The Sylvia Center
Youth-led Change for a Healthy Future
The Sylvia Center
EIN: 20-4297703
as of September 2024
as of September 09, 2024
Mission
The Sylvia Center (TSC) educates youth, families, and communities about the connection between food and health through interactive food literacy programming which includes cooking skills and an introduction to nutrition. Programming is adapted to teach all age groups and skill levels. Workforce development components are added to teen programs and fresh food ingredient kits are included with family programming to assist with both food education and food insecurity. Guided by a vision to eradicate diet-related disease, TSC seeks to build a foundation of knowledge necessary for participants to make informed food choices that directly benefits health and wellbeing.
Notes from the nonprofit
The Sylvia Center educates on the connection between food and health. Our vision is to help prevent diet-related diseases and we believe that youth-led change will create a healthier future. Our engaging and interactive nutrition-based culinary programming improves food literacy and cooking skills. Since 2007, The Sylvia Center has served more than 38,000 participants in all five boroughs of New York City, the Hudson Valley, and the Capital District. Within these areas, The Sylvia Center is committed to serving young people and families who have the least food access and security to build healthier and more resilient communities.
Ruling year
2007
Executive Director
Barbara A. Glassman
Main address
2417 3rd Avenue Suite 301
Bronx, NY 10451 USA
EIN
20-4297703
Education
Nutrition
Population served
Children
Adolescents
Adults
Low-income people
NTEE code
Nutrition Programs (K40)
Agricultural Programs (K20)
Youth Development Programs (O50)
IRS subsection
501(c)(3) Public Charity
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
Tax forms
Communication
Programs and results
Reports and documents
Download annual reportsWhat we aim to solve
Food insecurity is a major health hazard in our communities. It can lead to obesity, in part because of the higher reliance on processed foods, and there is a direct correlation between obesity and diet-related diseases such as heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, some cancers, and premature death. The NYS Department of Health declared that obesity among children and adolescents has tripled over the past three decades. Safe and stable access to healthy food is not being afforded to all children of New York. This issue hits close to home. The Sylvia Center is headquartered in Mott Haven, a neighborhood of the South Bronx that has one of the highest rates of food insecurity in New York City. The Sylvia Center was founded at Katchkie Farm in Columbia County, NY and the farm serves as TSC’s base for upstate programming operations. Several nearby New York communities, including Hudson and the areas around Albany and Troy have been deemed “food deserts" by the USDA.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
New York City: Cooks for Health
Cooks for Health programming provides culinary and nutrition education through cooking classes for 13-24-year-olds. Flexible programming runs for six to 14 lessons, depending on the ages of participants. In Cooks for Health Family classes, a parent or guardian joins participants in the kitchen to prepare the same nutrition-focused recipes.
In all programming, a Chef Educator guides participants through classes as they learn to prepare healthy, plant-based recipes. The Chef Educator emphasizes the role of nutrition in good health and focuses on building participants’ skills, confidence, and food knowledge inside and outside the kitchen.
Full Plate
Designed for our youngest participants, Full Plate programming builds the foundation for a lifetime of healthy eating by teaching the connection between the food they eat and where it comes from. Lessons focus on building confidence in the kitchen.
Whenever possible, Full Plate lessons are paired with a farm visit, allowing participants to experience the connection between food to farm while learning about agriculture, cooking, and nutrition.
In a series of three or more lessons, Full Plate:
Inspires food exploration
Provides nutrition education
Teaches skills to prepare a healthy snack
Full Plate serves Kindergarten - 5th grade
Teen Culinary Apprenticeship
The Teen Culinary Apprenticeship prepares 16-18-year-olds to become peer advocates for health and nutrition and provides professional development through food industry-related job opportunities. Apprentices explore food justice and food science as they learn the benefits of plant-forward eating. The apprenticeship runs 16 weeks, with a minimum of 54 hours required to receive school credit. The program culminates with participants serving as paid Teen Chef Instructors at summer camps with a mission to teach youth in their community about healthy food and where it comes from.
Where we work
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of children and families engaged in health cooking programs
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, Ethnic and racial groups, Families, Economically disadvantaged people
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Total number of students reached through our programming in New York City and Upstate New York.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The Sylvia Center (TSC) educates youth, families, and communities about the connection between food and health through interactive food literacy programming which includes cooking skills and an introduction to nutrition. Programming is adapted to teach all age groups and skill levels. Workforce development components are added to teen programs and fresh food ingredient kits are included with family programming to assist with both food education and food insecurity.
Guided by a vision to eradicate diet-related disease, TSC seeks to build a foundation of knowledge necessary for participants to make informed food choices that directly benefits health and wellbeing. Using a research-based curriculum, TSC educates on six fundamental building blocks for healthier eating:
• Distinguishing between whole and processed foods
• Building a healthy plate
• Adding flavor healthfully
• Exploring new foods
• Understanding food seasonality
• Practicing good hygiene and sanitation
The Sylvia Center has been operating since 2007 and has served more than 35,000 participants in all five boroughs of New York City and Columbia County, NY. Within these communities, TSC is committed to serving population groups facing the greatest struggles with food access and equity.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Partner with community-based organizations, schools, and local businesses to deliver nutrition-focused culinary programming across NYS.
Teach the skills necessary to identify accessible and nutritious foods and master basic cooking skills and safety.
Provide fresh food ingredients to assist with food education and food insecurity
Impart life skills, including public speaking, teamwork, and time management, to boost confidence and foster success inside and outside the kitchen. Introduce food justice and food science to teens.
Create employment pathways for teens interested in food industry / food education interests
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
A scalable and adaptable suite of programming that can be administered in person or virtually. Instructors and programming is modular and portable.
Staff composition includes: Chefs, Registered Dietitians, Sanitarians, and Educators.
Nutrition interns along with Graduate student support from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.
Access to an organic farm in Kinderhook, NY
A network of community partners, charter schools and other educations centers across NYC and NYS
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
TSC programing engages a different group of students; from teens to families, to improve knowledge, confidence and skill outcomes. Over the 2020-21 school year, responses included:
67.8% of Cooks for Health Youth students reported that they help cook at home sometimes or often upon completion of the program (an increase of 11.3%)
85.7% of Cooks for Health Youth students could correctly identify a protein source upon completion of the program (an increase of 17.5%)
93% of Cooks for Health Family students reported that they would participate in the program again (7% said maybe)
93.1% of Cooks for Health Family students reported that they involve their children in cooking at home (an increase of 6.1%)
64.8% of Cooks for Health Teen students reported that they eat fruits and vegetables more than 3 times per week upon completion of the program (an increase of 14.8%)
61.9% of Cooks for Health Teen students reported a 4 or higher level of confidence in planning a nutritious meal at the completion of the program (an increase of 20.2%)
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
we serve youth and teens predominantly making feedback collection challenging
Financials
Financial documents
Download audited financialsRevenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2023 info
7.21
Months of cash in 2023 info
2.8
Fringe rate in 2023 info
13%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
Financial data
The Sylvia Center
Balance sheetFiscal Year: Jul 01 - Jun 30
The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot survive long, but the types of assets and liabilities must also be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan, and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.
Fiscal Year: Jul 01 - Jun 30
This snapshot of The Sylvia Center’s financial trends applies Nonprofit Finance Fund® analysis to data hosted by GuideStar. While it highlights the data that matter most, remember that context is key – numbers only tell part of any story.
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Business model indicators
| Profitability info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation | $80,743 | $36,623 | $109,846 | -$259,153 | $157,005 |
| As % of expenses | 7.8% | 3.3% | 6.4% | -50.0% | 11.0% |
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | $67,548 | $24,145 | $104,887 | -$260,653 | $152,580 |
| As % of expenses | 6.4% | 2.2% | 6.1% | -50.2% | 10.6% |
| Revenue composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $1,135,087 | $1,199,356 | $1,818,163 | $176,240 | $1,789,032 |
| Total revenue, % change over prior year | -9.7% | 5.7% | 51.6% | -90.3% | 0.0% |
| Program services revenue | 7.5% | 7.1% | 4.2% | 26.1% | 10.5% |
| Membership dues | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Investment income | 0.6% | 0.8% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 1.0% |
| Government grants | 0.0% | 0.0% | 7.7% | 0.0% | 6.2% |
| All other grants and contributions | 91.9% | 92.0% | 87.6% | 68.8% | 82.1% |
| Other revenue | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 4.7% | 0.1% |
| Expense composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses before depreciation | $1,040,762 | $1,107,168 | $1,704,266 | $517,802 | $1,429,538 |
| Total expenses, % change over prior year | 5.7% | 6.4% | 53.9% | -69.6% | 0.0% |
| Personnel | 84.2% | 71.0% | 49.4% | 74.8% | 73.2% |
| Professional fees | 5.3% | 11.8% | 7.6% | 7.4% | 7.0% |
| Occupancy | 0.0% | 1.4% | 0.6% | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| Interest | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Pass-through | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1.0% | 0.8% | 0.9% |
| All other expenses | 10.5% | 15.8% | 41.4% | 15.9% | 17.9% |
| Full cost components (estimated) info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses (after depreciation) | $1,053,957 | $1,119,646 | $1,709,225 | $519,302 | $1,433,963 |
| One month of savings | $86,730 | $92,264 | $142,022 | $43,150 | $119,128 |
| Debt principal payment | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed asset additions | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total full costs (estimated) | $1,140,687 | $1,211,910 | $1,851,247 | $562,452 | $1,553,091 |
Capital structure indicators
| Liquidity info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Months of cash | 10.8 | 11.6 | 8.5 | 15.6 | 2.8 |
| Months of cash and investments | 10.8 | 11.6 | 8.5 | 27.3 | 9.2 |
| Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | 12.0 | 11.7 | 8.4 | 21.6 | 8.9 |
| Balance sheet composition info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | $940,307 | $1,072,180 | $1,207,626 | $673,344 | $329,704 |
| Investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $506,563 | $763,872 |
| Receivables | $194,903 | $186,218 | $135,549 | $34,971 | $222,834 |
| Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $89,615 | $89,615 | $87,015 | $57,805 | $57,805 |
| Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 73.3% | 87.3% | 92.6% | 91.4% | 100.0% |
| Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 3.0% | 6.0% | 3.0% | 21.2% | 11.3% |
| Unrestricted net assets | $1,067,712 | $1,091,857 | $1,196,744 | $936,091 | $1,055,637 |
| Temporarily restricted net assets | $56,750 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Permanently restricted net assets | $0 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Total restricted net assets | $56,750 | $112,315 | $118,475 | $35,564 | $235,000 |
| Total net assets | $1,124,462 | $1,204,172 | $1,315,219 | $971,655 | $1,290,637 |
Key data checks
| Key data checks info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material data errors | No | No | No | No | No |
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Documents
Executive Director
Barbara A. Glassman
Barbara A. Glassman, Executive Director of The Sylvia Center, has more than 20 years leadership experience overseeing education programming, fundraising, strategic planning, and communications for New York City non-profits. She served as Executive Director of INCLUDEnyc, a training and information center supporting young people with disabilities; Managing Director of External Engagement for the New York-New Jersey region of Citizen Schools, a national education nonprofit; and in multiple leadership roles for New York Cares, New York City’s largest volunteer service organization. Earlier in her career, Barbara was a strategic communications consultant at firms in Washington, D.C. and New York City. She holds a B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis and an M.A. from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
The Sylvia Center
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
There are no highest paid employees recorded for this organization.
The Sylvia Center
Board of directorsas of 08/07/2023
Board of directors data
Cindy Edelson
Chaim Wachsberger
Partner, Chadbourne & Parke, LLP
Trudy Elbaum Gottesman
Philanthropist
Liz Neumark
CEO, Great Performances
Michael Pollack
Co-Owner and Managing Partner, Brooklyn Roasting Company
Cindy Edelson
Philanthropist
Nina P. Freedman
Global Philanthropy and Engagement, Bloomberg LP
Scott Millstein
Executive Director, Coro New York Leadership Center
Tara Gendelman
Investor Relations
Phil Meldrum
President, FOODMatch
Lynn Cole
Courtney Archer-Buckmire
Chief Advancement Officer, Grace Church School
Danielle Rehfeld Colen
Chef
Phillip Grant
CEO, Hunts Point Produce Market
Jean-Robert Andre
Dean of Equity and Inclusion, Grace Church School
Ayesha Nurdjaja
Culinary Director, The Bowery Group; Chef/Partner, Shukette, Shuka
Adrien Rios
Bloomberg LP
Peter Mensch
Co-Owner/Founder, Q Prime
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 03/15/2022GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
Professional fundraisers
Fiscal year endingSOURCE: IRS Form 990 Schedule G
Solicitation activities
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