Last March, as COVID-19 arrived in New York City and the first lockdown took hold, I wrote to University Settlement’s supporters to outline how we approach crises, noting that we would prioritize:
We didn’t yet realize that 2020 would stretch into what sometimes felt like a permanent emergency, as the pandemic spun out of control, as political responses sputtered, and as the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery shocked the nation into perhaps the largest sustained uprising for racial justice in its history.
We’re still deep in these challenges. You can barely scratch the surface of the loss we’ve experienced by counting the people who’ve passed. Our neighbors have had to navigate systemic inequity even while the weight of the crisis has fallen disproportionately on our communities. And although the advent of safe and effective vaccines gives hope, the limitations of the campaign to vaccinate at-risk New Yorkers throw issues of health equity into sharp relief.
But as we’ve gone through one of the darkest years in University Settlement’s 135-year history, I’ve often had the opportunity to reflect with gratitude on all the things we can count on. Like: the enduring wisdom of our organization’s holistic approach to social engagement, which informed our crisis response and ensured we stayed connected with our neighbors even when we could no longer be in person together. The incredible dedication and ingenuity of our staff, which enabled us to quickly expand programs like food delivery and mental healthcare to meet rapidly increasing demand. And, of course, your continued generous support, which empowered us to continue innovating and planning for the future, even amidst a cascading once-in-a-generation crisis.
We’re still figuring things out every day. Many of our programs remain entirely remote; those that have returned in-person, like our Early Childhood centers, are following strict safety procedures that require close collaboration between our teams, caregivers, and students. But while the logistical challenges this requires can sometimes seem daunting, partnership like this has always been at the heart of our approach. They’re why we say: NYC is US. You can’t have New York City without the people who bring it to life – all of us, every age, every neighborhood, every contribution. As we move into whatever’s next, that principle will continue to light our way.
At our Learning Lab at PS 134, students access remote learning support.
Consultation Center staff coordinate mental healthcare for our communities.
Izayah on his way to deliver food to homebound seniors.
We fight poverty and systemic inequality by engaging our neighbors of all ages, from newborns to elders, with innovative, responsive programs that address basic needs while facilitating culture, learning, and community.
Every year, we support 1,500 young children and families with a spectrum of education and care services including center-based learning, neighborhood-based family childcare, and home-based assistance.
Advocacy & Community Action
We work with and on behalf of community members to advocate for social justice, secure access to resources, and support policies that empower New Yorkers to achieve healthy, stable, and remarkable lives. Key issues include access to safe housing, healthcare, and quality education.
Our eviction prevention program provides New York City community members with housing case management, counseling, and financial management services, all of which help families steer clear of eviction crises and preserve their affordable homes.
Through 17 afterschool sites, we offer programming to nearly 4,000 youth at the elementary, middle, and high-school levels annually. Our approach is rooted in positive youth development and social-emotional learning frameworks that build students’ self-awareness, self-expression, and self-management skills.
We engage over 2,100 low-income seniors annually through a network of services including meals, health, wellness, recreational activities, case assistance and management, housing counseling, and referral resources. Services are offered at four Manhattan sites, or through targeted support and technology for homebound seniors.
Recognizing art as a powerful tool to build the social wellbeing of communities, we offer two distinct, transformative arts programs. The Creative Center harnesses the healing power of art, connecting with older adults, patients and survivors, and healthcare staff. The Performance Project works to build equity in the arts by facilitating collaboration between artists and recent immigrants, seniors, and public housing residents.
400+ low-income, adult immigrants in NYC participate in our comprehensive 10-month English and civic education program annually – building language and systems literacy skills to navigate life in our complex city, support their families, and achieve their goals.
We offer a range of services in both traditional and nontraditional settings in order to reach residents across our neighborhoods, in whatever capacity they are most comfortable, offering “right fit” services to people seeking emotional and behavioral support.
For 135 years, we have been an integral part of the social fabric of the Lower East Side and of New York City. As our communities navigated crises in 2020, we continued to uphold our commitment.
When the U.S. Census undercounts a community, it can be financially and politically devastating. Understanding the Census as an urgent social justice issue, we led efforts to reach typically undercounted communities in our neighborhoods, and the City outperformed expectations despite the pandemic.
We continued to deliver life-changing English language and civic engagement instruction to hundreds of immigrant adults by transitioning all instruction 100% remote.
In an historic election, we coordinated outreach in English, Spanish, and Chinese encouraging members of our community not just to vote, but to take action to support the democratic process.
In 2020, we expanded our Early Head Start and Family Child Care Network into Brooklyn and launched the Prevention Program, which engages families to address and combat the root causes of foster care, in East New York.
Do you remember your kindergarten teacher’s name? The idea that young children benefit from supportive play-based learning, rather than the repetitive imposition of rules, is relatively recent. A German import, it took root at the Settlement early in our history, and our spin on it became a widely emulated prototype as public kindergartens opened nationwide. Today, our Early Childhood education programs are likewise recognized for their effectiveness in engaging young learners.
When many of our neighbors returned home from World War II traumatized with shellshock, or suffering from what we would now recognize as PTSD, we opened one of the first publicly accessible mental health clinics in the country, our Consultation Center. Our early engagement in making mental healthcare broadly available helped break down significant societal stigmas, and our Mental Health programs continue to lead by making high-quality, culturally sensitive, effective treatments available to our communities.
Sometimes it’s really true – the rent is too damn high! New York City can be a punishingly expensive place to live, and homelessness is a clear and present danger for many families in our communities.We founded Project Home to help our neighbors navigate tricky situations ranging from job losses, to family instability, to landlord abuse – helping prevent homelessness by keeping people in their apartments. In the last 30 years, the challenges working people face trying to pay the rent haven’t decreased, but we’ve helped thousands of families find their way forward. When the COVID eviction moratorium ends, we anticipate Project Home will be more vital than ever.
Behind every number in this story, and in this report, there are real people – neighbors helping neighbors navigate real problems. When you support University Settlement, you’re helping us partner with our neighbors to build community strength.
Several mornings a week, Izayah wakes up before the sun rises in Flatbush, Brooklyn, and journeys to the Lower East Side, where he delivers meals to homebound seniors as part of University Settlement’s Meals on Wheels program.
He’s playing a key role in our commitment to meet our neighbors’ basic needs in the crisis.
As the first lockdown took hold last March, it was immediately clear that our Older Adults programs would need to rapidly shift gears to maintain services for our community, particularly since so much of our programming for elders is communal, including meals, social activities and exercise, and wellness checks. Social distancing guidelines and the fact that COVID-19 was so much more dangerous for elders meant we had to rethink everything we do, even while demand for services rapidly increased.
Within several months, our direct delivery of food and basic supplies for older adults stuck in their apartments and low-income families increased by 285% – from 1,400 meals per week to more than 4,000.
As the crisis deepened, we were also actively connecting on virtual wellness checks with more than 2,000 of our neighbors weekly.
Izayah has long been part of our broader community – before the pandemic caused operations to shift online, he’d been working on the maintenance team at our partner agency The Door. Before he worked there, he’d been part of its community, as a Member.
He says that delivering food is personally satisfying work. His grandmother has also received food assistance, and when he knocks on people’s doors he sometimes thinks about her.
In this crisis, and particularly in the first and most intense lockdown, sometimes a knock on a door from our food delivery person could be one of the most significant interactions an elder would have in several days. Ben, another member of our delivery team, encountered an elder who had fallen and couldn’t get up – he heard them shouting, and was able to call 911 to get them help.
How We’re Funded
How Our Funding Breaks Down by Program:
Our Budget Primarily Funds Programming:
Thank you to everyone who supported our programs during Fiscal Year 2020! As we transition from crisis to recovery, our neighbors will be counting on our partnership more than ever – it means a lot to know that you’ve got our back!
The Donors listed below made gifts to University Settlement
during the 2020 fiscal year: July 1, 2019–June 30, 2020.
Anonymous Donors (7) Julie and M.P. Aaronson K. David and Kathleen Aase Melissa Aase and Brian Bergen Donna Aase Donald Abelson and Joseph Everett Valerie and Steve Abrahams Louis and Anne Abrons Foundation, Inc. Karen Adolph AIG Jane and Norman Alpert Christiane Amanpour American Council of Learned Societies Jessica Anderson Marcia and Lawrence Andrus Arcamax Publishing, Inc. Adele Armstrong The David Aronow Foundation Nancy Arum and Jonathan Evans Lily Auchincloss Foundation Brenda and Michael Austin Michelle and Bert Bacharach Anna and Dean Backer The Phyllis Backer Foundation, Inc. Adrian Banks Yfat Barak-Cheney The Barker Welfare Foundation Bear Givers, Inc. Betsy Beier Arthur Bellini April and Jim Benson Margaret and Corey Benson Yona Benyamini Marilyn and Boyd Bergen Henry Berger Carl Bergeron Jeanne Bergquist Joan and Ira Berkowitz William Berley Len Berman and Lori Zeltser Rachelle and Robert Berne Elissa and Matthew Bernstein Elena Bertozzi Beta Clinton Corp BIDS Holdings L.P. Charles Glenford Bigelow Laura Biscotto Kyle Blackmon BlackRock, Inc.
Stephanie Batten Bland Emma and Jason Bloch Alison and Joshua Block Alex Blue Andrew Boas Jeremy Bolger David Bolotsky Philip Bors Larry Bortoluzzi Amy Brenna and Stan Litow Elaina Brillantes Sarah and Stuart Britton Brooklyn Community Foundation Gail Brown Joshua Brown Leslie Bulion J.E. & Z.B. Butler Foundation Miriam Calabro Matt Camussi Capital One Foundation Amelia Carley William Cavanagh and Ricki Gardner Sergio Cervetti Art Chang and Allison Thrush Tiffany Chang Samuel Chapin Linda Chapman Charities Aid Foundation America Charles Hayden Foundation Steven Chartoff Child Welfare Fund Leslie Chiorazzi Faye Chiu Mary Ann Chiulli and Robert Moore Barbara Clapp and David Adams Frank E. Clark Charitable Trust Fern Cohn Lewis Cole Marjorie and Steven Corn Ruth and Andy Cotugno John Coyne and Elizabeth Zeldin Janice and Alan Craven Elizabeth Cuccaro Rafael Dalcolmo Theoharis David Carla Davidson Pamela De Toledo and Orlando Artze Alex Del Giudice Delancey Street Associates Jonathan Dembrow Marjorie Detkin Feldman David DiPietro Maggie Dollard Jen Doman Patricia Donnelly Charles Dorr and Maggie Morris Barbara Draimin Richard Drescher and Kara Cummings Nancy Drosd and Charles Schwartz Duff & Phelps Charitable Foundation Victoria Duffy Audrey Duncan Jennifer and Gerard Duphiney Michael Eberstadt and Nina Beattie The Edith Glick Shoolman Children’s Foundation Bezalel and Ron Eichler Francie Einenkel Dina Eisinger and Marc Lange Dan Elharrar Mark Elliott Epstein Teicher Philanthropies Renée Eubanks Tara Eubanks-Belle The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, Inc. Mark and Maria Federman Herbert Fellerman Douglas Fenton Florelyn Fine James Finkel First Republic Bank Sheldon Firstenberg Judith Fisher and Mark Allen Ronni and John Fisher 5 Deadly Venoms Five Point Runners Track Club, Inc. Judy and Alan Fleisch Paul Francis and Titia Hulst Pamela Frederick Linn and Steven Freedman Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP Allison and Ben Friedland Jeffrey Friedman Richard Fries Sherry and Edward Frohlich Nadia and John Gagnier Heidi and Christopher Galli Ann and Barry Galton Daniel Garcia Ellen Garvey Peter Gee George P. Wakefield Trust Anat Gerstein Gerstner Family Foundation Cathy Gins Robin Glazer Joshua Goldberg Heather and Ethan Goldman Robert Golub Irma Gonzalez Lawrence Gordon John Gray Michael Green Nancy Greenblatt Michael Greene and Lori Beth Brandston Patrick Grunbok Katherine Guenther Martin Guggenheim Hale Gurland and Elizabeth Sanders Ronny Gutfreund Aurora Guzman Rosalie Hanlon Momoko Hanyuda Brian Harper Adelaide Haskell David Hellerstein and Lisa Perry Richard Hershman Shareen Hertel and Donald Swinton Sarah Hipkens Elizabeth Hires Michael Hirschhorn and Jimena Martinez Andrea Hirshman and Michael Green Helen and Paul Hoeffel David Hoffman Barbara and Pierre Hohenberg Sherry Horn Robert Howitt Julia Hull Planamento David Hurwitz and Claudia Fine William Hutchinson The Hyde and Watson Foundation David Ichel Ralph Iocco Helen Jacobs Scott Jacobs Joan Jankell Linda and Morton Janklow Janklow Foundation Roy Jay Patsy Jeffers Adam Joel Ken Joseph James Kagen Justyna Kanigowska-Hernandez Lisa Kaplan Rochelle Kaplan Jennifer and Steven Kasoff Michael Katz KDC Real Estate Development & Investments Kelson Foundation Jane Kelton Kristen and Peter Kern Erika Kern Malini Khorana Mark Kingdon and Anla Cheng Kingdon Philip Kirkman and Shannon McLaughlin-Kirkman Stella Kiyota KKR & Co. Inc. Diana and Tod Klebanoff Peter Kleinbard William Knapp and Judith Bell Margaret Kohn Randi and Michael Kollender Susan G. Komen Foundation John Kontogianis Marian and Philip Korenstein Marian and James Krauskopf Elissa Krauss and Harriet Grimm Brian Krisberg R.P. Kurshan Janet Kyle-Olin Phelim Kyne Rosalind and Richard Larschan Mary Ann and Terry Lee Janice Lee and Stuart Shapiro Jessica Lee Jeremy Leeds Paul LeGendre Mark Leiman David Leon and Barbara Hansberry Josephine Leone LES Events Alice and Charles Levien Rachel Levine and Andrew Ceresney Leslie and Allen Levinson Fredrick Levy and Katharine Gruber Ronald Levy Elaine Li Quan Lieu Joanne Lowe Lois and Jerome Lowenstein Rosemary and David Mandelbaum Ría and Robyn Mar Benita Cooper Marks and Ted Marks Nancy and Edwin Marks Family Foundation The Carl Marks Foundation Inc. Lawrence Martz Frank Massaro Sandeep Mathrani Sheila Matlin Brianna McCarty Matthew McLennan Daniel McWeeney Rich Medór and Patty Staco Anne Meisenzahl Regina Melly and Robb Napolitano Joshua Meltzer Bethany and Euan Menzies Howard Messing and Jean Ann Ryan Metzger-Price Fund, Inc. Darren Meyers Celeste Micelotta and Andrew Malone Michael Kwartler & Associates Lillian Miller Giulio Minguzzi Melanie and Norman Mintz Mizuho USA Foundation, Inc. Kathleen Molony and Richard Hollingsworth Katherine Moore Moriah Moore Loraine and Thomas Morgan Kate and Hans Morris Peggy Morton Marsha Morton and Michael Zisser Merv Murphy National League of Cities Ellen and George Needham Liron Nelik Lindsey Nelson William Neubauer New York State Transition Partners The New York Community Trust New York State Health Foundation New York Theatre Workshop New York University Irene Ng Richard Ng Sandra Norinsky Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation Uchendu Nwachuku NYU Community Fund William J. and Dorothy K. O’Neill Foundation Oak Foundation Rosemarie Oakman Margo and Michael Ohana Alex Okun and Mary McCord Mark Osmond Elizabeth Overbay and Matthew Traupman Michael Padro Michelle Paige Rayan Parikh Sara Pasti Margaret Peck Amanda Peck Brooke and Mark Pederson Kresimir Penavic Marianita and Robert Perlstein Lacey and Steven Perricone Jeanette Pertz Vivian Phelps The Pinkerton Foundation Elliot Piperno Susan and Michael Plan Mario Ponce and Irene Bruynes Ponce Mark Poole Leah and Clayton Pope Helen Potter Lisa Prawer Alden Prouty David Providenti Radunski Family Fund, Inc. Steven Ralston and Rob Hair Ralston Family Fund Regal Foundation The Research Foundation of the City University of New York Lisa and Paul Revson Marni Rice Thomas Riley Craig Roberts Robin Hood Foundation Rogers Family Fund Leo Rosner Foundation, Inc Todd Rubinstein Rita Rudnicki Lisa and Robert Ruocco Stephan Russo and Susan Souder Lynne Sachs David Saltman Carol Samol Gayle Sanders Santander Bank, N.A. Benjamin Schall and Jeannie Mun Ellen Schall and Steve Kelban Larry Schall and Betty Londergan Marie and Richard Schall Steve Schall and Alyce Russo Patricia and Timothy Schantz Gail Schargel and William Powell Amy-Marie Schaub Brad Scheler Betsy Pinover Schiff and Edward Schiff Lisa Schiller Neal Schmidt and Adrianne Meisler Tinya Seeger Antoinette Segreto David Shapiro and Liz Lange Joyce Shapiro Gordon Susan Shaskan Luse Neil Shea Corinne Shmuel Kate Shuhart Sidley Austin LLP Andrew Silberfein Eric Silver and Chiya Ikemi Jeffrey and Andrea Silver Jonathan Sinagub Martin Smithmyer Amy Davidson Sorkin and David Sorkin Margaret and Albert Soto Hilary Spann Loretta and Dennis Spates Judith Spektor and Barry Benepe Lois and Arthur Stainman Stavros S. Niarchos Foundation for Charity Norman Steele Stephen Steinbrecher Oona Stern and Alex Manuele Harly Stevens Linda Sue and Don Strand Strypemonde Foundation Justine and James Sugrue Anne and Elliott Sumers Krishna Swamy Andrea Swenson Stephen Symonds Ali Tahir Deborah Tannen TAO Group Operating LLC Target Charitable Giving Travis Terry and Rebecca Velez Tiger Foundation Tilit Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund Topel and Silver, CPAs PA Ann Tracy Konrad Trewick Triskeles Foundation Zachary Troia Adele and Jerome Trupin Deborah Trupin Joe Tsai Bill Tsapalas and Heather Church Denise and Joshua Tupper Barbara Turk UJA-Federation of New York United Neighborhood Houses of New York, Inc. Antonio Valentin Lori Van Houten Viacom Diane and Frank Vigilante Viking Global Foundation, Inc. Vite LLC The Laura B. Vogler Foundation, Inc. Voya Financial Nancy Wackstein Carol Wang Dan Wasserman Kathleen Webster Louise and Alan Weil Greg Weinberger Lauren and Andrew Weisenfeld Karen and Greg Weiss Jerrold Wexler Tanya Wexler Ethan Wiener Aviva Will Melinda Williams and Mark Murray Leslie and Ronald Winters Alan Winters Caius Wong Diana Wong Kevin Wong Aviva Yakren Humu Yansane E. S. Yee Neal Young and Carla Johnston Young Krystal Zamora Luis Zeno Andrew Zhu Tessa and Ian Zilla Zona Rosa Brooklyn Phil Zwickler Charitable and Memorial Foundation Trust
Benjamin Schall
Co-Chair
Steve Schall
Vice President
Renée Eubanks
Vice President for Programs
Emma Bloch
Vice President for Finance
Ian Zilla
Secretary
Len Berman
Stefanie Batten Bland
James Finkel
Hale Gurland
Ken Joseph
Alan Winters
Co-Chair
Rich Medór
Vice President for Audit
Ronni Fisher
Vice President for Programs
Tom Morgan
Treasurer/VP for Finance
Steven Perricone
David Shapiro
Harly Stevens
Aviva Will
Andrew Zhu
Benjamin Schall
Co-Chair
Alan Winters
Co-Chair
Steve Schall
Vice President
Rich Medór
Vice President for Audit
Renée Eubanks
Vice President for Programs
Ronni Fisher
Vice President for Programs
Emma Bloch
Vice President for Finance
Tom Morgan
Treasurer/VP for Finance
Ian Zilla
Secretary
Len Berman
Stefanie Batten Bland
James Finkel
Hale Gurland
Ken Joseph
Steven Perricone
David Shapiro
Harly Stevens
Aviva Will
Andrew Zhu
