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.
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 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
... $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.
Roosevelt Island Disabled Association, $40,000, to provide food pantry services, field trips, and a mental health fair to disabled and older adult communities.
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.
Emails and text messages arrived yesterday from local Roosevelt Island non-profit organizations reporting that they were informed about allocation of Roosevelt Island Public Purpose Fund grant awards to their organizations.
As one Roosevelt Island non profit organization leader reported:
I will be very curious what other groups received!
In reality, New York City Community Trust (NYCT) does nothing in the award process. Yes, they interview the applicants and facilitate the distribution of award $$$.
It is a group of selected people who review the applications and NYCT accepts their decisions. As you know, the names of this committee remain anonymous until after the process...
Another Roosevelt Island non profit leader added:
We don't know who the judges were so who knows how fair it was?
After receiving these comments, I asked Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Shelton Haynes:
I understand that the Roosevelt Island Public purpose fund awards were announced to the recipients today.
Please send me a copy of the groups awarded funds and the amounts.
Please send me the names of the judges who selected the recipients and their qualifications for making the awards.
In the interest of transparency, please send any evaluations used by the judges as reasons for their selections as the RIRA Public Purpose Funds committee did for many years.
The Roosevelt Island Public Purpose Fund (the Fund) has announced $301,000 in two-year grants to 12 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 and created the Roosevelt Island Public Purpose Fund in The Trust in 2022.
“RIOC is always proud to support our incredible community groups with these Public Purpose Fund grants,” said Shelton J. Haynes, president and CEO of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation. “This grant money will go a long way toward ensuring our nonprofits can continue to maintain programming that enhances the quality of life on the Island. Our thanks to New York Community Trust for once again helping to manage this process, from the grant application phase through the award disbursements.”
“As the community foundation for New York City, The Trust is proud to help bring these needed services to Roosevelt Island residents and to strengthen the nonprofits serving the Island,” said Julia Chang, philanthropic initiatives officer at The Trust.
The awards program, which began in 1989, supports projects to make life on Roosevelt Island more enjoyable and equitable for all. The $301,000 in two-year grants will go to 12 nonprofit organizations for a variety of services to Island residents: from arts education for young students to food pantry services to classes for older adults.
The Trust convened an independent, five-person advisory committee 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 of the Roosevelt Island Library
Skip Hartman, owner of Roosevelt Island Racquet Club and founder of New York Junior Tennis and Learning Network
Jessica Klein, associate design director at Change.Org
Sharon Pope-Marshall, executive director of CIVITAS and Manhattan Community Board 8 member
Jax Schott, owner of Island Om
In April, the committee met to discuss each application and to collectively make decisions about grantees and grant amounts. 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.
Roosevelt Island Disabled Association, $40,000, to provide food pantry services, field trips, and a mental health fair to disabled and older adult communities.
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.
The New York Community Trust is a public charity and New York City’s largest community foundation. It connects generous people and institutions with high-impact nonprofits making the city and its suburbs a better place for all. It builds stronger communities, influences public policy, fosters innovation, improves lives, and protects our environment.
About the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation
The Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation was created in 1984 by the State of New York as a public benefit corporation with a mission to plan, design, develop, operate, and maintain Roosevelt Island.
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.
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.
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:
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.
This Ad Hoc Committee was established as part of a RIRA Common Council
community service effort to assist the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation
(RIOC) in the review of grant applications submitted by Island-based
nonprofits for Public Purpose Funds (PPF). The activities of this Committee
have evolved over time. The Committee makes a recommendation to RIOC and the
RIOC Board of Directors is the final decision-maker regarding the distribution
of funds that support qualified Island nonprofit organizations. The Committee
recommends funds that would benefit Roosevelt Island residents, enhancing
their quality of life through, for example, education, artistic and cultural
enrichment, improved health and activity and a better environment....
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.
According to this excerpt
from an October 20, 2021 memo by RIOC General Counsel Gretchen Robinson to
RIOC President Shelton Haynes:
Public Purpose Funds (“PPF”) grants were first awarded in 1989 when New York
State established the fund to support community uses. In line with RIOC’s
mission and core values, RIOC issues PPF grants to local non-profit
organizations that dedicate those funds to services, programs, and projects,
that benefit and enrich the Roosevelt Island community.
The application process requires grant applicants to submit a budget along
with their desired award amount. At the conclusion of the grant application
process, the Board of Directors vote to approve the purpose for which the
grant is sought, and the award amount to be distributed to each applicant.
...
... RIOC is seeking Board approval to enter into a one-year contract – and
two one-year options to renew – with NYCT for the purpose of providing grant
administration and monitoring services for RIOC’s Public Purpose Funds Grant
Program. This contract will include a pre-funding authorization for public
purpose funds in the amount of $450K; along with additional funding for
grantee governance and finance best practices education in the amount of
$50K; for a contract service fee of $25K per each grant cycle.
... The New York Community Trust (The Trust) is a public charity founded in
1924. As a grantmaking foundation, The Trust connects past, present, and
future generous New Yorkers with vital nonprofits working to make a healthy,
equitable, and thriving community for all. Since 1989, The Roosevelt Island
Operating Corporation (RIOC) has provided public purpose funding to local
nonprofits to benefit Roosevelt Island residents. In January 2022, RIOC
asked The Trust to administer the public purpose grants and created the
Roosevelt Island Public Purpose Fund. The Fund will support Roosevelt Island
nonprofits that provide direct services or benefits to Roosevelt Island
residents.
The Fund expects to award up to $150,000 total through one-year grants of up
to $20,000 to eligible nonprofits. Proposals are due at 12pm noon Eastern on
March 14, 2022. Notification of award status will be made by May 2022....
"I'm preparing an article on the new Roosevelt Island Public Purpose Funds
(PPF) process that is being managed for the first time by the NYC Community Trust.
Several of the new eligibility criteria appear to exclude
previous PPF Roosevelt Island non profit organizations grant recipients from
receiving PPF funds this year or if still eligible at a greatly reduced
amount from prior years.
... Below are some of the concerns raised by the Roosevelt Island Residents
Association (RIRA) excerpted from their recent letter to RIOC President
Shelton Haynes:
"... We have several concerns with NYCT: the financial
accounting is now worse, not better; the procurement process
suffers from unfairness; the criteria is discriminatory, with a
bias towards very large organizations, and eliminates smaller
and prior PPF awardees; and so on. Here are specifics:
● Short notice bidders meeting: RIOC announced the PPF application process to the Island on
the afternoon of February 16. Embedded in those links was a
bidders meeting scheduled for less than 24 hours later.
Scheduling in that time frame is difficult, especially when
an RFP requires accounting and legal staff review, and
choosing the right person with prepared questions to answer
the call for a bidders meeting. Some organizations were not
able to attend. Some organizations were not prepared for the
meeting. A 24 hour turn around for such an important meeting
is unfair to the non-profits involved.
RequestedAction: The bidding process should be restarted
with appropriate advanced
announcement.
● Unfair bidding process: During the bidders meeting, the elements of the RFP were
presented
and the meeting recorded. However, once the presentation
ended, the Q&A was NOT recorded. This is unfair and
discriminatory as some bidders are receiving different sets
of information about the bidding process, or may have
benefited from the answers provided to their peers. It is
normal during the procurement process for all bidders to
hear all questions and all bidders to hear all answers. In
addition, it has been reported to us that bidders have had
direct communications with NYCT staff, yet other bidders
have not been informed of those questions and answers. We
believe the State procurement rules provide a fairer
process, not NYCT. RequestedAction: The bidding process
should be restarted with appropriate transparency and
fairness.
● Maximum 30% operational costs: For some organizations, the RIOC PPF grant is 60-99% of
their operating budget. These are organizations that have
done good work for the Island. The NYCT criteria
discriminates against these organizations, and their
rationale is unclear.
RequestedAction: This criteria should be removed.
● At least 4 directors, with one a staff member. Island organizations have operated according
to NYS law, which requires 3 directors. This is a burden and
a hazard for Island organizations, potentially making their
governance worse. It's not that the organizations need an
extra member, it's that NYCT is asking (and has asked)
Island organizations to change their board configurations
with 4 weeks notice. How does such a board now rank and
compete among other applicants? Previously it was an
experienced board with 3 members, now it is an inexperienced
and new board with 4 or 5 members. NYCT has not considered
the consequences of their criteria and the discriminatory
affect upon applicants. Furthermore, if applicants don't
comply with this criteria, they must use a fiscal sponsor,
which just wastes valuable money as a "pass-thru" and
provides no purported benefit regarding board structure.
Requested Action: This criteria should be removed.
● Project budgets. This particular accounting technique does not seem to be
effective, as organizations that provide scholarships would,
in effect, have negative budgets, which would cause them to
be less competitive.
RequestedAction: Simple organizational and expense
accounting should be required.
● Up to $10 million organizations can participate. RIRA has steadfastly questioned why large organizations
should be allowed to compete and take away from small
organizations. For example, $10,000 PPF money is 0.1% of a
$10 million organization. Surely every $10 million
not-for-profit can squeeze 0.1% from their budget to provide
a service. Meanwhile small Island organizations struggle for
such funds. For decades, RIRA has provided more scrutiny on
such large organization requests and have insisted that
those organizations internally match (at a higher ratio) the
funds they are requesting as PPF is a zero-sum game: what
you give to the large organization takes away from the small
organization.
RequestedAction: For large organizations (over$1million),
the criteria should be changed to a sliding scale: for every
$1 million in operating budget at $1 million and above, the
organization must provide an additional 1:1 match of PPF
funds up to 5:1 match, e.g., $1 million organization
provides 1:1 match, $3 million organization 3:1 match, $7
million organization 5:1 match.
● No capital expenditures. In fact, capital purchases provided very high value, e.g.,
one organization would purchase a van that was shared by
other organizations. Although there are few of these kinds
of projects, they are highly desirable for the long-term
benefit.
Request Action: Remove this restriction.
● Project must be different from last year. For many organizations, they provide consistent services,
such as activities, summer camps, growing plants, and so on.
This discriminates against those organizations providing
regular services that the community needs.
Request Action: Remove this restriction.
● Payments are one-time, lump sum, with no monitoring. Purportedly, the main purpose of RIOC handing this to NYCT
was RIOC's disinterest in, or inability to do accounting and
contract administration. With NYCT, once the applicant is
awarded, there is a lump sum payment of the whole amount -
no monitoring or partial payments like RIOC used to do.
RequestedAction: NYCT must do project accounting and
monitoring, and disburse partial
payments.
● Unclear what community review is. The NYCT effort has not made it clear what "community
review" is. NYCT has little/no experience on Roosevelt
Island, nor with our community.
The RIRA PPF committee should do community review of
applications. Requested Action: Assign RIRA PPF committee the
community review.
Does NYC Community Trust have any comment on the new PPF process and
eligibility criteria for the upcoming Roosevelt Islander Online article
on subject."
NYCT spokesperson Marty Lipp replied March 5:
The New York Community Trust was asked by RIOC to administer its
public purpose fund and to make sure the funding was awarded fairly
and has maximum impact for the community. We brought to this process
nearly a century of grantmaking expertise awarding nearly $5 billion
across the five boroughs as well as Long Island and Westchester,
working with thousands of nonprofits, large and small.
In addition to distributing the grants in an efficient and effective
manner, we want to help nonprofits submit strong applications with an
eye toward strengthening their internal processes so they can
flourish. But we know that our due diligence requirements may be new
to some. Toward that end, we also are providing a series of workshops
and coaching sessions for Roosevelt Island nonprofits on good
governance and financial practices led by an expert nonprofit
management provider. We hope that this workshop series and the
individualized assistance we are providing will help applicants emerge
stronger and better equipped to secure additional funding from new
sources.
We also hear the community’s concern about timeline. This program was
launched quickly with the goal to distribute grants as soon as
possible to organizations who rely on them. We understand that some
nonprofits may only have three board members currently. Therefore, we
are extending the date by which organizations must add a fourth member
to the end of the grant period, and are happy to work with nonprofits
on that effort over the course of the year.
We have reached out and given one-on-one technical assistance to past
grantees. We have created a streamlined and simplified payment process
that will lighten the administrative burden on nonprofits. We are
confident that the grants will support important work for Roosevelt
Island in the coming year. All Roosevelt Island nonprofits are welcome
to apply and we encourage them to do so.
What follows are The Trust’s comments regarding the itemized concerns
in the RIRA letter that the Islander shared with us (numbered for
clarity):
1) The Trust emailed all past grantees that the grant opportunity was
open, and invited them to the informational webinar ten days prior to
the meeting.
2) We reached out to past grantees and have had one-on-one discussions
to ensure their questions were answered. We continue to be available
via phone and email to answer questions from all prospective
applicants.
3) Having made thousands of grants to nonprofits of all sizes over the
years, The Trust staff believe that nonprofits should have diverse
funding sources to maintain their viability over the long term.
4) The Trust is not asking nonprofits to dismiss current board
members. While New York State requires nonprofits to have three board
members, the Better Business Bureau recommends five. In its
experience, The Trust understands that it can be challenging for
smaller nonprofits to recruit five, and therefore its requirement is
four board members. We are happy to work with nonprofits to achieve
this board expansion within the yearlong grant period, if that
nonprofit’s application is awarded. We believe the free nonprofit
workshops provided through this fund will additionally strengthen
governance practices for all organizations.
5) As part of the application materials, and in line with our standard
practice, we request a project-specific budget from applicants that
includes income and itemized expenses. We also request an overall
budget for the organization. A scholarship, for example, would be
itemized as an expense. Any nonprofit can address specific queries
with our staff.
6) The Trust is prioritizing grantmaking to nonprofits with budgets
below $10 million, which includes smaller nonprofits.
7) Because the grants are generally small, they cannot be used for
brick and mortar capital projects. However, equipment purchases, such
as a van, are an allowable project expense if they ensure a group can
deliver its service. If a nonprofit has any questions about specific
expenses, we are glad to speak with them.
8) This program will make project grants to both existing and new
programs. Nonprofits can submit applications for existing programs
that they have run in prior years. We additionally expect and
encourage nonprofits to include administrative or overhead expenses in
their project budgets.
9) The Trust believes that nonprofits, particularly smaller ones, can
best fulfill their missions when their administrative burden is
reduced. Best practice for grants of this size is to disburse grants
upfront in one payment, which helps nonprofits with planning and
cashflow. Grantees’ work will be monitored through a single, final
report at the end of the term of the grant. Trust staff conduct
additional financial due diligence reviews on the front end before
making a grant, rather than on the back end as may have been the past
practice.
10) The Trust has nearly a hundred years of experience working with
New York City community-based organizations. We have enlisted a review
committee composed of five Roosevelt Island community members who will
review every proposal and recommend grants to The Trust.
We encourage any nonprofits with questions to reach out to us, and to
review the Request for Proposals, to which we have recently added a
Frequently Asked Questions section.
Here is the full RIRA letter sent to RIOC President Shelton Haynes
and discussion of the Public Purpose Fund grants during March 2 RIRA
Common Council meeting Public Session.
RIOC has not responded to request for comment.
UPDATE 3/10 - I asked NYCT:
... who are the 5 Roosevelt Island residents selected for the Community Review process and what criteria was used to select them?
NYCT Trust spokesperson Marty Lipp answered:
The New York Community Trust searched for and selected committee members to the Roosevelt Island Public Purpose Fund based on the following criteria: they live or work on Roosevelt Island; have deep experience and expertise in the nonprofit and/or public service sector; have no known conflicts of interest with past PPF grantees; and reflect age, gender, and racial diversity. Aligned with best practices to maintain a fair and objective review process, we will announce the committee members in May when we announce the grant recipients.
I followed up:
In the interests of openness and transparency why are you not announcing the members of the review committee now. The members of the Committee may have conflicts that NYC Community Trust is not aware.
By making the names public now, any potential conflict can be vetted by the community and addressed now.
Are any Committee members married or otherwise part of Rioc board or staff families? .... How many of the 5 work but do not live on Roosevelt Island.
Mr Lipp replied:
My earlier response sums up what we have to say at this point about the evaluation committee members and the process for choosing them.
We understand that this is a new process for the Island. If prospective applicants have any questions, they can contact The Trust directly as outlined in the RFP (as many already have) for guidance and assistance.
But be aware that RIOC Board Members and staff rarely respond to questions
during any Public Session though they sometimes address the subject during the
actual Board meeting.
Questions that could be asked - why is
David Kapell remaining
on the RIOC Board of Directors when he no longer lives on Roosevelt Island?
Public Purpose Grants first became available after the construction of
Manhattan Park in 1989, when New York State allowed the fund to be
established in lieu of the developers paying sales tax on construction
materials.
The RIOC Board of Directors approves the allocation of these funds each
year. Not-for-profit community organizations are welcome to apply for a
Public Purpose Grant by following the application process below.
Public Purpose Grants should be allocated to benefit Roosevelt Island
residents, enhancing their quality of life through education, artistic and
cultural enrichment, improved health, or a better environment...
... As part of a process adopted at the May 22, 2008 RIOC Board meeting, the
Roosevelt Island Residents Association ("RIRA") took on the role of
reviewing applications and making recommendations for funding to the
RIOC Board. RIRA's recommendations were based on the merits of each PPF
applicant to the community and available funding...
The RIOC 2021-22 PPF
community review process began earlier this month with virtual Zoom applicant presentations to the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) PPF Committee.
Local Roosevelt Island non profit organizations seeking @RIOCny Public Purpose Fund Grants make presentations to RI Residents Association PPF Committee. Check out video from first night presentations - Feb 8 https://t.co/eLP6ddQHg0
Local Roosevelt Island non profit organizations seeking @RIOCny Public Purpose Fund Grants make presentations to RI Residents Association PPF Committee. Check out video from second night presentations - Feb 9 https://t.co/AUfG7NmUGu
1- New York Foundation for the Arts- Piazzolla-100
● Amount Requested: $12,348.72 (Prior Yr: $11,740.00)
● Recommended: $11,000.00 (Prior Yr: $10,333.00)
Below is the full RIRA PPF committee recommendation report submitted to RIOC for final approval. A total of $150,000 was allocated to 12 non profit organizations serving a variety of Roosevelt Island constituencies.
Also, suggestions from the Committee for implementing future
PPF allocations.
According to RIOC Public Information Officer Amy Smith:
...those receiving funds will be announced at our Board of Directors meeting in April.
... We have been pitting groups serving 100 persons a day versus a smaller
group that seasonally serves persons, A more fair and open process must
be developed....
The RIRA PPF are subject to RIOC Board of Directors final approval.
Public Purpose Grants first became available after the construction of
Manhattan Park in 1989, when New York State allowed the fund to be
established in lieu of the developers paying sales tax on construction
materials.
The RIOC Board of Directors approves the allocation of these funds each
year. Not-for-profit community organizations are welcome to apply for a
Public Purpose Grant by following the application process below.
Public Purpose Grants should be allocated to benefit Roosevelt Island
residents, enhancing their quality of life through education, artistic and
cultural enrichment, improved health, or a better environment...
Please be advised that the 2021-22 Public Purpose Grant Community Review
Process for applicant proposed programs and projects will be conducted on-line
via Zoom (see link below) on Monday, February 8th and Tuesday, February 9th,
beginning at 7 PM.
The presentations are open to the public as an opportunity to learn more
about the programs and projects from community groups who are seeking
funding. At the conclusion of each presentation, time will be reserved for
questions and answers by members of the Roosevelt Island Resident’s
Association Special Public Purpose Grant Committee and the public
attendees.
Please see the schedule of presentations below:
Mon., Feb. 8th
New York Foundation for the Arts: 7 PM - 7:20 PM
R.I. Disabled Association: 7:20 PM -7:40 PM
Main Street Theatre & Dance Alliance: 7:40 PM - 8 PM
Open Spaces – iDig2Learn: 8 PM - 8:20 PM
Island Kids: 8:20 PM - 8:40 PM
Roosevelt Island Senior Association: 8:40 - 9 PM
Tue., Feb. 9th
R.I. Visual Arts Association: 7:00 PM - 7:20 PM
Carter Burden Network Inc.: 7:20 PM - 7:40 PM
PS/IS 217 PTA: 7:40 PM - 8 PM
R.I. Historical Society: 8 PM - 8:20 PM
Wildlife Freedom Foundation: 8:20 PM - 8:40 PM
Life Frames: 8:40 PM - 9:00 PM
For more information, please call 212-832-4540 or go to:
rioc.ny.gov/280
The Roosevelt Island Public Purpose grant non-profit organization applicants
this year include same applicants from last year plus the Roosevelt Island
Seniors Association (RISA).
Interviews will take place over two nights in Good Shepherd Community Center - 543 Main Street. Applicants will have 20 minutes to present the projects for which Public Purpose Funds (PPF) are being requested.
Among the items on agenda for today's Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Board of Directors meeting is:
8. Authorization of Expenditure of the Public Purpose Funds for Fiscal Year 2019-20 (Board
Action Required)
Below is June 18 RIOC memo in support of the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) recommendations for allocating $150 thousand in Public Purpose Funds to 10 Roosevelt Island non-profit organizations.
Attached please find the Roosevelt Island Resident Association (“RIRA”) recommended Public Purpose Grant awards for the fiscal year 2019‐20. RIRA conducted evaluations through its Public Purpose Funds Committee (“Committee”). The Committee took into account information in the applications, as well as information provided by each applicant at a public interview session. The Committee also considered the extent to which the program or project demonstrated benefits to the community, as well as whether the applicant would be able to carry out their proposed project if Public Purpose Funds were awarded.
The table below summarizes the committee’s recommendations:
Based upon the foregoing, I recommend the Board’s approval of Public Purpose Grants along the lines and purposes reflected in RIRA’s recommendations.
The RIRA Common Council’s PPF Committee reviewed the RIOC-provided applications of ten Island 501c(3) organizations seeking funds for their respective programs. The Common Council approved the attached report during the week of June 10th, 2019.
Voting for PPF Recommendations Approved
Yes 15
No 0
Abstentions 2
Not Voting for Cause 5
No response 4
We continue to hope that future funds availed will be at or close to three percent of the RIOC operating budget as allowed in NY legislation and approved by Governor Cuomo . As evidenced by this and prior reports, qualified Island 501c non-profits continue to lack funds sufficient to fully meet their goals beneficial to the Island.
Please note that the PPF Committee has made a special recommendation for the Roosevelt Island Disabled Association.
It is with pleasure that we provide you the funding recommendations for your review and approval.
Further, we thank RIOC for its continued support to the community and for allowing the RIRA-Common Council to provide inputs to the PPF process.
Lynne Shinozaki
President, Roosevelt Island Residents Association
Roosevelt Island Residents Association – Common Council
FY 2019 – 2020 Summary of Public Purpose Fund (PPF) Committee Funding Recommendations Date Committee Finalized (June 5, 2019)/RIRA/Common Council Approved – June !3, 2019
PS/IS 217 Parent Teachers Association (PTA)
Amount Requested: $31,550 (Prior $33,500)
Amount Recommended: $13,000 (Prior $15,500)
Committee Decision and Recommendation: Funds are only for: (1) primarily the Middle School Enrichment Residency (Salvadori Center) for 6th/7th grade students and (2) some support for the Hawks wrestling team.
The PTA remains an active supporter of PS-IS/217. The PPF Committee believes that in order to retain students in the middle school, additional enhancements are required. The Salvadori Center adds value, especially the focus on 6th and 7th grade students. The goal is aimed at enhancing their understanding of mathematics concepts through hands-on project based learning. This will be valuable to these students as they transition to the next grade levels. Further, the fact of the Hawks wrestling program resonated with the committee. Overall, it is hoped the broad PTA fund raising efforts will help enhance the ability to retain students at the school.
Life Frames, Inc.
Amount Requested: $27,150 (Prior $27,150)
Amount Recommended: $13,500 (Prior $11,250)
Committee Decision and Recommendation: The funds recommended are to help support the continuation of the Life Frames program on the Island.
The Life Frames program has a long, noteworthy history on the Island. It avails gardening activities beneficial to children of all ages. Parental support is available, and observations confirm that many children participate in the gardening activities, often seen on a plot north of the Blackwell house. More so, as noted in its application, the program also offers gardening to adults of all ages and capabilities. Such inclusiveness is part of the mosaic fabric of life on our Roosevelt Island.
Wildlife Freedom Foundation (WFF)
Amount Requested: $10,000 (Prior Yr: $10000)
Amount Recommended: $10,000 (Prior Yr: $9750)
Committee Decision and Recommendation: The funds recommended are to provide help to the WFF in performing its mission, i.a., of rescuing, assisting, and rehabilitating stray animals on Roosevelt Island.
The WFF seeks to increase its capacity to help various types of stray animals on the Island. It is led by an energetic and caring individual. The animals (strays, abandoned, homeless – dogs, cats, birds, etc.) are treated as needed, some at great expense, at all hours. Some of the work effort, depending upon the situation, is coordinated with the Public Service Department led by a caring Chief and his Deputy. WFF is basically active/on call 24/7 and much appreciated on the Island.
Roosevelt Island is a mixed income, racially diverse waterfront community situated in the East River of New York City between Manhattan and Queens and is jurisdictionally part of Manhattan. The Roosevelt Island Tramway, which connects Roosevelt Island to the rest of Manhattan, has become the iconic symbol of Roosevelt Island to its residents.
The Purpose of this Blog is to provide accurate and timely information about Roosevelt Island as well as a forum for residents to express opinions and engage in a dialogue to improve our community.
