irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $263KYOUTH PROGRAM-CREATES PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN NEIGHBORHOOD YOUTH AND COMMUNITY GARDENS THROUGH GARDEN ACTIVITIES, WORKSHOPS, AND SPECIAL PROJECTS
named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Climate Resilience Toolkit
Educational resource providing community gardens with strategies for climate adaptation, sustainable gardening, emergency preparedness, and ecosystem health.
Deeper Support for Garden Projects
Project-based assistance for 30–40 gardens annually, including tool and supply provision, volunteer workdays, and technical guidance for infrastructure improvements.
Fall Garlic and Bulb Distribution
Annual fall program providing garlic and spring-flowering bulbs to community gardeners to promote biodiversity, pollinator support, and spring harvests.
Seedling & Seed Distributions
Annual seasonal distributions of seeds, seedlings, soil amendments, and growing supplies to 250–300 community gardens across NYC to support planting and harvest.
Youth Empowerment Program (YEP)
Paid internship program engaging over 35 youth annually in garden-based learning, leadership development, and community action through hands-on projects and workshops.
activities · 3 groups
What they do
-
Horticultural Education and Community Gardening 3 activities
- Operates seed and tool lending libraries for community gardensRuns annual seed and tool lending programs that provide culturally relevant, biodiverse, and heirloom seeds and shared gardening tools to 250–300 community gardens across NYC. The Seed Library operates March–October, with up to 50 seed packets per garden twice yearly; tools are lent for 14-day periods with bi-monthly delivery and pickup.
- Strengthens networks and coalitions of community gardenersSupports a cross-borough coalition of community gardeners focused on collective action, network strengthening, and advocacy. Also provides organizational assistance to land trusts including the Bronx Land Trust and Manhattan Land Trust in partnership with the Land Trust Alliance.
- Supports community gardens with resources, technical assistance, and networkingProvides hands-on project support, technical assistance, organizational resources, and networking opportunities to sustain community-led gardens in New York City. This includes ongoing support for garden development, food growing, tree planting, coalition building, and preservation advocacy.
-
-
Community Stewardship Volunteer Programs 1 activity
- Facilitates volunteer engagement with community gardensConnects individual volunteers and volunteer groups with community gardens in need of maintenance and growth support, fostering neighborhood connections and strengthening local stewardship of green spaces.
-
-
Youth Workforce Development in Food & Environment 1 activity
- Provides youth leadership development and employment in food justiceOffers paid internships and leadership training for BIPOC youth aged 17–21 through programs like the Summer Youth Tillers and the Youth Empowerment Pipeline. Activities include hands-on gardening, climate-smart growing training, skill-building workshops, mentorship, and team-building to foster leadership, confidence, and career pathways in food and environmental justice.
-
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$731K
Contributions & grants$731K100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$704K
Program expenses83%
Admin / overhead11%
Fundraising6%
Salaries & benefits$399K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$663K
Cash$280K
Investments$0
Liabilities$12K
Net assets$651K
Liquid reserves4.8 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +9.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
board members · 9
- AHLIA BETHEA — Director
- ALEXANDER ZIGERELLI — Treasurer
- ANDREW REICHER — Director
- ERIN O'CONNOR — VICE CHAIR
- JERRY CONNOLLY — Director
- KIRAN BHUJLE — Director
- PATRICIA HAGAN — Director
- SHARI ROSE — BOARD CHAIR
- THOMAS CHING — Director
relationships · 24
Who they work with
- 35 youth interns Partner — Collaborates with youth interns to provide hands-on gardening support to community gardens during the growing season.
- American Museum of Natural History Partner — Featured by the museum in its Biodiversity Crisis curriculum for transforming vacant lots into community gardens and supporting urban biodiversity.
- Amos Taylor Partner — Co-founder of Green Guerillas and participant in early land reclamation actions
- Canarsie Government — Green Guerillas acknowledges the Canarsie as the Indigenous people on whose land the organization operates.
- Con Edison Partner — Featured in Con Edison Customer News for Summer 2023 for its Youth Empowerment Pipeline program.
- Green Guerillas staff Partner — Collaborate with Youth Tillers in mentoring and program delivery.
- LaGuardia Community Garden Partner — Engaged with youth interns in hands-on climate resilience activities.
- Land Trust Alliance Partner — Collaborates to provide organizational assistance to the Bronx Land Trust and the Manhattan Land Trust.
- Lekawe Government — Green Guerillas acknowledges the Lekawe as the Indigenous people on whose land the organization operates.
- Liz Christy Partner — Co-founder of Green Guerillas and key figure in early guerrilla gardening efforts
- Martin Gallent Partner — Co-founder of Green Guerillas
- Munsee Lenape Government — Green Guerillas acknowledges the Munsee Lenape as the Indigenous people on whose land the organization operates.
- Nehemiah 10 Community Garden Partner — Collaborated with youth interns through field visits and hands-on training.
- Newsletter Network — Communication channel for sharing volunteer opportunities, events, seed distributions, and garden spotlights
- Riley-Levin Children’s Garden Partner — Participated in training and field activities with summer youth interns.
- Tranquility Farm Partner — Hosted youth interns for climate-smart growing training and farm conversations.
- UCC Youth Farm Partner — Collaborates with youth interns on hands-on farming and gardening activities in NYC community spaces.
- Volunteer groups Partner — Volunteer groups collaborate with Green Guerillas on garden workdays and seasonal projects.
- WNYC Partner — Collaborated on a series about NYC community gardens featuring interviews with Green Guerillas and city gardeners.
- WPIX11 Partner — Green Guerillas youth were featured in a news story highlighting youth leadership and environmental justice initiatives.
- Wappinger Government — Green Guerillas acknowledges the Wappinger as the Indigenous people on whose land the organization operates.
- Washington D.C. Department Parks Partner — Operates a tool library for community gardens, referenced as a peer initiative.
- Youth interns Partner — Youth interns participate in hands-on garden projects and workdays to support community gardens.
- experienced garden leaders Partner — Work alongside Youth Tillers to provide mentorship and guidance in community gardening.
strategies · 4
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.
- Collective Stewardship for Resilience and Justicemethodology: collective-stewardshipBy promoting shared resource access, seed sovereignty, and intergenerational land care, we strengthen community resilience and self-reliance, because collective stewardship builds social cohesion, preserves cultural traditions, and addresses environmental racism through localized, sustainable practices.
- Community Gardening as Activismmethodology: community-gardening-as-activismBy using community gardening as a form of direct action and civil disobedience, we reclaim urban land and challenge systemic neglect, because collective stewardship in underserved neighborhoods builds power, advances environmental justice, and creates tangible change where government intervention fails.
- Community-Centered Capacity Buildingmethodology: community-centered_support_modelBy grounding programs in long-term relationships and community-identified needs, we build sustainable gardens and local leadership, because participatory design and tiered support—from training to advocacy—ensure that initiatives are rooted in community agency and evolve with local capacity.
- Youth-Centered Experiential Leadershipmethodology: experiential-youth-leadershipBy centering youth voices and using hands-on, project-based learning in gardening and food justice, we develop leadership and advocacy skills, because experiential practice in safe, inclusive spaces fosters confidence, peer relationships, and long-term civic engagement.