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JOYJ INITIATIVE

NEW YORK, NY · EIN 472008133 · Form 990EZ · FY2024 · NTEE K30 · Food, Agriculture & Nutrition · Micro (<$100K) · joyj.org
revenue
$75K
expenses
$45K
net assets
$163K
employees
program ratio
98%
mission · from form 990

Our mission statement is: In a world where connections are increasingly superficial, we aim to foster meaningful human connections by offering unique programs for groups and individuals to provide aid and comfort to those experiencing

profile · synthesized from sources

Nonprofit that facilitates direct outreach programs where volunteers provide comfort bags with essential supplies to people experiencing homelessness and other disadvantaged groups. Focuses on fostering meaningful human connections through spontaneous philanthropy. Operates in multiple locations including New York City, Ecuador, and Haiti.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2020

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $675K
    During 2020, since social distancing caused us to be unable to conduct homeless outreaches we shifted to a partnership with local restaurants to donate food to hospitals/healthcare workers and senior living facilities to augment our delivery of goods to shelters. Once social distancing was relaxed, we transitioned back to our main goal of providing outreach to the homeless community. As part of this program, we distributed 55,110 meals.
named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

Comfort Bags Distribution
Volunteer teams assemble and distribute comfort bags containing essential supplies such as water, socks, toiletries, and snacks to people experiencing homelessness in cities like New York, Ecuador, and Haiti.
Corporate Outreach Program
Facilitates team-building outreaches for corporations including Credit Suisse, Deloitte, and Edelman, combining social impact with employee engagement.
Donate in Honor
Program allowing donors to make tax-deductible contributions in honor or memory of someone, supporting specific outreach projects.
Project of the Month Club
Monthly giving program that automatically directs donations to high-impact, urgent projects supporting disadvantaged communities.
activities · 7 groups

What they do

  • Honor and Memorial Recognition Programs 2 activities
    • Enable corporate social impact through gift cards and digital experiences
      Offers JoyJ Gift Cards and customized digital experiences that allow corporate clients to support vetted charitable projects across four continents, including employee engagement and client appreciation campaigns.
    • Facilitate targeted and recurring donations
      Accepts tax-deductible donations designated for specific humanitarian projects in honor or memory of individuals and directs monthly donor contributions automatically to urgent, high-impact initiatives.
  • Mobile and Fixed Hygiene Services 1 activity
    • Assemble and distribute comfort bags to people experiencing homelessness
      Receives donations to purchase critical supplies such as water bottles, fresh socks, seasonal clothing, toiletries, and snacks, which are assembled into comfort bags and distributed by volunteer teams to people experiencing homelessness in New York City, including in the Upper West Side, Harlem, Downtown, and Midtown Manhattan.
  • Community Capacity Building & Leadership Networks 1 activity
    • Build organizer capacity through platform access
      Provides a platform for organizers to join the network and access funding, skill-building resources, and professional connections to expand outreach efforts.
  • Holiday and Seasonal Essentials Distribution 1 activity
    • Provide seasonal and emergency cold-weather protection
      Distributes winter-specific items such as earmuffs and gloves to homeless individuals ahead of sub-zero temperatures to prevent hypothermia and frostbite.
  • Volunteer Engagement and Capacity Support 1 activity
    • Provide volunteer orientation and deployment
      Offers orientation sessions for volunteers before deploying them in teams to conduct outreach and distribute comfort bags.
  • Foster Youth Transition Support 1 activity
    • Support youth-led outreach initiatives
      Empowers teenage high school students in London to independently organize and lead JoyJ outreach programs for people experiencing homelessness.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Conduct international humanitarian outreach programs
      Organizes volunteer trips and outreach efforts in Haiti and Ecuador to support children, elderly individuals, and others facing extreme hardship and poverty, providing essentials such as fresh fruits, water, and comfort supplies.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$75K
Contributions & grants$70K93%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$5K
expenses
Total expenses$45K
Program expenses98%
Admin / overhead1%
Fundraising1%
Salaries & benefits
Grants paid out
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$163K
Cash$137K
Investments$0
Liabilities$2K
Net assets$163K
Liquid reserves36.2 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -23.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

board members · 3
  • Davina Faust — Director
  • Leila Araiche — Director
  • Louise Ulman — Director
relationships · 9

Who they work with

  • Church of St. Anthony Partner — Hosts the SoHo Chapter and supports bi-monthly outreach efforts for people facing homelessness in Manhattan.
  • Credit Suisse Partner — Corporate partner that has participated in JoyJ corporate outreaches.
  • Deloitte Partner — Corporate partner that has participated in JoyJ corporate outreaches.
  • Edelman Partner — Corporate partner that has participated in JoyJ corporate outreaches.
  • Girl Scouts Partner — Partnered with JoyJ on service and outreach initiatives to build compassion.
  • JoyJ Initiative Partner — Provides customized gift card solutions for corporate clients to support vetted charitable projects.
  • Our Partners Partner — Collaborates with partner organizations to expand outreach and service delivery.
  • high school students in London Partner — Youth volunteers who independently organize JoyJ outreach programs in their local communities.
  • local restaurants Partner — Partnered with local restaurants to donate food during pandemic-related social distancing restrictions.
strategies · 1

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.

  • Human-Centered Outreach with Dignity Affirmation
    methodology: human_connection_dignity
    By combining material aid distribution with intentional human connection—such as conversation, active listening, and expressions of respect—the organization affirms the dignity of marginalized individuals, fostering mutual understanding and transformative experiences for both recipients and volunteers, because direct personal connection is seen as foundational to restoring dignity and reducing social isolation.