Robin Hood in the News: 2025 Wrapped

As 2025 draws to a close, we’re looking back at the news stories, national conversations, and media moments that spotlighted Robin Hood’s work this year. From groundbreaking Poverty Tracker findings to record-breaking fundraising and bold advocacy, these headlines reveal how urgently New Yorkers are feeling the squeeze—and how our city is responding.

Below is a look at the stories that elevated our fight against poverty in 2025, and why they mattered.

1. The year began with The Street revisiting Robin Hood’s origins in the late 1980’s and spotlighting how investment principles remain central to our philanthropic model. At a time when the city’s economic landscape was shifting rapidly, this reminder—that smart, data-driven, market-informed philanthropy can be one of the city’s strongest anti-poverty tools—helped frame everything that followed.
2. When Bloomberg reported on Dina Powell McCormick passing the Board Chair baton to Ken Tropin, it underscored how Robin Hood continues to evolve while maintaining the stability and leadership required for a moment of rising need. With demand for social services soaring, strong governance at New York City’s largest poverty-fighting philanthropy was a message the city needed to hear.
3. Then came the stark reality check. The New York Times, drawing on Poverty Tracker research with Columbia University, revealed that one in four New Yorkers could not afford basic essentials—a finding that immediately reframed the public conversation about what it means to live in this city. The Times followed up by naming Robin Hood CEO Richard Buery’s line—“These are entirely human-made problems”—its Quote of the Day, capturing the moral clarity of our mission: poverty is a policy choice, and that means we can choose differently.
4. Just as New Yorkers were reckoning with this data, media outlets turned to Robin Hood’s biggest fundraising night. Coverage in Bloomberg, Page Six, The New York Times, and BizBash of the 2025 Robin Hood Benefit did more than capture celebrity moments or a record-setting total—it conveyed the scale of New York’s response to crisis. Raising nearly $72 million in a single night signaled that philanthropy would not stand still while federal cuts threatened the city’s lowest-income families. These stories showed what it looks like when Wall Street, sports icons, policymakers, and culture-makers unite with purpose.
5. A few weeks later, housing took center stage. In an op-ed for the New York Daily News, Richard Buery urged New Yorkers to confront the housing crisis at the ballot box—an unmistakable call to action in a year when millions struggled to find stability. The piece elevated Robin Hood’s stance that meaningful progress requires both community investment and policy change.
6. By summer, national attention turned toward utility shutoffs. The Guardian, using Poverty Tracker data on energy insecurity, illuminated how Black and Latino households bore the heaviest burden. The story highlighted a core theme of Robin Hood’s research all year long: inequity is not abstract—it’s measured in consequences like disconnection notices, mounting bills, and the real risk of harm.
7. Coverage in Philanthropy News Digest of our nearly $40 million in Q3 grants showed how Robin Hood responded in real time, strengthening the nonprofits that anchor every borough. It was one of many reminders that our grantmaking is both broad and deeply targeted—supporting food access, housing stability, early childhood, workforce development, and the full ecosystem families rely on.
8. Shortly after, NY1 Mornings on 1 turned to Robin Hood and Columbia’s newest Data Snapshot to help New Yorkers make sense of inflation’s squeeze on daily life. By sharing how families were cutting food, skipping transit, and depleting savings, the segment elevated the lived realities behind the headlines—and why our grants, advocacy, and research continue pushing for better conditions.
9. Coverage from Hedge Fund Alpha on the J.P.Morgan / Robin Hood Investors Conference highlighted the influence of our annual convening, particularly the AI panel that brought together leading voices in technology and investing. The story reinforced how the conference continues to serve as a major forum where financial leaders examine emerging trends while supporting Robin Hood’s mission to fight poverty.
10. Katie Couric Media highlighted the Robin Hood Heroes Breakfast Awards, lifting up New Yorkers whose leadership and resilience are driving change across the city. The piece featured Derrick Henderson of the FDNY Foundation, Wendy Poveda of Teaching Matters, and Jaylen Jackson of Anthos|Home—stories that reflect the power of sustained investment in education, workforce opportunity, and housing stability, and the ripple effect that support can have far beyond any one individual.
11. As 2025 drew to a close, The New York Times spotlighted new Robin Hood and Columbia University Poverty Tracker research on food hardship among New Yorkers in the “missing middle”—people working full time who earn too much to qualify for assistance but still can’t afford groceries. Quoting Chymeka Olfonse, Robin Hood’s Managing Director of Adult and Household Supports, the coverage emphasized that rising costs are pushing hardship across income levels, reinforcing a stark truth: economic insecurity is no longer confined to the city’s poorest households.

Looking Back, Moving Forward

From urgent poverty statistics to fundraising milestones, from policy advocacy to cultural moments, the 2025 headlines told a consistent story: poverty in New York City is deepening, but so is our collective resolve.

As we head into 2026, Robin Hood will continue to back the organizations and leaders on the frontlines, push for policies that make a measurable difference, and shine a light on the experiences of New Yorkers working every day to build a life of dignity and opportunity.

Because poverty is relentless—but so are we.