Phew! It’s hard to pack 100 years into one. We held six community events, ran a $3-million community grantmaking project, shared 100 little-known historical facts, gathered and shared your visions for our region, and launched an award-winning new brand. We connected with many old and new friends along the way.
Our Votes, Our Vision, Our Community
We asked New Yorkers to vote for the issues they thought would be most important in the coming
year. We pledged to make grants totaling at least $1 million in 2025 to each of the three winning areas. New Yorkers across all five boroughs, Long Island, and Westchester selected affordable housing, mental and behavioral health, and nonprofit resilience.
You Spoke, We Listened!
We asked New Yorkers to share their visions for our region.
Celebrations & Discussions
Our centennial events in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Long Island, Queens, Staten Island, and Westchester highlighted core issues facing our communities, such as food security, climate change, and justice system reform. They featured lively panel discussions, poetry, and live music. Donors, nonprofits, and community members joined The Trust’s staff and board to break bread, share ideas, and network. Below are some takeaways.
“Partnerships between local farms and food justice advocates can create a more sustainable and equitable approach to fighting hunger. With nearly 600 farms across Long Island, we have the potential to be a gamechanger for food access.”
– Sol Marie Alfonso-Jones, Trust Program Director, Long Island
“Forty percent of construction workers in New York State are immigrants. So rather than looking at immigrants needing housing, it’s important to understand that immigrants are building the housing and are actually part of the solution.”
– Carola Otero Bracco, Executive Director of Neighbors Link
“My wife, Susan, and I opened up the Calise Family Fund to be able to drive what we want to support for people with disabilities across the disability field.”
– Victor Calise, Trust Donor and Director, Global Accessibility Center of Excellence, Walmart Belonging
