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EQUITY ADVOCATES INC
HARRISON, NY · EIN 823885723 · Form 990 · FY2025 · NTEE K05 · Food, Agriculture & Nutrition · Small ($100K-$1M) · nyequityadvocates.org
revenue
$171K
expenses
$247K
net assets
$441K
employees
3
program ratio
97%
mission · from form 990

EQUITY ADVOCATES BUILDS THE CAPACITY OF NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO ADDRESS THE UNDERLYING CAUSES OF FOOD INEQUITY THROUGH POLICY AND SYSTEMS CHANGE. WE PARTNER WITH NEW YORK-BASED ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO ALLEVIATE HUNGER AND POVERTY, PROVIDING THEM WITH THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO BE MORE CIVICALLY ENGAGED. THESE INCLUDE POLICY EDUCATION, ADVOCACY TRAINING AND COALITION BUILDING SERVICES. THROUGH THIS WORK, WE ARE BUILDING A NON-PARTISAN GRASSROOTS COALITION OF POWERFUL ADVOCATES AND LEADERS WITHIN THE FOOD MOVEMENT.

profile · synthesized from sources

Equity Advocates strengthens the policy advocacy capacity of nonprofit organizations across New York State to address systemic food inequity. The organization partners with food justice groups to advance policy change, provides advocacy training and policy education, and leads coalitions on issues including immigrant access to food benefits and racial equity in the food system. It operates as a non-partisan hub for grassroots organizing and systems-level reform.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2020

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $0
    NONE
  2. #2 $0
    NONE
named programs · 5 · from sources

What they call their work

Advocacy Education & Training
Provides policy education, advocacy coaching, and customized training for organizations and leaders to build civic engagement and policy influence
NYC Food Policy Alliance
Network of food system stakeholders working to advance equitable food policies in New York City; evolved into the city’s first Food Policy Council with a 20-person Leadership Council launched in 2025
New York State Farm Bill Campaign
Advocacy initiative co-led with Black Farmers United NY and Food for the Spirit to shape federal Farm Bill reauthorization with a racial equity lens and input from over 300 BIPOC farmers and practitioners
SNAP4ALL New York
Coalition campaign co-led with United Neighborhood Houses advocating for a state-funded food benefit for immigrant New Yorkers excluded from SNAP due to citizenship status
Youth Food Justice Organizers Initiative
Training program for young New Yorkers to develop policy knowledge and advocacy skills; includes a Train-the-Trainer series to equip youth leaders to educate peers and communities
activities · 2 groups

What they do

  • Food Policy Advocacy & Nutrition Education 3 activities
    • Advocacy training and capacity building for community organizations
      Provides policy education, advocacy training, coaching, and resources to community-based organizations, food sector businesses, and advocates to strengthen their participation in policy-making and build long-term advocacy capacity. Offers one-on-one training, public testimony development, and policymaker relationship-building support, along with structured programs like the Train-the-Trainer series and the Youth Food Justice Organizers initiative launched in 2022.
    • Convening coalitions and policy development support
      Convenes partners through the NYC Food Policy Alliance, including meetings, workshops, and listening sessions with BIPOC farmers and practitioners, to support collaborative policy development and organizational growth. Co-led listening sessions with over 300 New Yorkers to inform a racial justice-focused Farm Bill platform and contributed 35% of the recommendations in New York City’s 10-Year Food Policy Plan. Launched a 20-person Leadership Council in 2025 to guide the Alliance’s evolution into the city's first formal Food Policy Council.
    • Policy advocacy and campaign leadership for food justice
      Leads advocacy campaigns to influence public policy and funding decisions related to food equity at the city and state levels, including efforts to expand food benefit access for immigrant New Yorkers, establish a state-funded food benefit for those excluded from SNAP, and advance a racially equitable Farm Bill. Conducts budget advocacy annually to secure funding for emergency food assistance, support for small and historically marginalized farmers, urban agriculture, and locally-sourced food procurement in public institutions.
  • Policy Advocacy & Research 1 activity
    • Budget and policy analysis publication
      Produces and publishes detailed analyses of the New York City and New York State budgets, focusing on funding trends for food and farm programs. Published analyses of the FY2027 NYC and NY State budgets to inform advocacy and coalition strategy.
financials · form 990 · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$171K
Contributions & grants$166K97%
Program service revenue$7000%
Investment income$8501%
Other revenue$4K
expenses
Total expenses$247K
Program expenses97%
Admin / overhead3%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$138K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$451K
Cash$451K
Investments$0
Liabilities$9K
Net assets$441K
Liquid reserves21.9 mo
6 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue -67.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025

Who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
LEAH EDEN EXEC DIRECTO 40 $98K
board members · 8
  • ADAM LIEBOWITZ — BOARD MEMBER
  • ALLISON MARINO — BOARD MEMBER
  • AUDREY LANDALE — BOARD MEMBER
  • CATHERINE LUU — CHAIR OF THE
  • GABRIELLE BLAVATSKY — BOARD MEMBER
  • JASMINE NIELSEN — BOARD TREASU
  • MAYA MEREDITH — RESIGNED 11/
  • TARA KLEIN — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 27

Who they work with

  • Ajana Foundation Funder — Foundation that provides financial support to Equity Advocates Inc.
  • Black Farmers United New York State Partner — Co-led the Farm Bill Campaign and a series of listening sessions with Equity Advocates to gather input from BIPOC farmers and practitioners in New York State.
  • East New York Farms Partner — Partner in the 2024 Train-the-Trainer series for youth food justice leaders.
  • Elluminate Funder — Organization that provides financial support to Equity Advocates Inc.
  • Farm Bill Rapid Response Fund Funder — Initiative that provides financial support to Equity Advocates Inc.
  • Food for the Spirit Partner — Co-led the Farm Bill Campaign and a series of listening sessions with Equity Advocates to gather input from BIPOC farmers and practitioners in New York State.
  • Green Guerillas Partner — Partner in the 2024 Train-the-Trainer series for youth food justice leaders.
  • J.M. Kaplan Fund Funder — Foundation that provides financial support to Equity Advocates Inc.
  • Levitt Foundation Funder — Foundation that provides financial support to Equity Advocates Inc.
  • Levitt Foundation Funder — Provided support for the 2022 Youth Food Justice Organizers initiative.
  • Mayor Mamdani Government — Monitored and analyzed budget decisions by the Mayor's office.
  • Merck Family Fund Funder — Foundation that provides financial support to Equity Advocates Inc.
  • Mother Cabrini Health Foundation Funder — Foundation that provides financial support to Equity Advocates Inc.
  • NY Health Foundation Funder — Foundation that provides financial support to Equity Advocates Inc.
  • New York City Council Government — Monitored and analyzed budget decisions by the City Council.
  • New York Community Trust Funder — Foundation that provides financial support to Equity Advocates Inc.
  • New York Health Foundation Funder — Provided support for the Alliance's effort to evolve into New York City's first Food Policy Council.
  • New York-based nonprofit organizations Partner — Partner organizations working to alleviate hunger and poverty, receiving policy education, advocacy training, and coalition building support
  • Regenerative Agriculture Foundation Funder — Organization that provides financial support to Equity Advocates Inc.
  • Riseboro Partner — Partner in the 2024 Train-the-Trainer series for youth food justice leaders.
  • Shipt Funder — Corporate entity that provides financial support to Equity Advocates Inc.
  • Teens for Food Justice Partner — Collaborates on the Youth Food Justice Organizers initiative and Train-the-Trainer series.
  • The Campaign Against Hunger Partner — Partner in the 2024 Train-the-Trainer series for youth food justice leaders.
  • United Neighborhood Houses Partner — Co-leads the SNAP4ALL Campaign with Equity Advocates.
  • Youth Food Justice Network Partner — Partner in the 2024 Train-the-Trainer series for youth food justice leaders.
  • community food leaders Partner — Partners with community food leaders to elevate their expertise and leadership in policy advocacy.
  • food justice leaders across New York State Partner — Collaborates with food justice leaders to advance collective advocacy and systems change.
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.

  • Capacity Building for Systemic Change
    methodology: capacity_building_for_systemic_change
    By building the policy and advocacy capacity of food justice leaders and community-based organizations, we produce sustained systems-level change because empowered local leaders can drive collective action, influence decision-making, and strengthen grassroots networks that challenge structural inequities.
  • Community-Led Policy Advocacy
    methodology: community_led_policy_advocacy
    By centering impacted communities—particularly communities of color and BIPOC leaders—in policy development and advocacy, we produce more equitable and effective food system change because those most affected by systemic inequities are best positioned to identify root causes and design anti-racist solutions.
  • Cross-Sector and Community-Driven Institutionalization
    methodology: institutional_transformation_through_community_engagement
    By combining cross-sector collaboration with community engagement and strategic research, we produce lasting institutional change—such as a permanent city-level Food Policy Council—because diverse stakeholder alignment and community ownership increase legitimacy, sustainability, and responsiveness of food governance structures.
  • Policy-Centered Systems Transformation
    methodology: policy-centered_systemic_change
    By focusing on public policy as the root cause of food access disparities, we produce structural equity in food systems because durable change requires shifting laws, budgets, and institutional practices rather than addressing symptoms alone.
  • Racial Equity Institutional Practice
    methodology: racial_equity_lens
    By applying a racial equity lens to all organizational and advocacy work, we produce more just outcomes because systemic inequities are actively identified and disrupted in both internal operations and external policy interventions.