The true cost of energy is measured beyond a utility bill. For families across New York City, energy affordability shapes everyday decisions around housing, food, healthcare, and essential needs. And while assistance programs and resources...
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When, in 1988, Harold Bordwin joined Keen Realty Consultants, the real estate firm founded by his father Moe that focused on real estate brokerage and lease restructurings in bankruptcies, he knew very little about the industry. What he did know was that he needed a change. After beginning his career as a litigator in Los […]
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Matthew Bordwin grew up with a strong sense that hard work and success come with a responsibility to give back. His parents led by example. His father, Moe, helped pioneer the field of bankruptcy real estate and supported many charitable causes, often anonymously. His mother volunteered every Thursday at a soup kitchen in their hometown […]
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At CitizensNYC, we believe lasting change starts with the people who know their communities best. For more than 50 years, we’ve invested in grassroots leaders, equipping them with the funding, tools, and trust to bring their ideas to life. Now in its second year, the Elliott Fellowship builds on that legacy. Funded by a bequest […]
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In 2025, financial literacy among U.S. adults fell to its lowest level in over a decade. This decline carries consequences for New Yorkers trying to build credit, weather emergencies, start businesses, purchase a home, and plan for their futures. In communities that have historically been excluded from wealth-building opportunities and financial resources, these gaps...
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When a teacher expects their student to succeed, that belief will shape the support, encouragement, and attention they provide for the student. The student internalizes this support, builds confidence, and in turn, cultivates achievement. In psychology, this is known as the Pygmalion effect. For private educator Starlyte Harris, it is the foundation for her small...
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Reading is one of the first skills we develop to make sense of the world. It helps us to develop imagination, cultivate creativity, and unlock breadths of knowledge. At a moment when young people are reading less for pleasure and literacy rates plummet, support at the community level can reignite a love for reading. Saraciea […]
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New York City faces challenges as vast and complex as the 9 million people who inhabit it. From housing affordability and homelessness to public safety and economic opportunity, these tensions are felt across every block and borough. CitizensNYC believes change begins with those closest to the challenges they seek to address. Regardless of status, financial […]
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The word movement carries many meanings. Movement references physical changes in position, traveling goods, social organizing, even medical shorthands. At CitizensNYC, movement happens on the ground, budding from those closest to the challenges impacting vulnerable communities. The one-year Elliott Fellowship, named for our founder, Osborn Elliott, provides $15,000 in...
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For Peter Cannava, finance is not abstract. At its best, it becomes something you can walk past, live in, rely on, or build a life around. It becomes housing. Schools. Grocery stores. The kind of neighborhoods that have what people need to grow and thrive. “I get to see capital create housing,” Peter said. “I […]
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For Steven Caldwell, leadership starts with showing up. It means being close to the work, close to the team, and close to the people learning how to build careers of their own. It means late nights, hard conversations, mentoring younger colleagues, and helping people push beyond what they thought they could do. “We ask our […]
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