What’s the greenest borough in New York City?
Hint: It’s also where DJ Kool Herc created the first hip-hop beats, Reggie Jackson crushed three consecutive home runs in the 1977 World Series, and salsa music sparked a powerful social movement.
Alongside its rich cultural history and abundant green space, the Bronx is home to the city’s highest poverty rates, underfunded schools, and myriad public health issues. By pooling resources from our donors, The Trust has helped dozens of nonprofits improve life in this storied borough over the decades.
Carol Bilotti grew up in the South Bronx and has fond memories of playing in St. Mary’s Park in Mott Haven. She created a fund at The Trust in her husband’s memory to support Bronx parks and community arts for generations to come.
Generous New Yorkers also helped us fund the Bronx River Alliance over two decades to restore the river’s green space and wildlife. Our grants have improved literacy, expanded legal services and affordable housing, helped open the Bronx Music Hall, and more.
A Backyard for Bronxites
At one and a half times the size of Central Park, Van Cortlandt Park’s 1,000-plus acres offer a backyard for apartment dwellers, boasting lush forest and wetlands, a lake, the oldest public golf course in America, and more than 200 species of birds, including the great horned owl and the red-tailed hawk.
Maintaining this urban oasis is no easy task. In addition to paid staff, the park relies on thousands of volunteers each year to compost, plant, prune, weed, and clean up trash.
Trust grants to the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance helped it create opportunities for community members to pitch in. This was particularly essential during the pandemic, when park visits increased amid funding cuts.
“We have a lot of really dedicated volunteers,” said Deputy Director Christina Taylor. “There’s something very satisfying about immediately seeing the fruits of their labors, and how they transform the park, that gets them hooked.”
In 2025, the Alliance put a Trust grant to work restoring areas damaged by brush fires after a historic drought. To prevent future fires, it is clearing excessive dry leaves from trails and preparing staff to support fire department safety efforts.
A Place Where Arts & Artists Thrive
Aniya, a 17-year-old from Pelham Parkway, has spent four years training in every style of dance offered at Mind-Builders Creative Arts Center, including West African, ballet, hip-hop, jazz, modern, and tap.
The classes have helped Aniya build community and take on leadership roles. Currently a Mind-Builders teaching assistant, she plans to pursue a social work career after graduating high school.
“I want to be a voice for children who are scared to use their own,” she said.
Aniya is one of thousands of Bronx residents whose talents Mind-Builders has nurtured through nearly 50 years of free and low-cost music, dance, martial arts, and theater classes.
“Our programs allow us to build deep relationships that bridge creativity with helping young people develop life skills, connect with cultural resources, and build an awareness of their immediate and extended environments,” said Executive Director Shirley C. Taylor.
Previous grants have helped the nonprofit sustain operations during COVID-19 and integrate mental health services directly into its classes. The center is using a recent Trust grant to increase capacity to meet the high demand for its classes.
Improving Health Across the Borough
The Bronx faces higher rates of asthma, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity than other boroughs. Urban Health Plan ranks among New York State’s largest community health center systems. Its 20-year partnership with The Trust has created health and wellness programs in the Bronx that increased access to healthy food and outdoor fitness and provided care for families who lost loved ones in the September 11th attacks.
Recently, we’ve funded the nonprofit’s work to provide coordinated, comprehensive care for older adults living with chronic or age-related conditions to help them continue to live at home or with family, rather than moving into long-term care facilities.
“Aging brings new challenges, particularly in communities shaped by long-standing health inequities and limited resources,” said President and CEO Paloma Izquierdo-Hernandez. “This investment has strengthened our ability to better serve seniors and address their medical, social, and practical needs holistically so they can remain healthy, independent, and connected to their communities.”
The legacies of many generous New Yorkers, including Sarah Rogers, a nurse, and her husband, Harry, a taxi driver; DeWitt and Lila Acheson Wallace, the founders of Reader’s Digest; and William Hoddle Burkhart, an entrepreneur, helped fuel the grants in this story. To find out how you can leave a legacy or support New Yorkers today, visit giveto.nyc.
