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...
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When Aparna Yenamandra talks about her work, she starts with gratitude. “My parents ingrained in me that they moved to a country with opportunity—and you owe that back. To whom much is given, much is expected.” That philosophy has guided her from her early days at law school to her current role as a partner […]
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Jeffrey Finger didn’t plan on a career in restructuring. “I found it by accident,” he says with a laugh. “I was sent to New York for a meeting early in my career, and I remember thinking, why is everyone so unhappy? It turned out I’d walked into a restructuring.” That meeting changed the course of […]
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At CitizensNYC, we believe lasting change starts with people: neighbors, volunteers, educators, and small business owners who know their communities best. For more than 50 years, we’ve invested in those grassroots leaders, providing the funding, tools, and trust they need to make their ideas real. Now, through the Elliott Fellowship, we’re taking that commitment one...
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This piece originally appeared in City Limits on Tuesday, October 21st. It can be read here. How do you change your neighborhood? Sometimes, all it takes is a few thousand dollars and someone who believes in you. At CitizensNYC, we’ve spent 50 years investing in that kind of possibility. As one of the country’s first […]
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This piece originally appeared in The New York Daily News on Sunday, October 5th. It can be read here. When was the last time it felt like New York City was headed in the right direction? As federal funding for housing, schools, and food security gets cut, New York’s leaders are facing crises of their […]
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Grantee Stories In New York City, the bicycle has always been more than just a way to get from point A to point B. For decades, it has been a tool of resistance, community, and joy. No organization embodies this spirit more than Time’s Up NYC. Founded in the late 1980s, this volunteer-led group has spent more […]
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For decades, the residents of Southeast Queens have lived with water in their basements and uncertainty on their doorsteps. Chronic flooding—driven by a persistently high groundwater table—has plagued neighborhoods like Springfield Gardens, Laurelton, Rosedale, and South Jamaica. In some homes, water pumps run constantly just to keep the floor dry. And while citywide...
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CitizensNYC, Partners Launch “Neighbors Feeding Neighbors” Crowdfunding Campaign to Support Local Food Leaders New York, NY — In response to rising rates of food insecurity and the looming impact of federal SNAP cuts, Citizens Committee for New York City (CitizensNYC) is launching a special fundraising campaign: Neighbors Feeding Neighbors. The effort will raise...
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In every borough in New York, you’ll find CitizensNYC’s partners transforming their blocks. We start small—microgrants of $5,000 or less—but the outcomes ripple far beyond the budget line. Our role is simple: fund the first step, and stay in the corner of the people who take it. Today, we’re proud to announce that CitizensNYC is […]
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Grantee Stories In Staten Island, a quiet revolution is buzzing. André Ware, the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Bee University NYC (Bee-U), launched the organization in 2021 with a simple but powerful belief: that environmental stewardship should be accessible, hands-on, and rooted in the experiences of those most impacted by injustice. A former participant in experiential...
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