Association for a Better New York

What Association for a Better New York does

The Association for a Better New York (ABNY) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit civic organization founded in 1971 by Lew Rudin and Robert Tisch during New York City's fiscal crisis. Headquartered in New York City with a staff of fewer than ten, ABNY operates a coalition of more than 250 member organizations spanning corporations, nonprofits, labor unions, government authorities, and educational, cultural, and health institutions. Its core function is convening civic and business leaders around policy advocacy, original research, and signature events — most prominently Power Breakfasts featuring elected officials, Special Briefings, ABNY Talks, and the annual Spirit of ABNY Awards (now in its 20th edition). The organization is governed by a board that includes the CUNY Chancellor, JPMorganChase state affairs leadership, Con Edison alumni, and senior NYC civic figures, with Emma Pfohman serving as CEO since May 2025 and Steven Rubenstein as Chairman.

ABNY's program portfolio spans four interconnected lines: ABNY Young Professionals (a 4,000+ member civic engagement network for ages 21-40 launched in 2011), ABNY Women (a women's leadership platform launched in 2016 under Samantha Rudin Earls), The ABNY Foundation (a 1987-established 501(c)(3) that awards $10,000 grants to small-to-midsize nonprofits twice yearly), and targeted initiatives such as the World Cup for All Community Grant Program ($250,000 to 30 nonprofits for 2026 FIFA World Cup community engagement) and Together, We Are New York (a community arts campaign launched in 2021). Technology infrastructure is limited to standard website, event registration (events.abny.org), CRM/email, and JotForm-based applications; ABNY develops no proprietary technology product. Revenue is generated through annual tiered membership dues (Sustaining/Leading/Supporting for organizations; $35/year for YP Associates; $50/year for ABNY Women Leaders), event sponsorships for signature programming, and donor contributions to the ABNY Foundation.

The go-to-market motion is community-led and event-driven: prospective members apply through the website, sponsorship packages are sold directly, and member value is delivered primarily through in-person convening at iconic NYC venues including the Rainbow Room, Whitney Museum, and Essex Market. Recent strategic emphasis under the new CEO has been on public-private partnership development, creative economy and tourism sector engagement, and "At the Table" closed-door policy sessions — suggesting continued programmatic depth rather than geographic or membership-base expansion. ABNY is not a venture-backed or growth-equity entity; it is a mature civic institution whose economic significance is best understood through its convening power and policy influence rather than top-line financial scale.

Name

Association for a Better New York

Legal name

Association for a Better New York

Website

https://abny.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Association for a Better New York (ABNY) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit civic coalition founded in 1971, convening 250+ member organizations across corporate, nonprofit, labor, and government sectors through policy advocacy, signature events, and the ABNY Foundation's grant-making across New York City's five boroughs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Advocacy Coalition

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Civic advocacy coalition
• Membership convening services
• Nonprofit foundation grants
• Policy research publications
• Community engagement programs

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Annual Membership Dues: ABNY generates revenue through annual membership dues paid by member organizations across three tiers: Sustaining Members, Leading Members, and Supporting Members. Dues vary by tier and organization size. ABNY Young Professionals Associates pay $35 per year (complimentary for employees of ABNY member organizations). ABNY Women Leaders pay $50 per year (waived for employees of ABNY member organizations). This represents the core recurring revenue stream supporting ABNY's operations and programming.
2. Event Sponsorships: ABNY sells sponsorships of its signature events including Power Breakfasts, ABNY Talks, Spirit of ABNY Awards, and borough celebration events. Sponsorship packages are available at multiple levels and are promoted through ABNY's website and sales outreach. Sponsorship revenue is variable and non-recurring, tied to the event calendar.
3. ABNY Foundation Philanthropic Grants: The ABNY Foundation (a 501(c)(3) established in 1987) raises funds from donors and partners to support social, educational, and civic initiatives across NYC's five boroughs. The Foundation awards grants to small-to-midsize nonprofits (typically $10,000 per grant) in priority areas of Economic Opportunity and Civic Engagement. Donor contributions represent a philanthropic revenue stream that supports the Foundation's grant-making operations and community programs such as the World Cup for All Community Grant Program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Core offering

ABNY is a nonprofit civic coalition that convenes, mobilizes, and activates more than 250 member organizations (corporations, nonprofits, unions, government authorities, and educational, cultural, and health institutions) around public policies affecting New York City. It sells tiered organizational memberships, individual memberships through ABNY Young Professionals (ages 21-40) and ABNY Women sub-networks, and event sponsorships, while its 501(c)(3) ABNY Foundation distributes $10,000 grants to small-to-midsize NYC nonprofits and hosts the annual Spirit of ABNY Awards.

Product overview

ABNY is a nonprofit civic organization (not a technology product company) offering a portfolio of programs and initiatives focused on community engagement, advocacy, and economic development for New York City. The core offerings include: ABNY Young Professionals (civic engagement network with over 4,000 members launched in 2011), ABNY Women (women's leadership platform established in 2016), Power Events including Power Breakfasts and Special Briefings (member-exclusive convenings), ABNY Talks (educational events open to all), the ABNY Foundation (philanthropic arm providing grants to nonprofits), the World Cup for All Community Grant Program (2026 initiative distributing $250,000 to 30 nonprofits), Spirit of ABNY Awards (annual recognition ceremony), and Together, We Are New York (community arts campaign). ABNY represents over 250 member organizations including corporations, nonprofits, unions, and government entities. This is a program/service portfolio, not a software product or technology platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ABNY Organizational Membership (Sustaining, Leading, Supporting tiers) Tiered annual membership for NYC-based organizations (corporations, nonprofits, unions, government authorities, and educational, cultural, and health institutions) providing access to member-exclusive events (Power Breakfasts, Special Briefings), networking, ABNY advocacy support, and complimentary ABNY Young Professionals and ABNY Women memberships for employees.
• ABNY Young Professionals Associates Membership Annual individual membership for NYC young professionals aged 21-40 at $35 per year (complimentary for employees of ABNY member organizations). Includes access to What's On Tap, Boardroom Breakfasts, Policy Briefs, Tours, and ABNY Volunteers programming, plus complimentary tickets to select ABNY YP events. Requires attendance at 2+ ABNY/YP events per year and volunteer service at 1+ ABNY event per year.
• ABNY Women Leaders Membership Annual individual membership for women professionals in NYC at $50 per year (waived for employees of ABNY member organizations). Provides enhanced access to ABNY Women events and network; subsidized memberships available on a case-by-case basis. Applications reviewed quarterly by the ABNY Women Steering Committee. Requires attendance at 2+ ABNY Women events per year.
• ABNY Event Sponsorships Sponsorship packages sold to corporations and brands for ABNY's signature events including Power Breakfasts, ABNY Talks, Spirit of ABNY Awards, and borough celebration events. Multi-tiered sponsorship offering with sponsorship opportunity documents available for download.

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship and core.

• Rainbow Room (Spirit of ABNY Awards Venue Partner)minorOthers · 14 September 2026The Rainbow Room at 30 Rockefeller Plaza serves as the annual venue for the Spirit of ABNY Awards ceremony, ABNY's signature fundraising and recognition event. The 20th annual Spirit of ABNY Awards is scheduled for September 14, 2026 at the Rainbow Room.
• ABNY Foundation (World Cup for All Community Grant Program Partners)flagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 12 February 2026The ABNY Foundation launched the World Cup for All Community Grant Program in February 2026 to ensure NYC communities can experience the 2026 FIFA World Cup even without match tickets. After receiving nearly 300 applications, the Foundation awarded $250,000 to 30 community-based nonprofit organizations across all five boroughs to provide free community-centered fan engagement activities and youth programming. Grantees include Fordham Road BID, South Bronx United, Bamba Sports, Flatbush Development Corporation, Chinatown BID, Marcus Meets Malcolm, Queens Night Market, Snug Harbor Cultural Center, Tibet FC, Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning, International Rescue Committee in New York, and others. The initiative was supported by corporate sponsors.
• 2026 FIFA World Cup / MetLife StadiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey will host eight matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The NYC region is expected to welcome over one million visitors with an estimated $3 billion in economic impact. ABNY Foundation's World Cup for All program is a direct civic engagement offshoot of this major sporting event, designed to extend the tournament's benefits to underserved NYC communities.
• Together, We Are New York (Community Arts Campaign Partners)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Together, We Are New York is a community-based arts campaign presented by ABNY in partnership with community-based organizations, local artists, and neighborhood stakeholders. The campaign targeted five neighborhoods most impacted by COVID-19: Kingsbridge/Bronx, Bedford-Stuyvesant/Brooklyn, East Harlem/Manhattan, Corona/Queens, and Staten Island. Community partners include Kingsbridge Heights Community Center (Bronx), Renegade Performance Group (Brooklyn), Weeksville Heritage Center (Brooklyn), Uptown Grand Central (Manhattan), Louis Armstrong House Museum (Queens), and Sundog Theatre (Staten Island). Artists from each borough created murals, performances, music, and visual art projects culminating in neighborhood activations.
• New York Counts 2020 (Census 2020 Partnership)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020ABNY implemented a two-year strategic plan to support an accurate 2020 Census count for New York City and State. ABNY formed an organizing and action committee of corporate, nonprofit, community, and union leaders. The effort was informed by the advocacy and organizing work of New York Counts 2020 and coordinated with the U.S. Census Bureau, the State of New York, the City of New York, and all Census 2020 stakeholders. ABNY's role was to support and supplement official Census efforts through community engagement, consensus building, and stakeholder involvement.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Regional Plan Association: Regional planning and advocacy organization covering the NYC tri-state area. Comparable to ABNY in shaping NYC civic policy through research, convening, and advocacy, but with a stronger research/advocacy orientation and a broader tristate geographic remit.
• Citizens Budget Commission: NYC-based nonpartisan civic research organization focused on fiscal and policy analysis. Comparable to ABNY in influencing NYC policy through research and convening, but operates without a mass-membership or events model, making it adjacent rather than directly competitive.
• Center for an Urban Future: NYC-focused think tank producing research on economic opportunity and urban policy. Comparable to ABNY's research and policy advocacy work but operates as a smaller think tank without a mass-membership or large-scale events program.

Regional players

• Manhattan Chamber of Commerce: NYC business membership organization focused on advocacy, networking, and events for Manhattan-based businesses. Operates with a similar tiered membership and event-driven model to ABNY, but is geographically narrower and member-segment focused.
• Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce: Borough-level business membership organization in NYC. Comparable to ABNY as a NYC civic/business membership organization using events, advocacy, and member services, but its geographic scope is limited to Brooklyn rather than citywide.

Direct peers

• The New York Foundation: Established NYC community foundation funding grassroots organizing and nonprofit capacity-building across the five boroughs. Directly comparable to the ABNY Foundation in grantmaking mission, NYC geographic focus, and support for small-to-midsize nonprofits such as ABNY's $10,000 grant program targets.
• The New York Community Trust: One of the largest community foundations in the U.S., funding NYC nonprofits across health, education, arts, and civic engagement. Comparable to the ABNY Foundation as a place-based grantmaking institution supporting NYC nonprofits, with broader grant scale and a permanent endowment.
• The Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY): Major NYC business membership organization representing real estate owners, builders, brokers, and managers. Comparable to ABNY in running a tiered membership and event-driven advocacy model focused on NYC policy and civic engagement, though narrowly focused on the real estate sector.
• Partnership for New York City: The closest direct peer to ABNY: a broad business-led civic coalition convening NYC's senior executives around economic policy, major initiatives, and city government engagement. Operates with a similar membership model, similar event-driven convening, and overlapping board leadership drawn from NYC's largest employers.

Broad incumbents

• New York Building Congress: NYC industry association representing design, construction, and real estate firms. Comparable to ABNY as a multi-sector NYC business coalition using convening, research, and policy advocacy to influence city outcomes, with an overlapping member base among NYC corporate leaders.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@AssociationforaBetterNewYork
• Instagraminstagram.com/abetterny
• Xx.com/ABetterNY
• Facebookfacebook.com/ABetterNY
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-for-a-better-ny

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Association for a Better New York