View the complete PDF of our 2023 Annual Report
New York Restoration Project’s work is as vital as ever. As the city weathered the hottest summer on record this past year, NYRP’s parks, gardens, and trees were essential defenses against all-too-common extreme heat, polluted air, and severe flooding.
We rose to the occasion thanks to our committed donors. Throughout many of the city’s most vulnerable communities, NYRP planted and distributed 4,500 trees, built 17 new green spaces, and expanded our efforts to prevent the erosion of Manhattan’s largest remaining wetland. We removed over 80,000 pounds of litter and enlisted approximately 2,000 volunteers to expand our citywide efforts. Even as the pandemic’s grip on our daily lives has waned since 2020, demand for NYRP’s services has continually grown.
This necessary work began as a private-public partnership almost 30 years ago when our founder, Bette Midler, started picking up trash in parks. At its very best over time, our longstanding collaboration between the private and public sectors has empowered NYRP to transform acres of neglected parkland, preserve dozens of beloved community gardens, and plant over a million trees in the areas that need them most.
In recent months, however, we’ve realized NYRP’s work must rely on philanthropy more than ever. The City of New York is facing a budget crisis and slashing all agency budgets. The Parks Department, a foundational partner of NYRP’s work, will suffer from severely reduced funding and so will its green spaces. Further, while inflation and rising interest rates hurt us all, a reduction in public services hit many of the communities NYRP serves the hardest. Your donation to NYRP helps us to bridge the gap in New York’s time of need.
Even as the cost of our work rises while public support dips, NYRP will not back down from our mission to ensure equal access to nature’s unquestionable benefits for every New Yorker. We believe in the power of philanthropy to achieve this vision as much as we count on the City to help make its own land accessible and well-maintained for its residents. NYRP will continue our work on both fronts to maintain our work’s critical private-public balance.
As ever, we are here to deepen our efforts with your continued donations. Access to nature is a fundamental human right and we know we will reach new milestones together this coming year.
With gratitude,
Lynn Bodnar Kelly, Executive Director
At New York Restoration Project, we are dedicated to ensuring that all New Yorkers have equitable access to nature throughout the city. We are proud to say that, as of 2023, over 1.6 million people live within a 10-minute walk of an NYRP green space.
This past year we continued our work stewarding community parks and gardens throughout all five boroughs. Working in collaboration with local partners, NYRP turned underutilized outdoor spaces into productive new gardens in some of the city’s least green and most underserved neighborhoods.
With the generous help of our partners and over 1,500 volunteers, this year we:
NYRP continues to advocate for and work with its stakeholders to enhance the budget of New York City’s Parks Department. Everyone deserves a city that is clean, green, and resilient in the face of the climate crisis.
Thank you for championing our mission to ensure that all New Yorkers can access the critical benefits of green space. Your donations continue to make a difference every day, especially in the areas of our city that need it most.
With gratitude,
Darcy Stacom and Samuel M. Ashner
Board of Trustees Co-Chairs
New York Restoration Project believes that access to nature is a fundamental human right.
NYRP is the primary steward of over 80 acres of Northern Manhattan green space across Highbridge Park, Sherman Creek Park, and the Harlem River Greenway.
Read MoreMore than 1.6 million New Yorkers live within a 10-minute walk of a NYRP green space. This includes the 52 community gardens we own and operate throughout all five boroughs.
Read MoreSince NYRP’s Gardens for the City program began over a decade ago, we have built or completely renovated over 300 green spaces throughout New York City. This includes 17 new gardens in 2023 alone, with at least one in every borough.
Read MoreView, download, and print the full PDF of our 2023 Annual Report
All figures based on audited financials.
This list includes the Board of Trustees as of the close of our FY23 on September 30, 2023.
* Stepped down from Board October 2023
** Elected Co-Chair January 2024
Board of TrusteesBette Midler, Founder |
Chairman’s CouncilJanice Parker, Chair |
Equitable access to green space has never been more important. We are grateful for our many generous donors who hold this conviction as strongly as we do.
This alphabetical list includes donors who gave $1,000 or more between October 1, 2022 and September 30, 2023. This list has been prepared with care but if there is an error, please notify us at [email protected].
Barbara A. Abeles Council Member Shaun Abreu Activate Consulting G.C. Adkins Alton Aviation Consultancy Winifred Amaturo Anonymous (7) Matt Anuszkiewicz Joseph Aphinyanaphongs Apollo Global Management Sara Arno Jessica Ashner Samuel M. Ashner The Ashner Family Evergreen Foundation Lily Auchincloss Foundation Christiane Baker Bank of America Caryl Baron Bruce Baughman and Melanie G. Arwin Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP Michael A. Benson Arnaldo Bernabe Helen Bernstein The Andrew J. Bernstein Foundation Big Apple Circus Noble Black and Marc Rozic BlackBirch Capital Inc. The Blackstone Group Krystyna M. Blakeslee Bloomberg Philanthropies BNP Paribas Gerry Bonomi Adam Bordner Jason Bowman Bruce Bozzi and Bryan Lourd Nancy A. Bredhoff Lucia Briones Brookfield Properties Diane and Clyde Brownstone Paul Burkey Capalino+Company Lisa Caputo Morris The Carlton Group CBRE Group Inc. CBRE Global Investment Management Charityvest Inc. Betty Y. Chen and Peter Coombe Diane M. Chesnut Peter L. Christensen Cisco Citizens Philanthropic Foundation The City Gardens Club of New York City The City of New York Steven and Alexandra Cohen Foundation Jonathan Collard Cameron Cox Kim and Tommy Craig CUIMC Office of Government & Community Affairs Cushman & Wakefield Katherine Dalsimer Clive J. Davis Sarah K. de Coizart Perpetual Charitable Trust Todd DeGarmo // STUDIOS Architecture Council Member Carmen De La Rosa Shirley Della Vecchia Deloitte LLP Delta Air Lines, Inc. Anna DeLuca Anke Dening-Volcker Beth Rudin DeWoody Diptyque Timothy Disalvo Jessica Doerner Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones Zach Drobner The Duncan Family Jake Duneier Dunkin’ Joy In Childhood Foundation Jordan Dunn Helena Durst The Durst Organization Maria Dziedzic Eastdil Secured EBY Enterprises, Inc. Jessica Hu and Jonathan Eddy Douglas Eisenberg Eric Javits LLC Ernst & Young LLP EvensonBest Council Member Amanda Farias Farm Credit Northeast AgEnhancement Council Member Oswald Feliz Casey and Matthew Fisher Keith Fox and Tom Keyes Elliot Friman Jane Furth Valentin Fuster David Geffen Foundation Andra Georges Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP GIC Laura Gilbert Maryanne and John Gilmartin Laurence and Sandi Gluck Charitable Foundation Douglas Golann Howard Goldberg John and Marcia Goldman Philanthropic Fund Amy Goldman Fowler Goldman, Sachs & Co. The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation Greenacre Foundation Deborah A. Griffin Allen and Deborah Grubman Linda Hackett Alexander Hankin Council Member Kamillah Hanks The Hargrove Pierce Foundation Wayde Harrison Kitty Hawks and Lawrence Lederman The Morris A. Hazan Family Foundation Hearst Foundations Molly Heines and Thomas Moloney Heinz Family Foundation Carol Helms Patricia Henry David Heymann Edmund D. Hollander, FASLA The Deborah K. Holmes Family Foundation Walter Hood / Hood Design Studio Kimberly Hourihan HPS Partners Barbara C. Hunt Rachel Hunter- Goldman The Hyde and Watson Foundation Arleen E. Buchanan Raphael G. Jacobs The Jeckyl Foundation Jenco Foundation, Inc. JLL Capital Market Elton John Charitable Fund John Gore Organization Ashlyn Johnson Doris Johnson Johnson & Johnson Mary Margaret Jones Jennifer Josephy Peter Kahng David H. Kaufman Jerold Kayden Lynn Bodnar Kelly Kensington Vanguard National Land Services Dennis Kildea The Kite Key Foundation The Kors Le Pere Foundation The Kovner Foundation Lillian Kraemer Council Member Shekar Krishnan Kasi Kubiak Christy Labonte Leanne Lachman Helen D. Lally The Ralph and Ricky Lauren Family Foundation, Inc. Shannon Lee The Chuck and Rose Leitner Fund Don Lemon and Tim Malone Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine Spencer Levy Giselle Licursi |
Loewi-Lemberger Kaplan Charitable Fund Darla Longo Michael Lorber Lululemon Athletica The Edith W. MacGuire Charitable Trust Barry Magid The Malkin Fund, Inc. Erhard and Ruth Marius The Marshall Family Foundation Inc. Nancy Matta Michael Mattia Max Mayell Michael McGraw Arlene McKay McKinsey & Company Troy McNamara Meltzer, Lippe, Goldstein & Breitstone, LLP Mesa West Capital Doug Middleton Bette Midler and Martin von Haselberg Sarah Miller Ralph Millero Larry Milstein and Brian Drost MJS Foundation Kevin Moosbrugger Farshad More Hanna and Jeffrey Moskin Family Fund Christopher Moyer MRB Foundation National Fish and Wildlife Foundation The Nature Conservancy Margo M. and James L. Nederlander National Grid Kathy and Ben Needell The New York Community Trust Newman’s Own Foundation Newmark & Company Real Estate Inc. Council Member Sandy Nurse New York State Office of Environmental Conservation New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Getz Obstfeld RDO Equipment Andrea Olshan One Tree Planted Inc. Nathan Orsman Council Member Chi Ossé Darryl Pardi Janice Parker Landscape Architects Bob Pascucci Benj Pasek Patagonia Elizabeth T. Peabody Sina Pearson Barbara Perrier The L.E. Phillips Family Foundation, Inc. Nancy and Fred Poses Posner-Wallace Foundation Sally Pritchard Proskauer Rose LLP Lendri Purcell Vered Rabia The CBRAT Foundation Doug Ray Katharine J. Rayner Marc Renard Council Member Lincoln Restler Josh and Kerri Rider Zachary Robbins Timothy A. Robert Robert A.M. Stern Architects, LLP Rockwell Group Rockwell Architecture Planning and Design PC Olshan Frome Wolosky LLP ROKT Corporation Katie Romick Clifford Ross and Nicolette Donen Janet Ross Daryl and Steven Roth Foundation Michael Rourke Cynthia Rowley May and Samuel Rudin Family Foundation, Inc. The Estate of Walter Rummenie RXR Realty Carole Bayer Sager and Bob Daly Council Member Pierina Ana Sanchez Sawyer|Berson Jeffrey Schneider Marc Schwartz The Scully-Peretsman Foundation Paul D. Selver Elizabeth Senecal Marc Shaiman and Lou Mirabal Stephen Shapiro Faizal Sheriff David M. Sherman The Shubert Organization Evan Shumeyko Vicky Shusterman Peter N. Simon James and Marilyn Simons Joshua Sirefman and Sarah Kim SL Green Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Henry T. Snee Donna and Richard Soloway Hamilton South and Manuel Bellod Darcy Stacom, CBRE Sonny Stafford The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust Council Member Althea Stevens Jon Recor and Daniel Stewart The Stiefel Foundation Michael Stillman Joyce Storm T. Rowe Price Taconic Investment Partners Charlie Tallinger Mark Tanenbaum Kimara Targoff The Blackstone Charitable Foundation Sally Thurston Tiger Baron Foundation Coralie S. Toevs Abby Toomey Robin B. Tost Deirdre Towers David Traitel Trinity Church Wall Street Kathleen H. Tripp Robert L. Turner Todd Tydlaska The Sandra & Howard Tytel Family Foundation UBS Americas United Airlines United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service JP Morgan Private Bank Suzanne Urich Van Konynenburg Foundation The Verrill Foundation Viking Global Foundation Inc. Sophie F. von Haselberg and Harry Guinness Holly B. Wallace Discovery, Inc. Charlene and Aaron Welsh Gary Wendlandt Sondra C. Wenger Jann Wenner Christine and Nigel Weston Miriam and Garrett Wheeler William Warren Properties Council Member Nantasha Williams Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP Nyna Wilson Melba Wilson Nathan Wold Andrea Woodner Jennifer L. Wray The Zankel Fund Sara Zewde Mariano Zimmler Kelly Zullo |