Where a leading civil rights group sees new opportunities in New York.

Educational Alliance raised $25,000 at a Nov. 8 event in Manhattan. The second annual Divas and Dumplings benefit helped raise money for LGBTQ funding at the Edgies Teen Center, according to a Nov. 9 press release. That’s where the nonprofit holds its annual Pride Prom and other programming for teens. Drag performances Regent Empress, Madison Mansfield, and Viscountess Bella Noche of the Imperial Court of New York were also featured at the event, held at Pianos Bar.

Project Renewal has a new $2.3 million contract with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The money will fund forensic mental health services, according to the City Record.

Delivering Good raised $1.8 million at its annual gala on Nov. 7. Notable moments at the Manhattan event included NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal jumping on stage to volunteer as an auctioneer, according to a Nov. 11 press release. Allan Ellinger, chairman of Delivering Good – formerly known as K.I.D.S/Fashion Delivers – and senior managing partner of MMG, announced that Andrea Weiss, founder & CEO of The O Alliance, will be his successor as chair of Delivering Good. Ellinger will remain active with the organizes after stepping down, according to the press release.

The New York Civil Liberties Union is looking to keep pressure on Albany following the recent elections. With one-party rule now in state government, the nonprofit wants legislators to act on civil rights-related bills that had stalled in the previously Republican-controlled state Senate. Here’s a rundown of new legislative opportunities, taken verbatim from a petition page on the NYCLU website; it’s a primer on how the influential advocacy nonprofit sees things now:

• Protect our democracy by updating antiquated voting laws. We need early voting, automatic voter registration, and electronic poll books. You should also support legislative resolutions to amend the New York State Constitution, Article 2, Section 2 — the first step toward a public referendum making absentee ballots an option for all New Yorkers, regardless of their circumstances.
• Safeguard reproductive rights by removing abortion from New York's criminal code and creating affirmative protections for reproductive health care through the passage of the Reproductive Health Act and the Comprehensive Contraceptive Coverage Act.
• Achieve equal justice under the law by passing strong bail reform that makes sure people aren't kept in jail simply because they are too poor to pay their bail. Such legislation should not include any loopholes that could lead to even more people stuck behind bars pre-trial.
• Close the loopholes in our Human Rights law to protect transgender New Yorkers and children in public schools from discrimination.

The newly elected NY state legislature will have a historic opportunity to pass criminal justice, voting, reproductive health, and human rights reforms. There's no time to waste. https://t.co/DKVVXpG6mE

— NYCLU (@NYCLU) November 11, 2018