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CITIZENS COMMITTEE FOR NEW YORK CITY INC
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 510171818 · Form 990 · FY2023 · NTEE S210 · Community Improvement · Medium ($1M-$10M) · citizensnyc.org
revenue
$2.9M
expenses
$2.9M
net assets
$6.6M
employees
15
volunteers
230
program ratio
61%
mission · from form 990

TO HELP NEW YORKERS COME TOGETHER AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.

profile · synthesized from sources

Citizens Committee for New York City, operating as CitizensNYC, supports grassroots community leaders across New York City through microgrants and capacity-building programs. The organization funds local initiatives that address neighborhood-specific challenges in areas such as food access, climate resilience, youth development, and cultural preservation. It emphasizes long-term investment in community-led change, helping small projects grow into sustainable institutions.

named programs · 3 · from sources

What they call their work

Community Energy Project
Partnership with National Grid to expand access to energy affordability programs and resources for New York City residents
Elliott Fellowship
Leadership development program supporting emerging community leaders through coaching, workshops, and networking opportunities
Microgrant Program
Provides grants of up to $5,000 to grassroots leaders launching community-based projects in neighborhoods across New York City
activities · 4 groups

What they do

  • Flexible Grants to Grassroots Organizations 2 activities
    • Funding multi-group partnerships and fellowship programs for collective impact
      Provides Collaborative Impact Grants to support cross-neighborhood coalitions and collective power-building. Awards one-year Elliott Fellowships offering $15,000 in financial support to seasoned grassroots leaders who mentor new grantees and help shape organizational programming.
    • Grantmaking to support grassroots community initiatives in New York City
      Awards microgrants of up to $5,000 to resident-led groups, small nonprofits, small businesses, and public schools for community-building projects such as food pantries, tenant rights trainings, youth apprenticeships, community gardens, and local climate resilience efforts. Provides over $1 million annually in microgrants, with tens of millions awarded over 50 years.
  • Community Capacity Building & Leadership Networks 1 activity
    • Direct community mobilization and volunteer support in NYC neighborhoods
      Supports residents in forming block associations, tutoring programs, food co-ops, neighborhood patrols, community gardens, and literacy workshops. Launched Unity Grants after 9/11 and distributed Hurricane Relief Grants after Superstorm Sandy to fund emergency response teams with essential supplies.
  • Local Clean Energy Adoption & Education 1 activity
    • Partnership-based energy affordability and access initiatives
      Launched the Community Energy Project in partnership with National Grid to expand access to affordable energy solutions and address energy burden in underserved communities.
  • Nonprofit Capacity Building Services 1 activity
    • Providing capacity-building support to community leaders and grantees
      Offers coaching, workshops, affinity groups, networking opportunities, and convenings to strengthen leadership and project sustainability among grant recipients. Includes the Elliott Fellows program, which engages experienced grantees to mentor emerging community leaders.
financials · form 990 · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$2.88M
Contributions & grants$1.75M61%
Program service revenue$383K13%
Investment income$752K26%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$2.93M
Program expenses61%
Admin / overhead17%
Fundraising22%
Salaries & benefits$1.59M
Grants paid out$533K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$8.47M
Cash$651K
Investments$6.67M
Liabilities$1.84M
Net assets$6.63M
Liquid reserves30.0 mo
5 years on record · 2019–2023 · YoY revenue -4.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023

Who runs it

paid leadership · 5
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
RAHSAAN HARRIS CEO (LEFT 8/23) 40 $353K
MICHAEL HICKEY COO 40 $249K
NICK HAYNES VP OF DEVELOPMENT 40 $191K
CAROLYN BERNAL SVP OPERATIONS & FINANCE 40 $136K
JOSE DOBLES VP OF PROGRAMS 40 $114K
board members · 18
  • CHRIS RUGGERI — CHAIR
  • CYNTHIA HOCHMAN — DIRECTOR (LEFT 10/23)
  • ERIC WU — DIRECTOR (LEFT 2/24)
  • FRANCES FITZGERALD — DIRECTOR
  • HENRY P DAVISON II — DIRECTOR
  • JANET L BURAK — DIRECTOR
  • JAY STARK — SECRETARY
  • JENELLE DECOTEAU — DIRECTOR
  • JOEL PRESS — TREASURER
  • LUCAS JOYNT — DIRECTOR (LEFT 10/23)
  • PAUL DEUTCH — DIRECTOR
  • PETER DUCHIN — DIRECTOR
  • SHARON KING HOGE — DIRECTOR
  • STEVEN J WILLIAMS — DIRECTOR
  • SUSAN R CULLMAN — DIRECTOR (LEFT 9/23)
  • THOMAS C ISRAEL — VICE CHAIR
  • VICTORIA CHU PAO — DIRECTOR
  • W ROBERT FRIEDMAN JR — DIRECTOR
relationships · 59

Who they work with

  • 100 Block Association of West 119th Street Partner — Grantee partner in Harlem, Manhattan, supported through microgrants.
  • 1100 Block Bergen Street Community Garden Partner — Grantee partner in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, supported through microgrants.
  • 133 Group, Inc. Partner — Grantee partner in Lower East Side, Manhattan, supported through microgrants.
  • 147th Road Block & Community Association Partner — Grantee partner in Rosedale, Queens, supported through microgrants.
  • 148 Renaissance Block Association Partner — Grantee partner in Hamilton Heights, Manhattan, supported through microgrants.
  • 149th South ozone park civic association Inc. Partner — Grantee partner in South Ozone Park, Queens, supported through microgrants.
  • 220th-221st Street Block Association Partner — Grantee partner in Williamsbridge, Bronx, supported through microgrants.
  • 23rd Street Community Garden Partner — Grantee partner in Coney Island, Brooklyn, supported through microgrants.
  • 256 Healing Arts LLC Partner — Grantee partner in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, supported through microgrants.
  • 31st Ave Open Street Collective Partner — Grantee partner in Astoria, Queens, supported through microgrants.
  • 88th Precinct Youth Council Partner — Grantee partner in Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn running a youth mural arts project focused on social issues.
  • Altman Foundation Funder — Philanthropic partner supporting the Community Leaders Grant program.
  • Apple Bank Funder — Philanthropic partner supporting the Community Leaders Grant program.
  • Bessemer Trust Company Funder — Philanthropic partner supporting the Community Leaders Grant program.
  • Brooklyn Level Up Partner — Grantee organization founded by Allyson Martinez that received multi-year microgrants for youth-led environmental justice, entrepreneurship, and racial equity work.
  • Brooklyn Org Funder — Philanthropic partner supporting the Community Leaders Grant program.
  • Cascadia Capital Partner — Partner organization whose representative co-chairs the annual event.
  • Con Edison Funder — Philanthropic partner supporting the Community Leaders Grant program.
  • Con Edison Partner — Corporate partner highlighted in a spotlight, indicating an ongoing partnership with CitizensNYC.
  • Con Edison Partner — Partnership supports climate-focused projects including urban forests, green infrastructure, and community gardens through leadership funding.
  • Deutsche Bank Funder — Philanthropic partner supporting the Community Leaders Grant program.
  • Flanbwayan Haitian Literacy Project Partner — Former grantee partner organization led by Darnell Benoit that received funding and support from CitizensNYC.
  • Flanbwayan Haitian Literacy Project Partner — Longtime grantee partner that received seed funding and capacity-building support to grow into a cornerstone organization for Brooklyn’s Haitian community.
  • Google Funder — Philanthropic partner supporting the Community Leaders Grant program.
  • Hughes Hubbard & Reed Partner — Partner organization whose representative co-chairs the annual event.
  • Jacob Javits Partner — U.S. Senator whose belief in civic participation helped shape the founding values of CitizensNYC.
  • James Baldwin Outdoor Learning Center Partner — Grantee partner in Riverdale, Bronx implementing an urban forest restoration and education project.
  • Keen-Summit Capital Partners LLC Partner — Partner organization with multiple representatives honored and involved in the organization's events.
  • Latham & Watkins LLP Partner — Partner organization whose representatives are honored and involved in the organization's events.
  • M&T Bank Funder — Provides leadership support for the Neighborhood Business Grant program.
+ 29 more
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.

  • Catalytic Micro-Funding
    methodology: small_grant_catalytic_impact
    By providing small grants to determined, community-rooted individuals and groups, we generate disproportionate local impact because minimal financial support acts as a catalyst for self-driven action, unlocking initiative and innovation without dependency on large institutional systems.
  • Community-Led Development
    methodology: community_led_development
    By supporting residents and local leaders who are closest to neighborhood challenges, we produce more effective and sustainable improvements in community well-being because those with lived experience are best positioned to design and lead solutions that reflect actual needs and build trust.
  • Networked Community Resilience
    methodology: networked_community_development
    By building interconnected networks of local leaders and organizations, we strengthen collective problem-solving and resilience because shared knowledge, resources, and peer support enable communities to respond more effectively to complex challenges like climate change and economic instability.
  • Proximate Leadership Investment
    methodology: proximate_leadership_funding
    By funding leaders with deep community ties and lived experience, we achieve higher-impact outcomes because proximate leaders bring trusted relationships, contextual insight, and sustained commitment that external actors lack.