A social club for women with autism

Vox has the details about Felicity House, a New York social club for women with autism. The nonprofit social club in the Flatiron District of Manhattan provides autistic women with space for programming, social activities and personal pursuits – with accommodations such as quiet rooms and fidget toys, according to Vox. 

“Everybody needs a place where they can focus on social relationships, where they can focus on taking a deep breath and decompress after a long day of work – where they can feel like they belong,” said Felicity Houses Executive Director Beth Finkelstein. She has previously worked as executive director of the New York Center for Children and as executive vice president at the National Down Syndrome Society.

The original version of this post misspelled Felicity House.

A $1.5 million grant aims to expand educational and reentry programs for currently and formerly incarcerated people. The money will specifically help expand offerings at The Prisoner Reentry Institute at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. This includes a college-in-prison program and the Prison-College Pipeline, according to a press release. 

“I am honored that the Mellon Foundation continues to believe in our mission and support this work,” said PRI Executive Director Ann Jacobs. “This grant will enable PRI to expand its college-in-prison program, the Prison-to-College Pipeline; work within CUNY on a university-wide strategy for supporting students after justice involvement; and contribute toward a coordinated, statewide approach for providing higher education in correctional facilities.”

There is a new president of the board at AHRC New York City Foundation. Joel Isaacson, CEO of Joel Isaacson & Co., is taking on that role at the nonprofit, which provides the main philanthropic support that keeps the 70-year old social services nonprofit AHRC New York City running. Isaacson will be joined on the board by Jeanne Sdroulas, head of marketing at Fred Alger Management; and Gary Green, CEO of Alliance Building Services. Former board chair Michael Rosen, senior counsel, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP, is now chair emeritus, according to a press release. 

Goddard Riverside Law Project got some attention in the New York Daily News. A recent article told the story of two people battling their landlords over a lack of gas service and general dilapidation in their Manhattan apartments. Things started looking up though, once the nonprofit Law Project got involved. Read the story here.

Nobody should have to use their cellphone flashlight to navigate their own apartment - especially an older adult at risk of falling. Thanks @michaelgartland of @NYDailyNews for this powerful story about two #UWS tenants our Law Project is fighting for! https://t.co/zFEr07HGEB

— Goddard Riverside (@GoddardRiv) June 24, 2019

City & State’s 2019 Pride Power 100 included several leaders from the nonprofit sector. The annual list recognizes the most powerful people in the LGBTQ community. Nearly one out of five people who made the list came from the nonprofit sector. Here’s who made the cut this time around:

• #9, Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation
• #10 Kiara St. James, co-founder and executive director of the New York Transgender Advocacy Group.
• #12, Christine Quinn, CEO of Win and former New York City Council Speaker
• #15, Bruce Richman, founding executive director at Prevention Access Campaign
• #17, Donna Lieberman, executive director at the New York Civil Liberties Union
• #18, Glennda Testone, executive director at The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center
• #40, Ana Oliveira, president and CEO of The New York Women’s Foundation
• #42, Jon Stryker, board president and founder of the Arcus Foundation
• #65, Charles King, president and CEO at Housing Works
• #67, Kelsey Louie, CEO at Gay Men’s Health Crisis
• #68, Jacquelyn Kilmer, CEO at Harlem United
• #70, Michael Adams, CEO of SAGE
• #72, Doug Wirth, president and CEO of Amida Care
• #83, Louis Bradbury, board president at The Calamus Foundation
• #84, Melissa Sklarz, senior government relations specialist at SAGE
• #91, Larry Kramer, founder of AIDS advocacy group ACT UP and Gay Men’s Health Crisis
• #100, Ronald Richter, CEO of JCCA