The Office of Faith and Non-Profit Development Services

The New York State Office of Faith and Non-Profit Development Services stands as a beacon of support and resource for faith-based and non-profit organizations across the state. With a mission deeply rooted in Governor Kathy Hochul’s commitment to support and expand these communities, the Office is dedicated to fostering growth, equity, and connectivity.  

Key initiatives include:

• Coalition Building: Through one-on-one engagements, regional stakeholder meetings, and faith-based gatherings, the Office promotes collaboration and unity among diverse groups.
• Capacity Building: Spearheaded by influential leaders like Reverend Dr. AR Bernard, this initiative focuses on interfaith dialogue and interagency collaboration to offer comprehensive support services, including mental health directories and more.  
• Grants and Funding: With a strategic allocation of funds, including the Governor Hochul’s Initiative Grant, the Office ensures equitable distribution of resources across various community groups to support their missions and projects.
• Housing Initiative: This effort seeks to leverage faith-based properties to increase housing opportunities, reflecting Governor Hochul’s commitment to growth and sustainability, while addressing New York’s housing crisis.  
• Community Outreach and Guide Development: Aiming for local, regional, and statewide impact, the Office develops guides on mental health, grant application processes, housing initiatives, and creating sensory-friendly spaces, tailored specifically for the faith community.

The Office of Faith and Non-Profit Development Services is more than just a resource – it is a partner in progress, dedicated to building stronger communities through faith, collaboration, and innovation.

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The mission of the Interfaith Council is to empower houses of worship to fulfill their potential as pivotal centers for moral guidance and social support, enhancing their ability to serve the most vulnerable.

Executive Committee members are:

Internal Chair: NYS Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley

Walter T. Mosley serves as the 69th Secretary of State for the State of New York. Mr. Mosley was nominated to the position by Governor Kathy Hochul in May of 2024 and confirmed by the New York State Senate in May of 2024. Mr. Mosley formerly represented the New York State Assembly within the New York State Legislature. From 2013 to 2020, Mr. Mosley represented communities in central Brooklyn encompassing the neighborhoods of Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights and parts of Bedford Stuyvesant and Crown Heights. 

President: Reverend A.R. Bernard 

A.R. Bernard is one of the most influential religious leaders, and transformative visionaries in the United States. He is the Founding Senior Pastor of Christian Cultural Center (CCC) in Brooklyn, NY, with a membership of more than 37,000, and campuses in Long Island, and Orlando, Florida as well as a virtual campus that reaches thousands across the country and around the world. Bernard enjoyed a successful 10-year career in Finance before he and his wife, Karen, planted a small storefront church in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, in 1978. Next year Bernard will begin construction on a $1.2B development in East New York Brooklyn of which he is a 50% partner, bringing much needed low and middle-income affordable housing, retail, commercial, medical and mental health services, 24-hour Childcare and a Trade School for electrical, hvac, plumbing and carpentry certification.  A lifelong social reformist, Bernard often collaborates with national and global faith leaders building solid partnerships that advocate for religious freedom and social justice. Bernard previously served as the president of the Council of Churches of the City of New York and is currently the president of the New York State Interfaith Council.

Members (listed alphabetically):

Jennifer Jones Austin

Rabbi Deborah Bravo

Reverend Kia Brooks

Reverend Dr. Malcolm J. Byrd

Reverend John Carter

Reverend Dr. Johnnie Green

Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum

Maury Litwack

Pastor Darius Pridgen

Reverend Dr. Franklyn Richardson

Bishop Raymond Rivera

Monsignor Kevin Sullivan

Imam Mansoor Rafiq Umar

Pastor Carl Washington, Jr.

Bishop Frank White

Caura N. Washington - Director of the Office of Faith and Nonprofit Development Services

Caura N. Washington is currently serving as the Director of the Office of Faith and Nonprofit Development Services. She was appointed by Governor Kathy Hochul to serve as the director for the reinvigorated office. Pastor Caura Washington has devoted her ministerial and professional careers to ensuring that every opportunity is an opportunity to make a lasting and equitable difference in the lives of all she encounters.  She is dedicated to working with faith leaders and nonprofit organizations across the state to give voice to the ever-evolving needs of every community. 

Cloe Andrade - Program Manager

Nicole Suto - Program Manager

Nicole Suto is a program manager with the Office of Faith and Nonprofit Development Services. Her career with New York State government has been dedicated to helping people access health care and other essential services. She is honored to continue her work helping faith based and nonprofit organizations navigate government programs. With this partnership, together we can make a positive impact in our communities.

New York State Office for New Americans (ONA)

New Americans | Department of State (ny.gov)

ONA Programs

• Opportunity Centers - Civics | Department of State (ny.gov) - Offers free services including naturalization support, civics test preparation, legal consultations, and workshops.
• ONA Legal Counsels | Department of State (ny.gov) - Provide free immigration legal consultations and support to ONA Opportunity Centers as well as other legal services.
• Opportunity Centers – English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) | Department of State (ny.gov) - Offers free English language training with a workforce development component.
• Ramirez June Initiative | Department of State (ny.gov) - Connecting New Americans with Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities to Vital Resources, Information, & Services.
• Golden Door Support Program | Department of State (ny.gov) - Offers mental health support groups for immigrants, supported by a licensed mental health provider. 
• Cell-Ed | Department of State (ny.gov) - Free English, Life and Job Skills Courses on any Mobile Device.
• New Americans - CanCode Communities - The New York State Office for New Americans (ONA) on a new initiative, Immigrants Can Code, a Digital Literacy pilot, that will help newcomers to New York State gain digital literacy skills.
• Professional Pathways for High-Skilled Immigrants – ONA Job Coach Locations | Department of State (ny.gov) - Employment coaching, skills training, and job placements for new Americans with prior work experience and education.
• Immigrant Resource Program | Department of State (ny.gov) - With the support of immigrant volunteers, conduct outreach and provide vital information and resources to immigrants.
• Portal - Citizenshipworks – Access free citizenship assistance.
• ONA North Country Immigrant Resource Coordinator | Department of State (ny.gov) - Provides case management to immigrants, coordinates resources, conducts outreach, and builds capacity in the North Country Region to serve new Americans.
• Civic Leadership Program | Department of State (ny.gov) - Connects new Americans to local and state resources and strengthens immigrant community voices.

Regional Economic Development Councils

Regional Economic Development Councils - regionalcouncils.ny.gov - The Regional Economic Development Councils (REDCs) support the State’s innovative approach that empowers regional stakeholders to establish pathways to prosperity, mapped out in regional strategic plans. Through the REDCs, community, business, academic leaders, and members of the public in each region of the State put to work their unique knowledge and understanding of local priorities and assets to help direct State investment in support of job creation and economic growth.

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.

The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) - Current Funding Opportunities - NY DCJS - Administers the Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes program, which provides grants to nonprofit organizations at risk of hate crimes or attacks because of their ideology, beliefs, or missions.

Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services - State-Funded Programs | Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (ny.gov) - The Grants Program Administration (GPA) office administers several state-funded preparedness programs including Statewide Interoperable Communications, Public Safety Answering Points, Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes, and Recruitment and Retention grant programs.

NYS Grants Management’s Instructions on Streamlined Prequalification for Nonprofits - https://grantsmanagement.ny.gov/get-prequalified

New York State Nonprofit Unit - New York State Nonprofit Unit (ny.gov) - The New York State Nonprofit Unit works to strengthen the relationship between all aspects of State Government and the Nonprofit Sector. The Unit works with State Agencies and New York nonprofits to interpret and clarify state regulations and connect nonprofits to State decision-makers. Simultaneously, the Nonprofit Unit brings nonprofit leaders into conversation with State leadership as they deliberate policy and practice changes.

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.

US Department of Agriculture Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships - Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships | USDA - Connects government with non-profit organizations - both secular and faith-based - to help people in need.

US Department of Housing and Urban Development Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships - Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships | HUD.gov / U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)- Serves to ensure that Faith-Based and Community Organizations (FBCOs) have strong advocates within Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the White House and Partnership Offices throughout the Federal Government.

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) - Salary & Compensation Data Platform | ERI Economic Research Institute (erieri.com) - posts Internal Revenue Service reports of charitable organizations.

Candid -  https://candid.org/ - Provides comprehensive data tools on nonprofits, foundations, and grants to fund nonprofits.

Altman Foundation -  https://www.altmanfoundation.org/ - Provides grants for programs and institutions that advance opportunity and equity for individuals, families, and communities.
 

Other Resources:

American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) - https://www.aicpa-cima.com/home- 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.

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.

Independent Sector (IS) - https://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 New York (NNY) - https://www.nonprofitnewyork.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, 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.