5min read · by KindRise’s founder, a Brooklyn resident
How to Fundraise in Yonkers, NY
Yonkers is the largest city in Westchester County and the fourth-largest in New York State — a dense, diverse urban community that borders the Bronx and contains multitudes. Southwest Yonkers is majority Latino and closely connected to the Bronx; northeast Yonkers transitions toward more suburban character; the waterfront is undergoing significant development. Community fundraising in Yonkers looks more like outer-borough NYC fundraising than typical Westchester suburbia.
Key channels in Yonkers
- Nextdoor Yonkers: active across most neighborhoods, with particularly high engagement in the more residential northern and eastern areas. Good for neighborhood-level campaigns.
- Facebook groups: "Yonkers Residents," "Yonkers NY Community," and neighborhood-specific pages. Spanish-language Yonkers Facebook groups are also active and important for reaching the city's large Latino population.
- Catholic parishes: Yonkers has a strong Catholic parish network — St. Casimir's, Sacred Heart, St. Denis, and others — that anchor community life, particularly in working-class neighborhoods. Parish networks reach families who aren't on social media.
- Community organizations: Groundwork Hudson Valley operates in Yonkers; Yonkers Community Action programs serve low-income residents; and various neighborhood improvement associations are active across the city's neighborhoods.
- Yonkers schools: Yonkers Public Schools is a large urban district with active parent organizations. School-connected campaigns benefit from the district's communication channels, though parental engagement varies significantly by school.
What works in Yonkers
Yonkers fundraising succeeds when it's grounded in specific neighborhoods and specific needs. The city is large enough that a "Yonkers-wide" appeal feels abstract — campaigns tied to a specific block, school, or parish community raise more effectively than city-wide asks. Bilingual outreach (English and Spanish) significantly expands reach in the southwest and central parts of the city. For urgent needs — a family in crisis, a neighborhood emergency — Yonkers's strong community ties and mutual-aid culture respond quickly.
See the Westchester County guide and all Westchester guides.
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Frequently asked questions
How do community groups fundraise in Yonkers?
Yonkers fundraising works through neighborhood Facebook groups, Nextdoor, local community organizations, Catholic parish networks, and the city's active Latino and Haitian community channels. Yonkers is one of the most diverse cities in New York — bilingual outreach in Spanish reaches a large portion of the population.