research dossier

WESTCHESTER COUNTY MARTIN LUTHER KING JrInstitute for NonViolence

WHITE PLAINS, NY · EIN 133736064 · Form 990EZ · FY2023 · NTEE R30Z · Civil Rights & Advocacy · Micro (<$100K) · mlkwestchester.org

revenue

$19K

expenses

$14K

net assets

$50K

employees

—

mission · from form 990

To create safe places in our communities that empower youth and adults, and support inclusiveness, courage and peace. Also, to increase awareness about violence in our communities and the power of nonviolent alternatives

profile · synthesized from sources

Westchester County Martin Luther King Jr. Institute for NonViolence promotes racial equity and nonviolent social change through restorative justice practices, arts-based programming, and community education. The organization serves youth and adults in Westchester County by fostering safe spaces for dialogue, conflict resolution, and creative expression. It emphasizes building inclusive communities through training, workshops, and collaborative initiatives rooted in Dr. King’s principles of nonviolence.

named programs · 5 · from sources

What they call their work

ACT (A Comm-Unity Together) Program

Arts-based restorative justice program for children and teens at summer camp, using circle practices, performance, and conflict resolution to build identity, self-expression, and community

Building Community

Facilitates restorative community circles and leadership development to strengthen relationships across racial and cultural lines

Restorative Justice Circle Keeper Training

Five-day training program that prepares individuals to facilitate restorative circles in schools, workplaces, and communities, promoting healing and accountability

Transform Your Organization

Workshops and consultations for organizations to build equitable cultures using restorative frameworks and collaborative arts processes

Transform Your School

Program to help schools become restorative environments through peer mediation, student ambassador programs, and staff training in conflict resolution

activities · 10 groups

What they do

Public Awareness and Educational Outreach 2 activities
- Community awareness on violence and nonviolent alternatives
  
  Conducts initiatives to raise community awareness about violence and promotes nonviolent conflict resolution strategies as viable alternatives.
- Counter-military recruitment outreach
  
  Engages in counter-military recruitment efforts through outreach in local schools and church groups to inform youth and communities about alternatives to military enlistment.
Conflict Mediation & Resolution Services 2 activities
- Corporate team-building training
  
  Delivers interactive team-building training for businesses focused on improving communication, coordination, and decision-making through restorative practices.
- Restorative justice and anti-racism training
  
  Provides workshops, consultations, and five-day introductory training programs to prepare individuals as Restorative Justice Circle Keepers and to help communities, organizations, schools, and institutions build restorative, anti-racist cultures.
Gun Violence Prevention & Intervention 1 activity
- Annual dialogue conference on violence prevention
  
  Hosts the annual "Ending Violence, Building Hope" conference at Manhattanville College to foster dialogue between law enforcement and youth on community safety and nonviolence.
Youth Theater Arts Education 1 activity
- Arts-based youth programming in nonviolence
  
  Partners with artists and educators to deliver hip-hop music, theater, voice work, improvisation, songwriting, and ensemble-building workshops that ground youth expression in nonviolence and identity exploration.
Civil Rights Advocacy & Litigation 1 activity
- Community education and action campaigns
  
  Conducts educational outreach to raise awareness about community issues and organizes direct action campaigns such as peaceful demonstrations, letter-writing, boycotts, petitions, and rent strikes to advance social change.
Trauma-Informed Community Resilience Initiatives 1 activity
- Community listening circles on race and equity
  
  Facilitates listening circles focused on race and equity through initiatives like the Greenburgh Restorative Circle Project to promote healing, dialogue, and community engagement.
Educator Training in Equity and Inclusion 1 activity
- Education in nonviolent activism for racial equity
  
  Provides structured education programs for youth and adults on nonviolent activism as a means to advance racial equity, including curriculum-based learning and community dialogue.
Public Access to Digital and Physical Library Collections 1 activity
- MLK Freedom Library services
  
  Operates the MLK Freedom Library as a free public lending library offering books and programs for children and youth to support literacy and community learning.
Summer Day Camp Programs 1 activity
- STEM and arts summer camp for youth
  
  Runs the ACT (A Comm-Unity Together) Program, a STEM co-op summer camp for children in kindergarten through middle school that integrates performing arts, daily Indigenous circle practices, and values-based group agreements to support personal development and community building.
Restorative Justice and Peer Mediation Programs 1 activity
- Youth conflict resolution programs in schools
  
  Implements conflict resolution and restorative practices in Ossining schools for youth and young adults, using structured processes to build personal and interpersonal skills.

financials · form 990EZ · fy2023

revenue

Total revenue$19K

Contributions & grants$19K99%

Program service revenue$00%

Investment income$1391%

Other revenue—

expenses

Total expenses$14K

Program expenses—

Admin / overhead—

Fundraising—

Salaries & benefits—

Grants paid out—

balance sheet

Total assets$50K

Cash—

Investments—

Liabilities—

Net assets$50K

4 years on record · 2020–2023 · YoY revenue +106.3%

leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023

Who runs it

board members · 1

Carlton Tom Kissner — Executive Director

relationships · 7

Who they work with

Greenburgh Restorative Circle Project Partner — Collaborative project through which listening circles on race and equity are conducted.
Interfaith Connection Partner — Collaborates on events and programs emphasizing dialogue and community organizing for sustainable change
Larchmont Mamaroneck STEM Alliance Partner — Collaborates with the Larchmont Mamaroneck STEM Alliance to deliver the Co-Op Camp program.
Manhattanville College Partner — Hosts the annual "Ending Violence, Building Hope" conference in partnership with the MLK Institute
RJ Westchester Network — Countywide network advancing restorative justice in which the organization participates
Restorative Justice Network — Offers training and programming grounded in restorative justice principles and practices.
Westchester Coalition for Police Reform Partner — Collaborates on events and programs emphasizing dialogue and community organizing for sustainable change

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.

Community-Driven Change Through Shared Power

methodology: community-driven
By working collaboratively with communities and elevating lived experience, we produce more sustainable and just outcomes, because shared power and co-design foster ownership, dignity, and systemic transformation.
Nonviolence Education as Pathway to Justice

methodology: nonviolent_activism_education
By educating youth and adults in nonviolent activism, we produce cultural and behavioral change toward justice, because nonviolent action is believed to be an effective and transformative response to injustice.
Restorative Justice for Healing and Reconciliation

methodology: restorative_justice
By applying restorative justice practices, we produce healing, accountability, and community cohesion, because structured processes that restore dignity and enable dialogue repair harm more effectively than punitive systems.
Safe, Belonging-Centered Spaces Enable Transformative Engagement

methodology: safe_spaces_for_empowerment
By creating safe and inclusive spaces grounded in belonging, we produce empowerment and sustained engagement in justice work, because psychological safety enables individuals to take relational and civic risks necessary for nonviolent change.