THROUGH
ANNUAL REPORT 2025
THROUGH
ANNUAL REPORT 2025
A Message from Our CEO
Dear friends,
We are celebrating 140 years of University Settlement!
We are the original settlement house in America, and our progressive movement won many reforms and rights that are now taken for granted, from prohibiting child labor, to establishing safer housing, to creating publicly accessible green space.
In addition to building institutions, our founders helped shape our collective sense of what we owe to one another. Settlement houses developed our national idea of what should be public and accessible to all – like food security, health care, education, the arts.
And these many generations later, we still believe in the dream of New York that settlement houses advanced: diverse communities that are welcoming and equitable.
For 140 years, University Settlement has gathered our neighbors around a shared purpose: to build stronger, more resilient, more powerful families, and better-connected and better cared-for communities, who in turn build a better New York City. Through generations, our values reverberate.
With your support, we do this with more than 40,000 people every year. Across our 30+ locations, we create affordable, high-quality early childhood education; connection and community for older neighbors; mental health care everyone can access; comprehensive development opportunities for young people; enhanced housing stability; resources for welcoming immigrants into our communities; and access to the arts for everyone.
Our comprehensive approach to community development has stood the test of time and creates generational social wealth. We stay intentionally local and close to the ground, so we can listen and adapt, and because proximity is power. Our deep roots in our Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn neighborhoods allow us to build long-term trusting relationships with New Yorkers of all ages.
Here, people find fellowship, joy and collaboration, and the kind of concrete responses to social needs a community must have to thrive. Our core capacity is to evolve with our evolving City – staying true to our mission while making thoughtful innovations when cultures and situations change, or when they must change.
Thanks to your partnership and support, we are empowered to continue building community strength.
In gratitude,
Melissa Aase
Our Values in Action
Expansion of our network of school-based mental health clinics to Stuyvesant High School
At the Consultation Center, our mission is to provide easy pathways to mental health services for our communities, and our growing network of 9 school-based clinics are an important way we make that happen. Being available when a student is in crisis, in real time, is what makes school-based mental health effective and special. We now have a full-time staff member embedded at each of our schools, becoming a vital part of the school community, so kids can access them when needed.
Leah Syrop
LCSW, Assistant Director of School-Based Mental Health Clinics
A new fellowship to promote collaboration between artists in our community and homebound older adults
Everyone, at every age, benefits from the opportunity to learn and create. This year we were excited to engage two working artists from our neighborhoods in a new Arts Fellowship for Wellness Together, our program that builds community and connection for homebound adults 60+ and their caregivers. In partnership with LaMaMa and CultureHub, the Wellness Together Arts Fellows conducted a series of virtual workshops with participants to collectively create a collaborative hybrid performance that debuted in May 2026.
Baba Israel
Director, The Performance Project @ University Settlement
Photo credit: Ji Hoon Kim courtesy of CultureHub
Communal action and coalition-building to keep our neighbors connected to vital public benefits
As cuts to safety net programs our neighbors rely on (including Medicaid and SNAP) threaten our community’s wellbeing, we’re responding by getting organized. Our new settlement-wide initiative We Got US empowers staff to share knowledge and collaborate across program domains. By coordinating and amplifying our collective deep insights into public benefits, we can better inform our participants about the rapidly changing social services landscape and navigate it effectively together.
Kayan Chiu
Director, Project Home
Our Impact
THROUGH GENERATIONS,
THE DREAM OF A DIVERSE AND WELCOMING NEW YORK REVERBERATES
University Settlement is a place where children, families, older adults, immigrants, activists, dancers, athletes, caregivers, educators, leaders, communities, and New Yorkers can build community with one another and fully express their human potential.
Like the Statue of Liberty, we’re celebrating our 140th birthday in 2026! Established in 1886 as the first settlement house in the United States, we bring the values of our movement into the 21st century by:
- Fighting poverty and systemic inequality with responsive programs and advocacy;
- Engaging all members of the community from newborns to elders;
- Joyfully nurturing the whole person by addressing basic needs including food, education, culture, learning, and community.
83%
of College Passport students went to college – compared to 73% of NYC high school seniors overall.
1,191
homebound adults and their caregivers stayed connected and cared for with Wellness Together, as we grew this work 8-fold in 2025.
915
children got ready for kindergarten in our Early Childhood Education programs, 83% of whom were assessed as “school-ready,” compared to a national average of 64% (National Survey of Children’s Health, 2022).
1,500+
of our neighbors were able to stay in their apartments thanks to Project Home, a 96% success rate.
838
children at risk for hospitalization or placement in foster care received preventive care from our Mental Health and Wellness programs; in 2025 we prevented out-of-home placement in 86% of all cases.
3,156
children and young adults played, learned, and developed as leaders in our After-School programs at 16 schools across Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn, improving their school attendance rates and academic performance.
Stories from 2025
Early childhood and youth development programs that have shaped four generations of our neighbor Lily’s family
Lily Nazario attended University Settlement’s early childhood and summer camp programs beginning in 1965 and credits her experiences with US as life-changing. Today her grandson Josiah (pictured) attends our Early Childhood Center at 184 Eldridge, where the personalized attention and care he’s received have helped him make real strides toward being prepared for kindergarten.
Lily shared what more than 60 years of engagement with University Settlement has meant for her family:
My mom came to the Lower East Side from Puerto Rico at the age of 17. She didn’t know any English at the time. She met my dad and they had my older brother, and then me. But mostly mom raised us by herself. She was a community activist, she volunteered a lot in the community.
She learned about University Settlement and all the resources they provided, including pre-K and kindergarten, and that’s how I got started – my mom enrolled me.
Then she found out about their summer camp, which was free for kids who wouldn’t be able to go to private camp, and she signed me up.
I was 5 or 6 years old – I’d only ever been around my family before. Everything was so new to me. Even though I was homesick for my mother the very first night I got there, I remember crying when I left, too, because I didn’t want to leave my counselors.
I always had so much fun and learned so much at camp. I felt the warmth – I remember people demonstrating that they cared about me.
And I feel the same way today – my grandson and daughter and I have the same experience. That’s why I’m still active in this community so many decades later.
My grandson Josiah attends University Settlement’s preschool today. And although 60 years separate his experience and mine, the feeling is the same.
When it was time for him to go to daycare, the decision was easy.
This is a program that is family-oriented, where the teachers make my daughter Lisa and me feel that they care so much for Josiah.
Communication is vital, and we’re always encouraged to reach out with any questions or if we want to talk through anything that’s happening with him.
And this is a two-way street, too. They’re always letting us know if there’s anything going on with Josiah.
When Josiah first started preschool, his teachers noticed that he had some deficits in motor skills and socially, too. Through his preschool, Josiah has gotten speech and occupational therapy that have helped him get to where he should be at his age. They saw that he needed some extra help and they were there for him.
The ways they’ve helped him develop can seem small. But everything makes a difference, especially when you’re little. Going up and down the stairs. Learning how to walk to the park. Criss cross applesauce.
And now when we go to a museum or playground, he’ll approach other kids his age and introduce himself.
Josiah has improved because of his teachers’ nurturing approach, and the specialized and personal attention they always give us.
Since Josiah has been a student with University Settlement, I’ve worked to become a bigger part of his school community, and now I’m the co-chair of the Parent Policy Council.
University Settlement made me who I am – the people I met there shaped me and gave me a foundation to build from. I learned how to swim, and how to enjoy new kinds of music. I also learned how to love. I’d never heard country songs, I only knew salsa. But hearing new things in a caring and supportive environment, I learned to be open and expand my horizons.
So much of what University Settlement does is about love, the way being truly supported makes you feel safe to become yourself.
Through generations, these values have made a difference in my mom’s life, my life, my daughter’s life, and my grandson’s life.
After-school programs our neighbors count on to care for and educate their children – for decades
In our disconnected world, making a place where people feel welcome, safe, and free to be themselves takes uncommon skill – and our Cornerstone @ Atlantic Terminal Community Center (ATL to our friends) has the magic touch! For the last 12 years, Director Jackie Robinson and her team have built a caring community and “one-stop shop” full of responsive programs near Barclays Center in downtown Brooklyn.
At ATL, our neighbor Ashudee has found after-school programs she’s counted on to care for and educate her sons Maison, an 8 year-old who currently attends after-school there, and Malachi, an 18 year-old high school senior who started after-school with us 11 years ago, when he was in the second grade.
This summer Malachi will take a next step into independence by participating in ATL’ s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP).
Ashudee, Malachi, and Maison reflected on the ways they’ve been able to count on University Settlement, and the difference it’s made for them:
Ashudee: I work until 5 pm, and when Malachi was in first grade I was looking for an after-school for him, because his school didn’t offer anything. When I found out ATL offered this, I came over on my lunch break to meet with Ms. Jacqui, and they found a space for him.
Ms. Jacqui was very patient and welcoming. You want to make sure that your child is left in the right hands. If I didn’t feel comfortable, I wouldn’t have sent Malachi here. Members of the ATL team would pick up from school, and Jacqui and her team were always in contact. They always followed through.
Coming into this program got Malachi out of his shell a little bit. My children are like night and day – Maison is friendly, and Malachi can be more standoffish. But coming here, as he got familiar with the kids and started participating, he really got out of his comfort zone.
Finding childcare can be a tough thing for a parent, especially a single parent. It’s meant a lot to have a safe place where I can send my children, where they can do their homework and make new friends. I don’t have to worry about them as much.
ATL has definitely been there through generations for my two sons – this program has helped shape them both, they’ve become more friendly and sociable. It’s also shaped me because I have somewhere dependable where they can go. It means we can have more family time together.
Malachi: ATL really changed my life – now, when I see an opportunity that makes sense for me, I’ll jump into it really quickly. I really appreciate that ATL gave me the opportunity to learn that about myself. And I became more social – if it wasn’t for this program, I’d probably be the same introvert I was when I started coming here.
I’m excited to come back and work at ATL this summer as part of SYEP. I’m really familiar with this place and how it works, and I’m excited to gain work experience. It will be an opportunity for me to not rely on my mother for money, save some money in my pockets for necessities. It’s a major turning point.
Maison: I’ve never felt left out here. Coming here every day has helped me a lot – when I was in the first grade, I wasn’t socializing with everyone in my class. I’ve met some friends I can really trust here. It’s opened me up to drawing, gaming, and DJing. University Settlement helped me learn that it’s not hard to make friends.
Arts programs and spaces where generations of the Jaroslow family have created, built community, and worked to heal the world
Beginning in the late 1980s, dancer and choreographer Risa Jaroslow (pictured below) became deeply involved in University Settlement’s art programming, and she eventually helped lead a successful effort to update our performance space at 184 Eldridge Street, Speyer Hall, into a functional and modern white-box theater.
Today, her granddaughter Isha Tobis Clarke (pictured above), a 2025-2026 Fellow of The Performance Project @ University Settlement, is a dancer and choreographer who regularly creates art and builds community in Speyer Hall.
Risa and Isha reflected on their connection to each other, to University Settlement, and to our communities:
Risa: I lived in New York, dancing and choreographing, beginning in 1970. Choreographers are always looking for rehearsal space. My husband was on the Board of University Settlement in the mid-80s, and I learned from him that there was this big, open space at 184 Eldridge that wasn’t being used very much. That was Speyer Hall.
I approached the Settlement’s leadership at the time and asked if I could use the space for not very much money or for free. And they said yes, if I would do something for the Settlement in exchange. I offered to teach a weekly dance class at the Settlement’s Senior Center. And I did that for many years and it turned out to be very important in my artistic development.
It reminded me that people of any age and ability can dance, almost anywhere, if given the opportunity. It was as nourishing for me as it was for the seniors who participated. I began to include all kinds of movers in my choreography along with trained professional dancers.
Then I went on to rebuild the arts program at University Settlement, which had once been very robust – Eleanor Roosevelt famously taught dance here.
When I first started rehearsing in Speyer Hall, the floor was rough. There was a stage that was just being used for storage. As an artist, I could receive grants that the Settlement couldn’t. I received a grant from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs to put in a new floor, new windows, and risers. The Settlement dismantled the stage and built an upstage wall, and I found a private funder for the lighting grid.
When I set out to do something like revitalizing Speyer Hall, my goal is to make a bigger tent for dance, live performance, and expression of all kinds. Our bodies, minds, and souls are connected. People really want to dance. You just need to open the door.
Isha: As a Performance Project Fellow, my practice always involves dancing and rehearsing in Speyer Hall.
It’s a gorgeous space. It’s really nice to dance in. The way this has happened feels so poetic and beautiful. It’s like my grandmother planted a tree for the next generation and I’m truly reaping the benefits. I feel very grateful.
I think that our family is incredibly driven to work for the world and be a part of creating community, to make with people what we collectively need.
When I think about the values our family has in common with University Settlement, the first that comes to mind is “Tikkun Olam,” which is a Jewish concept that means “to repair the world.”
When I’m dancing – and I can imagine that this is something that is universal or something many other people feel – that’s when I feel most free. And that is a powerful currency in a world that thrives, literally, on making you believe and feel that you are not free. Dancing is a powerful, necessary, political act.
Risa: And dancing is not something that people usually do by themselves. You do it with other people. It is a wonderful way of connecting and being present with others.
I’m thrilled to know that my granddaughter now dances in this space that I put so much effort into rebuilding. It fills me up. What could be better?
Our Approach
Stronger, More Resilient, More Powerful
For 140 years, we’ve followed our neighbors’ leads. First we listen, then we build responsive, innovative programs that can make rapid connections to community, resources, and support.
Early childhood programs that support children, empower parents, and create opportunities for our neighbors
Parenting is one of the most challenging things any person will ever do – and helping parents develop the skills necessary to support their children’s development is an important way we build stronger and more resilient communities. Each year, Early Head Start (EHS) at University Settlement engages nearly 300 families (including new and expecting parents) in Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn with home-based and center-based childcare, community-building, and skills workshops.
We’re also committed to recruiting talented staff from our neighborhoods and investing in their development. Ashly Burgos (above, left), a Family Community Involvement Coordinator in East New York, got started with University Settlement as a young mother when she started receiving EHS home-based services from her now-mentor Chelsi Armstrong (above, right). She then attended social work grad school while working with us. “Chelsi and my supervisors motivated me to apply for my role, and they’ve supported me with every opportunity,” Ashly said. “University Settlement is a place that validates everyone’s individual circumstances. The staff here build everyone up.”
Welcoming immigrant families with English classes and connections to employment
Supporting immigrants as they build their futures in our neighborhoods has been a vital part of our mission for 140 years, and the dream of a diverse and welcoming New York City is alive and well. In 2025, our Adult Literacy Program provided English language instruction, counseling services, and civic engagement to more than 460 of our newest neighbors.
More than 200 of our neighbors also attended our job fair, where they learned about jobs and had the opportunity to connect with 12 community partners.
“Finding meaningful, stable, and higher-paying employment is often the number one reason why our students seek to improve their English,” said Program Director Lucian Leung. “For immigrant families trying to establish themselves in our expensive city, a better job can be transformative – but making connections to real prospects is never easy. That’s why supporting our adult English language learners in taking the next step in their careers is a fundamental part of our program.”
Real conversations that guide meaningful action to support young people’s mental health
NYC teens often struggle with their mental health, but young people in our community tell us that “mental health” can feel clinical or otherwise distant from their everyday lives.
Our community mental health initiative Families Thriving supports more than 600 young people and their families every year and is structured to be approachable, beginning with “light touch” supports integrated into schools and other familiar spaces, extending through individual and family clinical engagement and specialized parenting support, and then going further to imagine and model systemic changes to improve communal wellness at scale.
In 2025 Families Thriving convened Youth Unmute, a symposium that welcomed 117 of our young neighbors into a creative conversation about mental health, where teens told us that they’re hungry for nontraditional approaches.
“With mental health, it’s so easy to feel isolated,” said Jewell Campbell, Director of Community Wellness Initiatives. “You can feel like you’re the only person experiencing your feelings. At this event, young people could see themselves reflected in their peers and co-create responses relevant to their lives.”
Our Programs
We fight poverty and systemic inequality by engaging our neighbors of all ages, from newborns to elders, with innovative, responsive programs that address basic needs while facilitating culture, learning, and community.
early Childhood
More than 850 young children and their families learn and grow with our broad spectrum of early education programs including center-based care, neighborhood-based family childcare, and home-based assistance.
Youth Development
We create safe, fun, purpose-driven environments for more than 6,000 youth annually. Our after-school, summer camp, and college access programs are rooted in positive youth development and social-emotional learning models that build students’ self-awareness, self-expression, and leadership skills.
Older Adults
We engage over 2,500 adults 60+ annually through a network of services including community-building in person and for homebound elders, meals, recreational activities, case assistance and management, housing counseling, and referral resources.
Mental Health & Wellness
More than 10,000 people receive high-quality mental health supports ranging from “light touches” to psychiatric care from our culturally sensitive professionals every year, helping individuals and families in our communities navigate the challenges life can present.
Advocacy & Community Action
We strategically engage our representatives on issues including access to safe housing, healthcare, and quality education. Through advocacy, we aim to secure access to resources for thousands of our neighbors, and support policies that empower New Yorkers to achieve healthy, stable, and remarkable lives.
Housing Stability
We combat homelessness by partnering with our neighbors to identify financial problems and solve them before they lead to eviction; in 2025, more than 1,500 New Yorkers were more stably housed thanks to Project Home.
Creative Arts
Art helps build healthy communities, and we engage thousands of our neighbors with two distinct arts programs: The Creative Center, which brings art’s healing power into healthcare settings; and The Performance Project, which fosters collaboration between professional artists and our communities to produce relevant and powerful culture.
Adult English Classes
460+ adult immigrants in NYC participate in our comprehensive 10-month English and civic education program annually – building language and systems literacy skills to navigate life in our complex city, support their families, and achieve their goals.
Our Financials
Our budget in 2025 was $58.5 million.
How our budget breaks down by program
how we’re funded
Charity Navigator gives University Settlement a 99% score and names us as a Four-Star Charity – their highest rating – based on our financial stability, efficiency, sustainability, and our commitment to strong governance practice and policies.
Our Donors
Thank you to everyone who supported our programs in 2025!
The donors listed below made gifts or provided funding to University Settlement during the 2025 fiscal year: July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025.
Private Funders
Government Funders
Elected Officials
Board of Directors
Renée Eubanks
Co-Chair
Benjamin Schall
Co-Chair
Frederick Yee
Treasurer
Ken C. Joseph
Vice President
Leonard Berman
Vice President
Ronni Fisher
Vice President for Programs
Aviva Will
Secretary
Alyse Amato
Aaron Daniels
Nicholas Gavin
Steven R. Green
Hale Gurland
Eric B. Gyasi
Rich Médor
Patrick Michel
Thomas Morgan
Marie-Laure Romney
Steven Schall
Peter Siroka
Harly Stevens
Habiba Waziruddin
Joanna R. Weiner
Ian Zilla
Melissa Aase
CEO