Results: In 2018, Citizens Committee invested $1.9 million in New York City, launched over 500 community improvement projects, and activated more than 10,000 resident volunteers.
Target demographics: Citizens Committee supports resident-led community groups " or Groundbreakers" throughout the five boroughs of New York City, with a focus on low-income and under-served neighborhoods.
Geographic areas served: underserved neighborhoods all over New York City.
Programs: We are so grateful for the generous support of our donors, which in 2018 helped us award micro-grants to more than 500 neighborhood projects. We mobilized an estimated over 10,000 volunteers in virtually every corner of the city and working in 155 different neighborhoods.
Citizens Committee was founded by Senator Jacob Javits and Newsweek Editor-in-Chief Osborn Elliott in 1975 to encourage New Yorkers to volunteer their time to help get their city through the fiscal crisis. Our mission is simple: to help New Yorkers - especially those in low-income areas - come together and improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods. Citizens Committee supports this work with micro-grants to resident-led community groups throughout the five boroughs of New York City, with a focus on low-to-moderate income and underserved neighborhoods. We supplement this financial support with project planning assistance and consultation, skills-building workshops, and networking opportunities. Our strength at citizens committee is our unparalleled connection to active groups in every corner of the city. We know them and we also know that with just a little support, they do so much to enrich their communities. As new crises arise, these resident-led groups are able to respond quickly and flexibly to meet the unique needs of their neighborhoods. Our work is based on the idea that every community faces its own set of challenges, and has potential to tap into a unique set of resources. Therefore, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, citizens committee supports groups working on a variety of innovative, local solutions to local issues. Through our resident empowerment model, everyday New Yorkers receive a combination of financial support and technical assistance to create meaningful changes in their communities. Projects like transforming vacant lots into gardens, starting afterschool programs, caring for street trees, and launching composting initiatives bring diverse residents together to create greener, safer, healthier communities.
