2023 Impact Report

Impact Report

A report prepared especially for you.

Dear Donor, We hope this finds you and your loved ones happy and healthy.

It is a pleasure to share with you the profound impact of The New York Community Trust’s grants. This year’s Impact Report highlights a few of the many victories made possible by generous donors who fell in love with this extraordinary region, wanted to express their gratitude in a lasting, meaningful way, and created legacy gifts with us. Decades later, these heartfelt, visionary gifts continue to make lifechanging work possible.

From the rolling hills of the lower Hudson Valley and countless cultural offerings of the city to the glittering waves of Montauk, we share a love for this place—and we are honored and delighted to help our legacy donors’ altruism continue.

2023

Thank you for being a part of our community foundation—the foundation for a vibrant New York.

Warmly,

Amy Freitag President

Marie D’Costa Vice President & Chief Development Officer

IMMIGRATION Setting the record straight on Long Island’s immigrants The Immigration Research Initiative released a study showing that while Long Island immigrants are overcoming hurdles, they still face challenges.

Immigrants account for 21 percent of the economic output of Long Island residents, even while making up a smaller percentage of the population. And while high-earning immigrants make up 36 percent of doctors on the Island, 40 percent of immigrants survive on poverty wages—data that can be used to guide policymaking.

The Long Island Community Foundation’s Miracle-Gro Fund made this study possible.

ENVIRONMENT A green light for cleaner air and better mass transit A 15-year campaign to create “congestion pricing” to reduce air pollution and increase public investment in mass transit scored a big victory thanks to the advocacy of Riders Alliance, Tri-State Transportation Campaign, and New York City Environmental Justice Alliance, among others. A federal agency approved the first-in-the-nation plan, paving the way for new fees for vehicles entering midtown and downtown Manhattan. Traffic is expected to drop by 15 to 20 percent; fees will yield $1 to $1.5 billion a year for mass transit.

Our LuEsther T. Mertz Fund, created, in part, to protect the environment, helped make this campaign possible.

PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES Streets are safer for low-vision pedestrians Thanks to successful litigation by Disability Rights Advocates, the city is adding at least 10,000 new accessible pedestrian signals with auditory cues and touch vibrations to help blind and low-vision New Yorkers cross streets safely. The city installed 498 accessible pedestrian signals in 2022 and expects to exceed its 2023 target of 500 signals.

Trust grants to Disability Rights Advocates used our David Warfield Fund to enhance services for people with low vision or blindness.

POVERTY First-in-nation livable wage hike for app workers The Worker’s Justice Project had a big win this year. Thanks to its Los Deliveristas Unidos advocacy campaign, the city mandated new pay hikes for app-based delivery workers: their hourly pay nearly tripled from $7.09 to $17.96 this summer, with more pay raises to follow in 2025 and new safety measures to protect workers when they are on the streets.

The Project received support from The Trust’s William & Françoise Barstow Foundation No. 2 fund and the Herbert B. West Fund.

HEALTH Reproductive healthcare access expanded The NY Birth Control Access Project led the advocacy campaign that resulted in Governor Hochul signing a bill that makes it easier for New Yorkers to take charge of their reproductive health. Next year, pharmacists will provide hormonal contraception without requiring a prescription. The Trust was the first institutional donor for this agency, which uses advocacy, public education, and policy analysis to expand access to reproductive healthcare.

Made possible by The Trust’s Lucy Wortham James Memorial Fund, established in 1936, and our Betty Wheeler Fund, created in 1991.

ARTS Promoting diverse storytelling through photography The arts group En Foco celebrates the work of U.S.-based photographers of Latinx, African, Asian, Native American, and Pacific Islander heritage. With its Nueva Luz magazine, En Foco explores overlooked social and cultural issues, expanding the field of photography. The group established an online archive and Nueva Luz Study Center, digitizing every issue of its publication and bringing all of Nueva Luz’s content and artists to the attention of global audiences.

The Mosaic Network & Fund, a learning network and collaborative fund of nearly 30 donors, supports African, Latinx, Asian, Arab, and Native American arts and cultural groups, including En Foco.

EDUCATION Parents create a new public school for struggling readers Literacy Academy Collective just opened the South Bronx Literacy Academy— the first district public school in the country specifically designed to teach students with dyslexia and other struggling readers. A group of parents and educators seeking systemic change created the Collective after fighting to connect their own children with appropriate instruction. Trust funding trained teachers for this groundbreaking school.

The Trust’s grant was made possible by our Francis Florio Fund, established in 1974, and our B. Altman Fund, created in 1985.

CHILDREN & TEENS Interventions give new direction to young people in Westchester The Center for Justice Innovation, working with New Rochelle City Court Judge Jared Rice, is helping people ages 16 to 24 facing misdemeanor or felony charges. The Opportunity Youth Part program connects participants with job training and placement, behavioral health services, academic support, and mentors. The initiative’s early success at turning around young lives has made it a model for other communities.

Our Westchester Community Foundation’s Wallace Fund for Youth supported the program.

LGBTQ A new tool to create better conditions for transgender workers Employers often have difficulty supporting transgender and nonbinary workers, both in their hiring practices and by failing to create safe, welcoming workplaces.

The Program for the Study of LGBT Health at Columbia University used Trust grants to create AFFIRM Talent, a publicly available online training program that prepares employers to recruit and retain gender-diverse workers. It has been shared with employers ranging from local nonprofits to international corporations.

Made possible by our Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial Fund, which was established in 1928, and the Major Fund, created in 1971.

Photos credits: Cover photo by Olga Enger. Environment: Rally for congestion pricing on September 21, 2022. Photo by Karen Smul. People with Disabilities: An accessible crosswalk signal. Photo by William Alatriste/NY City Council via Flickr. Poverty: Worker’s Justice Project advocates after wage-increase win. Photo by Katie Godowski. Health: NYBCAP associate board members in at the State Capitol building on Albany Day in February 2023. Photo courtesy of NYBCAP. Art: Cover of Volume 23 Issue 1 of Nueva Luz featuring photo by Tiffany Smith, Woman Who Became Nigerian Through Her Parent’s Eyes, 2016. Education: Student heading to class at South Bronx Literacy Academy. Photo

by Literacy Academy Collective. Children & Teens: Judge Jared R. Rice and Opportunity Youth Part participant Joshua Jackson. Photo courtesy of Center for Justice Innovation.

What we’ve accomplished together The big wins in this report show the progress we can make when we come together. The Trust’s generous donors and exemplary grantees work tirelessly to make life better for everyone who calls our region home. People say New Yorkers are great in a crisis, but those of us who love New York also stay ahead of the curve. That’s why your foresight and generosity through charitable gift planning will continue to have an impact for generations to come. I hope you feel as proud as I do to be a part of this amazing community.

Amy Freitag, President As we have done for nearly 100 years, we can help you create a charitable legacy for today, tomorrow, and forever. If you would like to include The Trust in your will, use a portion of your retirement plan assets, or learn more about what is possible, please reach out. With this type of gift, you can join our Legacy Society and have the peace of mind that your gift will always make a difference.

Contact me at md@nyct-cfi.org or (212) 686-2461.

Marie D’Costa, Vice President & Chief Development Officer

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