We are so grateful for our generous supporters.

Bank of America has been an enthusiastic supporter of Citizens Committee since 2000.  Connie Verducci, Bank of America’s Market Manager for New York City, remarked, “Citizens Committee gets it right. Their volunteer-led activities change communities block by block.  People come out together, roll up their sleeves, put rakes and shovels in the ground —and make a big difference creating parks that are really everyone’s front yards." In addition to providing financial support, Bank of America employees also volunteer their time to make a difference in the communities Citizens Committee supports. Watch a video featuring the Bank of America/Citizens Committee partnership!

The Heckscher Foundation for Children's investment helps Citizens Committee level the playing field for thousands of youth across New York City by supporting the transformative work of grassroots groups. From afterschool programs to youth-run urban farms, the projects supported benefit youth and families by empowering resident-led solutions to local issues. Because the projects are designed and implemented by community stakeholders who understand the unique needs of local youth -- parents, grandparents, teachers, and often the youth themselves -- the projects are relevant to the youth they support and sustainable over the long run.

The New York Community Trust funds Love Your Block, a partnership between NYC Service and Citizens Committee.  The campaign combines grants, technical assistance, and a variety of key city services to support neighborhood groups in their block beautification efforts. The Departments of Transportation, Sanitation, and Parks and Recreation provide services such as graffiti removal, repair of damaged or missing street signage and streetlights, replacement of worn-out or missing litter baskets, and conducting tree, bike rack, and speed bump surveys. Groups have converted vacant lots into community gardens, painted neighborhood murals, organized block cleanup days, and planted flowers and trees, and more.

TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank® supports New York City’s most deserving environmentally-conscious neighborhood groups, student-based groups, and community gardening groups.  The program helps these volunteer-led, resident groups work to “green” neighborhoods in low- to moderate-income parts of the city with very little to no green spaces. As a direct result of TD Bank’s contribution, environmental projects–such as building tree guards, starting community gardens, launching composting initiatives, and installing rainwater harvesting systems–are implemented and sustained as neighborhood resources for years to come. In addition to providing financial support, the program also increases the capacity of volunteer groups to take on environmental projects, as well as their overall ability to affect positive (and green!) changes to their respective neighborhoods.

Allied World helps New York City children reach their full potential through a critical investment in “living classrooms.” Leveraging a powerful combination of micro-grants, project planning assistance, and capacity-building workshops, the partnership helps underserved schools across the city create educational school gardens that enhance their curriculum with fun, hands-on learning opportunities. From first-hand learning about photosynthesis to testing the pH of soil to using math to determine optimal garden design, Allied World’s investment in living classrooms connects urban youth to science concepts that are too often hidden behind concrete.

 Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller Foundation

The Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller Foundation provides critical unrestricted support, which makes Citizens Committee's work possible. The foundation's support allows Citizens Committee to provide micro-grants to the most deserving grassroots groups, deliver hours of one-on-one project planning assistance to hundreds of neighborhood leaders each year, and implement our signature Neighborhood Leadership Institute workshops designed for members and grassroots groups.

Bloomberg helps underwrite Citizens Committee’s signature micro-grants program, New Yorkers for Better Neighborhoods (NYBN) Awards. Based on the belief that with modest support, resident-led volunteer groups can effectively mobilize to improve their communities, NYBN supports volunteer-run projects to improve the quality of life in New York City neighborhoods. Selected groups receive micro-grants, project planning assistance, and access to free capacity-building workshops.

 HSBC Bank USA, NA, a longstanding partner, helps New Yorkers create hands-on environmental learning opportunities for children across the city, with a concentration on low-income, underserved areas. Projects have included youth programs in community gardens, “living classrooms,” and student-led school recycling programs. Committed to improving the communities in which they live and work, HSBC employees also volunteer their time to neighborhood improvement projects supported by Citizens Committee. See the HSBC volunteers in action!

JPMorgan Chase supports resident-led projects in Southeast Queens neighborhoods that have been heavily hit by foreclosure. Beyond foreclosure's negative effects on individuals and families in Southeast Queens, multiple foreclosures have been devastating to neighborhoods as a whole. More empty homes mean more trash accumulating outside, closures of local businesses, the fall of surrounding property values, and increased potential for looting, vandalism and crime. JPMorgan Chase's Facing Foreclosure helps neighbors in Southeast Queens come together and reverse these negative effects.

 NLI Partners

Mayor’s Office of

Immigrant Affairs
The New York

Community Trust
The One Nation Fund

UnityNYC Partners

Mayor’s Office of

Immigrant Affairs
The New York

Community Trust
The One Nation Foundation
The J.M. Kaplan Fund
New York Council for the Humanities 

Today in New York City, sixty percent of residents are either immigrants or the children of immigrants. Through a series of customized workshops in all five boroughs, Citizens Committee and the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs are imparting emerging immigrant leaders with the skills, experience, and connections to become critical voices and organizers in their communities. The series includes workshops on organizing communities, navigating city government, grassroots fundraising,  a field trip to a local Community Board and emergency preparedness and CPR training.

UnityNYC Grant Awards is a partnership among Citizens Committee for New York City, the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs, The New York Community Trust, The One Nation Foundation, New York Council for the Humanities, and The J.M. Kaplan Fund. With a specific focus to strengthen understanding among and across diverse communities, this public-private partnership brings together the City’s philanthropic, public, and community leadership to collaborate and leverage resources.  At its core, the UnityNYC awards encourage and support unity through active engagement between new immigrant groups and their longer-term neighbors as well as residents of different faiths.

Mollie Parnis Livingston Foundation

The Mollie Parnis Livingston Foundation supports two of Citizens Committee’s micro-grants programs that were inspired by the late Mollie Parnis, a beloved New York City fashion designer and philanthropist. The Mollie Parnis Dress Up Your School Awards support creative projects led by students and teachers to beautify New York City public schools. The Mollie Parnis Dress Up Your Neighborhood Awards support resident-led community projects designed to beautify or “green” neighborhoods.

One of the most pressing issues in New York City is health of our children: a striking 1 in 5 kindergarteners is obese. To address this crisis, Pirelli Fun & Fit supports New Yorkers who are taking the health of our city’s youth into their own hands (and feet!) by developing local sports and fitness projects. Pirelli Fun & Fit is supported by a generous grant from the Italian tire makers who now have offices in New York City. Citizens Committee welcomes Pirelli to New York! Selected groups receive micro-grants and project planning assistance to implement innovative projects that promote physical activity for youth.

One of Citizens Committee’s longest-standing corporate partners, The Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation supports grassroots community groups implementing “green” projects in Manhattan. Based on the belief that people make important changes happen on their streets and in their communities by working together, the program awards micro-grants and project planning assistance. Wachovia Wells Fargo employees also donate their time to groups supported by Citizens Committee. See the Wachovia Volunteers in action!

Aetna Healthy Neighborhoods supports social entrepreneurs in low-income neighborhoods across New York City working to increase access to open space, physical activity, and healthy, affordable food. Based on the idea that residents are uniquely positioned to affect change in their communities, Aetna Healthy Neighborhoods fights urban obesity by investing in innovative projects led by New Yorkers. Through micro-grants and technical assistance, the program supports neighborhood groups developing pedestrian zones, food-producing community gardens, nutrition workshops, urban farms, new farmers markets, CSA's and other projects fighting obesity in New York City.    

Residents for a Healthy New York City, funded by MetLife Foundation, increases New Yorkers’ access to affordable, healthy food by empowering residents to solve local food access issues. Investing in community stakeholders who understand the local food issues - consumers, small business owners, parents, farmers - helps ensure that the projects supported are relevant to the community and sustainable over the long run. In doing so, this approach leverages each community's own strengths and resources to enact effective solutions that increase access to affordable, healthy food.

The John A. Reisenbach Foundation helps reduce crime in New York City by supporting resident-led volunteer groups working to improve safety in their neighborhoods. Funding from the Reisenbach Foundation provides micro-grants and project planning assistance to community groups taking innovative measures to reduce local crime.  Bringing neighbors together to start a neighborhood watch, transform a vacant lot, or start a program for at-risk youth produces concrete community benefits that materially improve safety. 

By funding Citizens Committee’s signature program, New Yorkers for Better Neighborhoods, The Scherman Foundation helps everyday New Yorkers achieve the extraordinary. The program empowers volunteers in every corner of the city to take the quality of life in their neighborhoods into their own hands. This unique model of supporting projects by the community for the community, helps ensure the relevance and sustainability of each initiative.

The Valentine Perry Snyder Fund

The Valentine Perry Snyder Fund supports small community groups promoting civic engagement and improving the quality of life in New York City's low-income, underserved communities. Through micro-grants, project planning assistance, and capacity-building support, the Snyder Fund’s investment helps mobilize of hundreds of volunteers throughout New York City to produce real, sustainable improvements in the neighborhoods that need it most.