Introduction to CitizensNYC
In philanthropy, scale is often talked about in millions of dollars. But the reality is that some of the most transformative projects in New York City start with much less. Love Wins NYC, a food pantry that feeds thousands of hungry New Yorkers every month, is among CitizensNYC’s grantees.
Changing Neighborhoods with Microgrants
How do you change your neighborhood? Sometimes, all it takes is a few thousand dollars and someone who believes in you. At CitizensNYC, we’ve spent 50 years investing in that kind of possibility. As one of the country’s first microgranting institutions, we’ve funded thousands of local leaders—New Yorkers who are deeply rooted in their communities and already working to solve the challenges right outside their front doors.
The Power of Microgrants
With grants of up to $5,000 and capacity-building support, we don’t just back ideas. We make long-term commitments to community leaders—investing in their success through coaching, skill-building workshops, affinity groups, larger convenings, collaborative projects, and connections to other private and public funding opportunities. This multi-pronged approach leads to something powerful: sustainable, community-led change.
Success Stories
Two of our longtime partners, Flanbwayan Haitian Literacy Project and Think!Chinatown, offer a window into what this growth looks like. When Darnell Benoit founded Flanbwayan in 2004, she was a teacher trying to help newly arrived Haitian students navigate New York’s public school system. She had no formal nonprofit training—just a deep understanding of what her students needed and a desire to build something better. With a $4,500 grant from CitizensNYC, Darnell got her start. Today, Flanbwayan is a cornerstone of Brooklyn’s Haitian community, offering culturally responsive programming, advocacy, and support to immigrant youth and families.
Think!Chinatown: A Community Pillar
In 2017, we awarded a grant to Yin Kong to support a small art installation in Manhattan’s Chinatown. That project became the seed for Think!Chinatown, an organization now recognized citywide for its work at the intersection of arts, culture, and community empowerment. Like many of our grantee partners, Yin didn’t just use our funding to launch a project. She used our partnership to grow her capacity as a leader. We introduced her to experts in nonprofit finance. She recruited volunteers. The work grew. Today, Think!Chinatown is a community pillar.
Scaling Impact
And many of the partners we fund don’t stay small forever. They grow into anchor institutions, trusted neighborhood spaces where people find support, resources, and a sense of belonging. They win additional grants, build new coalitions, and shape policy. Other grantee partners have gone on to lead citywide climate resilience work and launch school-based health initiatives, for instance. And nearly all of them started with a single CitizensNYC microgrant.
Brooklyn Level Up: A Model for Community-First Development
One of them is Brooklyn Level Up, founded by Allyson Martinez. Over the course of three consecutive years, Allyson received CitizensNYC microgrants to support youth-led environmental justice projects, entrepreneurship training, and racial equity initiatives. Each grant helped her grow her vision—scaling from one-time neighborhood events to a multi-service nonprofit advancing community-first development and local power. Today, Brooklyn Level Up is a model for what long-term, grassroots investment can achieve.
Conclusion
In a moment when public systems are strained, the highest return comes from funding proximate leaders who already know how to get things done. With a modest grant and the right support, our partners turn trust into action—and action into lasting change. There’s a phrase we hear often from grantee partners: “You were there at the beginning.” At CitizensNYC, we take that role seriously. We just want to see our partners win. And they do.
FAQs
Q: What is CitizensNYC?
A: CitizensNYC is a microgranting institution that has been investing in local leaders and community projects in New York City for 50 years.
Q: How much funding does CitizensNYC provide?
A: CitizensNYC provides grants of up to $5,000, as well as capacity-building support and connections to other funding opportunities.
Q: What kind of projects does CitizensNYC fund?
A: CitizensNYC funds a wide range of projects, including community-led initiatives, arts and culture projects, and social justice initiatives.
Q: Can anyone apply for a CitizensNYC grant?
A: Yes, anyone can apply for a CitizensNYC grant, but priority is given to local leaders and community projects that are deeply rooted in their communities and have a clear vision for change.
Q: What is the goal of CitizensNYC?
A: The goal of CitizensNYC is to support community-led change and help create a more just and equitable city for all New Yorkers.
