Brooklyn Greenway Initative
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION IS TO CAUSE THE CREATION AND LONG-TERM MAINTENANCE OF THE BROOKLYN WATERFRONT GREENWAY. THE CORPORATION IS ORGANIZIED EXCLUSIVELY TO CREATE AND SUSTAIN WATERFRONT ACCESS AND OPEN SPACE IN THE HUDSON RIVER ESTUARY BY OBTAINING, DEVELOPING AND MAINTAINING LAND FOR GREENWAYS.
- Income
- $466,568
- Spending
- $550,281
- Spent on programs
- 79%
- Reserves
- -5.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 12
- Volunteers
- 267
- Highest pay
- $127,001, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 50 out of 100. Higher than 13% of charities in its peer group (environment, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 14% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 18% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 11% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1579% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 10 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 82 out of 100. Higher than 55% of charities in its peer group (environment, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 2517 of 17 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
12 of 15Its accounts were reviewed or compiled by an independent accountant, but not audited.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $432,546 spent. THE ORGANIZATION'S LARGEST PROGRAM BY EXPENSE IS RELATED TO THE DEVELOPMENT, ESTABLISHMENT, AND STEWARDSHIP OF THE BROOKLYN WATERFRONT GREENWAY AS VITAL PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE THAT SERVES RESIDENTS, EMPLOYEES, AND VISITORS ACROSS BROOKLYN AS A TRANSPORTATION AND RECREATION CORRIDOR. THE 26-MILE PLANNED GREENWAY FROM GREENPOINT TO EAST NEW YORK IS MORE THAN 75% COMPLETE WITH GAPS REMAINING ONLY IN VINEGAR HILL, RED HOOK, SUNSET PARK, AND SOUTH BROOKLYN. GREENWAY PLANNING, DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION UNDERWAY IN 2021 INCLUDED SEGMENTS IN WALLABOUT, RED HOOK, GOWANUS, SUNSET PARK, AND BAY RIDGE.IN 2021, BROOKLYN GREENWAY INITIATIVE (BGI) MEASURED MORE THAN 1.3 MILLION GREENWAY USERS IN ONE LOCATION, HIGHLIGHTING ITS IMPORTANCE AS SAFE ACCESSIBLE OPEN SPACE AND MOBILITY INFRASTRUCTURE, AND ADDING PHYSICAL AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCE TO NEW YORK CITY'S OVERALL SYSTEM OF TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE.WORKING WITH MULTIPLE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERS AND ADVISORS, BGI IN 2021 ADVANCED THE BROOKLYN WATERFRONT GREENWAY USER STUDY TO DOCUMENT HOW THE GREENWAY SERVES AS A TRANSPORTATION, CLIMATE, AND COMMUNITY SOLUTION THAT SERVES ALL BROOKLYN COMMUNITIES EQUITABLY. YEAR TWO OF THIS PROJECT ENTAILED SITE SELECTION FOR A SERIES OF DATA COLLECTION SENSORS IN THE RESEARCH AREA WHILE LAUNCHING FIELD AND DIGITAL RESEARCH PROTOCOLS. DATA COLLECTION IS ONGOING THROUGH 2023. AT THE END OF THE PROJECT BGI WILL PUBLISH FINDINGS IN A PUBLIC REPORT.PUBLIC EVENTS ARE AN IMPORTANT MEANS OF RAISING AWARENESS AND ACTIVATING USE OF THE GREENWAY AS WELL AS ENSURING ITS CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT AND LONG-TERM STEWARDSHIP. IN 2021 BGI PRODUCED "GREENWAY ADVENTURES NYC" TO ENCOURAGE AND ENABLE SELF-GUIDED EXPLORATION OF GREENWAY ROUTES ACROSS NEW YORK CITY AND THE NEW MOBILITY OPPORTUNITIES THIS DISCOVERY AFFORDS. MORE THAN 7,000 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN THIS SUMMER-LONG EVENT.BGI'S NAVAL CEMETERY LANDSCAPE (NCL) - AN AWARD WINNING 1.7-ACRE PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE LIVING MEMORIAL AND NATIVE POLLINATOR HABITAT ALONG THE GREENWAY AT THE BROOKLYN NAVY YARD - BEGAN ITS 6TH YEAR OF OPERATION SINCE OPENING TO THE PUBLIC IN 2016. IN 2021, BGI ENGAGED MORE THAN 13,000 LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC THROUGH NCL OPEN HOURS AND BY PROVIDING FREE PUBLIC PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. IN ALL, BGI'S EFFORTS IN 2021 SERVED MILLIONS OF GREENWAY USERS, MORE THAN 13,000 NAVAL CEMETERY LANDSCAPE VISITORS, AND APPROXIMATELY 10,000 PEOPLE THROUGH PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT EVENTS AND PROGRAMS.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since June 2007.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.