New York has one of the largest nonprofit sectors in the United States, and our directory lists 1,164 charity and nonprofit offices across 285 cities and 53 counties. They range from an advertising trade association on Sixth Avenue in Manhattan to a family foundation on North Main Street in Jamestown. Knowing who regulates these groups, and how they differ from region to region, saves time whether you need help, want to donate, or plan to start an organisation of your own.

There is no single charity office in the state. Several bodies share the work. The Attorney General's Charities Bureau oversees registration and fundraising. The Department of State handles incorporation paperwork. The IRS grants federal tax exemption, and county and city agencies run the public benefit offices that often partner with private charities. The sections below explain how those pieces fit together.

Who Regulates Charities and Nonprofits in New York State

Most charitable organisations in New York are incorporated as not-for-profit corporations under the Not-for-Profit Corporation Law. The Department of State's Division of Corporations accepts the certificate of incorporation. Certain purposes need consent from a state agency, or approval from a justice of the State Supreme Court, before the filing is accepted. A new group should check this first rather than after it has paid for legal work.

Registration to raise money is a separate step. Under Article 7-A of the Executive Law and Article 8 of the Estates, Powers and Trusts Law, charities that solicit contributions in New York, or hold assets for charitable purposes, generally register with the Charities Bureau in the Attorney General's office. After registering, they file an annual report, usually Form CHAR500, together with their federal Form 990. Larger organisations must also attach financial statements that an independent accountant has reviewed or audited. The revenue thresholds for each level are set in state law and have changed over the years, so check the current figures before you file. Religious organisations are generally exempt from the registration requirement.

The Nonprofit Revitalization Act of 2013 added governance rules that affect many New York nonprofits. Every board needs a conflict-of-interest policy and a way to review related-party transactions. Larger organisations face extra requirements, such as a whistleblower policy and an audit oversight committee. These are rules for boards, but they matter to the public because they show how seriously a group takes its own oversight.

Tax exemption works in two layers:

Federal status does not automatically exempt a nonprofit's purchases from New York sales tax. That surprises many first-time founders.

Metro New York and Upstate: Why Charity Listings Look So Different

The weight of the state's nonprofit activity sits in New York City. New York County alone accounts for 417 of our listings, more than a third of the statewide total. Brooklyn and Queens add a great deal more, with Queens County at 74 listings and Kings County at 73. Many of the borough offices are small and neighbourhood-based. African Charities of America sits on Marion Street in Bedford-Stuyvesant, the Haitian Family Resource Center is on Flatbush Avenue in Flatlands, and the Council of Neighborhood Organization is on Fort Hamilton Parkway in Borough Park. Groups like these are often built around one community, language or immigration experience, so the nearest office is not always the best fit.

On Long Island and in the northern suburbs the pattern changes. Nassau County has 86 listings, and several are foundations rather than service providers, such as the Gould Family Foundation in Great Neck and the Hagedom Foundation in Port Washington. The Epilepsy Foundation of Long Island operates from Garden City. Westchester County, with offices in White Plains and Yonkers, mixes grantmakers with direct-service programmes such as the Enhanced Section 8 Outreach Program on South Broadway in Yonkers.

Upstate, activity concentrates around the regional cities. Buffalo has 57 listings, Rochester 35, Albany 32 and Syracuse 29. Albany's position as the state capital puts nonprofits close to the agencies that fund and regulate them. The Brighter Choice Foundation on Central Avenue is one example. Further out, smaller cities such as Ithaca, Elmira, Binghamton, Utica and Jamestown each have a handful of offices. In rural counties the nearest office may be a long drive away, so phone first and ask whether staff meet by appointment or travel to outlying towns.

Sample Charity and Nonprofit Offices Listed Across New York

The listings below show the range of organisations in this category. Phone numbers come from our database, and hours and services can change, so call before you visit.

This category is broad. It includes health foundations, community centres, housing groups, grantmakers and trade associations such as 4As, the American Association of Advertising Agencies, at 1065 6th Avenue in Manhattan. Read each profile to confirm what an organisation does before you make the trip.

Finding and Using a Nonprofit Office in New York

Start by deciding what you need. A food pantry, a housing counsellor, a disease-specific foundation and a grantmaker all work differently. Direct-service charities usually take walk-ins or phone calls. Foundations often accept grant requests only in writing, and many do not take unsolicited applications at all.

If you need help and are unsure where to begin, dial 211. The service connects callers to local health and human services referrals, and it covers both New York City and upstate regions. For food, regional food banks supply many pantries. Examples include Food Bank For New York City, Food Bank of Western New York in the Buffalo area, Foodlink in Rochester and the Food Bank of Central New York around Syracuse. Their websites list pantries by ZIP code.

Before your first visit, gather the documents most offices ask for:

Ask whether you need an appointment, whether interpreters are available, and whether the programme serves only certain boroughs, towns or counties. Many New York programmes limit service to a specific neighbourhood or county because of how they are funded. Outside New York City, public benefits such as SNAP and Medicaid run through county social services departments. A charity can often help you prepare an application but cannot approve one.

Checking a Charity Before You Give or Sign Up

New York makes this easier than most states. The Attorney General's Charities Registry lets you search an organisation by name and see whether it is registered, along with its annual filings. Compare its Form 990 against what it says in its appeals, especially the share of spending that goes to programmes. If a charity does not appear, ask why. It may be exempt, using a different legal name, or not registered when it should be.

Nonprofit organizations operating in New York must register with the state attorney general's charitable trust section and comply with state solicitation licensing requirements in addition to meeting federal IRS requirements for tax-exempt status. New York's charity registration process helps protect residents from fraudulent fundraising operations.

Charity Nonprofit locations are available in 285 cities across New York. They are spread across 53 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include New York, Buffalo, Rochester, which typically host large concentrations of nonprofits serving regional populations across health, human services, education, and arts sectors.

Donors in New York can verify that a charity is properly registered with the state by contacting the New York Attorney General's office or searching the state's online charity registration database before making a contribution.

Charity Nonprofit by Counties

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Nonprofits seeking grant funding in New York should explore state-level grant programs administered through the New York Department of Health, Department of Education, or community services block grant programs. Many New York foundations also fund local nonprofits through competitive grant cycles that typically open annually.

Browse Charity Nonprofit by county across New York to find the nearest location.

Giving, Volunteering and Getting Help Close to Home in New York

Most people meet a New York nonprofit through a neighbour, a hospital, a place of worship or a school, not through a search. The listings in this directory help you go one step further and find an office near your address. Pick a county first, since funding and eligibility often follow county lines. In the metro area, Nassau County and Westchester County have large concentrations of foundations and health charities, and they are worth browsing if you want to find a grantmaker or a cause-specific group. In western New York, Erie County pulls together the Buffalo offices, including the African Cultural Center on Masten Avenue.

If you want to volunteer, call the office and ask who coordinates volunteers. Smaller groups, such as the Acme Benevolent Association in Elmira or the Help Yourself Foundation in Schenectady, may not advertise openings but often welcome offers of help. Ask about background checks if the work involves children or vulnerable adults, and ask for a clear description of the time commitment. If you plan to give money, ask for a written receipt. Keep it with your tax records.

Programmes change locations and hours more often than most directories can track. Treat the phone numbers and addresses here as a starting point. If a number is out of service, search the organisation's name in the Attorney General's registry to see whether it is still active, and report corrections to us so that other residents benefit.

Charity Nonprofit Questions in New York

Start with the Charities Registry on the Attorney General's website. It lets you search by name and shows whether an organisation is registered and what it has filed. Open the latest annual report, usually Form CHAR500, and the federal Form 990 to see revenue, programme spending and fundraising costs. You can confirm federal tax-exempt status through the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Be cautious if a caller pressures you to give immediately, will not send written information, or asks for payment by gift card. Concerns can be reported to the Charities Bureau.

No. Religious organisations are generally exempt from registering with the Charities Bureau, and some other groups, such as certain educational institutions, are treated differently. Many ordinary charities must register before they solicit contributions in the state, or when they hold assets for charitable purposes, and then file annual reports. The rules depend on the organisation's type, where it solicits and how it holds money, so the Charities Bureau is the right place to confirm. A small group planning its first fundraiser should ask before collecting any money, because unregistered solicitation can draw enforcement.

Most founders follow this order. Choose a name and a clear charitable purpose, then recruit a board. New York requires at least three directors for a not-for-profit corporation. File a certificate of incorporation with the Department of State, adopt bylaws and a conflict-of-interest policy, and obtain an employer identification number from the IRS. Next, apply to the IRS for 501(c)(3) recognition and, if you buy goods for your mission, apply for the state sales tax exemption. Register with the Charities Bureau before you solicit donations. Some purposes need prior consent, so check early.

In New York City, public benefit applications go through the city's Human Resources Administration and its ACCESS NYC portal. Pantries and soup kitchens are mostly run by community groups and faith-based charities, many supplied by Food Bank For New York City. Upstate, county departments of social services handle SNAP and Medicaid, and regional food banks such as Foodlink in Rochester and the Food Bank of Western New York in Buffalo supply local pantries. For housing counselling, groups like Utica Neighborhood Housing Service work at neighbourhood level. In either region, dialing 211 is a quick way to get referrals.

Gifts to organisations recognised under section 501(c)(3) can be deductible on your federal return if you itemize deductions. For any single gift of $250 or more, you need a written acknowledgment from the charity before you file. Not every organisation in this directory is a 501(c)(3). Trade associations and similar business groups usually fall under other sections of the tax code, and gifts to them are generally not deductible as charitable contributions. Ask the organisation which category it falls under, and keep your receipts and bank records. A tax professional can confirm how your state return treats the gift.

New York County holds 417 listings because Manhattan is home to national foundations, trade bodies and headquarters of large charities. Nassau, Queens, Kings, Erie and Westchester follow. A county with few listings does not mean few services. Many organisations serve several counties from a regional hub, such as Ithaca, Binghamton or Syracuse. County social services departments, 211 and regional food banks fill many gaps. In a rural area, call the nearest listed office and ask which of its programmes reach your town, and whether staff offer phone appointments.