About Us
About Us
Former Governor Andrew M. Cuomo created this office in January 2015 to be a key resource for faith-based non-profit organizations to support the valuable social services they provide across the state.
Faith-based organizations traditionally and currently provide a wide range of vital social services that build and sustain vulnerable people and populations throughout New York. These services range from providing affordable and supportive housing, soup kitchens/food pantries, educational services (daycare, day schools, after-school, etc), employment assistance, mental health support and much more.
The primary functions of this office include:
Capacity Building
The Office helps build capacity by working with the State Nonprofit Coordinating Unit to connect faith-based community organizations with grant opportunities, as well as provide assistance in completing grant applications.
In addition, we’ll help faith-based community organizations work with the Department of State and other government agencies to maximize resources and opportunities to provide services in their community, including federal Community Service Block Grant funds.
We’ll also work with Empire State Development to help and encourage the development of businesses.
Coalition Building
To build coalitions, the Office of Faith Based Community Development Services will organize local meetings for networking and other opportunities.
Community Outreach
The Office of Faith-Based Community Development Services will partner with the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, Office of Children and Family Services, Department of State, Housing and Community Renewal and the Governor's State Nonprofit Coordinating Unit to help communities deliver services to their neediest residents and combat the root causes of poverty.
Staff
Staff
Andrea McKoy - Assistant Commissioner
February Seok - Program Manager
Grants Gateway Portal
Grants Gateway Portal
Grants Gateway provides a one-stop shop for anyone interested in locating grant funding opportunities with State agencies. Nonprofit organizations can browse or search for State funding opportunities and all State agencies are being encouraged to post opportunities in the portal.
- Receive information about new funding opportunities by signing up for email alerts under the “notification” section of the page
- The “registration” section of the page allows nonprofits to register with Grants Gateway.
- Nonprofits that want to apply for grants need to register with Grants Gateway and complete the Prequalification process.
Prequalify to Apply for NYS Grants:
Nonprofit organizations provide valuable services to millions of New Yorkers on behalf of the State. Prequalification is a system that allows nonprofits to complete many of the administrative tasks that are included in applying for grants prior to the actual grant application process. It also ensures that the State is partnering with qualified, responsible nonprofit organizations. All nonprofits that want to apply for State funding must be Prequalified.
As part of the Prequalification process, important documents are uploaded into the Document Vault, a secure, web-based “filing cabinet” in which nonprofit vendors can easily store and share information with multiple State Agencies. This reduces the amount of paperwork that needs to change hands during the course of doing business with the State. Prequalification requires nonprofits to upload the following documents into the Document Vault:
- Certificate of incorporation or equivalent document
- IRS 501(c) determination letter
- IRS 990
- Audit/Reviews and Findings
- CHAR500 or CHAR410
- Board of Directors Profile
- Senior Leadership Resumes
- Corporate Bylaws
Additional Information About Prequalification:
- In addition to providing documents for the Document Vault, nonprofits also have to answer a series of questions about their structure and practices as part of Prequalification.
- Once Prequalified, a nonprofit does not need to reapply for three years. During this three-year period, however, nonprofits have to keep all of their documents (IRS 990s, etc.) current. Not keeping documents current can lead to a loss of Prequalification status.
- The Vendor Prequalification Manual provides a more detailed description of the process
The “For Grant Applicants” section under the Training & Guidance of the Grants Management website has great resources and information for anyone who wants to better understand Grants Gateway and the Prequalification process. These links provide guidance about how to register with the Gateway, how to apply for a grant, etc.
Resources
Resources
NYS Office for New Americans
Regional Economic Development Councils
Regional Economic Development Councils - regionalcouncils.ny.gov - The Regional Councils have redefined the way New York invests in jobs and economic growth by putting in place a community-based, bottom up approach and establishing a competitive process for State resources.
New York State Government:
New York State Department of State (Secretary of State's Office) - www.dos.ny.gov - Organizations that want to incorporate must submit a Certificate of Incorporation to the Department of State.
New York State Department of Taxation and Finance - www.tax.ny.gov - Organizations seeking sales tax exemption need to contact the Department of Taxation and Finance.
New York State Office of Attorney General - www.charitiesnys.com/home.html - Organizations seeking to register need to contact the Office of Attorney General Charities Bureau.
New York State Racing and Wagering Board – www.gaming.ny.gov - Charities conducting raffles must apply for authority to do so.
Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes Grant Programs – www.dhses.ny.gov/grants/nonprofit/hate-crimes.cfm
New York State is committed to ensuring the safety and equal treatment of all New Yorkers and as such has continued support of the Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes Program. This program is designed to boost safety and security at New York's nonprofit organizations at risk of hate crimes or attacks because of their ideology, beliefs, or mission. In support of this effort, $45 million in grant funding is being made available on a statewide basis and will be administered by the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) for the $25 million SFY2019/2020 Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes Program (SCAHC Program) for nonpublic nonprofit schools, nonprofit day care centers, nonprofit community centers, nonprofit cultural museums and nonprofit residential camps and $20 million for the SFY2019/2020 Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes Program for Nonpublic Schools and Day Camps (SCAHC for Nonpublic Schools and Day Camps) for nonpublic nonprofit schools and nonprofit day camps.
NYS Grants Management’s Instructions on Streamlined Prequalification for the Security Grant - https://grantsmanagement.ny.gov/get-prequalified
Federal Government:
Internal Revenue Service - www.irs.gov - Provides forms and instructions assisting not-for-profits in completing annual financial filings with the IRS.
Phone: (877) 829-5500 - for questions about tax-exemption and tax-exempt organizations.
Legal Assistance:
Lawyers Alliance of New York (LANY) -www.lany.org - is a not-for-profit corporation whose staff attorneys and volunteer lawyers provide legal services to nonprofit organizations. It provides guidance in drafting by-laws, applying for tax-exempt status, and other aspects of nonprofit governance.
Legal Aid Society Community Development Project Legal Aid Society Community Development Project www.legalaidnyc.org/programs-projects-units/community-development-project - provides support to low-income not-for-profit organizations.
Watchdog Organizations:
Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance - www.bbb.org
The BBB publishes standards for not-for-profit organizations that are used in its evaluations of charities. The standards include governance, financial accounting, program efficiency and public disclosure. It also provides guidelines for standards implementation.
Charity Navigator - www.charitynavigator.org - rates organizations that solicit the public and provides information to potential donors.
Economic Research Institute (ERI) - www.eri-nonprofit-salaries.com - posts Internal Revenue Service reports of charitable organizations.
GuideStar - www.guidestar.org - is a database that posts financial reports and other information on over 850,000 tax-exempt U.S. nonprofit organizations.
Other Sources:
Alliance for Nonprofit Management - www.allianceonline.org - is a professional association, and its mission is to improve the management and governance of nonprofits.
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) - www.aicpa.org - has information on accounting standards and procedures.
BoardStrong - www.boardstrong.org – helps strengthen the governing and management of nonprofit boards by bringing qualified leadership into boards. Its website is a resource designed to help potential board members, and nonprofit boards needing leadership find each other.
CharitySTRONG - www.charitystrong.org - assists nonprofit organizations in achieving standards of board leadership, governance and oversight. charitySTRONG encourages nonprofit board service, and educates nonprofit boards on their responsibilities.
Council on Foundations -www.cof.org - is a membership organization of more than 2,000 grant making foundations worldwide. It provides leadership expertise, legal services and networking opportunities.
Foundation Center - www.foundationcenter.org – helps strengthen the nonprofit sector by disseminating philanthropy knowledge. It also conducts and facilitates research, provides education and training on grant seeking.
Governance Matters - http://governancemattersusa.org/-promotes good governance in the nonprofit sector. Its website posts information about courses and conferences for nonprofit board members.
Independent Sector (IS) - www.independentsector.org - is a national coalition of nonprofit organizations and Fortune 500 corporations with commitments to community involvement.
National Association of State Charity Officials (NASCO) - www.nasconet.org - Members are employees of state agencies that help regulate not-for-profit organizations and their fund raisers. Their site provides information about the registration and reporting requirements.
New York Council of NonProfits (NYCON) - www.nycon.org - is a statewide association of over 3,100 charities. Its services include group purchasing and insurance options, governance, and management training and technical assistance.
Nonprofit Coordinating Committee of New York (NPCC) - www.npccny.org - is a nonprofit membership corporation, and its goal is to protect the city's nonprofit sector by offering management services. It monitors the City, the State and Federal government actions and promotes the needs of nonprofits. It holds workshops and roundtables on managerial and organizational issues.
The Urban Institute - www.urban.org - is a nonprofit nonpartisan policy research established to examine the social, economic, and governance problems. It maintains extensive databases of information on the not-for-profit sector.
Unified Registration Statement - www.multistatefiling.org - contains information concerning the registration and reporting requirements of states.
Know Your Rights
Know Your Rights
Former Governor Cuomo became the first executive in the nation to issue state-wide regulations prohibiting harassment and discrimination on the basis of gender identity, transgender status or gender dysphoria.
Basic guide to Human Rights law