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GRAMERCY PARK BLOCK ASSOC INC
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 133943089 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE A99 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Small ($100K-$1M) · gramercyparkblockassociation.org
revenue
$792K
expenses
$377K
net assets
$2.7M
employees
3
program ratio
79%
mission · from form 990

TO EDUCATE THE POPULATION OF THE GRAMERCY PARK AREA AS TO THE SAFETY AND SECURITY ISSUES IN THIS HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD, AND TO BRING ABOUT CIVIC BETTERMENT IN ORDER TO PROMOTE THE WELL-BEING OF THOSE WHO LIVE OR WORK IN THIS AREA. ALSO, TO EDUCATE THE GENERAL PUBLIC AS TO THE UNIQUE QUALITIES OF GRAMERCY PARK AND ITS HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE TO NEW YORK CITY AND TO DISSEMINATE INFORMATION CONCERNING THESE AND OTHER RELATED ISSUES.

profile · synthesized from sources

The Gramercy Park Block Association is a community organization based in New York City that advocates for public safety, historic preservation, and quality-of-life improvements in the Gramercy Park neighborhood. It serves residents, workers, and business owners in the area while also supporting vulnerable populations through charitable programs. Founded in 1994, the organization maintains close partnerships with the NYPD, city agencies, and local service providers.

named programs · 12 · from sources

What they call their work

Adopt a Family
Participates in Epiphany Church’s holiday program to support families in emergency shelters and violence prevention programs.
Backpack Drive
Annual drive collecting backpacks with school supplies for children in city shelters before the school year.
Coat Drive
Supports NY Cares Coat Drive by collecting coats for distribution to New Yorkers in need.
Common Table
Sponsors St. George’s weekly meal program serving about 125 individuals in need.
GPBA Scholars
Provides scholarships and mentoring to students in need, both locally and through partner organizations.
Homebound Elderly
Delivers meals, clothing, gifts, and connections to social services for elderly residents unable to leave their homes.
Homeless Shelter
Sponsors The Brotherhood Synagogue Men’s Shelter and conducts clothing drives for guests during winter months.
Neighbors Helping Neighbors
Provides support to formerly homeless individuals, people with HIV/AIDS, women and children in shelters, disabled individuals, veterans, and the homebound elderly through partnerships with local service agencies.
Playground Cleanup
Organizes annual cleanup of Augustus St. Gaudens Playground with neighborhood families and professional power-washing.
Project Cicero
Supports book donations to under-resourced NYC schools through The Brotherhood Synagogue’s drive.
Project Lift
Supports the LIFT Study Program, which offers scholarships, tutoring, mentoring, and clothing for at-risk and homeless children in shelters.
Toy Drive
Annual holiday event at Paddy Maguire’s Ale House collecting new, unwrapped toys for children in need.
activities · 12 groups

What they do

  • Holiday and Seasonal Essentials Distribution 4 activities
    • Adopt a Family holiday program coordination
      Organizes neighbor participation in Epiphany Church’s “Adopt a Family” program for Christmas, supporting family violence prevention, emergency shelter for women and children, and formerly homeless individuals.
    • Holiday Toy Drive for children in need
      Hosts an annual Toy Drive at Paddy Maguire’s Ale House where neighbors donate new, unwrapped toys to support children in need during the holiday season.
    • Men's Shelter sponsorship and winter clothing drives
      Sponsors the Brotherhood Synagogue Men’s Shelter from January to March and conducts clothing drives to provide winter apparel such as socks, scarves, hats, and gloves for shelter guests.
    • NY Cares Coat Drive participation
      Supports the annual NY Cares Coat Drive by facilitating coat drop-offs at the 13th Precinct, collecting new or gently used, freshly laundered coats to assist New Yorkers in need.
  • Neighborhood Civic Engagement 1 activity
    • Advocacy for neighborhood quality-of-life issues
      Advocates for the interests of residents, workers, and business owners in the Gramercy Park neighborhood through a membership organization of 2,000 people, maintaining long-standing relationships with city agencies, Community Boards, and elected officials to influence local policy and conditions.
  • Back-to-School Supply Distribution 1 activity
    • Annual Backpack Drive for shelter children
      Organizes an annual Backpack Drive to collect and distribute backpacks filled with educational supplies to children in city shelters before the start of the school year.
  • Children's Book Distribution Programs 1 activity
    • Book donations for under-resourced students
      Supports The Brotherhood Synagogue’s book drive for Project Cicero by collecting and providing new and gently used books for children in kindergarten through high school attending under-resourced New York City schools.
  • Individual Child Education Sponsorship 1 activity
    • LIFT Study Program support for at-risk children
      Has supported the LIFT Study Program since 1989 by providing scholarships, tutoring, mentoring, clothing, and other support services for homeless and at-risk children living in shelters.
  • Public Space Beautification and Maintenance 1 activity
    • Playground cleanup and community engagement
      Sponsors the annual cleanup of Augustus St. Gaudens Playground on 20th Street and Second Avenue, engaging neighborhood families and a professional power-washing team to clean playground equipment and fixtures.
  • Local History Preservation and Education 1 activity
    • Promotion of historical and cultural awareness
      Disseminates information to the general public about the historical significance and unique qualities of Gramercy Park, contributing to community identity and preservation efforts over three decades.
  • Law Enforcement-Community Relations Programs 1 activity
    • Public safety collaboration and civic education
      Serves as the official Community Partner of the NYPD's Neighborhood Coordination Officers team, providing education to residents and workers about neighborhood safety and security issues while promoting civic betterment and public safety initiatives.
  • Local High School Scholarship Programs 1 activity
    • Scholarship and mentoring programs for local students
      Identifies students in need and provides scholarships and mentoring to local students and those served by Neighbors Helping Neighbors partner organizations.
  • Community Resource Navigation and Support Services 1 activity
    • Support for vulnerable populations through agency partnerships
      Provides ongoing support to formerly homeless individuals, people with HIV/AIDS, women and children in shelters, disabled individuals, veterans, and homebound or frail elderly by partnering with local community service agencies to deliver essential services and resources.
  • Food Distribution and Hunger Relief 1 activity
    • Weekly meal service and pantry support
      Sponsors St. George’s Common Table, which serves a weekly hot lunch to approximately 125 individuals in need, and conducts pantry drives to supply essential food and personal items.
  • Home-Delivered Meals for Seniors and Homebound 1 activity
    • Year-round support for homebound neighbors
      Provides year-round support to homebound neighbors including meals, clothing, gifts, and connections to social services agencies.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$792K
Contributions & grants$714K90%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$77K10%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$377K
Program expenses79%
Admin / overhead18%
Fundraising3%
Salaries & benefits$58K
Grants paid out$1K
Largest expense lineFacilities
balance sheet
Total assets$2.68M
Cash$528K
Investments$2.15M
Liabilities$7K
Net assets$2.68M
Liquid reserves85.3 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +25.3%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
ARLENE S HARRISON PRESIDENT 50 $35K
board members · 6
  • KAMEL BOUTROS — DIRECTOR
  • KATHERINE ECKERT — SECRETARY
  • LYNNE LERNER — VICE PRESIDENT
  • NORMAN KURLAN — TREASURER
  • ROBERT DOWD — DIRECTOR
  • SEAN BRADY — DIRECTOR
relationships · 11

Who they work with

  • City agencies Partner — Develops and maintains relationships with city agencies to advocate on neighborhood quality-of-life issues.
  • Community Boards Partner — Works with Community Boards to represent neighborhood interests and address local concerns.
  • Epiphany Church Partner — Partner organization for the “Adopt a Family” holiday program supporting victims of family violence, women and children in emergency shelter, and formerly homeless individuals.
  • LIFT Study Program Partner — Longstanding partner receiving support for scholarships, tutoring, mentoring, and basic needs services for homeless and at-risk children.
  • NY Cares Partner — Partner in the annual Coat Drive to collect and distribute coats to New Yorkers in need.
  • NYPD Partner — Fosters a close working partnership with the NYPD as the official Community Partner of the Neighborhood Coordination Officers team.
  • NYPD Partner — Partnership with the New York Police Department to support community safety and maintenance efforts.
  • St. George’s Common Table Partner — Partner program sponsored by GPBA that serves weekly hot lunches to individuals in need.
  • The Brotherhood Synagogue Partner — Partner in running the Men’s Shelter and co-organizing Project Cicero’s book drive for under-resourced NYC schools.
  • elected officials Partner — Engages with elected officials to advocate for the Gramercy Park community on public safety, preservation, and quality-of-life issues.
  • local community service agencies Partner — Collaborates with longstanding local community service agencies to support vulnerable populations through the Neighbors Helping Neighbors program.
strategies · 3

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.

  • Civic Education and Engagement to Enhance Neighborhood Well-Being
    methodology: civic_betterment_through_education
    By using civic education and community engagement, the organization improves safety, security, and well-being in the neighborhood, because informed and involved residents are more likely to participate in collective action and sustain long-term improvements.
  • Community-Driven Mutual Aid for Vulnerable Residents
    methodology: community-driven_mutual_aid
    By organizing close-knit neighborhood support through mutual aid, the organization strengthens resilience among vulnerable residents, because social cohesion and localized care networks enable faster, more personalized assistance than institutional systems alone.
  • Grassroots Advocacy to Strengthen Community Cohesion
    methodology: grassroots_community_advocacy
    By taking a grassroots, proactive approach to public safety, historic preservation, and quality-of-life issues, the organization builds community cohesion, because resident-led initiatives foster shared ownership and sustained civic participation.