grownyc 2015 annual report

GrowNYCAnnual Report2015

1970–201545 Years and Growing

GrowNYC AnnualReport2015.indd 1 1/15/16 1:02 PM

Contents

GrowNYC is the sustainability resource for New Yorkers: providing free tools and services anyone can use in order to improve our City and environment.

#letsgrownyc

2A WEEK IN THE LIFE OF GROWNYC

1INTRODUCTION

26FUNDERS

29BOARD AND STAFF

30FINANCIALS

GREENMARKET

GARDEN

TEACH

RECYCLE

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8

12

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GrowNYC AnnualReport2015.indd 2 1/15/16 10:39 AM

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Celebrating our 45th Year of Greening NYC

GrowNYC is a resource for any New Yorker who wants to create a healthier city, for themselves, for their neighbors and for the next generation.

Pairing education with action, New Yorkers can learn about environmental issues— get trained on recycling rules, understand why buying local food is better for the environment—and then utilize opportunities GrowNYC provides to take sustainable actions.

Shopping at the Greenmarket. Starting a new garden. Dropping food scraps for composting. Actions that improve quality of life and create a better city.

Some three million residents each year partici-pate in our programs. And we are leveling the playing field. We make sure our programs reach those who need them most: community gardens in the South Bronx, food access programs in Cen-tral Brooklyn and East Harlem, hands-on educa-tion for children with little or no access to green space at their schools. And that’s just scratching the surface.

We have made substantive progress over the past 45 years and in 2016 we want even more New Yorkers to look to GrowNYC as their re-source. We hope to weave sustainability into ev-ery component of city life so that environmental stewardship is second nature. More healthy food, more green space, cleaner air and water— a better city for everyone.

Goal: Make New York City the most sustainable and livable city in the world. Volunteer. Participate. Request our Services. Make a donation.

www.grownyc.org is here for you.


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Bagpipers and drums were parading up 5th Avenue on St. Patrick’s Day as I watched from my window. After the crowds dispersed, I saw litter strewn about the streets and sidewalk. A born environ-mentalist, my natural inclination was to put on the gloves and start cleaning up. When Mayor Lindsay decided to “do something” about New York City, he created the Mayor’s Council on the En-vironment of NYC - now GrowNYC, and tapped me as its leader to steward the organization. We dropped the “Mayor’s” so that funders would take my calls when I asked for money. And our work was needed. At that time in New York, you had to watch every step: between the dogs and the scant trash cans, litter was a major problem, let alone things like trees and green space that we today realize are so important to quality of life.

Established before the first ever Earth Day, and before green was in vogue, GrowNYC made recommendations to the City—and later took action—on recycling and waste reduction, open spaces, edu-cation for all, and even healthy local food. Under a bridge on 59th Street, GrowNYC convinced 8 farmers to set-up shop for the day; By day’s end everything was gone from the truck and one farmer re-marked, “I didn’t know there were so many starving people in New York.” Hence the first Greenmarket was born and today is the coun-try’s largest farmers’ market program with 50+ Greenmarkets in the five boroughs. GrowNYC is a recycling pioneer and in 1978 the Office Paper Recycling program was the first initiative of its kind to convince large companies in New York City to recycle at all. The organization’s Liz Christy and Richard Abrons threw seed bombs

over fences of vacant lots that established some of the City’s first community gardens.

Now, 45 years later, whether you shop at one of 53 Greenmarkets, gain skills and understanding by improving urban habitat, grow fruits and vegetables in school or community gardens, I’m so proud of the work GrowNYC does to make sure that every New Yorker can participate in making our city better.

Marian S. Heiskell GrowNYC Founder and Honorary Board Chair

45Years—HowWeBegan, WhereWeAreGoing

I’msoproudoftheworkGrowNYCdoestomakesurethateveryNewYorkercanparticipateinmakingourcitybetter.

Marian at GrowNYC’s Gala

Richard and Marian alongside former Mayor Koch


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In the mid seventies, I had a hankering to be helpful to the community garden movement in NYC. Strange that this should come from a man with a brown thumb and knowledge of plants not much more than a rose is a rose is a rose.

No matter. I soon found myself in the of-fices of the Council on the Environment of NYC (now GrowNYC). There I met a whirlwind of a lady named Liz Christy who persuaded me to start with her a program we called Plant-a-Lot, which was organizing quality park/gardens in poor areas built and maintained with help from people in the neighborhood.

Fast forward. Now more than 80 of these small local oases exist, some for many many years. They beautify the city and strengthen neighborhoods. Sadly, Liz died at a young age. The program is now headed by Gerard Lordahl, who has been at the helm for 25 years. They head the best greening group in the city, continue to add new gardens yearly and also help others to start gardens or maintain what they have.

In 1977, I joined the board. Far larger than the gardening was Green-market, a program that brought locally grown produce and the farmers themselves into the city.

Fast forward again. Today there are some 53 Greenmarkets throughout the city, including the flagship at Union Square. The Council’s name has been changed to GrowNYC and the budget is 10 times larger than in 1977.

I am 89 and our founder, Marian Heiskell, is 96. Time to get off boards such as GrowNYC? Not on your life! Under the leadership of Marcel Van Ooyen, GrowNYC has become an exciting group of people who are helping New Yorkers lead healthy lives. In addi-tion to gardens and Greenmarket, we are leaders in environmental education and the only entity involved in noise reduction, making the city less frenetic.

Elsewhere in this report you will read of Youthmarkets, innovative education programs like Learn It Grow It Eat It, exciting local prod-ucts like Greenmarket Wheat beer, a new education and sustain-ability center and other offshoots of our main programs. We keep doing more and more to make our city more livable and its citizens more healthy.

I am proud to have been a part of this for 38 years and am excited to see what is around the corner and around the corner after that and—you get the idea.

Richard Abrons Board Member and Patron

45Years—HowWeBegan, WhereWeAreGoing

Wekeepdoing:tomakeourcitymorelivableanditscitizenshealthier.

Richard and Iris Abrons


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GARDEN PARTYAt Wanaqua Community Garden (or 7 others we’ve created in the South Bronx), you can stroll in during open hours, have a seat under the shade structure Palette Architecture designed pro-bono for us, and enjoy the flowers and the vegetables that neighbors and school children help grow. Volun-teers and partners have made this garden flourish: Timber-land, Bank of America, and Disney VoluntEARS.

SPOTLIGHT ON THE SOUTH BRONXGrowNYC’s work spans the five boroughs, with a specific emphasis on supporting neighborhoods lacking access to green spaces, fresh produce, or other resources that improve quality of life. The South Bronx is just one part of the city we work in: come see what we’re up to!

Here’s a typical week with GrowNYC in the South Bronx.

MONDAY | 1:00 pm

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5A week with GrowNYC

A TRIP TO THE MARKET!At the Bronx Borough Hall Greenmarket you can shop for farm-fresh fruits and vegetables, juices, honey and freshly baked breads directly from our region’s best producers using cash, credit/debit or your nutrition benefits. Make your shop-ping trip even greener by bringing your food scraps for compost and your unwanted textiles for recycling.

SWAP TILL YOU DROP!Connect with neighbors, pick up some great treasures and reduce waste all at a Stop ‘N’ Swap at Betances Community Center or Classic Cornerstone Community Center.

TUESDAY | 10:15 am

SATURDAY | 9:30 am

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TEENAGE TAKEOVERHead to the Learn It Grow It Eat It Youthmarket, where teen interns will school you on health and nutrition through healthy cooking demos, and mini workshops like “How Much Sugar is in that Soda?” Walk a couple blocks to Wishing Well Commu-nity Garden to see the garden they’re tending as part of their six-week internship.

WEDNESDAY | 3:20 pm

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A FOREST IN THE CITY?!A young member of your family travels to the Bronx River to plant native trees and remove invasive plants from the river’s shoreline—all part of a curriculum around habitat protection and clean water.

THURSDAY | 11:45 am


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JOEL KLOSE Nature’s Way Farm

My mom worked hard to raise us, but with no college and limited skills, our income was equally limited. Mom spent her whole life doing the best she could for us. We lived in the “projects” and as a child I remember most nights go-ing to bed hungry. Summers spent at my Grandmother’s house of plenty were what kept me going. Food programs were available back then but focused more on food rather than on good food, and there was never enough.

It has taken a lifetime for me to overcome a childhood of poverty and give my children a better chance. Poor nutrition and poor quality food during childhood really impact your whole life; when you are hun-gry at school, hungry at bed-time, hungry when you go out to play, it is difficult to become your best self. We are not by any means affluent today but always have good food, par-tially made possible due to the increase in our farm income

through SNAP available for re-demption at Greenmarkets.

Our business is not driven only by profit but the idea that ev-eryone deserves to have good food on their table. No one should go to bed hungry in a country as affluent as ours.

Since the first market day in 1976, GrowNYC has been dedicated to helping every New Yorker feed their family the best, freshest, healthiest food available by encouraging shoppers to spend their nutri-tion benefits at markets. All eligible Greenmarket farmers accept SNAP, Health Bucks, and the Farmers Market Nutrition Program, which not only ensure that everyone has access to fresh food but also provide im-portant income to small farm businesses.

—Joel

GREENMARKET

IMPACT SPOTLIGHT

Nature’s Way Farm Lowman, NY

G rowNYC’s Greenmarkets promote regional agriculture by offering farmers a marketplace to sell their products

and provide all New Yorkers access to the freshest, healthi-est food. Greenmarkets transform urban spaces throughout the five boroughs into neighborhood centers of sustainabil-ity. Since 1976, Greenmarket has grown from a handful of farmers to over 240 producers, and the number of customers they serve continues to grow. Beyond the farmers markets, GrowNYC has a number of initiatives that center on improv-ing the health and nutrition of all New Yorkers, especially in underserved communities. For 40 years, we have been re-sponding to the needs of diverse communities and ramping up our efforts to ensure that affordable, fresh food gets into the hands that need it most across the city.


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SNAP AND FOOD ACCESSCustomers shopping with SNAP can swipe benefits cards at the market info tent in exchange for wooden tokens that can be used like cash to purchase anything edible. For every $5 spent in SNAP, customers receive a $2 DOHMH Health Buck.

GREENMARKET CO. Our wholesale distribution service is designed to bring the freshest, highest-quality farm products from the region directly to New York City’s wholesale buyers.

REGIONAL GRAINS PROJECTWith our partners, we’re building the marketplace for grains grown and milled in the Northeast, educating and connecting growers, proces-sors, bakers and chefs.

FRESH PANTRY PROJECT Greenmarket farmers donate fresh food at the end of the market day to NYC’s food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and transitional living facilities.

GREENMARKET YOUTH EDUCATION New York City schoolchil-dren grades k-12 are intro-duced to where food comes from, who grows it and how to prepare healthy and nutri-tious meals.

YOUTHMARKET A network of urban farm stands that employs neighborhood youth to sell fresh, local food and provide nutrition education in underserved communities of New York City.

FRESH FOOD BOX Allows residents in high need communities to purchase a curated selection of fresh, regionally-grown produce at a low price in their own neighborhoods.

HOW WE

HELP

FARMrootsOur team provides Green-market producers and aspir-ing farmers with a range of technical support program-ming designed to meet the needs of diversified farmers.


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2 0 1 5 G R E E N M A R K E T

B U C K S F R U I T S & V E G E T A B L E S O N L Y

Redeemable at Greenmarket Farmers MarketsNot Valid

Without a Sponsor Stamp

Not legal tender

S T A M P H E R E

May be redeemed with participating Greenmarket producers at Greenmarket Farmers Markets. May be used to purchase any fruits and vegetables at

any Greenmarket. Not redeemable for cash. No change made. Not valid at supermarkets, grocery stores, or roadside farm stands. EXPIRES 12/15/15.

2 0 1 5 G R E E N M A R K E T B U C K S A N Y G R E E N M A R K E T P R O D U C T Redeemable at Greenmarket Farmers Markets

Not Valid Without a Sponsor Stamp

Not legal tender

S T A M P H E R E

May be redeemed with participating Greenmarket producers at Greenmarket Farmers Markets. May be used to purchase any product at any Greenmarket.

Not redeemable for cash. No change made. Not valid at supermarkets, grocery stores, or roadside farm stands. EXPIRES 12/15/15.

COUNCIL MEMBER RAFAEL L. ESPINAL, JR. 37th Council District

IMPACT SPOTLIGHT

I am a firm believer that access to healthy food is the foundation of a healthy lifestyle. Sadly, my constituents just don’t have the fresh food options you find in other areas of the City and are suffering from illnesses like obesity, diabe-tes, and heart disease. The GrowNYC Fresh Food Box program is a great way to bring a variety of affordable, fresh, locally sourced produce into the community each week and I’m proud to support the distribution site that oper-ates through the Spring and Summer at the YMCA on Jamaica Avenue. It is my hope that

through continued outreach and education, we can serve even more people and expand the program hours and operations at the site in my district, and for other communities in need throughout the city.

A special thank you to Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and the City Council of New York who provide generous annual support to our food assistance programs.

TOP ACHIEVEMENTS53 MARKETS OPEN FOR BUSINESSGreenmarket operated 53 market locations, including three new sites: Hostos in the Bronx; Sugar Hill in Man-hattan; and Parkside Plaza in Brooklyn, providing a total of 2,500 market days for New Yorkers in all five boroughs to purchase healthy food.

FOOD ASSISTANCECustomers shopping with SNAP continue to see Green-markets as affordable sources of healthy food to feed their families. Low-income New Yorkers redeemed $920,000 in SNAP benefits in 2015, with nearly every Greenmar-ket accepting food stamps. Greenmarket farmers also redeemed over $2.34 million in Farmers Market Nutrition Program checks.

NEW FARMLANDUsing innovative strate-gies, FARMroots assisted in the conservation or new acquisition of 216 acres of regional farmland for long-time and new Greenmarket farmers, ensuring this acre-age will remain in agriculture in perpetuity.

Working with the NYC Department of Health, Greenmarket distributed over $260,000 in $2 Health Bucks in 2014 for purchase of fruit and vegetables.

1,500,000 LBS LOCAL PRODUCEGreenmarket Co. distributed a total of 1.5M pounds of lo-cal produce to NYC institu-tional buyers, including more than 100,000 pounds of food to 36 non-profit organiza-tions conducting their own nutrition education and food access programming.

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FAREWELL, TOM STRUMOLO

Early in 2015, Tom Strumolo retired from GrowNYC after 32 years of service. He began

working for Greenmarket as a Market Manager in 1983 and served as Operations Manager, Deputy Director, and Director before taking on Planning and Policy. Tom was instrumen-tal in broadening GrowNYC’s mission of expanding food ac-cess and was the driving force behind Youthmarkets. A true Renaissance man with a back-ground in architecture, retail food along with a passion for farmers and community, we are ever in his debt for his con-tributions to the organization.


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THE BRONX GREENMARKET HOT SAUCEGrowNYC collaborated with Small Axe Peppers and Chef King Phojanakong to release a locally sourced and produced hot sauce called The Bronx Greenmarket Hot Sauce.

MARKET IN TIMES SQUARE In partnership with the Times Square Alliance and Taste NY, a pop-up Greenmarket was held every Thursday for four weeks in October in Times Square, highlighting products from around New York State to visitors from around the world.


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S ince the 1970s, GrowNYC has built 83 community

gardens from the ground-up, working with

community partners across New York City and spurred

the growth of over 530 school gardens through Grow

to Learn, the citywide school gardens initiative. We

work with schools, public housing associations, and

community groups to transform vacant land into vibrant

spaces for growing food, getting exercise and fresh air,

learning, understanding nature and much more.

G A R D E N

GARDEN STORIES PS X811, Proud Learning Garden Site

IMPACT SPOTLIGHT We are a special education school with 635 students. Our students range from those on the autism spectrum, to struggles relat-ing to fine and gross motor skills, to cogni-tive limitations.

Thanks to all GrowNYC’s ongoing support, we have built an amazing garden at our school. At the first build day, with the help

of about 60 Garnier volunteers, GrowNYC and our own staff, we put in over 20 raised beds. Once those raised beds were in-stalled it really opened up the space to all our kids, includ-ing those in wheelchairs and walkers; we have double high raised beds to make sure that

they can all access the garden. The second build day with The Nature Conservancy was a really special, because our kids got to be interviewed on TV. GrowNYC also helped us obtain soil for growing the produce, so we’re now able to harvest herbs, eggplant, cherry tomatoes, peppers and sell them at our farmers market.

GrowNYC is really supportive with what-ever step we’re at with the garden. From sub-irrigated beds and Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) experiments, to farmers’ markets and drip irrigation. We’ve been able to go to so many workshops, and then turnkey that information back to the other teachers at our school. One thing we are really grateful for is that the whole

connection to the garden means that our students have been able to make a connection with the world around them. They’re learning about nature, about how food grows and healthy eating. They’re taking that information home and sharing it with their families, with their commu-nities. We can show how the plants, the insects work as a team. As nature works as a team, so they can work as a team, be patient, and cooperate.

—Peter and Paula

P.S. X811 The Bronx


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TRAINING AND MATERIALS FOR SCHOOL GARDENERS We provide professional development, how-to videos, make site visits, and provide material support to public schools.

GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE We build rain gardens, rainwater harvesting sys-tems, and other green design elements to prevent pollu-tion, conserve water and combat climate change.

MINI-GRANTS FOR SCHOOL GARDENERS We provide funding of up to $2,000 per site to build or expand a learning garden at a public school through our school gardens program, Grow to Learn.

ANNUAL PLANT SALE We sell locally grown, at-cost plants to 500+ garden groups each spring to ensure bounti-ful green spaces all can enjoy (or eat!)

SCHOOL FIELD TRIPS We host thousands of young people annually at our Governors Island Teaching Garden for hands-on learning on an urban farm.

GROW TRUCK We loan wheelbarrows, shovels, and tools to gardening groups, as well as make deliveries of donated plant materials.

GARDEN CREATION & RENOVATION Every year we rejuvenate or build new green spaces in all five boroughs.

HOW WE HELP

CORPORATE VOLUNTEER DAYS We leverage sweat equity to make sure gardens thrive.


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TOP ACHIEVEMENTS

MORE GARDENS— FOR NEW YORKERS This year we built seven new community gardens totaling 80,000 square feet of new open space for New Yorkers. Two new gardens in the Bronx, three new gardens in Brooklyn, one new garden in Manhattan and one new garden in Queens for all to enjoy.

TEACHING & LEARNINGOver the 2014-15 school year, Grow to Learn staff led 46 workshops for 601 school gardener teachers, school administrators, and family members—about 1 work-shop every week! Our favor-ite new trainings included a weekend Beginning Gardener Intensive on Governor’s Island and a three day long course focused on ‘Teaching STEM in the Garden’ in part-nership with the NYC DOE STEM Center.

EVER-VERDEVia Verde, an affordable hous-ing development in the South Bronx, engaged GrowNYC staff for a fourth year to pro-gram a workshop series for 30 families on their rooftop garden. GrowNYC helped build the site four years ago, training a cadre of residents who have now formed a garden club, and works with residents on everything from harvest days, cooking demon-strations, canning vegetables and fruit tree care workshop on organic pest control.

THE BIG 500We registered our 500th school garden! We also gave out 77 mini-grants to schools around the city, totaling over $135,000 thanks to funding from corporate sponsors. Our funded garden projects ranged from outdoor container and raised bed spaces, to indoor hydroponic classrooms, to incredible rooftop labs.

TLCWorking with corporate volunteers and community gardeners, we rejuvenated 64,000 square feet of open space spread across dozens of gardens. We embarked on major renovation projects at four community gardens this year, providing more New Yorkers places where they can grow food, recreate, socialize, and connect with nature.

500 SCHOOL GARDENS AND COUNTING!


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West Brighton Community Garden

GABRIEL EKOMONICommunity Gardener

IMPACT SPOTLIGHT

As a teenager in Nigeria, Gabriel Ekomoni and his brother Tennyson would plant little gardens along the roadside to help feed their family. One summer on a visit to their grand-mother’s village, the boys helped plant her small farm. Several months later they were very excited when a large amount of produce arrived at their home and were told that this was the fruit of their labor during the summer.

Little did young Gabriel realize that years later he would be in charge of the West Brighton Community Garden on the North Shore of Staten Island. This garden had its genesis when a local Pastor expressed inter-est to GrowNYC about starting a community garden to grow vegetables to donate to local food pantries.

Several months later GrowNYC helped Gabriel, who was selected to be the garden contact, organize the first work party at the garden with members of the church and two Staten Island based youth groups. The weeding and mulching that took place that day turned into a vibrant garden that in 2014 donated 900 pounds of produce to local pantries. That number increased to more than 1,000 pounds in 2015.

Gabriel says, “We are so grateful to be working with GrowNYC. Your support makes every-thing happen by supplying materials and bringing volunteers. We want this relationship to continue.” Being the contact person is hard but he is able to utilize what he learned in ag-ricultural science class in high school in Lagos to help him organize such a thriving garden. This summer, he worked with students from nearby PS 18 who visited regularly as part of their summer camp.

Most rewarding to Gabriel is bringing his daughters, 5 year old Danielle, and 3 year old Gabriella and his wife Ria to the monthly garden parties with members of the church and other community residents. Thanks to the assistance he has received from GrowNYC, Gabriel has been able to give his wife and chil-dren a little taste of what his youth was like.

—Gabriel

LOOKS LIKE RAIN!

We built eleven green infra-structure projects in public spaces, conserving water, reducing the strain on New York City’s sewer system, and preventing pollution. Our projects included rain-water harvesting systems, rain gardens, and an aqua-ponic shipping container.

FIELD DAY3,000 city kids were able to take a free field trip to our Governors Island Teaching garden where they were giv-en the opportunity to plant, water, harvest, sample and prepare the garden’s wide array of vegetables, herbs, and fruits, as well as learn all about rainwater harvesting, sustainability, local eating, and pollution prevention.


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FRANKLYN MYAL Special Education Teacher, Dewitt Clinton HS

We can’t thank GrowNYC enough for hosting the DeWitt Clinton High School trip to the Catskill Mountains. Our students were very encouraged and inspired by the trip.

There were so many great activities such as the tree plantings, the visit to Betty Acres Farm, the hiking tour, the campfire and just the experience of being outdoors. It really provided our students with an op-portunity to be exposed to nature in a learning environment that they rarely see. Many of the students expressed how great and inspir-ing it was to be in this kind of at-mosphere. Unfortunately, many of our students haven’t had the opportunity to even travel out-side of the Bronx, so as you can expect this trip has a profound effect on them.

One student in particular was changed greatly for the better by the experience. For most of the semester he was very quiet and reserved. He rarely spoke

or participated in our class discussions and activities, but after our trip the Principal and I noticed a real change in him. He was more inquisitive, more outgoing and generally inter-

ested in environmental affairs. He really blossomed after our trip and I want to really impart what a life changing experience this was for him and the rest of our students.

We really appreciate GrowNYC and Mr. Zamm for what they have done for our students and especially for what they’ve done for the environment.

—Franklyn

TEACH

IMPACT SPOTLIGHT

I n a city as large as New York, it is critical that our children experience the natural world beyond their neighborhood.

GrowNYC education programs offer countless opportunities for young people (and others) to learn about a spectrum of environmental topics, such as air and water quality, planting and caring for trees, nutrition and health, growing fresh food, energy and conservation, and how recycling works and why it matters. Learning, doing, and teaching others makes sus-tainability actions second nature and gives nature a first rate chance of survival.


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LEARN IT GROW IT EAT IT Offers youth development and nutrition education year-round for high school stu-dents. A six-week summer intensive internship selling produce, working in gardens, and educating the commu-nity about nutrition provides job readiness and in depth exposure to important issues.

NOISE GrowNYC’s in-house noise pollution expert, Dr. Arline Bronzaft responds to noise complaints daily, many com-ing through GrowNYC’s informative noise section on our website.

HABITAT RESTORATION AND ENERGY PROJECTS

Young people dig into hands-on programming including topics such as air and water quality, energy and green design, tree plantings and much more.

RECYCLING CHAMPIONS Works directly with educators, students and staff to establish model recycling programs at New York City public schools. Through our partnership with the NYC Departments of Education and Sanitation, we provide schools with tools and resources that can help make recycling part of every school day. On-site experiential, inquiry-based programs are offered free of charge to over 100 schools every year.

HOW WE HELP

GREENMARKET YOUTH EDUCATIONStudents participate in field trips to the market and a standards-aligned 5th & 6th grade curriculum that tells the story of local food in a way that motivates meaning-ful behavioral change.


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GABRIEL CAMEJO Future Nutritionist

IMPACT SPOTLIGHT

As a future Nutritionist, I’d like to tell you about the impact GrowNYC has had in my life. I was doing well at Bronx Inter-national High School, but I was not sure where I was heading. One day I got introduced to this awesome internship and it caught my attention. Since the first day of the nutrition and health internship, I have learned so many things like public speaking, engaging with my community, the importance of growing our own fruits and vegetables, eating healthy, social skills, and working ethics and skills. GrowNYC has been the base of my opportunities and when I look at the result of my experience, I see my bright future and what I have become. I built connections and created friendships with GrowNYC staff-ers, who showed me they cared and supported my decisions. Kori and David (program staff) always pushed me to do my best and excel in the program. GrowNYC has opened doors to me like getting job opportunities working for Bronx Lebanon Hospital and the NYC Department of Health.

I also feel proud of myself because I believe that when I speak to the community about nutrition, I take a step forward with them to a better life. I’m helping those I reach to make better choices, including my family members. People stop me in the neighborhood to tell me that they remember me and that the demos I gave really stuck with them. GrowNYC has allowed me to view the world in a different way, and has made me set higher standards for myself; their programs have helped oth-ers grow as individuals, not just me. Team members and com-munity members I have worked with will agree with me that GrowNYC is not just a name but an organization full of people who truly care and impact the lives of those who join and the growing communities they serve.

—Gabriel

TOP ACHIEVEMENTS

JUNIOR CHEFSMore than 300 children, teens, adults and seniors from 16 South Bronx com-munity groups participated in hands-on nutrition educa-tion and cooking demos led by our Learn It Grow It Eat It interns in summer 2015.

SORT IT OUTThis year, Recycling Cham-pions reached the milestone of educating over 100,000 students how to properly sort their recyclables. Participating schools in the “Big Lift” Recy-cling contest achieved a 59% landfill diversion rate, exceed-ing the Mayor’s Zero Waste goal. The Big Lift challenged schools to reduce waste and recycle as much as possible during one school day, and P.S. 130 Manhattan achieved a 93% landfill diversion rate!

DRINK UPHigh school students planted 250 trees along the Little Delaware River, tributary to the Cannonsville Reservoir, a major source of NYC’s drink-ing water. Over the years, our students are respon-sible for planting more than 16,000 trees and other plants in our watersheds—a small forest but a big victory for clean water!

BREATHE EASYNearly 800 students complet-ed environmental improve-ment projects in urban parks and on school campuses in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan, helping protect the environment and getting outside to connect with nature.

BE QUIET!This year our noise pollution expert, Dr. Bronzaft, gave numerous talks on the subject across the city and country, includ-ing the Community Noise and Natural Quiet Workshop in San Francisco, the Hunter College Fall Alumni Association luncheon, and the Healthy Cities in the 21st Century Forum at Fordham University.


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URBAN HARVESTWe launched a pilot school garden summer maintenance program where 6 teens took care of three gardens in the South Bronx while learning all things horticultural, pro-viding summer employment and keeping gardens grow-ing. School staff, neighbors, teens and food pantries shared the harvest.

VEG ED6,000 students, grades K-12, got to tour a Greenmarket, where they were introduced to farming in the Northeast, the diversity of fruits and vegetables at the market, and what it means to eat seasonally. Two-thirds of these students attend schools where more than 70% of the population quali-fies for free lunch.


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CARL-HARRY NAUStop ‘N’ Swap® Coordinator

O ur Office of Recycling Outreach and Education (O.R.O.E.)

provides New Yorkers in every borough with a range of

opportunities and resources to better understand and par-

ticipate in myriad Department of Sanitation (DSNY) waste

prevention programs. Working alongside the Department, we

strive to increase the percentage of recyclables diverted from

disposal, to promote reuse, to advance composting efforts.

OROE is funded by the NYC Department of Sanitation with

whom we work closely to achieve ambitious goals to make

NYC a leader in waste prevention and recycling.

RECYCLE

IMPACT SPOTLIGHT I have been a Stop ‘N’ Swap® coordinator for 2 ½ years. For me, Stop ‘N’ Swap® is more than just an opportunity to give new life to items that were almost discarded. Stop ‘N’ Swap® is able to build community and im-prove people’s lives. Excitement and smiles come from all patrons as they are ready to let go and take on new items.

There is one story in particular that has really stuck with me. A Bronx man and his family had been struggling after they lost their home after a terrible fire which left them with nothing. To add to the struggle of losing his home, this man was looking for work and all of his attire had been set ablaze.

He had nothing to wear to set a good first impression to those who would potentially interview him.

With limited options the gentleman found a shelter that would take him and his fam-ily and he also found out about the Stop ‘N’ Swap® program. At the swap, he was able to find a suit, shirt and tie to wear at an interview. He was also able to find cloth-ing and toys for his kids, and his wife was overjoyed that they could find things at the swap which finally provided some sense of normalcy in their lives.

The situation really impacted me since I then felt invested in the gentleman’s success. I knew that if we didn’t have Stop ‘N’ Swap®, rebuilding his life would have been much more difficult. The impact reuse played in their lives was huge, and it made me feel as if I had given him my own suit the way I was thanked for holding the event. At that mo-ment I saw the glimmer of hope that Stop ‘N’ Swap® gave this family which ultimately can be a sign that things will turn around for them. It makes me so proud of this program and all of its efforts to reach new people and new communities year round.

—Carl-Harry


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COMPREHENSIVE BUILDING ASSISTANCE We help establish or improve apartment building recycling programs, including training and materials for building staff and occupants.

EVENT RECYCLING PLANNING We provide guidance to help event organizers green their events and comply with re-cycling rules.

STOP ‘N’ SWAP® Our free reuse events throughout the five boroughs are a haven for those look-ing to clean out or stock up, saving perfectly good items from the landfill.

FOOD SCRAP COLLECTIONS At most of our Greenmar-kets, residents can conve-niently drop their food scraps for composting and their textiles for recycling. We work with strategic partners including other nonprofits and government agencies to make this program a success.

HOW WE HELP

PUBLIC RECYCLING WORKSHOPS At community events, our staff and volunteers educate residents on recycling rules and opportunities using fun, engaging activities.


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TOP ACHIEVEMENTS

GREEN-TEERS540 enthusiastic recyclers came out to volunteer with us, contributing to a more sustainable city by helping thousands of New Yorkers better understand recycling rules.

MAKING A DENTProvided hands-on recycling training, including e-waste, for 14,000 tenants across the city, making a concerted effort to reach under-re-sourced neighborhoods, so that more New Yorkers are empowered to improve their quality of life.

WE’RE GROWINGWe added an outreach coordinator to our team to focus on recycling educa-tion for 400,000 residents at NYCHA (New York City Housing Authority) proper-ties, providing an opportu-nity to increase numbers for both residents participating and recyclables diverted.

STOP!AND SWAP!Held our free, ever-popular Stop ‘N’ Swap® events in 34 community districts, at-tracting nearly 17,000 New Yorkers.

A BIG COMPOST HEAPWe added two new Green-market food scrap and textile collections: at Hostos Com-munity College in the Bronx and Stuyvesant Town in Manhattan. We’ve surpassed the 5 million pound mark of food scraps collected!


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NATHALIE ABEJERO IMPACT SPOTLIGHT

My family and I just moved to NYC, but had no space for the outdoor composting we did while living in Asia. So at first we just took food scraps to drop off when we shopped at the Greenmarket, which is where we met Pamela, our market com-post coordinator.

Pamela at the Mt Sinai Greenmarket is chock full of informa-tion. We were intrigued by the NYC Compost Project vermicom-post brochure that she gave us to read. We thought if we man-aged to make indoor composting work, it’d sure beat dumping food scraps into the incinerator or trekking across town to the 97th St Greenmarket when ours closed for the winter!

The instructions in the brochure were a good start, but Pamela’s guidance was indispensable. Her minimalist approach is right up our alley: set up the bin, feed the worms, and check on it every few days. For every problem we encountered, she worked with us to find a great solution.

We got to see what a healthy system looks like because Pamela regularly brought her own portable worm bin. The kids love dig-ging into it to see the worms in action!

Occasionally taking our bin to Pamela for a “checkup” was help-ful, and after a few weeks we had a viable setup. Who knew that indoor worm bin composting can be so easy! To boot, it was a great learning process for our two preschoolers, as they were in on the effort from the start.

Vermicomposting is our small effort for the environment, and it can be easy with minimal upkeep. But without the hands-on advice and practical techniques for building, maintaining and troubleshooting a system that works for our family the frustra-tion might have trumped our efforts.

—Nathalie


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After 45 years serving New York, GrowNYC needs your support, right now more than ever


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it feels like the fight for environmental, climate and health issues is already lost, which is why it’s important for all of us to take action right at this moment. At GrowNYC we never give up. Not now. Not for the 45 years we have been around. And it’s why you shouldn’t either.

GrowNYC has made tremendous efforts in recent years to expand and develop new programs to promote local eating, social justice, and sustainable living, as you have seen in these pages.

But these efforts come at a high expense! Believe it or not as a 501c3 nonprofit GrowNYC receives relatively few individual donations, the most valuable funding source for a non-profit. GrowNYC is fully responsible for its own fundraising, and if we are going to be able to continue to perform and expand the critical work we do every single day across this city, to make a difference in the future of New York, we need more individual support from people like you.

We know that food issues and sustainability are some of the most pressing is-sues of our time, with the potential to change the world as we know it, and we know that action needs to be taken, now.

We should ask ourselves one question when facing these challenges: if not us and now, then who, and when?

We hope you will ask the same question when you consider your donation to GrowNYC.

It’s no exaggeration. We need your help, today.

Please give and give generously. Know your investment is in good hands: 86 cents of every dollar directly underwrites program services— be it a youth-run farmstand in Brownsville, Brooklyn or a field trip to the learning garden for a classroom of young people.www.grownyc.org/donate

Sometimes


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FundersJuly 1, 2014–June 30, 2015

$10,000+Louis and Anne Abrons FoundationAltman FoundationAnderson Rogers FoundationAnonymous (2)Benchmark Real Estate GroupBloomberg L.P.Booth Ferris FoundationBronx Lebanon HospitalClif BarCommunity Energy Consolidated Edison Company

of New YorkCornell Douglas FoundationDeutsche Bank America

Foundation Disney Worldwide ServicesDoris Duke Charitable Foundation The Durst Organization Elkes FoundationEmblemHealthEmpire State DevelopmentFederal Reserve BankFirst Eagle Investment Mgmt

FoundationGeoffrey C. Hughes FoundationGreen Mountain Energy CompanyGoldman Sachs and Co.Marian S. HeiskellHeinekenHenry J. Leir Charitable

Foundations Ann and Leon Himelberg FundJoyce and Irving Goldman Family

Foundation

Council Member Ben Kallos, District 5

Kiwi EnergyCouncil Member Brad Lander,

District 39 Levitt FoundationLucius N. Littauer FoundationCity Council Speaker Melissa

Mark-Viverito Marty and Dorothy Silverman

FoundationMayor’s Fund to Advance NYCCouncil Member Rosie Mendez,

District 2 Mount Sinai HospitalNew World FoundationNew York Farm Viability InstituteNew York State Department of

Agriculture and Markets New York State Department of HealthPinkerton FoundationR/GARodney L. White FoundationRussell Berrie FoundationMorris and Alma Schapiro FundDr. Robert C. and Tina Sohn

FoundationSouth Street SeaportTaste NYAndrew W. Mellon FoundationUBSUSDACouncil Member Jimmy Van

Bramer, District 26 Wholesome Wave Foundation

$5,000-9,999Alliance for Downtown New YorkBrooklyn BreweryBurpee FoundationButler Conservation FundCaliban FoundationChester Kitchings Family

FoundationVictoria ContinoMichele Burger and Tom CramerJacqueline DryfoosDrexel UniversityEdith and Herbert Lehman

FoundationEscapeMakerFarm AidFried, Frank, Harris, Shriver

and Jacobson LLPFriends of Van Cortlandt ParkGarnierCouncil Member Vincent Gentile,

District 43 Gotham Bar and GrillHall Capital Partners FundJohn and Barbara Samuelson

FoundationSarah and David JohnsonKatheryn Patterson and Thomas L.

KempnerCouncil Member I. Daneek Miller,

District 27 New Yankee Stadium Community

Benefits FundNorth Star FundOmni New York, LLCOne Five Hospitality Group

PfizerCharles RamatRockaway Development

and RevitalizationCouncil Member Helen Rosenthal,

District 6 San Francisco FoundationMr. and Mrs. Nicholas ScharlattScreamin’ Eagle Promo LLCSouth Wind FoundationThe J.M. Kaplan FundLeo S. Walsh FoundationThomas L. Kempner, Jr. FoundationCouncil Member Jumaane

Williams, District 45

$1,000-4,999Bauble Bar Amy BellBon Secours Health SystemBreckinridge Capital AdvisorsSuzanne BuchtaCalvin KleinCity Gardens Club of NYCColin Gardner FundCowles Charitable TrustCypress Hills Local Development Corp.Anand and Erica DesaiDunnhumby USAElmhurst Hospital CenterESRBFashion Footwear Association of NYFoothold TechnologyWilliam E. and Mary W. FowlerCouncil Member Daniel R.

Garodnick, District 4

Mr. and Mrs. Michael GerrardGoldman Sachs and Co.Andrew I. GottliebGramercy Park FoundationGreat Performances Samuel GreenfieldJeffrey and Paula GuralMayhsin and Melissa HsiungJefferies LLCJetBlue AirwaysJive SoftwareMr. and Mrs. Robert J. KafinKeep America BeautifulCarol KennedyCouncil Member Karen Koslowitz,

District 29 Major League SoccerMari and Norman Epstein

FoundationRichard W. and Maura L. Harway

MarkMarkit North AmericaKate McKayNatural Gourmet Inst.

For Food and HealthNestleNew York Apple AssociationNippon Steel and SumitomoNorinchukin FoundationNY Presbyterian HospitalTara PalliscoSara PlathLisa and Jonathan PruzanPVH CorpCouncil Member Donovan

Richards, District 31


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Council Member Deborah Rose, District 49

SamsungRichard M. Schwartz

(in memorium)Slow Food NYCSmall Axe Peppers Katherine SpectorStainman Family FoundationStella StrombolisSweetgreenThe DiamondThe Saint Paul FoundationTIAA-CREF Corp VolunteersTime WarnerThomas N. TryforosVan Itallie FoundationKate VanekVenable FoundationWhite and Case LLP

$100-999Lisa and Adam AblemanOphir AgassiBruce AginsSusan AllenAlumni AssociationRobert AndersonPamela AuchinclossMarian BachCara BigganeElisa and Robert BildnerNancy BillmanFaye and Ian BlackBoxUpBridgewood Fieldwater

FoundationArline L. BronzaftNina Browne

Buffalo ExchangeJudy BunzlSuzanne BurgerMichelle ByrdCabrini Immigrant Services

of NYCCharlene CerridwenThea CharlesDavid ChessmanKendall ChristiansenErin CollinsCommon Cents NYMargaret ConnellyVictoria ContinoNancy CuervoSusan DanielsEarthshareCara EisenEnviron International CorporationBetty and Fredric FeibuschRonald and Ronner FeimanFirstService Residential New YorkMs. Norma G. FischerFood Book Fair aka Siriol LLCFrancis Greenburger

Charitable FundSally GanzfriedKay GardinerAlana D. GersonEllen GesmerGinsberg, Mark and Darby

GinsbergMeryl GlicksmanMontego GloverMaia GoodellAngela and Mark GordonTodd and Susan Feder and Todd

GordonVivian M. GordonGreen Beetz

Susan E. GreenGreenberg Traurig LLPLisa and David GurleyNancy HagerCatherine HanleyElizabeth K. HauserMary R. HawleySusan HerzbergJennifer and Harvey HirschJon and Hamilton HlafterMichael HollandMarjorie Holliday

Michael and Robin HowaldBetty Moy HuberBenjamin HungHyatt Union SquareIMSInterior Design Media GroupMolly Doherty and

Omar Jadwat JCDecaux North AmericaNicholas JohnsonRobert and Eleanor JuceamShara KabakowSteven KassinSamantha and Allen KatzEmily KatzRandall K.C. KauCarol KennedyKatherine KienitzEileen and Neil KlarJoan and Richard KleinRichard J. KoletskyThe Kraus Family Deborah and Arthur KuppermanJoel KurtzbergL.E. Phillips Family FoundationKimberly LalaKarin B. Chadwick and James M.

LandersJames LaneMichael LapsonLynne LawrenceLegacy Marketing PartnersBenjamin LevineRebecca LewinMelissa and Michael LibrettaJon LindseyCarol and David LockeAllison LondonMarc McEnearney

MEC Global-NY OfficeAmanda MelpolderMark MelzerBJ MichaelsDeborah MurphyElizabeth MyersSerene NakanoEmily G. NammacherMichael and Joan NelsonNinth Avenue Association

of NYHoward NizewitzMegan NordgrenElizabeth M. O’ConnellRita OrmsbyMary OrsiSusan Power Johnston and Glen

T. OxtonPriya ParayanthalPop Up RepairAndrew RadcliffCharlene J. RayTara ReddiMatthew ReidHarriet M. Reilly-O’HalloranAnne Marie ResorMargot ReubensLinda Grasso and Michael RieserCharity RobeyTamsin RoeEllen RosenNathan RothsteinZoe RotterIlana SchachterMaxine R. SchweitzerSeeds of Change Harriet ShalatDeborah ShapiroAnn Shepard

“GrowNYC builds sus-tainability for New York City and all of its residents through grass roots programs that address access to healthy foods, greening, environmen-tal education and recycling. No single organization does more to support our great City in these areas.”

—Sonia M. Toledo Donor, GrowNYC Vice-Chair


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Sheethal ShobowaleAngela SieglerKate SindingDeborah SingerSinger, MarkSiriolSME Co.Susannah SpodekMarc SprungDenise SquicciariniAnn StermanNancy J. SwopeStacy TaffetElena Taurke JosephTD BankLily TranUniversity School Alumni

AssociationVega, Sandra VegaTed VickeryDavid ViscomiSandra WalshJoshua WechslerJane WeissAlden WickerDovie F. WingardCarol and Edward WolfAllison WylieMark YarmEd YowellJonathan Ziegler

In-Kind Donors3 Corner Field Farm33 Across

Added Value/Red Hook Community Farm

America’s Test KitchenAnthony Road Wine Co. Apple State Hilltop FarmBad Seed Cider Co.Bakers BountyBien Cuit Bakery/Zach GolperBig Reuse f/k/a Build It Green!NYCBike New YorkBobolink DairyBread Alone BakeryBronx River AllianceBrooklyn BreweryBrooklyn Plantology by Lapide Cato Corner FarmChateau Renaissance, IncChelsea Garden CenterClarkson UniversityConsider BardwellConsumer Reports/GreenerChoicesCulinary Institute of AmericaDelaware & Hudson/Patti JacksonDelaware County Soil and Water

Conservation DistrictDepartment of Environmental

ProtectionDivine Brine Foods IncDr. Christopher Loss, CIAEarth MatterEarth’s Birthday ProjectEdible ManhattanExperian QASFeedFeedFlying Pigs FarmFood52

Foodstand/Purpose Forest City RatnerFried, Frank, Harris, Shriver and

Jacobson LLPGotham Bar and GrillGowanus Canal ConservancyGramercy Tavern Great PerformancesGreenThumb/NYC Department of

Parks & RecreationGrow Oya

Hawthorne Valley FarmHealthway FarmsHeritage RadioHot Bread KitchenHudson Valley Duck FarmHyattInnovest

InterbrandJimmy CarboneKatchkie FarmKate GalassiKelSo BeerKuma InnLa Meunerie Milanaise/Sophie

BeaucheminLani’s FarmLas DeliciasLower East Side Ecology Center Lucky Dog FarmMarchele’ Lalena Davis-MabryMark ItMartin’s PretzelsMaureen Costura, CIAMaynard FarmsMigliorelli FarmModern FarmerMountain Sweet Berry FarmNew York Institute of TechnologyNew York Restoration ProjectNew York State Apple Growers

AssociationNewgate FarmNortheast Brooklyn Housing

Development CorporationNYC Dept. of Parks and RecreationOechsner FarmsOechsner Farms/Thor OechsnerOur Daily BreadPE & DD SeafoodPratt IndustriesProskauer Rose LLPProspect Hill OrchardsQueens County Farm Museum

QuincipleRick’s PicksRoom & BoardRunner & Stone/Peter EndrissS&SO ProduceSamascott Orchards SaveurSeasons Neighborhood Nursery

Garden Center Sfoglini PastaSINGL Lounge at The FourthSUNY DelhiTerracycleThe Battery ConservancyThe Cleaver Co.The Durst OrganizationThe Food NetworkThe Food Stand/PurposeThe Horticultural SocietyThe Natural Gourmet InstituteThe New York Red BullsThe Orchards of ConcklinTimberlandTonjes Farm DairyTory BurchTrust for Governors IslandTweefontein Herb FarmUrban Garden CenterValley MaltValley Shepherd CreameryW. Rogowski FarmWit MediaWorkman Publishing

“GrowNYC continues to empower New Yorkers to improve our city and our environment. Their many programs are hands-on, block-by-block transforma-tions that enable people to learn solutions that benefit individual life-styles and entire communities.”

— Frances A. Resheske, Senior Vice President,

Public Affairs, Con Edison

Help protect the future of NYC and ensure your legacy will live on in gardens, trees, fruits, and flowers by making a bequest to GrowNYC today. For more information call 212.788.7900.


27

BOARD MEMBERSMarian S. Heiskell

Honorary Chair

Robert J. Kafin, Esq. Chair

Sonia M. Toledo Vice Chair

Richard AbronsJordan BarowitzComm. Mary Bassett, MD, MPHDr. Arline BronzaftVictoria Contino, Esq.Jacqueline DryfoosChristopher J. EllimanEverard FindlayComm. Kathryn Garcia Eric A. Goldstein, Esq.Cornelia GuestComm. Emily LloydJohn S. LyonsLiz NeumarkLys McLaughlin PikeCharles S. RamatJeff Salinger, Esq.Steven P. Salsberg, Esq.Barbara S. SamuelsonAxel A. SantiagoNick ScharlattEugene SchneurComm. Mitchell SilverStella StrombolisEva TanComm. Polly TrottenbergJeffrey Zurofsky

STAFFMarcel Van Ooyen

Executive Director

Julie A. Walsh Assistant Director

Dennis Conroy Comptroller

administration/financeRafelia CollisBenjamin GordonCindy MaPamela OleasMonique RodriguezPriscilla RosadoJun Wang

developmentIshi Sahni

Director of Development

Amanda GentileSara LeitchNathan Patterson

education Michael Zamm

Director of Environmental Education

Kira Cohen-MiloThaddeus CopelandArielle HartmanJessie Kerr-VandersliceLaura PirainoDavid SaphireSam SilverKatherine WimsattChe’Von Cooper

gardens Gerard Lordahl

Director of Gardening

Rachel BrauserShawn BrodyLars ChellbergShawn ConnellSebert HarperLenny LibrizziMichael Rezny

recycling David Hurd Director of Office of Recycling

Outreach and Education

Emily BachmanKathleen CrosbyCarl-Harry NauWilliam JettJohn JohnsonNabjot KaurJonathan KlarJay LedouxJoshua LeirerAna-Paula PaglioneVitaliy PiltserMichael RieserChristina SalviJared SessumErmin SiljkovicJae Watkins

greenmarketMichael Hurwitz

Director of Greenmarket

Jacqueline BachOlivia BlanchflowerJessenia CagleLiz CarolloCory Cervone

Cathy ChambersHeidi DolnickJessica DouglasBen DuignanBrian GoldblattLaurel HalterCaroline HiteshewMargaret HoffmanJack HornickelCheryl HuberDavid HughesGene JacobsonJackie JuttonenTara LaRuffaWinifred LeeHana MartinezLaura McDonaldTevon McNairAshley MuellerKoraljka PetrovicNicole PettiPhebe PiersonLuz PortilloPoul PriceSantos RiveraRishma RodriguezMaria RojasJune RussellLobsang SamtenRobert ShepherdArlene SicardoSusie SpodekGabriella SternAlexis StevensNicole TuckerStephen WadeChristopher WayneChelsea WhittakerEmily Winkler-MoreyTK Zellers

Board and Staff

I N MEMOR IAM

For nearly twenty years, Richard Schwartz helped guide GrowNYC through waters calm and smooth. He was the kind of board member that nonprofits dream of—which is to say, he was a true friend. We knew we could call Richard anytime. His wise counsel, keen mind and ‘let’s start at the beginning’ approach would have our rattled nerves soothed and a solution underway. We will miss him: his humor, his humility, his goodness as a person. He will always be remembered with fond-ness and affection.


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Finances Fiscal Year July 1, 2014–June 30, 2015

Operating RevenuesFoundations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1,779,2611

Individuals/Corporations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $773,151

Government grants and contracts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$3,620,177

Contributed Facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $635,9162

Greenmarket Fees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,822,508

Other Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,261,8123

Total Operating Revenue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $12,892,825

Operating ExpensesEnvironmental Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $778,462

Greenmarket & Farmer Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $4,330,379

Food Access & Wholesale Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,738,639

Greening & Gardens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1,297,436

Recycling Outreach & Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,513,370

Public Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $61,886

Management and general . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $833,370

Fundraising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$502,286

Total Operating Expenses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $12,055,828

Change in Unrestricted Net Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $166,606

Change in Temporarily Restricted Net Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$670,3911

Change in Operating Net Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $836,997

Non-Operating RevenuesInterest & Dividends. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $49,675

Investment Income. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ($60,763)

Total Non-Operating Revenue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ($11,088)

Total Change in Net Assets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $825,909

Net AssetsOperations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,883,466

Invested in Property & Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$188,800

Board Designated Investment Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,764,3414

Board Designated Operating Reserve Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $250,881

Temporarily Restricted. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,364,3365

Total Net Assets as of June 30, 2015 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,451,824

1. Contributed income from Foundations includes multi-year grants received in FY15 but temporarily restricted for use in future fiscal years.2. Contributed Facilities revenue is offset by an equivalent expense amount. 3. Other Income includes sales of plants, wholesale distribution of fresh produce, and consulting services.4. The Board designated investment fund functions as an endowment.

5. Temporarily restricted funds are restricted by the donor for a specific purpose and/or time (i.e. future fiscal years), and released from restriction either by the passage of time or by incurring expenses which satisfy the restricted purpose specified by the donor.Financial statements for the year ended June 30, 2015 have been audited by Marks Paneth & Shron LLP, Certified Public Accountants. The latest annual financial report has been filed with the NYS OAG, Charities Bureau, 120 Broadway, NY, NY 10271. A copy may be obtained from GrowNYC, 100 Gold Street, Suite 3300, NY, NY 10038 or online at www.grownyc.org


29

GROWNYC100 Gold Street, Suite 3300 New York, New York 10038

212.788.7900

PHOTO CREDITScontents pageKathleen Crosby (recycle)GrowNYC (all others)page 1GrowNYC (left)JetBlue (right) page 2Vitality Piltser (left)GrowNYC (right)page 3Dave Sanderspage 4Amanda Gentilepage 5Amanda Gentile (far left)GrowNYC (center left and right)Kathleen Crosby (far right)page 6GrowNYCpage 7Jameel Khaja (top left)GrowNYC (bottom left and right)page 8GrowNYCpage 9GrowNYCpage 10GrowNYC (top)Jonathan Grassi (bottom)page 11Coprid / Shutterstock (top left)Heineken (top right) Nikki Clark (bottom left)Mike Rezny (bottom right)

page 12GrowNYCpage 13Lenny Librizzi (left)Nikki Clark (right)page 14Claire Hagen (left)Catherine Skalda (right)page 15GrowNYCpage 16Kristal Ibarra Rodriguez (top left)GrowNYC (top right and bottom)page 17GrowNYCpage 18GrowNYCpage 19Amanda Gentile (top right)GrowNYC (left, top and bottom)page 20Kathleen Crosby (top left)GrowNYC (right, top and bottom)page 21Nathalie Abejeropage 22Nikki Clarkpage 27Dave Sanders


30 www.GrowNYC.org

EST. 1970


grownyc 2015 annual report

Documents