New York Foundation funds community organizing and grassroots advocacy led by and for people who live in NYC.
Freedom Agenda
Are you an emerging organization in NYC centering racial, economic, gender, disability, and climate justice, led by Black, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+ people, women, and people of color?
Mission & Vision
The New York Foundation is a steadfast supporter of community organizing, grassroots advocacy, and movement-building. We believe that the resilience and vitality of New Yorkers is the city’s greatest resource, and we value the courage and experience of community groups and their leaders.
In the ongoing struggle for racial, economic, gender, and climate justice, the Foundation supports grassroots initiatives that build power to confront systemic barriers and inspire people to work toward a more just, equitable, and inclusive city.
History
Established in 1909, the New York Foundation is one of the oldest foundations in the country. It was created with a gift of $1 million from Alfred M. Heinsheimer, part of a bequest he received from his brother Louis. Some of our earliest grants were to civil rights, medical research, and youth development. Today, the New York Foundation is known as a critical supporter of community organizing and grassroots advocacy. Many of the city’s leading social justice groups were started with grants from the Foundation. You can read more about the Foundation’s history in Taking Risks That Matter.
How We Believe Change Happens
We believe lasting change happens when marginalized people come together to build power in their communities as a part of broader movements for justice and equity.
As a funder, we believe our role is to resource and trust grassroots groups organizing for transformative change. For the New York Foundation, this looks like:
Staff
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Maggie Colgan (they/them) is a trans artist from the Peninsula who approaches the world outside of binary and with abundance. As Communications Manager, they bring together all the resources of the Foundation, from the expertise of its staff to the legacy and reputation of the institution, to increase support for its grantees and to move power out of philanthropy and into our communities. They value communications beyond sharing information, as a vehicle to express and share yourself, to be seen, and to exist despite systemic erasure. Maggie attended Hampshire College, and has been with the Foundation since 2019.
Photo of Maggie facing the camera with a broad smile on their face, arms crossed, in a black longsleeve that says "Private Energy," a blurred view of NYC skyscrapers behind them. -
Zabrina Collazo (she/they/siya) joined the New York Foundation in 2020. In their role as program officer, they review grant applications, run the Summer Internship in Community Organizing, support the foundation's streamlining efforts, and participate in funder affinity groups such as Engage NY, GoVoteNYC, Justice Fund, and Neighborhoods First Fund. They have experience in grantmaking, and community and funder organizing. She approaches her work with a lens informed by reproductive justice, anti-imperialism, and. They grew up in Queens and never left.
Photo of Zabrina facing the camera with a bright smile and focused eyes, their shoulders back, in a black silk wrap blouse, and behind them is a blurred view of NYC skyscrapers.
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Melissa Ellison joined the New York Foundation in 2002. Mrs. Ellison manages the foundation’s finances and human resources. She provides administrative support to the program staff and acts as a liaison to the foundation’s trustees. Prior to her current position, Mrs. Ellison served as a program assistant and acting grants manager. Her other work experience includes positions as a financial assistant and education associate at St. Francis Xavier Action Youth Center. She was awarded an internship at the Municipal Credit Union by the African-American Credit Union Coalition. Mrs. Ellison holds a bachelor of science in business management and finance from CUNY Brooklyn College. She is a Certified Not-for-Profit Accounting Professional.
Photo of Melissa facing the camera in a bright purple shirt and pearl necklace, smiling cheerfully, with a blurred view of NYC skyscrapers behind her.
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Edna Iriarte came to the New York Foundation in 2009. As part of the program team, she provides ongoing support for current grantees and evaluates applications for future grants. She also leads the foundation’s capacity building programs, including field support grants to technical assistance providers, offerings to current grantees, and represents the foundation in the New York City Capacity Building Collaborative.
Edna has been working in philanthropy since 1994, at the Norman Foundation; at New World Foundation, where she played an important role launching the Phoenix Fund for Workers and Communities; at Jessie Smith Noyes, managing a portfolio of organizing groups protecting New York City’s environment and the health of its residents. Edna also conducted research informing the creation of La Fuente, a labor and community partnership that promoted immigrants’ and workers’ rights.
Edna earned a master’s degree in urban planning from the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University and a B.A. in Spanish and Italian at Queens College of the City University of New York. The daughter of immigrant parents and originally from New York City’s Lower East Side, she lives with her compañero and her son in Jackson Heights, Queens.
Photo of Edna facing the camera, in a black button-up, smiling calmly and brightly, with a blurred view of NYC skyscrapers behind her.
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Rickke Mananzala (he/him/his) has been active in grassroots organizing, advocacy, and social justice philanthropy in service of racial, economic, and gender justice movements for more than two decades. He currently serves as the President of the New York Foundation, which supports community organizing and advocacy towards a more just and inclusive New York City. He previously served as Vice President of Programs at Borealis Philanthropy, a philanthropic intermediary that brings funders together to support leaders, organizations, and grassroots movements in their efforts to build power for transformative change.
Rickke’s roots are in grassroots organizing, including serving as an organizer and eventually the Executive Director of FIERCE, a grassroots organization for LGBTQ youth of color in New York City that spearheaded campaigns to challenge youth criminalization. He was a New Voices Fellow at the Sylvia Rivera Law Project where he worked to integrate legal services, litigation, and policy advocacy to support organizing by and for low-income transgender people in New York City. Rickke was a founding board member of the Right to the City Alliance and served on the board Funders for LGBTQ Issues and the Third Wave Foundation (now Third Wave Fund) where he helped develop grantmaking strategies to support feminist youth organizing work across the U.S. He is currently a board member of the Public Welfare Foundation and Philanthropy New York.
Rickke received his B.A. in political science from Columbia University and Master of Public Administration from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs with a focus on urban policy.
Photo of Rickke facing the camera, in a soft grey longsleeve and thin, wire-frame glasses, smiling warmly with a blurred view of NYC skyscrapers behind him.
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Isabel Rivera has been with the New York Foundation since 1994 and handles grants management and coordinates the foundation’s capacity building program. Mrs. Rivera served as the foundation’s program assistant prior to her current position. She is a member of the Grants Manager Network. Prior to the New York Foundation, Mrs. Rivera worked at Columbia University Medical Center’s Dermatopathology Department. Mrs. Rivera holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Hunter College. She lives in the Bronx with her husband and two sons.
Photo of Isabel facing the camera, in a black turtleneck, sunny smile on her face, and a blurred view of NYC skyscrapers behind her.
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Sena (she/her/ella) joined the New York Foundation in 2022 as the Operations Associate. In her role, she provides operational and administrative support to the NYF team. With a background in nonprofit, Sena has experience in fundraising, office management, and community-based work. Sena received a BA in Humanities and Justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and is pursuing an MPA from the Austin W. Marxe School of Public and International Affairs at Baruch College. Originally from the Dominican Republic, she currently lives in the Bronx.
Photo of Sena facing the camera, in a caramel-colored blazer, her arms folded and a smart happy smile on her face, with a blurred view of NYC skyscrapers behind her.
Board
Our Grantees
Learn more about the organizations we support with our open multiple-year Core Grants, and our field-supporting internal grants: Strategic Opportunity, Nonpartisan c4 Civic Engagement, and Community Organizing Field Support.
NYF Core Grants are $47,500 per year, up to 3 years for established groups and 5 years for emerging groups.
More info:
Apply for a Grant
Community Resource Exchange: One-on-one support to build sustainable, mission-driven organizations
Lawyers Alliance for New York: Probono legal services tailored to social change nonprofits
Workshops: Monthly skills-building trainings combined with coaching
In addition to funds, grants include access to capacity building resources:
Small Grants: Responsive grants up to $10,000 for organizational development goals and unanticipated needs
Summer Intern in Community Organizing: Funds to hire a youth intern, bringing on additional capacity while building the pipeline for organizing in New York City
Caribbean Equality Project
Collaboratives
Recognizing the importance of funders coming together to mobilize more resources for community organizing, the New York Foundation serves as a member and fiscal sponsor for the following funder collaboratives and networks.
Engage New York builds philanthropic infrastructure across the state by connecting like-minded funders with shared values and agendas to build trust-based relationships, take part in action-based learning, and collaborate to advance systems change.
The New York City Capacity Building Funders’ Collaborative consists of social justice foundations that collectively pool resources to build the capacity of grassroots community-based organizations.
The Neighborhoods First Fund for Community-Based Planning (NFF) is a donor collaborative founded in 2015 to promote equitable, inclusive, and accountable development in New York City.
YOCCF partners with young community and cultural leaders, artists, funders and narrative changemakers and provides relationships and resources to advance their vision for change, while building and scaling their power together.
To engage in learning and organizing amongst our peers in social justice philanthropy, NYF is a member of the following affinity groups and philanthropic-serving organizations.
Affinities
