Mayor Mamdani Announces Appointments to the 33-Member Nonprofit Advisory Council

Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani announced appointments to the 33-member Nonprofit Advisory Council, a body of nonprofit leaders that provide input to inform the focus and priorities of the administration. The members of the advisory council represent a broad spectrum of organizations — including those focused on social services, education and advocacy — and bring a diversity of knowledge and expertise that will better guide the administration in shaping the future of New York City’s nonprofit sector.

“Our nonprofit organizations work tirelessly for us — they educate our children, protect our older adults and bring our communities to life,” said Mayor Mamdani. “It is important that city government works just as hard for them, and with the aid of these 33 remarkable leaders, my administration will do just that. I look forward to strengthening our partnership with New York’s nonprofits and building a government that each of them can count on.”

“Nonprofits provide critical services to the New Yorkers who need them most,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Dr. Helen Arteaga. “The leaders of these extraordinary organizations deserve a seat at the table, and our administration welcomes their guidance on how our city can more effectively assist those who work so tirelessly to serve us and our communities.”

“Today’s announcement of distinguished nonprofit leaders who will serve on the administration’s Nonprofit Advisory Council to work with us on addressing the needs of the sector marks a pivotal moment,” said Annie E. Minguez, Executive Director, Mayor’s Office of Nonprofit Services. “These leaders represent providers who operate a range of services including legal assistance, homeless services, childcare, arts and culture, education and youth justice who have been at the forefront of supporting New Yorkers and the philanthropic and sector advocacy community that have been instrumental in elevating the structural challenges facing nonprofits. We welcome them to serve as thought partners as we develop policies that strengthen the sector our city depends on to serve New Yorkers.”

Mayor Mamdani announced the following appointments to the Council:

• 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
• Grace Bonilla, President and CEO of United Way of New York City
• Courtney Bryan, CEO of the Center for Justice Innovation
• Catherin Calvo, Community Engagement Officer at The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation
• Twyla Carter, Attorney-in-Chief and CEO of The Legal Aid Society NYC
• Hildalyn Colon Hernandez, CEO and Strategic Office of New Immigrant Community Empowerment
• 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
• Alexandro Hatzakis, COO and Associate Executive Director of Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, Inc.
• Wayne Ho, President and CEO of the Chinese-American Planning Council
• Michelle Jackson, Executive Director of the Human Services Council of New York
• 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
• Frankie Miranda, CEO of the Hispanic Federation
• Wesner Joseph Pierre, CEO of Partnership With Children
• Jocelynne Rainey, President and CEO of Brooklyn Org
• Joseph Rosenberg, Executive Director of the Catholic Community Relations Council
• 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
• Marlon Williams, Executive Vice President of Public Policy & Communications at Philanthropy New York

Frankie Miranda and Tara Gardner will serve as Chair and Co-Chair, respectively.

“I am deeply grateful to Mayor Mamdani and his administration for the opportunity to serve as co-chair of the Nonprofit Advisory Council. As President and CEO of Hispanic Federation, I have the privilege of working alongside hundreds of nonprofits across the city and the country, giving me firsthand insight into both the challenges they face and the extraordinary impact they make every day. I look forward to bringing this experience, along with the collective knowledge and expertise of our extensive nonprofit network, to help shape policies and solutions that strengthen the sector. Together, we can ensure that nonprofits have the resources, support and recognition they need not only to continue delivering essential services to our communities, but to grow, innovate and thrive,” said Frankie Miranda, President and CEO of Hispanic Federation.

“I am honored to co-chair the Nonprofit Advisory Council and to continue advancing its mission to address sector challenges,” said Tara N. Gardner, executive director, Day Care Council of New York. “Nonprofits are the backbone of this city’s safety net. From the early childhood education programs our members run to the food pantries, after-school programs, senior centers and arts programs in every neighborhood, nonprofit workers show up every day for the families who count on them. 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. I look forward to working with the Mayor’s Office of Nonprofit Services to extend this type of progress across the entire contracting system, so every provider serving New Yorkers is paid fully and on time.”

These appointments follow the Mamdani administration’s commitment to accelerate funding to nonprofit providers. Earlier this month, Mayor Mamdani announced the expansion of the Discretionary Grant Pilot, a streamlined approach to the contracting process that allows nonprofits to get City funding up to nine months faster. The expansion allows up to 800 nonprofits to receive their full award within 30 days, or 300% faster, after both the grantee and agency sign the grant agreement.