RIOC Announces Recipients Of 2022 Public Purpose Fund Grants Today - $150 Thousand Awarded To 13 Roosevelt Island Non Profit Organizations Selected By NYC Community Trust

We thank The New York Community Trust @NYCommTrust and the Roosevelt Island Community for the collaborative efforts with the Public Purpose Fund process. https://t.co/IcY7TTpOQ2 pic.twitter.com/XwVC1iWopY

— RIOC NYS (@RIOCny) May 13, 2022

As reported March 7, 2022:

Over the years, there have been some complaints by specific groups about the RIRA PPF committee recommendations and some modification of RIRA recommendations by the RIOC Board but for the most part RIRA has done a good job as acknowledged by RIOC.

But, the RIOC PPF process has changed starting this year. 

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Board of Directors approved delegating the administration of Public Purpose Fund (PPF) Grants to the NYC Community Trust (NYCT)  during the October 28, 2021 RIOC Board of Directors meeting (Video of discussion here)...

RIOC announced today the Roosevelt Island organizations selected and funds awarded in 2022 Public Purpose funds. According to RIOC:

The Roosevelt Island Public Purpose Fund (the Fund) has announced $150,000 in grants to 13 nonprofits working to benefit Roosevelt Island residents and enhance their quality of life. 

Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) was created in 1984 by the State of New York to plan, design, develop, and maintain Roosevelt Island. RIOC asked The New York Community Trust (The Trust) to administer its public purpose grants this year and created the Roosevelt Island Public Purpose Fund in The Trust.

“We are proud to assist these dedicated nonprofits in their service to the Island,” said RIOC President and CEO Shelton Haynes. “The New York Community Trust’s expertise improved the grantmaking process this year and will help the grantees strengthen their operations for the future.”

The grants support a range of projects aiming to make life on Roosevelt Island more enjoyable and equitable: from enrichment classes for older adults and improving services for people with disabilities to supporting the island’s visitor center and putting on orchestral concerts. 

The Fund previously provided a grant of $50,000 to Community Resource Exchange, one of the city’s most distinguished nonprofit consultant agencies, to provide a series of free nonprofit management workshops to grantees and other Roosevelt Island nonprofits. The workshops for nonprofit volunteers and leaders will share information about best practices in nonprofit management, governance, and fundraising.

The Trust aimed to simplify the application and reporting processes for nonprofits, while ensuring grants support important programs and services for Roosevelt Island residents–including educational opportunity, cultural enrichment, improved health, and a better environment.  

The grant application process began in February, and closed on March 14. 

The Trust convened an independent, five-person advisory committee made up of members of the Roosevelt Island community to review applications and make grant recommendations. The committee members live or work on the island; have nonprofit and/or public service experience; and reflect race, age, and gender diversity. Members were anonymous during the review period to keep the process fair and confidential. Their names and affiliations are:

• Carlos Chavez, manager, Roosevelt Island Library
• Katherine Teets Grimm, MD, pediatrician, Roosevelt Island Pediatrics, Mt. Sinai
• Jennifer Ifil-Ryan, global director of experience at Nike; former director of education at The High Line
• Sharon Pope-Marshall, executive director of CIVITAS; Community Board 8 member
• Carl Weisbrod, senior advisor at HR&A Advisors; former chairman of the New York City Planning Commission

In April, the committee met to discuss each application and to collectively make decisions about grantees and grant amounts. They prioritized organizations with a history of commitment and a proven track record of serving Roosevelt Island; that filled a critical gap in services to historically under-resourced communities (such as low-income populations, communities of color, older adults, and people with disabilities); that clearly articulated project outcomes and activities; and that aimed for long-term engagement with beneficiaries.

The grant recipients are: 

The Carter Burden Network: $5,000 to provide culturally responsive services to Korean-speaking Roosevelt Island residents. 

 iDig2Learn: $12,000 to support a food and compost initiative, educational outreach, and a tree survey. 

 Island Kids: $20,000 to provide need-based scholarships to 18-20 children and families for the Island Kids Summer Camp.

 Leonardo Suarez Paz's PIAZZOLLA 100: $1,000 for general operating support.

 Main Street Theatre and Dance Alliance: $20,000 to provide 40 need-based scholarships and work-study placements, and 15 internships.

 PTA PS/IS 217: $12,000 to provide movement classes from the National Dance Institute for 160 school children ages 3 to 6.

 Roosevelt Island Concerts: $10,000 to hold a chamber music and orchestral series on Roosevelt Island. 

 Roosevelt Island Disabled Association: $20,000 to provide food pantry, field trip, and transportation services to people with disabilities on Roosevelt Island.

 Roosevelt Island Historical Society: $5,000 to support the Roosevelt Island visitor center and outreach activities. 

 Roosevelt Island Living Library / Life Frames: $16,000 to provide gardening, nutritional, and wellness classes on Roosevelt Island, prioritizing older adults and people with disabilities.

 Roosevelt Island Senior Association: $12,000 to provide weekend and evening classes for older adults.

 Roosevelt Island Visual Art Association: $16,000 for the “Open Arms” community partnership and exhibition series.

 Wildlife Freedom Foundation: $1,000 for general operating support.

UPDATE 5/14 - Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Vice President and Public Purpose Funds (PPF) committee member Erin Feely-Nahem responds to RIOC's announcement of the NYC Community Trust 2022 Public Purpose Funds  grants. 

Image of 2020 RIRA PPF Committee

According to Ms Feely-Nahem:

For all the complaining by two applicants who thought RIRA was unfair in the funding they provided to them, the numbers look very similar, except without community pressure and a RIOC Board member’s displeasure, they got less then RIRA determined they should have. The most outrageous thing is the treatment of WFF, who cares for the numerous stray cats Island wide, and the ones that people from other boroughs and RI owners who move on often dump in Motorgate or in the garden. Not to mention the calls their founder takes, 24/7 when injured animals are found by residents or Public Safety officers. Where else in “Manhattan” do you see duckling following their mother, or possums? This organization and the assistance they offer RIOC is crucial on the Island. Who is going to feed the stray cats at South Point, Octagon, or near the garden? Who is going to rescue the thrown away pets left too often when residents move on? Who is going to bring animals injured by collisions with buildings, cars or dogs off their leases, a recent attack near the Octagon which cost over a thousand dollars in the ER, and days in the hospital for the wounds to drain and heal?  

The people chosen for the resident review obviously know nothing about how important and essential WFF is to our community, and to the preservation of wildlife here, which we treasure on our small Island habitat in the middle of a concrete jungle.

I sent the following message to the NYC Community Trust today:

I am preparing a follow up article on the announcement yesterday of Roosevelt Island Public Purpose Fund grants to local RI  non profit organizations.

In the interest of transparency and openness, what was the rationale for NYC Community Trust awarding grants to each of the organizations and the amounts allocated for each? In the past, the Roosevelt Island Residents Association would submit a public memo detailing the reasons organizations were selected and amounts allocated.

Will New York City Community Trust do the same for the 2022 Roosevelt Island Public Purpose Fund grants?

For instance, why was the Wildlife Freedom Foundation awarded $1thousand, Roosevelt Island Historical Society awarded $5 Thousand and Carter Burden Roosevelt Island Senior Center awarded $5 thousand - amounts much less than other organizations.

Please let me know if the NYC Community Trust will comment on this issue of importance to the Roosevelt Island community.

Will update when more information becomes available. 

UPDATE 5/16 - NYC Community Trust Communications Director Marty Lipp answers:

The New York Community Trust appointed an advisory board of community members to lead the grantmaking process this year and to review the applications using the criteria laid out in the request for proposals. They reviewed and discussed the proposals and reached a consensus on the final grant recommendations. The Trust believes it is unnecessary to make additional comments on the decision-making process.