Brooklyn Bridge Manhattan
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
SEE SCHEDULE O
- Income
- $328,381
- Spending
- $462,587
- Spent on programs
- 66%
- Reserves
- 1.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 84%
- Employees
- 5
- Volunteers
- 450
- Highest pay
- $200,000, president
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
Weak: 45 out of 100. Higher than 14% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.9 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 11% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 41% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 33% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1566% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 19 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 61% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 258 of 9 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)
- $303,238 spent. PROGRAM SERVICES: COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING, EVENTS AND EDUCATION: OUR MULTIGENERATIONAL PROGRAMMING ESTABLISHES GOTHAM PARK AS A PLACE WHERE COMMUNITY MEMBERS OF ALL AGES, ABILITIES, AND BACKGROUNDS CAN ACCESS FREE CLASSES, WORKSHOPS, ACTIVITIES, AND INTEREST GROUPS PROMOTING PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELLNESS, CONFIDENCE, AND SUPPORTIVE PERSONAL CONNECTIONS. AS A CENTERPIECE OF OUR VISION FOR THE PARK, GOTHAM PARK WORKS WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND LOCAL SCHOOLS TO PROVIDE FREE AND ACCESSIBLE ATHLETIC, WELLNESS, AND CREATIVE INTERGENERATIONAL PROGRAMMING AND COMMUNITY EVENTS SERVING YOUTH, ADULTS, OLDER ADULTS, AND FAMILIES OF ALL BACKGROUNDS AND ABILITIES. WE ALSO PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL YOUTH PROGRAMS AND INTERNSHIPS TO EMPOWER LOCAL STUDENTS. OVER 3,000 COMMUNITY MEMBERS ATTENDED OUR FREE EVENTS AND PROGRAMS IN 2024, AND WE SUPPORTED 11 PAID HIGH SCHOOL INTERNSHIPS AND TWO PAID COLLEGE INTERNSHIPS. SUPPORTED BY A SMALL STAFF AND HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEERS, GOTHAM PARK PROVIDES ACTIVE RECREATION SPACE THAT WAS LACKING IN THE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING AREAS FOR SKATEBOARDING, IN-LINE SKATING, BMX, PARKOUR, AND COURTS FOR BASKETBALL, PICKLEBALL, HANDBALL, AND SHUFFLEBOARD THAT ARE ENJOYED DAILY BY LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS. IN THE WARMER MONTHS, GOTHAM PARK PROVIDED OVER 90 FREE WEEKLY MULTIGENERATIONAL WELLNESS CLASSES INCLUDING ZUMBA, YOGA, QIGONG, BELLY DANCING AND MORE. GOTHAM PARK HOSTS SEVERAL LARGE, FREE COMMUNITY EVENTS ACROSS THE YEAR INCLUDING OUR ANNUAL COMMUNITY BLOCK PARTY, OUR ANNUAL GO SKATEBOARDING DAY, CONCERTS AND OTHER PROGRAMS. OUR EVENT ATTENDANCE HAS INCREASED EXPONENTIALLY IN OUR FIRST FULL YEAR OF STEWARDING THIS NEW OPEN SPACE: OVER 300 PEOPLE ATTENDED OUR FIRST COMMUNITY BLOCK PARTY HELD IN NOVEMBER 2023, AND OVER 2,000 ATTENDED OUR SECOND COMMUNITY BLOCK PARTY IN MAY 2024. OUR COMMITMENT TO EMPOWERING YOUTH EXTENDS TO INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES IN URBAN DESIGN, SUSTAINABILITY, HORTICULTURE, AND PLACEMAKING. GOTHAM PARK WORKS IN PARTICULAR WITH OUR NEIGHBORS URBAN ASSEMBLY MAKER ACADEMY (UAMA), ONE OF THE FOUR TITLE 1 HIGH SCHOOLS WITHIN THE MURRY BERGTRAUM CAMPUS, AND PACE UNIVERSITY TO PROVIDE MEANINGFUL REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR AND SUMMER. OUR MOST POPULAR EDUCATION PROGRAM IS OUR GRASS ROOTS PLANTERS, OR "GROOP," PARTNERSHIP WITH UAMA. THIS WORK-BASED LEARNING PROGRAM, FUNDED BY MANHATTAN BOROUGH PRESIDENT MARK LEVINE AND NYC DOE, PAYS STUDENTS TO DESIGN BEAUTIFUL, MULTI-USE PLANTERS THAT WILL MANAGE STORMWATER FROM LARGE DRAIN PIPES COMING FROM THE BRIDGE. STUDENTS ARE SUPPORTED BY TECHNICAL EXPERTS FROM ARUP AND BURO HAPPOLD AND THE PACE UNIVERSITY ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT, AND ARE INCORPORATING INPUT FROM LOCAL OLDER ADULTS, THE SKATEBOARDING COMMUNITY, CITY AGENCIES AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED THEIR TIME AND EXPERTISE. IN SUMMER 2024, WE SUPPORTED THREE HIGH SCHOOL INTERNS THROUGH THE NYC DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION'S SUMMER YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM (SYEP) AND TWO UNIVERSITY INTERNS THROUGH PACE UNIVERSITY'S COMMUNITY IMPACT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM. OUR SUMMER INTERNS GAINED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AND EVENTS, HORTICULTURE AND MAINTENANCE, MARKETING AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. WE ALSO COLLABORATED ON DISCRETE PROJECTS WITH OVER 50 STUDENTS AND THEIR PROFESSORS FROM PACE UNIVERSITY, FASHION INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, PRATT INSTITUTE, NEW YORK UNIVERSITY, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, AND HARVARD UNIVERSITY. FIELDS OF STUDY RANGED FROM ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE TO EQUITY IN URBAN PLANNING TO EXHIBITION DESIGN. PROGRAM SERVICES: HORTICULTURE, OPERATIONS, AND MAINTENANCE: FROM OUR OPENING IN MAY 2023 THROUGH DECEMBER 2024, OUR NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION HAS TAKEN SOLE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DAILY CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE OF THIS NEW PUBLIC SPACE. GOTHAM PARK, ITS YOUTH INTERNS AND ITS COMMUNITY OF OVER 450 VOLUNTEERS HAVE PLANTED OVER 2,000 NATIVE PLANTS, TREES, AND SHRUBS, STEWARDED 40 MATURE TREES AND SHRUBS, SPREAD OVER 12 TONS OF COMPOST, AND COLLECTED OVER TWO TONS OF LITTER. WE HOLD WEEKLY "STEWARDSHIP SATURDAY" VOLUNTEER MEET-UPS, WHICH BUILD COMMUNITY WHILE INSTILLING IN OUR FELLOW NEW YORKERS A SENSE OF STEWARDSHIP OF THIS IMPORTANT NEW PUBLIC SPACE. BY PRIORITIZING NATIVE PLANTS, WE CREATE A THRIVING ECOSYSTEM THAT SUPPORTS LOCAL WILDLIFE, ENHANCES SOIL HEALTH, AND PROMOTES A RESILIENT LANDSCAPE. THIS DIVERSITY NOT ONLY CONTRIBUTES TO ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY BUT ALSO OFFERS EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE COMMUNITY, FOSTERING A DEEPER CONNECTION BETWEEN OUR STAKEHOLDERS AND OUR SHARED ECOSYSTEM. PROGRAM SERVICES: ADVOCACY, PLANNING, DESIGN, AND CONSTRUCTION: ROBUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH IS A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF OUR WORK AND IS THE FOUNDATION OF HOW WE ACHIEVE OUR GOALS WITH A SMALL TEAM. THROUGH OUR ADVOCACY AND COMMUNITY COALITION-BUILDING, WE SUCCEEDED IN PERSUADING THE CITY TO RETURN NEARLY FOUR ACRES OF OUR ENVISIONED NINE-ACRE PUBLIC SPACE TO PUBLIC USE THROUGH ONLY FOUR YEARS OF ADVOCACY. WE ALSO RELY ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO ENSURE THAT OUR PROGRAMMING IS WELCOMING, CULTURALLY SENSITIVE, AND INCLUSIVE, AND PROVIDES FOR THE WANTS AND NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY. WE CONNECT REGULARLY WITH THE COMMUNITY THROUGH OUR CLOSE-KNIT PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL SCHOOLS, COMMUNITY CENTERS, BIDS, RESIDENCES, AND CITY AGENCIES. WE HAVE CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR SURROUNDING NEIGHBORS, INCLUDING NYCHA'S ALFRED E. SMITH HOUSES, CHATHAM GREEN, CHATHAM TOWERS, SOUTHBRIDGE TOWERS, KNICKERBOCKER VILLAGE, PARK ROW ALLIANCE, CHINATOWN BID AND CHINATOWN PARTNERSHIP, UA3, THE SOUTH STREET SEAPORT HISTORIC DISTRICT, THE DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE, NYPD'S 5TH PRECINCT AND ONE POLICE PLAZA, NYC DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, THE NYC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, AND OTHER CITY AGENCIES, AND THE HIGH SCHOOLS WITHIN THE MURRY BERGTRAUM CAMPUS. IN ADDITION TO OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, WE ALSO HAVE FULL SUPPORT FROM OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND OUR COMMUNITY BOARDS, 1 AND 3.
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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 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 September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since April 2023.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 October 7, 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.