Staten Island 2023 Community Conversations
About the Community Conversations Series
CitizensNYC is a nonprofit organization with a mission to help New Yorkers come together and improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods.
In 2023, support from The Staten Island Foundation made it possible to collaborate with Nonprofit Staten Island to host a series of conversations that brought together a diverse group of the borough’s community leaders.
These sessions served as a platform for these leaders to openly discuss the unique opportunities and challenges faced by their organizations and communities, with a goal to identify ways to enhance support for smaller and grassroots initiatives throughout the borough.
CitizensNYC co-led three conversations with Nonprofit Staten Island over the course of the year:
Session 1 (March 23, 2023) - Hosted by the Staten Island Foundation: The first session centered on fostering connection, listening, and identifying shared priorities among participants. Two areas of specific focus were developing an inclusive approach to identifying and supporting emerging leaders and the potential to leverage networks to make a greater impact.
Session 2 (May 4, 2023) - Hosted by the Staten Island FerryHawks: The second conversation provided an opportunity to dig deeper into the needs and opportunities that were surfaced during our initial conversation, and particularly focus on how we can address the root causes of challenges facing our communities as opposed to only treating the symptoms.
Session 3 (October 5, 2023) - Hosted by the Friends of Olmstead Biel House at Kaasman House: The third session focused on shifting from identifying opportunities and challenges to working on potential solutions, as well as developing the right framework for supporting those solutions going forward.
An average of 23 community members participated in each conversation, primarily leaders within Staten Island’s nonprofit sector and grassroots community groups. Local businesses, philanthropic partners, and representatives of local elected officials also participated.
Key Takeaways
The discussions delved into the specific needs and aspirations of the participating organizations, offering a comprehensive view of the diverse sectors contributing to the fabric of Staten Island’s community. Attendees shared insights on resource constraints, community engagement strategies, and the evolving landscape of service provision in the borough.
The following themes emerged as key takeaways for consideration:
Recognition of the critical role of grassroots groups and small nonprofits: Participants raised the common challenge for small and emerging groups who are often on the frontlines of community outreach and trust building, service delivery, and community advocacy, but who struggle to access larger contract and grant support opportunities. The compensation challenges in the sector that were highlighted by Staten Island leaders of organizations of all sizes were most acutely felt among smaller organizations.
Additional structures of support for collaboration: A key focus of the conversations was encouraging leaders to think strategically about potential collaborations. Recognizing the strength in unity, participants explored opportunities to pool resources, share expertise, and jointly tackle challenges that no single organization could address alone. We emphasized creating connections that would amplify the impact of community initiatives, ultimately benefiting the residents of Staten Island.
Supporting intergenerational mentorship and pathways for young leaders: Participants shared that within the context of a local nonprofit sector that has seen an increased number of transitions among long-time leaders, supporting young leaders is crucial for the sustainable development and continuity of impactful social initiatives. Intergenerational mentorship fosters a dynamic exchange of ideas, experiences, and perspectives between established and emerging leaders. Additionally, this approach promotes a sense of interconnectedness and shared responsibility, reinforcing the commitment to building sustainable and positive change within communities.
Financial insecurity and racial inequity are among the borough's core challenges: In addition to raising a wide range of specific community support concerns – such as access to affordable housing, addressing hunger and food insecurity, supporting schools to improve reading, and providing pathways to work for marginalized communities – participants highlighted the central role of financial insecurity and racial inequity as underlying factors driving those challenges.
There are no easy answers or quick fixes: Participants expressed a shared commitment to building a stronger, more resilient Staten Island by working collaboratively. They were also transparent about the depth of structural challenges and inequities, highlighting the importance of sustained efforts and supports to address both immediate needs and long-term community development goals.
Next Steps and Recommendations
As a result of these community conversations and what we learned from participants, CitizensNYC established a new framework for ongoing collaboration, resource-sharing, and support of our partners. Through a quarterly series of Network Convenings, grantee partners in Staten Island will have space to work together, share ideas and advice, and access resources that advance their ideas for improving their neighborhoods.
We recognize that creating space and facilitating connection is an important first step, but if the ideas for collaboration that emerge from these convenings are to become reality, they will need investment and support. CitizensNYC is interested in piloting new collaborative impact grants that are additional to the support partners receive for their existing initiatives, with a goal to make the first set of these grants in 2024.
Additionally, we will prioritize funding and support for young and emerging leaders in Staten Island to invest in the upcoming generation of change makers, including through a grant that is available for Staten Island youth leadership councils and will be made in collaboration with our partners at NYC Service.
We know that we will continue to learn from our ongoing dialogue with community leaders, and we will seek to identify opportunities for providing the resources, support, and connections that they need.
The insights of our Staten Island partners informed not only our support within the borough, it also provided a model for how we will support our network of partners across the city – we will host network convenings in each borough in 2024. We encourage other philanthropic organizations with a citywide focus to both learn from the unique strengths and connection of Staten Island’s community leadership, and to help address the funding inequities they face relative to the other boroughs.
We are grateful to have the opportunity to partner with Nonprofit Staten Island and The Staten Island Foundation with a shared commitment to fostering civic engagement, community leadership, and a more vibrant borough.