Good News For Roosevelt Island Non Profit Organizations, RIOC Seeks Approval To Increase Total Annual Public Purpose Funds Distribution From $150 Thousand To $250 Thousand At September 19 Board Of Directors Meeting

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Board of Directors

will meet Thursday September 19 in the Good Shepherd Community Center (543 Main Street) beginning at 5:30 pm.

You're invited to attend, ask questions and share concerns about Roosevelt Island during the opening Public Session before the start of the RIOC Board meeting. Sign up to speak here.

Among the items on the Agenda are:

1. Adoption of the Whistleblower Policy and Procedures (Board Action Required)
2. Discussion of the Proposed By-Laws Revisions (Materials to Follow)
3. Authorization to Increase the Public Purpose Funds Amount (Board Action Required - Materials to Follow)
4. Authorization to Enter into Contract with the New York Community Trust (“NYCT”) for Public Purpose Funds Grant Program (Board Action Required – Materials to Follow) 5. Update on the Bus Operations...

Here's the full agenda for the September 19 RIOC Board Of Directors Meeting.

Here's the memo from RIOC CFO Dhru Amin to the RIOC Board of Directors in support of increasing Public Purpose Funds from $150 thousand to $250 thousand annually

and memo in support of the NY Community Trust to continue administering the Public Purpose Funds program.

As reported May 12, 2023, the Roosevelt Island Public Purpose Fund 

Image From NY Community Trust

administered by NY Community Trust distributed:

... $301,000 in two-year grants to 12 nonprofits working to benefit Roosevelt Island residents and enhance their quality of life....

... Based on formal criteria laid out in the Request for Proposals, they prioritized projects that enhanced the well-being of Roosevelt Island residents; 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, $29,000, to provide case management services to Korean-speaking residents.
• iDig2Learn, $20,000, for a community meals, composting, and beautification project.
• Island Kids, $20,000, for summer camp scholarships for 15 or more children.
• Main Street Theatre and Dance Alliance, $40,000, for 200 scholarships and work-study placements and 30 internships.
• Open Doors, a project of the Center for Transformative Action, $25,000, to publish a poetry anthology and provide poetry workshops.
• PTA PS/IS 217, $26,000, for dance arts education for 300 3K, Pre-K, and kindergarten students.
• Roosevelt Island: A Living Library/Life Frames, $28,000, to expand the “Vegetables and Me” workshop series, provide nutritional workshops, and expand accessibility offerings.
• Roosevelt Island Concerts, $13,000, to hold a performance and community outreach concert series.
• Roosevelt Island Disabled Association, $40,000, to provide food pantry services, field trips, and a mental health fair to disabled and older adult communities.
• Roosevelt Island Historical Society, $20,000, to support the Roosevelt Island visitor center and educational lecture series.
• Roosevelt Island Senior Association, $20,000, for community events and weekend and evening classes for older adults.
• Roosevelt Island Visual Art Association, $20,000, for a series of community events and exhibitions. 

 In addition, the Fund provided a grant of $15,000 to Community Resource Exchange to offer a series of free management and network-building workshops to grantees and other Roosevelt Island nonprofits. The workshops will help strengthen nonprofits in areas such as marketing, fundraising, and creating strategic partnerships.

There have been concerns raised by some Roosevelt Island organizations about a lack of transparency by NY Community Trust in not publicly reporting the reasons why some groups receive greater and others lesser amounts of Public Purpose Funds as was done in prior years when the Roosevelt Island Residents Association made these recommendations to RIOC. It's not clear whether greater reporting transparency is including in this new agreement with RIOC.