named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
College Bound
High school program offering SAT prep, college application assistance, financial aid workshops, and financial wellness training to improve college access and readiness for low-income students.
Create Success
After-school and summer academic program for prekindergarten through 8th grade students providing literacy, math, homework help, and recreational activities in small group settings with a 12:1 student-tutor ratio.
Future Safe
Resource access program providing free fresh whole foods, clothing, household supplies, and back-to-school kits to low-income families through monthly distributions and annual drives.
SMASH (Strong Minds Safe Homes)
Parental support program offering free workshops, mentorship, and counseling on nutrition, finances, and caretaking to improve at-home support for children and youth.
activities · 5 groups
What they do
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College Access and Success Support 1 activity
- Academic and college readiness programs for studentsProvides academic mentorship, tutoring, SAT preparation, college application assistance, and financial aid guidance to high school students to improve college access and readiness. Programs include small-group instruction with a ~3:1 student-to-tutor ratio and cover core academic skills, test-taking, and financial wellness.
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After-School Academic and Enrichment Programs 1 activity
- After-school and summer academic programs for young learnersOperates structured after-school programs from September to June and summer programs from July to August, Monday through Friday, offering literacy exercises, homework help, math reasoning, developmental assessments, creative projects, and recreational activities. Daily free lunch is provided during the summer program.
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Community Event-Based Giving Programs 1 activity
- Community resource distribution and food access programsProvides free whole foods, clothing, household supplies, and back-to-school kits to low-income households. Hosts monthly food distributions, Thanksgiving food box giveaways, and annual gift drives, distributing over 29,000 pounds of food to 180 NYC households in 2025 and over 400 gifts to children in 2023.
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Community Resource Navigation and Support Services 1 activity
- Support services for caregivers and at-home family wellnessOffers free workshops, mentorship, counseling, and advocacy through the Strong Minds, Safe Homes (SMASH) program to help caregivers improve nutrition, financial management, and caretaking practices, thereby strengthening support for children and youth at home.
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Volunteer Engagement and Capacity Support 1 activity
- Volunteer engagement and community outreach initiativesProvides volunteer opportunities to support community engagement, including mentoring at-risk youth, supporting domestic abuse victims, and intervening in gang violence and recruitment as part of grassroots outreach efforts.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$683K
Contributions & grants$683K100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$200%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$630K
Program expenses94%
Admin / overhead4%
Fundraising1%
Salaries & benefits$280K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$215K
Cash$215K
Investments$0
Liabilities$27K
Net assets$188K
Liquid reserves4.1 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +34.4%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 3
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JOYCE MATTERA | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $71K |
| JESSICA LECLERE | OPERATIONS DIRECTOR | 20 | $26K |
| TARA BOWER | FINANCE DIRECTOR | 5 | $13K |
board members · 10
- CLIFF KEELING — CHAIRMAN
- DANNY MUSICO — BOARD MEMBER
- DAVID TYREE — BOARD MEMBER
- FRANK RODRIGUEZ — BOARD MEMBER
- JAMES DOPMAN — BOARD MEMBER
- JOSEPH RODRIGUEZ — BOARD MEMBER
- JOSEPH TRAVAGLIONE — BOARD MEMBER
- KRISTINA HOSCH — TREASURER
- RICHARD JOHNSON — BOARD MEMBER
- VICKI DEL TORO — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 34
Who they work with
- AKRF Partner — Donates items for distribution through the Future Safe program
- ANZ Partner — Donates items for distribution through the Future Safe program
- Andrew S. Gounardes NYS Senator- District 26 Government — Government affiliate supporting the Boxes of Love Thanksgiving Food Drive.
- Antonio Reynoso Borough Park President Government — Government affiliate supporting the Boxes of Love Thanksgiving Food Drive.
- Brooklyn Borough President 2024 Government — Government affiliate supporting Children of the City’s programs in Brooklyn.
- Brooklyn Community Foundation Funder — Funder supporting Children of the City's work in Brooklyn.
- Businesses Partner — Donate resources to help sustain families.
- CRU Partner — Community partner supporting the Boxes of Love Thanksgiving Food Drive.
- Cru NYC Partner — Donates items for distribution through the Future Safe program
- Facebook Network — Social media presence on Facebook
- Foundations Funder — Award grants to fund program operations.
- Instagram Network — Social media presence on Instagram
- Krislen Management Corp Partner — Donates items for distribution through the Future Safe program
- Low-income communities Partner — Longstanding engagement with low-income communities through programs, partnerships, and networks.
- Morgan Stanley Partner — Donates items for distribution through the Future Safe program
- NBC Partner — Co-hosted fundraising events with Children of the City to support community programs
- NYCares Partner — Partner organization collaborating with Children of the City.
- New York Cares Partner — Donates items for distribution through the Future Safe program
- New York Cares Partner — Partnership to deliver five College Bound programs focused on academic and financial readiness for college.
- New York Giants Partner — Hosted fundraising events with Children of the City to raise resources for the community
- Robin Hood Funder — Funder supporting Children of the City's initiatives.
- St. John's Bread and Life Partner — Partner organization working with Children of the City on community outreach and services.
- St. John’s Bread & Life Partner — Donates items for distribution through the Future Safe program
- St. John’s Bread and Life Partner — Community partner supporting the Boxes of Love Thanksgiving Food Drive.
- The Charles Hayden Foundation Funder — Funder supporting Children of the City's programs.
- Verrazano Rotary Club Partner — Community partner supporting the Boxes of Love Thanksgiving Food Drive.
- Volunteers Partner — Team up with staff to run programs.
- William Grant & Sons Partner — Donates items for distribution through the Future Safe program
- Zion Church Partner — Community partner supporting the Boxes of Love Thanksgiving Food Drive.
- local community leaders Partner — Collaborates to institutionalize programs and improve long-term wellbeing of disadvantaged households.
+ 4 more
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.
- Dignity-Centered, Community-Led Service Deliverymethodology: dignity-centered serviceBy delivering services through community-organized volunteer outreach and combining basic needs support with symbolic care, the organization affirms dignity and increases engagement, because locally rooted, relationship-based models build trust and sustain participation more effectively than transactional aid.
- Education and Mentoring to Disrupt Poverty Cyclesmethodology: education-for-poverty-alleviationBy combining academic support, mentoring, and college readiness programming, the organization aims to break intergenerational poverty, because sustained educational engagement increases higher education access and transforms cultural and economic trajectories in underserved communities.
- Family-Centered and Caregiver-Supported Developmentmethodology: caregiver-support_modelBy equipping caregivers with tools and integrating family wellness into youth programming, the organization strengthens child outcomes, because parental involvement is a stronger predictor of success than cognitive factors alone, and family stability enables sustained educational advancement.
- Integrated Support Across Developmental Stagesmethodology: developmental-stage alignmentBy aligning academic, literacy, and wellness services with developmental stages and college readiness milestones, the organization sustains long-term progress, because coordinated interventions at critical junctures amplify educational outcomes and family stability.
- Small-Group Tutoring and Mentorship Modelmethodology: small-group tutoringBy using small-group instruction with low student-to-tutor ratios, the organization closes academic skills gaps and builds study habits, because personalized attention and peer interaction increase learning retention and engagement more effectively than large-group formats.