Mayor Mamdani Names 33 Nonprofit Leaders to Advisory Council
New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani announced appointments to the 33-member Nonprofit Advisory Council, creating a direct line of communication between city leadership and the organizations that manage social services, education, and community advocacy across the city.
The council gathers leaders from a wide array of fields, ranging from legal assistance and homeless services to childcare, arts, culture, and youth justice. The administration aims to utilize this collective expertise to shape city policies and address structural challenges facing the sector.
“Our nonprofit organizations work tirelessly for us — they educate our children, protect our older adults and bring our communities to life,” Mayor Mamdani said. “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.”
Frankie Miranda and Tara Gardner Lead the Council Roster
Frankie Miranda and Tara Gardner will serve as Chair and Co-Chair, respectively.
“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,” Frankie Miranda said.
The complete roster of the 33-member Nonprofit Advisory Council includes:
- 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
Mamdani Administration Accelerates Funding to Nonprofit Providers
The establishment of the advisory council follows the Mamdani administration’s commitment to accelerate funding to nonprofit providers. Mayor Mamdani rolled out an extension of the Discretionary Grant Pilot in the month’s opening days, introducing a more efficient contracting procedure.
Following the execution of the grant contract by both the recipient and the agency, this broadened initiative permits a maximum of 800 nonprofits to collect their total funding inside a 30-day window, marking a 300% acceleration.
Tara N. Gardner, executive director of the Day Care Council of New York, said that nonprofits are the backbone of the city’s safety net. She noted that the Mamdani administration continues to demonstrate what is possible when City Hall treats nonprofits as partners, citing fewer bureaucratic hurdles, money in hand when work begins, and less borrowing required to make payroll.
Annie E. Minguez, Executive Director, Mayor’s Office of Nonprofit Services, noted that the appointed leaders will act as thought partners as the city develops policies that strengthen the sector.
