Voices of Community Activists & Leaders (VOCAL-NY) is a public charity based in Brooklyn, New York. It builds power among low-income people affected by HIV/AIDS, drug use, mass incarceration, and homelessness through organizing, leadership development, advocacy, direct services, participatory research, and direct action.
Key facts about Voices of Community Activists & Leaders (Vocal-NY) Inc
In short: Voices of Community Activists & Leaders (Vocal-NY) Inc gave $833K across 16 grants in 2024 (avg $52K), mostly in New York. 25% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 13-4094385
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $833,011
- Grants made (2024)
- 16
- Average grant
- $52,063
- Median grant
- $42,500
- New grantees (estimate)
- 25% first-time grantees (4 of 16, 2024; small sample)
- Total assets
- $16,783,950
- Primary geography
- New York (84% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$16.8M
+7.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$833K
+56.3% YoY
Grant Count
16
+60.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$52K
-2.3% YoY
Is Voices of Community Activists & Leaders (Vocal-NY) Inc open to new grantees?
25%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 4 of 16 grantees (25%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $55K; repeat grants $51K. How we count
Medians: $55K first-time, $43K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
VOCAL-NY’s stated mission is to build power among low-income people affected by HIV/AIDS, the drug war, mass incarceration, and homelessness to create healthy and just communities. Its website describes a broader goal of ending the AIDS epidemic, the war on drugs, mass incarceration, and homelessness.
In 2024, the organization reported grants supporting campaigns associated with upstate-downstate housing alliances and the development of members’ community leadership skills. Its grantees include organizations with varied missions. For example, Community Voices Heard describes its work as promoting the social welfare of low-income people through public education, leadership development, and advocacy; New York Communities Organizing Fund describes work to empower low- and moderate-income New Yorkers through education, advocacy, research, and direct services. The Legal Aid Society says it provides legal representation to low-income New Yorkers, while Neighbors Together describes its mission as ending hunger and poverty in several low-income Brooklyn neighborhoods.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, VOCAL-NY reported 16 grants totaling $833,011. Grants ranged from $10,000 to $100,000, with a median of $42,500. The largest awards included $100,000 to VOCAL-NY Action Fund Inc.; $95,000 to NY Communities for Change; $88,350 each to Community Voices Heard and New York Communities Organizing Fund; and $66,960 each to Community Service Society of NY and The Legal Aid Society. The stated purpose for these grants was to support upstate-downstate housing alliances campaigns and develop members’ community leadership skills.
Other 2024 recipients included Appalshop Inc. ($50,000), Neighbors Together Corporation ($35,000), St. Joseph’s House of Hospitality ($35,000), and Tides Center ($35,000). The filing reports procedures for monitoring grant funds that include interim and final expenditure reports detailing how funds were used.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
VOCAL-NY describes itself as a statewide grassroots membership organization, and its website refers to campaigns across New York State. In 2024, 84% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 12% to Kentucky, and 4% to California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $129K (2020) to $833K (2024). In 2024 it made 16 grants totaling $833K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Vocal-NY Action Fund Inc ($100K). Together the top 10 received $714K.
Grant Size Distribution
43 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 29 grants of 43 (67%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Vocal-NY Action Fund Inc Brooklyn, NY | To support upstate downstate housing alliances campaigns and develop members community leadership skills | $100,000 |
| NY Communities for Change Brooklyn, NY | To support upstate downstate housing alliances campaigns and develop members community leadership skills | $95,000 |
| Community Voices Heard New York, NY | To support upstate downstate housing alliances campaigns and develop members community leadership skills | $88,350 |
| New York Communities Organizing Fund Inc Brooklyn, NY | To support upstate downstate housing alliances campaigns and develop members community leadership skills | $88,350 |
| Public Policy and Education Fund of New York Albany, NY | To support upstate downstate housing alliances campaigns and develop members community leadership skills | $88,350 |
| Community Service Society of NY New York, NY | To support upstate downstate housing alliances campaigns and develop members community leadership skills | $66,960 |
| The Legal Aid Society New York, NY | To support upstate downstate housing alliances campaigns and develop members community leadership skills | $66,960 |
| Appalshop Inc Whitesburg, KY | To support upstate downstate housing alliances campaigns and develop members community leadership skills | $50,000 |
| Neighbors Together Corporation Brooklyn, NY | To support upstate downstate housing alliances campaigns and develop members community leadership skills | $35,000 |
| St Joseph's House of Hospitality Rochester, NY | To support upstate downstate housing alliances campaigns and develop members community leadership skills | $35,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants given |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $16,783,950 | $13,060,599 | $8,876,913 | $833,011 |
| 2023 | $15,544,978 | $9,551,759 | $8,290,188 | $533,000 |
| 2022 | $10,151,856 | $6,817,921 | $6,228,312 | $195,000 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $16,783,950 | $15,660,652 | $10,151,856 |
| Revenue | $13,060,599 | $9,667,433 | $6,817,921 |
| Expenses | $8,876,913 | $8,290,188 | $6,228,312 |
| Net Investment Income | $29,571 | $12,550 | $5,083 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS January 27, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Alyssa Aguilera and Jeremy Saunders as co-executive directors. It lists Reginald Brown as chair, Hiawatha Collins as vice chair, Pedro Benitez as secretary, and Marilyn Reyes as treasurer. Nathilyn Flowers Adesegun is listed as treasurer through April 2024, and Jovada Senhouse as a director through April 2024. Other listed leaders are Wayne Starks, director, and Jawanza Williams, managing director of organizing.
Voices of Community Activists & Leaders (Vocal-NY) Inc is led by Alyssa Aguilera, Co-Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 8 of 14 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Alyssa Aguilera
Co-Executive Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$79K (2020) → $143K (2024)
Jeremy Saunders
Co-Executive Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$101K (2020) → $146K (2024)
Reginald T. Brown
Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2021
Vice Chair → Chair, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$2K (2023) → $0 (2024)
Jawanza Williams
Managing Director of Organizing
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$106K (2022) → $113K (2024)
Arash Diba Managing
Director of Harm Reduction Services
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$109K (2023) → $110K (2024)
Kimberly Smith
Political Director
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$106K (2023) → $110K (2024)
Cate Graziani
Co-Director - Tx
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$114K (2024)
Paulette Soltani
Co-Director - Tx
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$114K (2024)
Wayne Starks
Director
Treasurer → Director, 2021
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jovada Senhouse
Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Hiawatha Collins
Vice Chair
Director → Chair, 2021
Chair → Vice Chair, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$10K (2023) → $15K (2024)
Marilyn Reyes
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
$8K (2023) → $0 (2024)
Pedro Benitez
Secretary
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nathilyn Flowers Adesegun
Treasurer
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (7)
- Former: Linda Beal (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Jamal Khan (2023) — Chief of Staff
- Former: Shameka Parrish-Wright (2023) — Executive Director
- Former: Hiawatha Collins Vice Chair (2022)
- Former: Reginald Brown Chair Eff (2022) — May Vice Chair
- Former: Robert Tolbert (2020) — Secretary
- Former: Wanda Hernandez Parks (2020) — Chair
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $146K, to Jeremy Saunders (Co-Executive Director). 8 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: 300 Douglass Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217
Phone: (718) 802-9540
Website: https://vocal-ny.org
Frequently asked questions about Voices of Community Activists & Leaders (Vocal-NY) Inc
How much does Voices of Community Activists & Leaders (Vocal-NY) Inc give each year?
Voices of Community Activists & Leaders (Vocal-NY) Inc gave $833K across 16 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $533K across 10 grants.
What is Voices of Community Activists & Leaders (Vocal-NY) Inc's typical grant size?
Voices of Community Activists & Leaders (Vocal-NY) Inc's median grant in 2024 was $42,500, and its average grant was $52,063, across 16 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Voices of Community Activists & Leaders (Vocal-NY) Inc that year got $55K on average.
Where does Voices of Community Activists & Leaders (Vocal-NY) Inc give grants?
Voices of Community Activists & Leaders (Vocal-NY) Inc gives mostly in New York: 84% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was Kentucky (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Brooklyn, NY (6 grants) and New York, NY (4 grants).
Does Voices of Community Activists & Leaders (Vocal-NY) Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 16 grants with a stated purpose on Voices of Community Activists & Leaders (Vocal-NY) Inc's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support.
Who are Voices of Community Activists & Leaders (Vocal-NY) Inc's largest grantees?
Voices of Community Activists & Leaders (Vocal-NY) Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Vocal-NY Action Fund Inc ($100,000), NY Communities for Change ($95,000) and Community Voices Heard ($88,350), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Voices of Community Activists & Leaders (Vocal-NY) Inc?
Voices of Community Activists & Leaders (Vocal-NY) Inc reported $16.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $13.1M.
What does Voices of Community Activists & Leaders (Vocal-NY) Inc fund?
VOCAL-NY’s stated mission is to build power among low-income people affected by HIV/AIDS, the drug war, mass incarceration, and homelessness to create healthy and just communities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Voices of Community Activists & Leaders (Vocal-NY) Inc?
Voices of Community Activists & Leaders (Vocal-NY) Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check vocal-ny.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Voices of Community Activists & Leaders (Vocal-NY) Inc's EIN?
Voices of Community Activists & Leaders (Vocal-NY) Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-4094385. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching Voices of Community Activists & Leaders (Vocal-NY) Inc by hand.
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