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New York Communities Organizing Fund Inc
Brooklyn, NY · EIN 272332649 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE S30 · Community Improvement · Medium ($1M-$10M) · nycofi.org
revenue
$2.4M
expenses
$2.5M
net assets
$135K
employees
0
volunteers
9
program ratio
96%
mission · from form 990

EMPOWER LOW AND MODERATE INCOME NEW YORKERS TO HELP THEMSELVES THROUGH PUBLIC EDUCATION, ADVOCACY, RESEARCH, AND DIRECT SERVICES.

profile · synthesized from sources

New York Communities Organizing Fund, Inc. (NYCOFI) empowers low- and moderate-income New Yorkers through public education, advocacy, research, and direct services. The organization focuses on housing justice, climate resilience, education equity, and workers' rights, primarily serving communities of color across New York State. NYCOFI runs community education programs and leads coalitions to advance social, racial, and economic justice.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $1.31M
    ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE - CLIMATE CHANGE AND INEQUALITY ARE THE TWO GREAT MORAL CRISES OF OUR TIME. LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, WHO DO NOT HAVE MONEY AND POWER TO FALL BACK ON IN A DISASTER, ARE ALREADY HIT THE HARDEST. THROUGH COALITION-BUILDING AND EDUCATION REGARDING THE CAUSES AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO THE CLIMATE CRISIS NYCOFI SEEKS TO ENSURE THAT CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE CLIMATE CRISIS ARE HEARD.
  2. #2 $424K
    HOUSING - NEW YORKERS FACE A REAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS. OVER THE PAST DECADE, RENTS HAVE INCREASED AT TWICE THE RATE OF OUR INCOMES, WHILE WE REMAIN AT THE MERCY OF GREEDY LANDLORDS WHO INCREASE RENT AS THEY SEE FIT. AS A LEAD ORGANIZATION IN COALITIONS SUCH AS THE REAL AFFORDABILITY FOR ALL AND ALLIANCE FOR TENANT POWER, WE FIGHT TO ENSURE THAT HOUSING POLICIES PRIORITIZE AND DELIVER REAL AFFORDABILITY FOR THE MOST ECONOMICALLY VULNERABLE HOUSEHOLDS.
named programs · 8 · from sources

What they call their work

COVID-19 Relief Fund
Distributed $126,425 in emergency funds to approximately 409 low-income immigrant households in New York during the pandemic.
Climate Justice Initiative
Organizes communities around climate resilience, particularly after Superstorm Sandy, and operates the Hempstead Community Garden as part of environmental justice efforts.
Community Education Program
Provides free ESL, digital literacy, and GED preparation courses to low- and moderate-income adults in NYC, in partnership with NYCC.
Education and Civic Engagement
Supports parent organizing in Hempstead and is part of the CUNY Rising Alliance to improve access to public higher education for low-income, immigrant, and working-class students.
Free Tax Preparation Site
Offers free tax filing assistance to individuals and families earning $64,000 or less at a Brooklyn location during tax season.
Housing Justice Campaign
Leads coalitions such as Real Affordability for All and Alliance for Tenant Power to fight for housing policies that prioritize economically vulnerable households and challenge developer-driven gentrification.
Jon Kest Legacy Fund
Trains organizers and leaders of color to run campaigns advancing economic and social justice in New York, honoring the founder’s legacy.
Labor Rights Advocacy
Supports low-wage workers including fast food, supermarket, and daycare workers in their fight for paid sick days, living wages, and unionization rights.
activities · 9 groups

What they do

  • ESL and Citizenship Instruction 1 activity
    • Adult education programs in digital literacy, ESL, and GED preparation
      Provides free adult education programs in digital literacy, English as a Second Language (ESL), and high school equivalency (GED) preparation for low- to moderate-income families in New York City. Offers 11 ESL courses, 4 digital literacy classes (2 introductory and 2 advanced), and 2 online HSE preparation classes, delivered both in person and online.
  • Environmental Policy Advocacy & Litigation 1 activity
    • Climate and environmental justice advocacy
      Conducts coalition-building and public education on climate change causes and solutions to amplify environmental justice conversations in low-income communities of color, advocating as part of broader campaigns for climate justice in New York.
  • Urban Park and Public Space Conservation 1 activity
    • Community representation and local governance campaigns
      Organized to remove the local school board president in Hempstead, Long Island, and successfully elected two member representatives, ensuring community voice in local decision-making.
  • Direct Financial Assistance to Individuals 1 activity
    • Distribution of emergency relief funds to low-income households
      Distributed $126,425 in emergency relief funds to approximately 409 low-income households over one year, providing immediate financial support to economically vulnerable communities in New York.
  • Free Tax Preparation Services 1 activity
    • Free tax preparation services for low-income individuals and families
      Operates a free tax preparation site for individuals and families with incomes of $64,000 or less, offering services every Saturday and Sunday from 12 noon to 5 pm between March 1 and April 12.
  • Housing Policy Advocacy & Tenant Organizing 1 activity
    • Housing justice advocacy through coalition leadership
      Acts as a lead organization in coalitions such as Real Affordability for All and Alliance for Tenant Power to advocate for housing policies that ensure real affordability for economically vulnerable households in New York. Leads campaigns to expose developers responsible for gentrifying low-income communities of color while falsely claiming to support affordable housing.
  • Women's Empowerment and Leadership Development 1 activity
    • Leadership training for organizers and leaders of color
      Trains organizers and leaders of color to lead campaigns advancing economic and social justice in New York, building capacity within marginalized communities to drive systemic change.
  • Parent-Led Education Advocacy 1 activity
    • Parent education and organizing support in public education
      Provides education and organizing support for parents in Hempstead, Long Island, and participates in the CUNY Rising Alliance coalition to improve access to and quality of public higher education for low-income, minority, immigrant, and working-class students across New York City.
  • Worker Rights Advocacy & Wage Protection 1 activity
    • Workers' rights and Wall Street accountability advocacy
      Leads campaigns on workers' rights and Wall Street accountability to achieve measurable improvements for low- and moderate-income families in New York.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$2.38M
Contributions & grants$2.36M99%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$28K
expenses
Total expenses$2.47M
Program expenses96%
Admin / overhead4%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$88K
Grants paid out$2.29M
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$1.06M
Cash$465K
Investments$0
Liabilities$921K
Net assets$135K
Liquid reserves2.3 mo
5 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue -37.5%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

board members · 9
  • Chimene Okere — director
  • David Webb — Secretary
  • Elliot Roseboro — BOARD MEMBER
  • Gregory Basta — BOARD MEMBER
  • Hazel Dasent — BOARD MEMBER
  • Phillip Giles — BOARD MEMBER
  • T ELZORA CLEVELAND — Interim President
  • oona adams — board member
  • sonia medrano — board member
relationships · 12

Who they work with

  • 311 Government — Refers clients to other free tax preparation sites through the city's 311 information system.
  • ALLIANCE FOR TENANT POWER Partner — Lead organization in the Alliance for Tenant Power coalition fighting for tenant rights and affordable housing policies in New York.
  • Alliance for Tenant Power Coalition — Lead organization in a coalition advancing tenant rights and affordable housing policy.
  • CUNY RISING ALLIANCE Coalition — Participates in the CUNY Rising Alliance coalition to advocate for improved access to and quality of public higher education for underserved student populations in New York City.
  • CUNY Rising Alliance Coalition — Member of a coalition advocating for improved access to and quality of public higher education for low-income, minority, immigrant, and working-class students in New York City.
  • Hedge Clippers Partner — Collaborates on a national campaign to expose the influence of hedge fund managers and Wall Street speculators on public systems.
  • NYCC Partner — Collaborates with NYCC to deliver community education programs including ESL, digital literacy, and GED preparation.
  • New York Communities for Change Network — Part of a family of organizations that includes New York Communities for Change, a premier community organizing institution in New York State.
  • New York Communities for Change Partner — Co-founded by Jon Kest, with shared leadership and mission focus on economic and social justice in New York.
  • New York Communities for Change Partner — Co-launched and administered the COVID-19 Relief Fund to provide emergency financial assistance to low-income and immigrant households.
  • REAL AFFORDABILITY FOR ALL Partner — Lead organization in the Real Affordability for All coalition advocating for equitable housing policies in New York.
  • Real Affordability for All Coalition — Lead organization in a coalition fighting for housing policies that ensure real affordability for vulnerable households.
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.

  • Coalition-Based Housing Justice Advocacy
    methodology: coalition-led_housing_justice
    By leading multi-organization coalitions to shape housing policy, the organization achieves greater leverage in advancing affordable housing because collective action amplifies marginalized voices and increases political accountability to vulnerable populations.
  • Community-Centered Advocacy
    methodology: community-centered_advocacy
    By centering the needs and leadership of low-income communities and communities of color in advocacy efforts, systemic inequities are more effectively challenged because those most impacted design and lead solutions that reflect their lived experience.
  • Racial Equity in Leadership Development
    methodology: leader-of-color_development
    By training and supporting organizers and leaders of color to lead justice campaigns, the organization builds durable power within marginalized communities because representative leadership shifts decision-making authority and ensures movement strategies are grounded in racial justice.
  • Targeted Education for Workforce Integration
    methodology: workforce-integrated_language_education
    By aligning ESL instruction and digital literacy training with workforce needs, the organization improves employment readiness because skill-building is contextualized to real-world job demands, increasing confidence, proficiency, and economic mobility for immigrant and low-income communities.
  • Worker-Led Organizing for Economic Justice
    methodology: worker-led_labor_organizing
    By organizing alongside low-wage workers and supporting unionization rights, living wages, and paid sick days, the organization advances labor justice because worker-led movements create structural change that reflects actual workplace conditions and community needs.