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CIV LAB INC
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 822856371 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE S80 · Community Improvement · Medium ($1M-$10M) · civ-lab.org
revenue
$1.7M
expenses
$1.9M
net assets
$2.1M
employees
4
program ratio
83%
mission · from form 990

CIV:LAB connects local actors with the resources and funding required to launch bold responses to the most pressing challenges facing their communities. Civ Lab aims to enhance community resilience and security by expanding the workforce, educating future leaders, and accelerating the development and adoption of innovative technologies. We support local organizations and actors in collaborating to leverage their resources and improve and strengthen their communities.

profile · synthesized from sources

CIV:LAB is a nonprofit that strengthens community resilience by connecting local actors with resources, funding, and cross-sector partnerships. It supports place-based innovation through catalytic grants, collaborative studios, and strategic convenings focused on urban challenges like climate change, health equity, and housing. The organization operates in New York City, Michigan, and Los Angeles, with plans to expand to Europe and India.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $243K
    Blackstone LaunchPad a grant-funded project through which Civ Lab delivered training and professional development sessions for all BLP project participants, organized networking events, coordinated office and event space, established and maintained an alumni group, and ensured each participant received the necessary support.
  2. #2 $189K
    Urban Tech Summit (formerly known as SmartCities New York) - The Urban Tech Summit is an annual event that takes place in partnership with Cornell Tech and Emergence Creative. The summit is a leading global event that brings together leaders from across industries and sectors to explore the emerging influence of technologies in shaping the future. This event served as a testament to the fact that while global challenges can appear insurmountable, meaningful change often commences at the local level.
named programs · 6 · from sources

What they call their work

Community Resilience Fund
Provides catalytic grants of $50,000–$250,000 to place-based initiatives in climate, health, and housing that reduce risk and generate social, economic, and environmental impact.
Community Resilience Studios
Facilitates collaborative convenings that bring grantees and partners together to build capacity, exchange best practices, and co-develop scalable resilience solutions.
Detroit Urban Solutions
Partnership with Wayne State University and TechTown to build an ecosystem for urban innovation and tech-based solutions in Southeast Michigan.
HealthNext Summit
Annual summit focused on health technology innovation, bringing together stakeholders to advance AI and tech solutions in behavioral and public health.
Purpose Summit
Annual gathering focused on AI for community resilience, convening leaders from tech, finance, and public sectors to drive inclusive, place-based innovation.
Urban Tech Summit
Annual event co-hosted with Cornell Tech and Emergence Creative that brings together leaders across sectors to explore urban technology innovations shaping the future of cities.
activities · 6 groups

What they do

  • Flexible Grants to Grassroots Organizations 3 activities
    • Award Community Resilience Fund grants to local organizations leading community change
      Provides grant funding to local organizations through the Community Resilience Fund, distributing $1.5M to over 80 organizations and reaching nearly 190,000 people through grants, Studios, and convenings.
    • Finance community events and programming to strengthen civic engagement
      Funds local networking events, roundtables, community breakfasts, and full-year CIV:LAB programming to support civic dialogue, relationship-building, and collaborative action among changemakers.
    • Fund and expand regional Climate Funds to support community-led climate initiatives
      Launched and expanded The Climate Fund to New York City, Michigan, and Los Angeles County, providing financial support for local climate innovation and resilience efforts through a grantmaking model.
  • Global Sustainability Convenings & Forums 2 activities
    • Convene Climate Studios to incubate and advance unconventional climate solutions
      Facilitates small, cross-sectoral Climate Studios that foster high-trust collaboration and serve as incubators for new climate initiatives. These sessions are designed to generate innovative, community-driven responses to climate challenges.
    • Organize large-scale conferences on smart cities and urban decarbonization
      Hosts the Annual Smart Cities NY Conference and organized the event "Cities: The Ultimate Decarbonization Technology," bringing together over 360 urban tech innovators and leaders to explore sustainable urban energy systems and technological advancements shaping cities.
  • Data & Technology Capacity Building 1 activity
    • Develop and maintain data platforms to support urban commercial districts
      Created the NYC Places Data Hub, an online platform that provides Business Improvement Districts with data intelligence on commercial activity, customer behavior, and neighborhood trends to inform local economic development.
  • Scientific Conference & Symposium Management 1 activity
    • Host annual summits and forums on urban tech, health innovation, and civic engagement
      Organizes the annual Urban Tech Summit and HealthNext Summit in partnership with Cornell Tech, convening cross-sector leaders to explore emerging technologies, health innovation, behavioral health, and AI in health. The summits have continued annually since their 2021 and 2023 launches, respectively.
  • Community Capacity Building & Leadership Networks 1 activity
    • Organize trainings, workshops, and networking events for local climate and civic leaders
      Provides in-person and virtual trainings, professional development sessions, and informal gatherings such as community breakfasts and happy hours to support local changemakers, strengthen collaborative ecosystems, and deepen civic engagement.
  • Uncategorized 3 activities
    • Host participatory forums on AI, collective action, and community resilience
      Organizes gatherings that explore how artificial intelligence can support civic engagement, collective action, and community resilience, including dynamic forums at the Purpose Summit that enable shared learning and real-time problem solving.
    • Launch and operate innovation labs and response initiatives in partnership with public and academic institutions
      Launched The Grid and the NYC Response Lab in partnership with NYCEDC and Cornell Tech to address urban challenges, including COVID-19 impacts across New York City’s five boroughs.
    • Support urban innovation ecosystems through cross-sector collaboration and stakeholder engagement
      Co-founded Detroit Urban Solutions with TechTown Detroit and Wayne State University and collaborated with them and other institutions to build stakeholder ecosystems that advance urban innovation and technology-based solutions in Southeast Michigan and beyond.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$1.70M
Contributions & grants$1.44M85%
Program service revenue$261K15%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$250
expenses
Total expenses$1.89M
Program expenses83%
Admin / overhead17%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$589K
Grants paid out$639K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$2.10M
Cash$2.02M
Investments$0
Liabilities$9K
Net assets$2.09M
Liquid reserves12.8 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -39.0%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 3
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
Simon Sylvester-Chaudhuri Member,Exec Dir 56 $200K
Vijayta Rao Narang Program Manager 40 $106K
Jay Taparia CFO 20 $89K
board members · 2
  • Carolyn Kissane — Member
  • Matt Tomich — Member
relationships · 19

Who they work with

  • Civic Hall Partner — Hosts the Purpose Summit.
  • Cornell Tech Partner — Partnered to organize the Annual Smart Cities NY Conference and the Urban Tech Summit.
  • Cornell Tech Partner — Partnered with CIV:LAB to co-host the Urban Tech Summit and HealthNext Summit.
  • Cornell Tech Partner — Partnered with Cornell Tech to launch the NYC Response Lab and host the Urban Tech Summit and HealthNext Summit
  • Emergence Creative Partner — Co-organized the Urban Tech Summit.
  • Emergence Creative Partner — Collaborated with CIV:LAB to organize the Urban Tech Summit and HealthNext Summit.
  • Ginkgo Partner — Technical subcontractor in the development of the NYC Places Data Hub platform.
  • NY Sun Works Partner — Grantee organization supported through CIV:LAB's Community Resilience Fund.
  • NYC Department of Small Business Services Government — Provided grant support for the NYC Small BID Data Project and the development of the NYC Places Data Hub.
  • NYCEDC Partner — Partnered with NYCEDC to launch The Grid and the NYC Response Lab
  • Smart Cities New York Partner — Co-organized the Annual Smart Cities NY Conference.
  • SmartAirLA Partner — Grantee organization supported by CIV:LAB to protect vulnerable populations from climate change in Los Angeles.
  • South Bronx Unite Partner — Grantee organization in the South Bronx supported by CIV:LAB through community resilience funding and collaboration.
  • TechTown Partner — Collaborated on Detroit Urban Solutions to support tech-based urban innovation.
  • TechTown Detroit Partner — Co-founded Detroit Urban Solutions with TechTown Detroit
  • Terreform ONE Partner — Co-hosts the Purpose Summit with CIV:LAB.
  • Urban Logiq Partner — Technical subcontractor in the development of the NYC Places Data Hub platform.
  • Wayne State University Partner — Co-founded Detroit Urban Solutions with Wayne State University
  • Wayne State University Partner — Collaborated on Detroit Urban Solutions to build an urban innovation ecosystem in Southeast Michigan.
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Community-Led, Place-Based Innovation with Cross-Sector Convening
    methodology: middle-out_innovation
    By grounding programs in community listening and place-based design, and convening cross-sector partners around locally defined priorities, we produce equitable and scalable climate and urban resilience solutions because community ownership and multi-sector collaboration increase relevance, buy-in, and adaptive capacity.
  • Community-Paced Scaling of Adaptive Resilience Infrastructure
    methodology: community_paced_scaling
    By starting with small, community-informed pilots and scaling only when local readiness and demand align, we build durable, adaptive resilience infrastructure because this iterative, trust-based approach reduces resistance and ensures long-term sustainability.
  • Data-Enabled Local Decision-Making
    methodology: data_enabled_community_decision_making
    By equipping local economic development organizations with data visualization and mapping tools, we improve community advocacy and service delivery because accessible data strengthens evidence-based decision-making and resource targeting.
  • Network-Strengthening Through Participatory Events
    methodology: network_strengthening_through_events
    By using a range of event formats to connect and strengthen local climate networks, we drive innovation and collective action because diverse, inclusive gatherings foster trust, knowledge exchange, and collaboration.
  • Studio-Based Incubation for Sustained Collective Action
    methodology: studio_based_incubation
    By translating collaborative convenings into studio-based incubation processes, we produce sustained climate initiatives because ongoing support and structured development convert short-term discourse into long-term action.