CitizensNYC, founded in 1975 as one of the nation’s first micro-funding organizations, provides financial and capacity-building support to New York City neighborhood leaders who are making their communities more connected, resilient, and healthier.
We make more than $2 million in microgrants each year in support of hundreds of volunteer-led initiatives, small nonprofits, small businesses, and public schools across the five boroughs. Beyond grant making, we are a convener and capacity-builder for local leaders. Through our interconnected programs, we foster a network where community leaders come together to share knowledge, access expertise and resources, and develop solutions that strengthen the social and economic fabric of New York City.
Are you a New Yorker with a commitment to your community and a great idea? We want to fund it.
Our Community Leaders Grants offer up to $5,000 for projects that bring New Yorkers together to improve neighborhood life, strengthen local leadership, and scale community partnerships. Our grantee partners define their community priorities, and as a result we support a diverse range of projects in the areas of arts and culture, education and youth, environment and climate, health and wellness, economic development, and public safety.
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Are you a small business owner in NYC with a vision to uplift your community? We’re here to help.
Our Neighborhood Business Grants offer up to $5,000 for initiatives your small business undertakes to positively impact your community. We fund all kinds of community-minded businesses—from barbershops and bookstores to wellness studios, cafés, and childcare providers—who play a positive role in their neighborhood. Whether you’re just starting out or growing your impact, we want to support businesses that are rooted in, and giving back to, their neighborhoods.
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Milpa~Sana will deliver a day-long Healing Justice Clinic to improve family health by reconnecting participants to ancestral practices and land-based healing. The program provides hands-on herbal medicine workshops, ancestral corn-based cooking, circle-based...
Learn MoreHaven Cycles operates a textile repair and mending program that provides free, accessible clothing repair and hands-on textile education to the Bushwick community and beyond. The maker-operated workspace houses four industrial sewing machines, multiple tabletop...
Learn MorePanadería Comunitaria will deliver free hands-on breadmaking classes teaching traditional Mexican pan dulce (conchas, mantecadas, orejas, bolillos), combining technique and cultural lessons. Six community workshops target residents of an underserved Mexican...
Learn MoreConnection is at the heart of our work, and we are proud to partner with philanthropic supporters, elected leaders, and city agencies to advance our vision of ensuring that every neighborhood in New York City has the resources and opportunities for its community members to thrive.
Our Institutional Partners
Our grantmaking and programs are made possible by generous philanthropic support from people like you.
By donating to CitizensNYC today, you’ll help us provide microgrants to hundreds of community-led groups and small neighborhood businesses that are working to improve the quality of life in New York City.