Robin Hood Launches 2026 GRIT Cohort, Backing Twelve NYC Nonprofit Leaders Strengthening the City’s Poverty-Fighting Sector

NEW YORK – Robin Hood today launched the 2026 cohort of GRIT, its signature Grant Readiness and Insights Training program, selecting 12 leaders from New York City poverty-fighting nonprofits for a seven-month management acceleration engagement. Over this period, participants will gain and hone skills to help their organizations grow stronger, more durable, and better positioned to expand impact. GRIT is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies.

This year’s cohort begins at a moment of profound urgency for New York City. Poverty has climbed to its highest level in over a decade, with 2.2 million New Yorkers — including nearly half a million children — now living in poverty. At the same time, federal funding cuts have weakened the safety net that low-income families depend on, increasing demand for services even as nonprofits face mounting pressure on their operations and budgets. In this environment, strengthening frontline organizations is essential. Families need support today, and the city needs durable institutions capable of helping New Yorkers access opportunity and create more stable futures over time.

“Nonprofit organizations are indispensable to New York City’s response to poverty. They are often the first place families turn when the ground shifts beneath them, and they are also the institutions helping people build more secure futures over time,” said Richard R. Buery, Jr., CEO of Robin Hood. “That is the challenge GRIT was created to meet. The program’s impact is clear: 90% of alumni survey respondents reported securing new corporate or philanthropic support and/or increasing board engagement. GRIT helps leaders strengthen their fundraising, financial, and operational foundations of their organizations so they can meet the urgency of this moment while building the durability and capacity needed to expand proven solutions and reach more New Yorkers over the long haul.”

Launched in 2016 with Bloomberg Philanthropies, GRIT identifies promising New York City nonprofits that sit outside of the Robin Hood portfolio and helps their leaders build the skills, tools, and strategies needed to grow. Through workshops, coaching, proposal feedback, and peer exchange, participants strengthen their program model, improve learning and measurement, refine budgeting and fundraising, and communicate their impact more clearly to funders and partners.

“New York City’s nonprofit leaders are determined problem-solvers, and their work strengthens communities across all five boroughs. Over the past decade, Bloomberg Philanthropies has supported Robin Hood to equip these leaders with the tools and training they need to further their impact,” said Patricia E. Harris, CEO of Bloomberg Philanthropies. “By investing in strong leadership and proven solutions, we can help build a more resilient city.”

Now in its tenth year, GRIT has supported 93 New York City nonprofits across the five boroughs. 90% of alumni survey respondents have secured new corporate or philanthropic support and/or increased board engagement. An additional 67% of participating groups made changes to fiscal presentations or protocols. The program’s goal is straightforward: help organizations become stronger, more sustainable, and better prepared to meet the pressures of the current moment while advancing long-term solutions to poverty.

This year’s cohort will also benefit from several program enhancements, including targeted capacity-building support, communications coaching for fundraising outreach, direct proposal feedback from Robin Hood program officers, expanded peer learning opportunities, and access to practical tools and resources throughout the program period.

The 2026 GRIT cohort includes:

• Arielle Kandel, Executive Director, New Women New Yorkers
  New Women New Yorkers provides workforce development and other programs that help immigrant women in New York City obtain meaningful employment or pursue higher education, while building community and support.
• Amy Shebar, Associate Executive Director, Neighborhood Initiatives Development Corporation
  Neighborhood Initiatives Development Corporation works to build thriving neighborhoods in the Bronx through high-quality programming and strategic partnerships that strengthen individuals, families, and communities.
• Desiree Elder, Executive Director, FCBC Community Development Corporation
  FCBC Community Development Corporation serves as a catalyst for transformation in Harlem and Greater New York City through education, the arts, economic empowerment, health awareness, and civic engagement.
• Dina Zoleo, Co-CEO, The Writing Revolution
  The Writing Revolution trains educators in the Hochman Method to help students become stronger writers, readers, and critical thinkers across subjects and grade levels.
• Ingrid Matias Chungata, Executive Director, Nuestros Niños
  Nuestros Niños has served Williamsburg families since 1973 through child care, Pre-K, and family day care programs that support children’s academic, social, emotional, physical, and creative development.
• Jhody Polk, Executive Director, Jailhouse Lawyers Initiative
  The Jailhouse Lawyers Initiative supports incarcerated legal workers and community paralegals with legal education, training, and community so they can lead change in criminal legal reform.
• John Clemente, Executive Director, South Bronx Community Charter High School
  South Bronx Community Charter High School promotes student excellence through academic, personal, and professional development in a supportive environment that prepares students for college, career, and community.
• Marisa Mitchell, Executive Director, HYPOTHEkids
  HYPOTHEkids provides hands-on STEAM education, mentorship, and internship opportunities that help students from low-resource communities build the skills to thrive in a high-tech economy.
• Walter Sotelo, Executive Director, NYC Love Kitchen
  NYC Love Kitchen feeds and mends lives through meals, pantry services, social services, and community support for New Yorkers in need.
• Vic Lee, Executive Director, Welcome to Chinatown
  Welcome to Chinatown bolsters local businesses and entrepreneurs while forging connections across Manhattan’s Chinatown to strengthen the neighborhood’s cultural and economic resilience.
• Yesenia Garcia-Fortuna, Executive Director, Summer Search
  Summer Search empowers young people from under-resourced communities through year-round mentoring, summer experiential learning, and postsecondary and career support.
• Zoe Henriquez, Executive Director, Read Ahead
  Read Ahead develops the social-emotional skills essential for academic and lifelong success through reading-based mentoring for elementary school students in New York City

About Robin Hood

Robin Hood is New York City’s largest local poverty-fighting philanthropy. Since 1988, it has invested nearly $3 billion to help New Yorkers permanently escape poverty. In 2025, Robin Hood made $140 million in grants to 295 community partners and advanced solutions on child care, child poverty, jobs, living wages, and more to improve economic mobility across New York City.

About Bloomberg Philanthropies

Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 700 cities and 150 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on creating lasting change in five key areas: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic consultancy that advises cities around the world. In 2025, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $4.3 billion. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, Facebook, and X.

Media Contact

Crystal Cooper, Deputy Director, Communications, Robin Hood, press@robinhood.org