NTAC to honor New York City’s nonprofits at upcoming gala

New York City’s nonprofits will be honored next month at Neighborhood Technical Assistance Clinic’s (NTAC) 10th annual gala.

The gala, which will be held on June 13 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at 400 Kent Avenue in Brooklyn, looks to celebrate the efforts of the city’s nonprofit organizations and the neighborhoods they serve with an award ceremony. Several Caribbean guests will also be honored during the event, as June is Caribbean Heritage Month.

“We are so proud of how we were able to take a gala and not just make it our own,” said NTAC’s founder and President Rev. Dr. Valerie Oliver-Durrah, who noted that this would be the last iteration of the gala, “but benefit those who are working on the front lines of New York City in the social services area.”

Among the honorees are Saideh Browne, who will receive the Nonprofit of the Year Award; Williams Howard, who will receive the Honorable Shirley Chisholm’s Lifetime Legacy Award; Yolanda Lezama-Clarke, who will receive the Caribbean Woman of the Year Award and Patrick Gomes, who will receive the Caribbean Man of the Year Award. Gomes will also provide musical performances alongside the City Shout Steel Orchestra.

“Each year at our gala, in addition to the awards we present, we identify nonprofits and faith-based institutions that would be beneficiaries of our proceeds,” said Oliver-Durrah. “Generally we receive money to offer technical assistance and training to nonprofits but often it doesn’t cover everything. We identify folks that could not pay but could really benefit from these services.”

This year, the gala will offer a salute to the National Council of Women of America, the John Steptoe Foundation, the Liberian Organization, Redeemed Outreach Ministries, the Judah International Center and a variety of other organizations.

“The support that we’ve received over all of the years has enabled the organization to service these nonprofits in a variety of ways,” added Durrah, “offering board training, writing proposals and press releases, strengthening infrastructure, partnerships, developments and management.”

Tickets for the gala start at $150. More information can be found by emailing dr.durrah@neighborhoodclinic.org or by going to www.neighborhoodclinic.org. Proceeds will allow NTAC to offer free capacity building trainings to more nonprofits during the year, as part of their mission to support nonprofits serving low-income neighborhoods. NTAC also provides consultation, strategic direction and management, technical assistance and forums for nonprofits.