Our GrantsCommunity Leaders Grants

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Community Leaders Grant?

A Community Leaders Grant is a microgrant given out to New Yorkers by CitizensNYC. CitizensNYC awards microgrants of up to $5,000 to community-building projects carried out by resident-led groups to improve neighborhood life, strengthen local leadership, and scale community partnerships.

Who is eligible to apply for a Community Leaders Grant?

Applicants must meet the following criteria to be considered for a Community Leaders Grant:

• They must live in one of New York City’s five boroughs.

• Their group or project must be “community-oriented,” meaning it currently has, or will have, two or more volunteers associated with it.

• Their group or project must not be profit-generating. They must be nonprofits or grassroots volunteer groups.

• Their group or project must have a budget of less than $250,000 (schools and school programs are exempt).

• Their group or project must not an affiliate or chapter of a larger organization.

• Their group or project cannot promote religious, political, or any other ideology.

As long as you meet the above criteria, we want to hear about your ideas for improving New York.

We score applications based on a number of areas, including: Clarity, Quality of Life Impact, Community Engagement, and Need. For more details about our scoring criteria and what each of these areas mean, you can reference our evaluation criteria at the bottom of the page.

What is the timeline for applying for a Community Leaders Grant?

Each year we have two grant cycles. The timeline for our current cycle is:

• Grant Applications Open: November 2, 2026

• Application Deadline: February 1, 2027, at 5:00 PM

• Grant Decisions Announced: May 2027

I have other questions. Where can I find more information?

We’re here to help! 

We encourage you to join us for one of our information sessions, or for our weekly office hours on Wednesdays at 3 pm, where our team will be available to discuss any questions or concerns you have about these grants, your application, and your project idea.

If you are unable to attend an info session or office hours, or if you have any other questions, you can email: grants@citizensnyc.org.

You can reference our review criteria here and view a sample application here.

The Community Leaders Grant program is made possible by support from our philanthropic partners including the Altman Foundation, Bessemer Trust Company, Con Edison, Deutsche Bank, MetLife Foundation, National Grid, The Pinkerton Foundation, Ralph Lauren, Siegel Family Endowment, Sony, The Staten Island Foundation, New York City and New York State elected leaders, our Board of Directors, and many generous individuals.