2025 Nonprofit Power Players

Edita Birnkrant’s lifelong love of animals and nature inspired her to leave a successful publishing career and devote her life to activism rooted in the Gandhian principle of ahimsa, or nonviolence. A leader for over 20 years in the nonprofit advocacy world, she combines grassroots action with political strategy on local and national animal and environmental issues. As executive director of New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets (NYCLASS), she has passed numerous life-saving laws grounded in the interconnectedness of all beings.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone starting out in your field?
Keep marching on and never give up! Look to past and present social justice movements for guidance, inspiration, and strength. And remember that meaningful change rarely comes quickly or without struggle – as Frederick Douglass said, “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” In this work, being relentless, principled, and committed for the long haul matters far more than short-term gratification. Stay grounded in your purpose and keep showing up.

How can policymakers and everyday New Yorkers support your organization?
As a small but mighty nonprofit, NYCLASS relies on the support of everyday New Yorkers and policymakers who believe animals deserve protection. You can support our work by becoming a member or donor at www.nyclass.org and joining our campaigns for meaningful, compassionate policy. Our motto says it all: We love animals – and we vote. Stand with us and help create a safer, more humane New York City.

What are your organization’s goals for 2026?
In 2026, NYCLASS will continue fighting to create a kinder, safer and more just city for all who share it – human and animal alike. Our priorities include passing Ryder’s Law to end the cruelty and danger of horse carriages; advancing Flaco’s Laws to make NYC a global leader in protecting birds; strengthening policies for pets; expanding protections for urban wildlife and much more.

Stacy Bliagos is the executive director of HANAC, Inc. where she oversees all areas of the organization including all social service programs, affordable housing development, and property management. Before joining HANAC, Inc., Ms. Bliagos has held various senior positions with New York City’s Department of Social Services. She has worked in both nonprofit and corporate settings, and previously served on the New York City Bar Association’s Career Advancement and Management Committee.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone starting out in your field?
First and foremost, work hard and stay optimistic. When people take a chance on you, work extra hard to make them proud. Your intention rules your life, so enter all situations with the best of intentions; people notice authenticity. Lastly, be kind.

How can policymakers and everyday New Yorkers support your organization?
Policymakers can support HANAC’s mission by prioritizing funding for affordable housing, early childhood education, and senior services, and by ensuring equitable access to programs that uplift immigrant and low-income families. Everyday New Yorkers can get involved by volunteering, partnering with us on community initiatives, or simply spreading the word about our programs and the difference they make in people’s lives. Together, we can continue to build a more inclusive and resilient New York for all.

What are your organization’s goals for 2026?
In 2026, HANAC aims to expand our portfolio of affordable senior housing developments, enhance our older adult services and youth and workforce development programs to meet evolving community needs, and strengthen partnerships across the public and private sectors to maximize our community impact. We’re also focused on leveraging technology to improve access to services and ensuring that every New Yorker we serve has the tools and opportunities to thrive.

Grace C. Bonilla is president and CEO of United Way of New York City (UWNYC), leading its efforts to unite community power with citywide possibility. Under her leadership, UWNYC and their partners have distributed 15 million pounds of food, delivered 75,000 books to families and conducted 5,000 free preventative health screenings in the last year. Grace brings deep government and nonprofit expertise and currently serves as co-chair of Mayor-elect Mamdani’s transition team.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone starting out in your field?
Stay curious and community-rooted. This work is about people, not positions. Center the voices and needs of those you serve in every decision. Titles are temporary, but the relationships you build and the trust you earn with communities create lasting impact. Listen more than you speak, and let the urgency of the issues – not ego or ambition – guide your work.

How can policymakers and everyday New Yorkers support your organization?
Support UWNYC by giving, volunteering, and advocating for all New Yorkers. We need policymakers to champion funding for social services and protect programs serving vulnerable communities. New Yorkers can amplify our work by staying engaged, speaking up for neighbors in need, and mobilizing their networks. When corporate, civic, and community partners unite behind our mission, we create lasting solutions to the city’s most urgent challenges.

What are your organization’s goals for 2026?
New York is a city of promise. That means in this city we get food to families who need it, connect people to health care, empower students with a quality education, and ensure that all New Yorkers have opportunities to thrive. We’re collaborating across government, public, and private sectors to unite community power with citywide possibility, meeting today’s most urgent affordability needs while building solutions for tomorrow.

For the past decade, Phoebe Boyer has served as president and CEO of Children’s Aid, one of New York City’s leading nonprofits supporting children, youth, and families facing poverty. Under her leadership, Children’s Aid has expanded programs that connect health, education, and family support so young people can thrive. Phoebe is also a strong advocate for ensuring that nonprofits have a voice in shaping policies that strengthen opportunity and equity across the city.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone starting out in your field?
Lead with your heart, your head, and humility. Nonprofit work is deeply rewarding but requires patience and persistence. Listen to the communities you serve, build genuine relationships, and stay focused on your mission. The most meaningful change happens when people work together toward shared goals. Balancing compassion for people with a focus on results ensures your work truly helps children and families build brighter, more stable futures.

How can policymakers and everyday New Yorkers support your organization?
Policymakers can put children and families at the center of every decision and recognize that nonprofits keep communities strong. From childcare to after-school programs, organizations like Children’s Aid make it possible for parents to work and kids to succeed. Everyday New Yorkers can help by donating, volunteering, or amplifying our message online. Every action – big or small – helps build a more equitable and caring city where all young people have the chance to thrive.

What are your organization’s goals for 2026?
Every child deserves to grow up healthy, supported, and full of possibility – but poverty still limits too many in New York City. By 2026, Children’s Aid aims to ensure that every child, youth, and family we serve has what they need to thrive: nutritious food, stable housing, quality health care, and an excellent education. Most importantly, we want every child to have someone who believes in them and helps them imagine what’s possible for their future.

Monae Priolenau-Jones is BCS’s interim co-executive director, working with the executive staff and Board to advance the organization’s goals. She previously served at the NYC Administration for Children’s Services, providing technical assistance and improvement strategies for nonprofit agencies. A fifth-generation Brooklynite, Monae holds a Master of Public Administration from John Jay College and a bachelor’s in government and politics from St. John’s University. She is proud to support BCS’s mission and enjoys reading and traveling.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone starting out in your field?
This work is about people first, always. Find mentors early and learn from every role, no matter how small. Leadership in this field means lifting others up and creating space for new voices to lead. Center people, not programs – and you’ll always move in the right direction.

How can policymakers and everyday New Yorkers support your organization?
Policymakers and everyday New Yorkers can support BCS by investing in their communities – creating and supporting policies that strengthen affordable housing, education, mental health care, and workforce opportunities, and by showing up for their neighbors. Whether it’s volunteering, advocating for change, or amplifying our work, collective action helps us build a more just and compassionate Brooklyn for all.

What are your organization’s goals for 2026?
In 2026, we will celebrate 160 years of standing with Brooklyn. This milestone is more than history – it’s our springboard for the future. We’re expanding our reach, deepening our impact, and ensuring more neighbors know BCS is here when it matters most. After more than a century and a half, our mission endures: to show up, lift up, and build a stronger Brooklyn together.

Jodi Querbach, BCS’s interim co-executive director, oversees administrative and program operations and partners with leadership and the Board to advance BCS’s mission. Since joining in 2004, she has held key roles, including chief operating officer. With over 20 years of experience serving Brooklyn’s children and families, Jodi holds a master’s from Yeshiva University’s Wurzweiler School of Social Work and lives in Brooklyn with her three sons and their dog, Pilot.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone starting out in your field?
This work is about people first, always. Find mentors early and learn from every role, no matter how small. Leadership in this field means lifting others up and creating space for new voices to lead. Center people, not programs – and you’ll always move in the right direction.

How can policymakers and everyday New Yorkers support your organization?
Policymakers and everyday New Yorkers can support BCS by investing in their communities, creating and supporting policies that strengthen affordable housing, education, mental health care, and workforce opportunities, and by showing up for their neighbors. Whether it’s volunteering, advocating for change, or amplifying our work, collective action helps us build a more just and compassionate Brooklyn for all.

What are your organization’s goals for 2026?
In 2026, we will celebrate 160 years of standing with Brooklyn. This milestone is more than history – it’s our springboard for the future. We’re expanding our reach, deepening our impact, and ensuring more neighbors know BCS is here when it matters most. After more than a century and a half, our mission endures: to show up, lift up, and build a stronger Brooklyn together.

Courtney Bryan’s lifelong commitment to justice reform and community change is reflected in a varied career that took her to law school, work in public defense and philanthropy, and the Center for Justice Innovation, where she learned the importance of collaborating with communities in implementing lasting change. Her roles at the Center have included serving as director of the Midtown Community Court, staff director of the first Lippman Commission, and currently as chief executive officer.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone starting out in your field?
I’d encourage working in direct-service roles in the community before moving into behind-the-scenes roles that focus on wider system change. It’s important to experience the day-to-day experiences and challenges, navigate the pressures and motivators of community justice work, and to build lasting relationships and credibility amongst those you serve and those you work alongside if you want to make durable change.

How can policymakers and everyday New Yorkers support your organization?
Building community justice and public safety takes collaboration and trust between people from all corners of society. Policymakers are welcome to visit our programs and learn about our evidence-backed approaches that solve root issues that people face and increase community safety. We have community justice centers and locations across all five boroughs, and New Yorkers can donate to building a safer, fairer city for all of us.

What are your organization’s goals for 2026?
We will continue building bridges across divides – whether that’s connecting people and the services they need to live safe and full lives, or finding common ground across our diverse city to create a fairer justice system. With approaches like alternatives to incarceration programs, resolving housing issues, investing in family court solutions to break generational cycles, and reducing violence through peer intervention, we’ll build community justice using our three decades of experience across the city and beyond.

Kenny Burgos is the CEO of the New York Apartment Association, representing housing providers who manage hundreds of thousands of rent-stabilized homes across New York City. A former assembly member from the Bronx, he led housing initiatives in Albany and previously worked in the City Council, shaping budgets that supported affordable housing. Today, he guides NYAA’s efforts to strengthen the housing system, address operating costs, and advance policies that keep homes stable and livable.

How can policymakers and everyday New Yorkers support your organization?
The distress in rent-stabilized buildings is enormous and even nonprofit housing providers are sounding the alarm. Academics are sounding the alarm. Former city and state housing officials are sounding the alarm. We need policymakers to understand the severity and work with all parties to make sure rent-stabilized housing stays around for the families who call it home.

Twyla Carter serves as the attorney-in-chief and CEO of The Legal Aid Society. She is the first Black woman and first Asian American to lead the organization in its nearly 150-year history. Prior to joining Legal Aid, Carter was the national director of legal and policy at The Bail Project, a national nonprofit organization that pioneered a national movement to bring free bail assistance and pretrial support to thousands of low-income people every year.