Started in 2003 at the suggestion of a 5-year-old boy, New York Says Thank You Foundation is a growing national and global “Pay It Forward” service movement that is creating transformative solutions based on survivor empowerment in disaster relief, education, and the arts.
Every year on 9.11 we send volunteers from New York to a location somewhere in the country that experience a disaster and rebuild– 14 volunteers from NYC, 11 of them FDNY firefighters, three of them survivors of the north tower to help rebuild a house in California.
While helping to rebuild a tornado-ravaged Home for the Vincent family that has cared for disabled veterans for three generations and who serve as the leader ship other towns volunteer fire department a neighboring state was impacted by a EF-5 Tornado. Volunteers created Stars of HOPE with children and families of the impacted community to replace the destruction with hopeful art.
A 50 State grassroots restoration tour to re-stitch the national 911 flag kicked off in 2009 and completed on September 11, 2011 in Joplin. Secretary of defense Leon Panetta proclaims "The National 9/11 Flag will forever stand as a monument to the strength of the American people."
In May 2014 The National 9/11 Flag was proudly transferred to The National 9/11 Museum and Memorial at the official public opening ceremony.
The 9/12 Generation Project was originally launched by New York Says Thank You Foundation with the help of numerous supporters and partners, it grew into a nationwide initiative that helped educators discuss the tragic events of September 11, 2001 by focusing on the positive lessons of citizenship from “9/12”.
On February 1, 2015, New York Says Thank You Foundation proudly transferred full control of the program to our partners at American Public Education Foundation for its continued growth and nationwide impact.
Stars of HOPE continues as New York says thank you's flagship program serving as tangible evidence of hope and bolster individual and communal mental health through the long-term recovery process.
To date (2021), we have transformed over 220 communities in 32 countries.
Through more than a decade of responsiveness, bootstrapping, and grass-roots efforts, New York Says Thank You has
assisted thousands of disaster survivors, empowered tens of thousands of volunteers, and inspired hundreds of thousands of students with programs encouraging service, hope, and community. As we enter our second decade, we seek to extend these successes and formalize the administration of our distinctive programs in order to reach our constituents more effectively while enhancing the sustainability of our organization.
$3,000,000 +
Anonymous, IL
$1,000,000 +
Jonathan & Lizzie Tisch, NY
$250,000 – $999,999
KPMG Foundation
Disaster Relief Fund, NJ
KPMG LLP, NY
$100,000 ‐ $250,000
Anonymous, ND
Bank of America/Merrill Lynch, NY
Dentons US LLP, NY
Edelman, NY
Emerson Charitable Trust, MO
Google, NY
Home Depot Foundation, GA
JetBlue Airways, NY
Lester Building Systems, MN
Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City, NY
Rogers‐O’Brien Construction, TX
Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund, NY
$25,000 ‐ $99,999
5LINX, NY
Anonymous, ND
American Express Foundation, NY
Association for a Better New York Foundation, NY
BASF Corp, NJ
Charles A. Barragato & Co., NY
Chickasaw Nation, OK
Christina Taylor Green Memorial Foundation, AZ
Guggenheim Capital, LLC, NY
Jeffrey & Paula Gural, NY
Hirair & Anna Hovnanian Foundation, NJ
Jewish Disaster Response Corps, NY
Mayors Fund to Advance New York City, NY
MUSCO Lighting, IA
Mutual of America, NY
National Fruit Product Co., VA
Newmark Knight Frank Realty, NY
Oklahoma United Methodist Church, OK
PSE&G Co., NJ
The Rudin Family, NY
May & Samuel Rudin Family Foundation, NY
Peter Shaerf, NY
TransCanada, TX
$10,000 ‐ $24,999
Morris and Paulette Bailey, NY
Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann, NY
Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund, NY
Congregation Rodeph Sholom, NY
Barry L. & Paula M. Downing Foundation, KS
GE Volunteers Foundation, NY
Goldfarb & Fleece LLP, NY
The Horncrest Foundation, NY
P Morgan Chase Foundation, NY
Lewis A. Kingsley Foundation, CA
LIVEstyle Entertainment, NY
Jewish Federation of Greater
Oklahoma City, OK
John P. & Annie Welsh McNulty Foundation, NY
Mansbach Family Fund, NY
Morris & Paulette Bailey, NY
Newell Rubbermaid Inc., GA
NUCOR, NC
Hillel & Amanda Parness, NJ
REBNY Foundation Inc., NY
Savage Services Corp., UT
Silverstein Properties, NY
Sullivan & Cromwell Foundation, NY
Tyson Foods, AR
Jacqueline G. & Paul J. Wexler, FL
KT Wiedemann Foundation, KS
WR Hambrecht & Co., NY
*Includes cash and in‐kind donations and multi‐year pledges as of Feb. 2018