“Our nonprofit organizations work tirelessly for us — they educate our children, protect our older adults and bring our communities to life,” Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani said in a statement announcing New York City’s newly formed 33-member Nonprofit Advisory Council.
The council brings together leaders representing social services, education and advocacy. The group is designed to provide input to inform the focus and priorities of the administration.
The launch arrives alongside recent structural updates to the city’s contracting apparatus. Mayor Mamdani rolled out the wider availability of the Discretionary Grant Pilot earlier this month, providing a refined contracting pathway that lets nonprofits acquire City financial support up to nine months ahead of schedule. As many as 800 nonprofits can now collect their complete awards in a 30-day window—representing a 300% speed increase—following the formal execution of the grant agreement by both the participating agency and the grantee.
Who is Sitting on the Council
The 33 appointed members include leaders such as Grace Bonilla, President and CEO of United Way of New York City; Twyla Carter, Attorney-in-Chief and CEO of The Legal Aid Society NYC; Wayne Ho, President and CEO of the Chinese-American Planning Council; and Michelle Jackson, Executive Director of the Human Services Council of New York.
Other appointments include Alyssa Aguilera, Co-Executive Director of VOCAL-NY; Tony Alarcón, Executive Director of Las Doñas; Mohamed Amin, Founder and Executive Director of Caribbean Equality Project; Yaw Appiadu, Executive Director of the Harlem Independent Living Center, Chair of the New York State Independent Living Council; Courtney Bryan, CEO of the Center for Justice Innovation; Catherin Calvo, Community Engagement Officer at The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation; and Hildalyn Colon Hernandez, CEO and Strategic Office of New Immigrant Community Empowerment.
The council also draws leadership from Rob DeLeon, President and CEO of The Fortune Society; Brett Eisenberg, Executive Director of Bronx Independent Living Services; Bibi Esahack, Executive Director of the Bay Ridge Community Development Center; Lisa Flores, CEO of Catholic Charities Community Services; Tara Gardner, Executive Director of the Day Care Council of New York; and Alexandro Hatzakis, COO and Associate Executive Director of Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, Inc.
Rounding out the appointments are Marwa Janini, CEO of the Arab American Association of New York; Julia Jean-Francois, Executive Director of Center for Family Life; Justin Green, Founding Executive Director of Big Reuse; Damyn Kelly, President and CEO of Lutheran Social Services of New York; Aminta Kilawan, Founder and Executive Director of South Queens Women’s March; Lorena Kourousias, Executive Director of Mixteca Organization; Vanessa Leung, Co-Executive Director of Coalition for Asian American Children and Families; Jonathan McLean, CEO of the Center for Alternative Sentencing & Employment Services; and Frankie Miranda.
The roster includes Tatiana M. Sabatelli, Executive Director of Nonprofit Staten Island; Andrew Salwen Kopel, Executive Director of National Council of Jewish Women NY; Rachel Watts, Executive Director of DreamYard; and Marlon Williams, Executive Vice President of Public Policy & Communications at Philanthropy New York.
Leadership and Operational Priorities
Frankie Miranda and Tara Gardner will serve as Chair and Co-Chair, respectively.
“The Mamdani administration continues to demonstrate what’s possible when City Hall treats nonprofits as partners: fewer bureaucratic hurdles, money in hand when the work begins and less borrowing just to make payroll,” Gardner said.
Annie E. Minguez, Executive Director, Mayor’s Office of Nonprofit Services, framed the advisory body as a pivotal moment. Pointing to the foundational role these executives play in aiding New Yorkers, Minguez emphasized that their organizations spearhead critical offerings like childcare, legal assistance, arts and culture, education, homeless services, and youth justice, while also praising the advocacy and philanthropic networks that have proven vital in spotlighting the systemic hurdles confronting the nonprofit sector.
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