Arbor Rising
Arbor Rising helps second-stage nonprofits, generally two to ten years old, that are fighting poverty across greater New York City. Each grantee gets $375,000 in flexible funding over three years plus over 500 hours of consulting to build systems, teams, and results. Since 2010, its grantees have deeply served more than 125,000 low-income people.
Challenge
In the greater New York City metro area, a promising nonprofit leader with a real idea for helping low-income families out of poverty hits a wall that has nothing to do with the idea itself. They have never built a team or run a fast-growing organization, and just as they need to professionalize, their early funding runs dry.
This is the second-stage gap. Seed money tends to flow to brand-new ventures and to proven, established ones. Organizations in between, generally two to ten years old, get stuck. Growth demands stronger systems, staff, and financial discipline, but that infrastructure costs money the group cannot yet raise, because it has not built a long enough track record to win larger commitments.
The stakes fall on the people these leaders set out to serve: millions of low-income individuals and families across the region, counting on exactly the kind of local organization most likely to stall before it can reach them.
Solution
Arbor Rising invests in second-stage nonprofits, generally two to ten years old, that are fighting poverty across the greater New York City area. Each grantee receives $375,000 in unrestricted funding over three years, plus more than 500 hours of hands-on consulting to build the systems, teams, and culture that turn a founder's idea into consistent results. Unrestricted dollars matter because young organizations need room to professionalize before results attract new funders. Graduates that hit rigorous management, finance, and data standards can win recommitment grants of $100,000 to $150,000 to keep scaling.
Impact
Arbor Rising defines success when a young nonprofit builds the systems, team, and culture to consistently drive results and reach more low-income people. Since 2010, its grantees have deeply served more than 125,000 low-income individuals. The pattern shows up inside each portfolio: by the third year of a grant, grantees serve 3.3 times as many children and families as when they joined, on revenue that has grown 2.5 times. After the three-year engagement, 78% meet Arbor Rising's standards for management, finances, and data, and 66% of graduates go on to secure funding wins of $1 million or more.
Leadership
Sammy Politziner | Co-Founder
Sammy Politziner is the Co-Founder of Arbor Rising.
Scott Thomas | Co-Founder
Scott Thomas is the Co-Founder of Arbor Rising.
Leadership team & Board (22)
Rochelle Sinclair | Principal
Rochelle Sinclair is the Principal of Arbor Rising.
Rebecca Cullen | Principal
Rebecca Cullen is the Principal of Arbor Rising.
Jess Cavagnero | Principal
Jess Cavagnero is the Principal of Arbor Rising.
Caroline Ostrover | Senior Engagement Manager
Caroline Ostrover is the Senior Engagement Manager of Arbor Rising.
Medha Uniyal | Engagement Manager
Medha Uniyal is the Engagement Manager of Arbor Rising.
Dominique Dukes | Engagement Manager
Dominique Dukes is the Engagement Manager of Arbor Rising.
Chloe Kidder | Engagement Manager
Chloe Kidder is the Engagement Manager of Arbor Rising.
Will Rodriguez | Engagement Manager
Will Rodriguez is the Engagement Manager of Arbor Rising.
Board
Ingrid Dyott | Board Chair
Sammy Politziner | Board Member
Scott Thomas | Board Member
Geoff Goldstein | Board Member
Sam McQuillan | Board Member
Francisco Tezen | Board Member
Greg Geiling | Board Member
Shauwea Hamilton | Board Member
Eleonora Sharef Moreno | Board Member
Chris Rush | Board Member
Ken Glassman | Board Member
Scott Lebovitz | Board Member
Anna Mullen | Board Member
Dana Sirota | Board Member
Last updated: July 2026. This profile was created with the help of generative AI, based on documents and information directly provided by Arbor Rising. Profile updates are requested on an annual basis and profiles must be updated a minimum of once every 24 months to remain published.