What's Happening NYC

Grantee of the Month
Happy Black History Month! To celebrate our African-American community, we're highlighting Black Girls Sew, a 2020 Reduce, Reuse, and Repair Grant winner. Black Girls Sew is working in the heart of Bedford-Stuyvesant, a bustling predominantly African-American community experiencing rapid gentrification. The group is building community, shifting consumer culture, and diverting waste from landfills by hosting workshops on clothing reuse and repair. Seasoned professionals are teaching sewing novices how to mend worn clothing. The group is encouraging participants to trade clothing items and share reuse and repair ideas with each other through clothing swaps. Their project provides residents, both new and old, a safe space to explore the arts and discuss issues affecting their community.

Green Team Grant
The New York City Department of Sanitation and Citizens Committee are partnering to provide grants of up to $1,000 for projects carried out by public school green teams. Examples of projects that we support include building or expanding a school garden, enhancing a school recycling program, creating school sustainability events, purchasing eco-friendly giveaway items, and providing uniforms/t-shirts for the Green Team. Applications are collected through the DSNY Zero Waste Schools website. Applications due by February 14.

Learn more about the grant on our website.
For questions, contact Amber: schools@dsny.nyc.gov or 212-437-4622.

Neighborhood Leadership Institute
Want to increase the impact of your community building project or pick up skills to start a community organizing campaign with your neighbors? Join Citizens Committee for our Neighborhood Leadership Institute (NLI). NLI is a free, participatory workshop series that teaches organizing and advocacy skills. Anyone who attends at least 4 sessions (including the Basics of Community Organizing workshop) will receive an NLI Certificate. 

February 8: Basics of Community Organizing | Bring neighbors together to work on issues that matter to you. (full, RSVP for wait list only)
February 22: Group Structure | Build and maintain an effective neighborhood association or community group.
February 29: Media Tools | Increase public support for your group by framing your message and alerting local media. (full, RSVP for wait list only)
March 7: Navigating City Government | Learn how city government functions. (full, RSVP for wait list only)
March 14: Grassroots Fundraising | Support your group's work with community fundraising efforts. (full, RSVP for wait list only)

All workshops take place 11 AM - 3 PM in Manhattan. Lunch will be provided.
To RSVP, contact Paola: porozco@citizensnyc.org or 212-822-9598.

Other Grant Opportunities
NYC Organizing Grants: North Star Fund provides grants to organizations whose primary strategy is grassroots organizing. These grants, in the form of general operating support, are intended for both new and emerging organizations as well as established movement builders with a track record of success. Read about our recent grantees. Additionally, we are committed to providing long-term support for current grantees that continue to meet the eligibility requirements. Our goal is to make it as easy as possible to reapply, share the latest updates, and provide us with feedback. We want to hear from you! Para información en español, por favor llame a la oficina 212-620-9110.  Applications due on February 14.

Innovative Activism Grants: North Star Fund provides grants to organizations that contribute to the ecosystem of grassroots organizing. For examples of such work, you can read about past Innovative Activism grantees. Groups may apply under one of the following areas: Arts and Action; Resources for Organizing; and Alternative Institution Building. Note: For the Spring 2020 application period, North Star Fund will only accept applications from current grantees. Para información en español, por favor llame a la oficina 212-620-9110. Applications due by 5pm on February 14.

Rapid Response Grants: As a community foundation, North Star Fund and our donors fuel the movement for economic justice and peace. The purpose of this grant is to support organizing, activism, and strategic convening in response to urgent threats or breaking opportunities, especially during critical junctures of a campaign. This grant is intended to help organizations achieve a timely and specific outcome or impact within three to six months, usually as part of a long-term goal to achieve systems-based change. Para información en español, por favor llame a la oficina 212-620-9110. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Community Events & Resources
Celebrate and honor Black History Month through various events, including the 4th annual Black Lives Matter Teen Conference and the 12th annual Black History Month Celebration by the Harlem Chamber Players hosted by The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem. The center is one of the world’s leading cultural institutions devoted to the research, preservation, and exhibition of materials focused on African-American, African Diaspora, and African experiences. As a research division of The New York Public Library, the center features diverse programming and collections spanning over 11 million items that illuminate the richness of global Black history, arts, and culture.

We Stay/Nos Quedamos Monthly Open House: Each month during 2020, Nos Quedamos will host a monthly Open House to engage with community residents, local leaders, and activists/advocates in casual meet-and-greet networking sessions. Each monthly session will pivot around a theme such as affordable housing, gentrification, the environment and land-use, culture & arts, social services, among many others. These family-friendly events will also be coordinated to help regional stakeholders bring issues of relevant concern to our attention in order to maintain an ongoing dialogue about the community as a means of safeguarding our quality of life. Come by and meet our team. Snacks and beverages served. January-November, last Thursday of each month, 6-8pm, 754 Melrose Avenue, Bronx, NY 10451.

Master Composter Certificate Course: The 2020 Master Composter Certificate Course application is now open! The NYC Compost Project Master Composter Certificate Course is an advanced compost education and outreach program. The course is designed to build a citywide network of educators, advocates and community composters to support NYC Department of Sanitation composting initiatives. Those accepted to the program will learn basic compost science, urban compost system design, and outreach techniques. They will receive ongoing support to complete the coursework and required volunteer hours, and to design projects according to their interests and community needs. The course is offered once each spring in all five boroughs. Deadlines vary by borough (February-March). 

Lantern Festival Celebration: Decorate lanterns, hang lanterns, make tangyuan, eat tangyuan, look at the first full moon of the year, catch up with neighbors, make new friends. Join Think!Chinatown (T!C) in the bamboo garden’s greenhouse to celebrate the last day of the Lunar New Year festivities, the Lantern Festival. T!C Lantern Residency artist Yao Xiao will showcase her lantern in its full installation. There will be snacks, tea, tangyuan, lanterns to decorate, and more...stay tuned for updates on the event program. February 8, 4-7pm, 5 Essex, New York, NY 10002.

GrowNYC Seed Giveaway: Get ready for Spring and swing by our annual Seed Giveaway! Schools registered with GrowNYC will receive 20-30 packets of mixed vegetable, herb, and flower seeds for free. Grab a Spring planting calendar and blank crop planning sheet while you’re at it, and leave prepared for the upcoming growing season. Packets are available on a first-come, first-served basis for registered schools only. You can only attend one seed giveaway. Bring an ID to get through security. February 11, 9am-12pm; February 11, 3pm-5pm; February 12, 9am-12pm, GrowNYC, 100 Gold Street, Suite 3300, New York, NY 10038.

Pre-K/3-K Fair: This will be a great opportunity to reach families and inform them about Pre-K, 3-K, and Early Learn programs in the area where their child/ren can attend school. NYC DOE staff will assist families with their applications on the spot. February 15, Macon Library, 361 Lewis Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11233.

ReFashion Week Kick-Off: Join donateNYC and the Foundation For New York’s Strongest to ring in ReFashion Week in style! An immersive environment of activities invite you to explore a varied ecosystem of sustainable fashion choices, presenting actionable steps we can all take today to build the sustainable fashion future of tomorrow. Highlights include a large-scale textile installation, a reuse reading lounge, a social media photo booth with upcycled accessories, opening talks from sustainable fashion experts, a silent auction of exciting fashion items, and a networking reception. February 22, 2-6pm, Location TBD.

Bronx Parks Speak Up Sustaining the Future: The Bronx Parks Speak Up is an annual community networking conference for park and environmental stakeholders. Organized by the Bronx Coalition for Parks and Green Spaces (BCPGS), this day-long event draws over 250 Bronx residents, elected officials and agency personnel. It gives its attendees the chance to learn about government and non-government resources and participate in face-to-face discussions with city and local elected and appointed officials. February 29, 11am-5pm, Lehman College, 250 Bedford Park Blvd W, Bronx, NY 10468.