................................6 Youth Leadership Council Neighborhood Grant..........................7 Chelsea & Hudson Yards Grant.................................................................8 Grantee Highlights............................................................................................9 Neighborhood Leadership Institute.....................................................11 Love Your City Corporate Volunteering............................................12 DIY Green Blocks Workshop Series......................................................13 Special Events Highlights...........................................................................14 2019 Grantees......................................................................................................16 2019 Funders.......................................................................................................34 Financial Statement......................................................................................38 Staff............................................................................................................................39 Support Us...........................................................................................................40 LETTER FROM THE CEO Peter H. Kostmayer We’ve been here before. It was in 1975 when the city, facing bankruptcy, laid off thousands of employees and the Times wrote that the difference between solvency and insolvency was paper-thin. But, the city survived and in fact thrived, as more than a million people arrived from every conceivable place. Now we face another crisis, deeper and harder to solve, longer in the making, and more threatening to New York than any fiscal crisis. Dark voices, always here, once almost universally condemned, but it seems now lead the nation-the voices of white nationalism, anti-Semitism, xenophobia, and homophobia. But our voice is strong and clear, and in these pages you can see our work and hear our voice in the neighborhoods of our city where our projects have brought together Muslims and Jews in the Bronx, gay and straight residents in Queens, newly arrived immigrants and New Yorkers here for generations determined to welcome and shelter them, and people of every shade and color in every borough. In this old city, that began more than four centuries ago as a tiny Dutch outpost, the work of Citizens Committee for New York City goes on in good times and bad, always moving toward a more open city, a tolerant place welcoming to all kinds of people including the more than occasional oddball, a city open to strangers from near and far, no matter their country, creed, or color, and a place hostile to the cruelty and know nothingness that has taken temporary hold of the land we love. That’s our New York. Peter H. Kostmayer CEO 3 MISSION AND HISTORY Our mission: to help New Yorkers — especially those in low-income areas — come together and improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods. For 45 YEARS, we have been making New York City greener, safer, and more resilient. 1975 New York City teeters on the edge of bankruptcy. Senator Jacob Javits and Newsweek Editor-in-Chief Osborn Elliott 1976 become founders of a “Citizens Committee” and 8,000 New A neighborhood improvement grant of $76 is made to local Yorkers immediately respond to a campaign for volunteers residents caring for Bryant Park. to fill gaps in social services. 1977 The pioneering Mollie Parnis Dress Up Your Neighborhood grants for block beautification are awarded. 1982 1,500 new neighborhood associations are formed under the 1990 Block Association Expansion initiative. In response to the city’s rapidly rising murder rate, the Neighborhood Anti-Crime Center is inaugurated. It provides grants and training to hundreds of community groups fed up with violent crime. 2001 A few hours after New York City is attacked, Citizens Committee announces Unity Grants for volunteer groups working on emergency relief, counseling, and victim search 2009 projects. During the Great Recession, more neighborhood improvement grants reach more under-served communities than ever before. 2012 2017 Days after Superstorm Sandy hits New York City shores, Hurricane Relief Grants are launched. Before the end of the The New York City Department of Health and Mental year, over $250,000 is distributed to almost 100 volunteer Hygiene and Centers for Disease Control team up with groups working on immediate relief efforts. Citizens Committee to award funds for spaces that promote physical activity and healthy living in public schools and early childhood centers. 2018 For the first time, Citizens Committee provides all 2019 grant applications in Spanish. Citizens Committee partnered with NYC Service to launch the Youth Leadership Council (YLC) Neighborhood Grant program to support young people in creating community improvement projects to address issues they identify as important to the communities they live in. 4 2 0 2 0 G R A N T T Y P E S Selected community improvement groups receive grants of up to $3,000 to cover their project costs. Projects must be volunteer-led, demonstrate a strong work plan, and commit to matching the grant with volunteer hours. Neighborhood Grant Our keystone program, Neighborhood Grants gives residents tools to address self-identified issues. Citizens Committee awards micro-grants of up to $3,000 to resident-led groups to work on community and school projects throughout the city. We prioritize groups based in low income neighborhoods and Title I public schools. Love Your Block Grant From planting trees to clearing vacant lots to installing new traffic signals, Love Your Block awards $1,000 to New Yorkers committed to beautifying their neighborhoods. Groups receive services from the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, Department of Transportation, Department of Sanitation, and Department of Environmental Protection. Public School Green Team Grant Citizens Committee collaborates with the Department of Sanitation to award grants up to $1,000 for projects carried out by public school Green Teams. Examples of projects that we support include building or expanding a school garden, enhancing a school recycling program, creating school sustainability events, and providing uniforms for the Green Team. Reuse and Repair Grant The goal of the Reuse and Repair grants is to support New York City in reusing, repairing, and refurbishing 100% of all discarded products that can be reused in some capacity, with the balance being recycled. Citizens Committee partners with the Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board (MSWAB) and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer for these grants. Compost Grant Since 2011, Citizens Committee has partnered with the Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board (MSWAB) to provide grants of up to $750 for local composting projects. Groups eligible for funding include community associations, community gardens, friends of park groups, housing development groups, nonprofits, schools, colleges, and universities, hospitals, and private businesses. Grants can be used to purchase materials to start or expand upon a composting program. STRENGTH IN NUMBERS Your neighbors are up to big things. 59% of projects are led by women Over 200,000 volunteer hours 45% of projects are youth focused Supported $2.3