New York Restoration Project

Overview

Mission

Nature is a fundamental right of every new yorker. New York restoration project ("nyrp") partners with residents, community-based organizations, civic institutions, public agencies, and the private sector to create, maintain, and program public open spaces. These partnerships deepen social ties and sustain underserved neighborhoods. We work daily to ensure that these meaningful partnerships make New York city a safer, healthier, and happier city. In the short year, we remain steadfast that nature is a fundamental right of every new yorker. Nyrp continues to work collaboratively with residents in communities across the five boroughs to renovate gardens, restore parks, plant trees, promote urban agriculture, and build partnerships that transform the city's landscape.

What it reported doing in 2024

In 2024, New York restoration project delivered critical resources to historically underserved neighborhoods. These communities have suffered from long-standing environmental and social injustices. Through the creation of new gardens, tree giveaways, and the sustained care and programming of community gardens and public parks, we provide access to quality green space citywide. Post-pandemic, communities in New York city continue to suffer from adverse health impacts, food insecurity and lack of resources. Nyrp expanded its urban agriculture program to combat food insecurity, and increased its free health, fitness and cultural programs in the community gardens and parks we maintain and support.during the three months of october 2024 to december 2024, we continued our work stewarding community parks and gardens and building new green spaces throughout all five boroughs. We completed 4 gardens for the city projects, held 56 public programs and one of our most successful galas to date.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 77% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
133959056
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Headquarters
New York, NY, USA
Phone
2123332552
Rating
68
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Environmental Beautification and Aesthetics

Official website

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 47
  • Transparency & Controls: 82
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 73
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 41.8%; rating input score 42
  • Program expense ratio: 62.1%; rating input score 62
  • Fundraising efficiency: $8.01 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 94.7%; rating input score 95; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 37.3%; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 8.17; rating input score 89; 89th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.16; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 55.4%; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -4.1% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -5% per year; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 1.3% per year; rating input score 100; 17th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 41.8% of revenue deployed · 62.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 26 of 26 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $385K · 31 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $561K reported
  • Consistency: 37 of 38 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 14 annual filings from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 5 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Leadership & pay

31 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • LYNN B KELLY (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR / SECRETARY): $384,706 total reported compensation
  • CATHERINE HALL-BETTERTON (SVP, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER): $251,018 total reported compensation
  • GARY R DEARBORN (CHIEF OF CAPITAL): $219,237 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.