Council on the Environment, Inc.
Lobbying client
Council on the Environment, Inc. is the legal name of GrowNYC, the nonprofit founded in 1970 as the Council on the Environment of New York City, which runs the city's Greenmarket farmers market network, a wholesale produce-distribution program supplying food pantries and senior centers, and environmental education and community garden programs. Since 2024 it has filed 28 lobbying disclosures, using Bolton-St. Johns to lobby 15 council members on funding for food distribution and environmental programs across the five boroughs, and it has held $72.1 million in city contracts since 2009, with $1.93 million active as of August 2026.
- Council members lobbied
- 15
- Filings (since 2024)
- 28
- Lobbying compensation (since 2024)
- $131,217
- Industry (per city contracts)
- Human Services
- City contracts (active)
- $1,925,000 · 3 contracts
- Awarded all-time
- $72,052,479 · 87 since 2009, incl. expired
- Paid to date
- $58,090,271
- Won without a fresh bid
- 99% of contract value · $71,587,064 · 68 contracts
- Discretionary funding (FY2009-FY2027)
- $14,687,814 · 495 awards
- Funding history
- Funded every year since FY2015 (13 years running)
- Top officer pay (FY2023)
- $363,819 · Marcel Van Ooyen, President/CEO
Lobbied these council members
- Eric Dinowitz Council Member, District 11 (Bronx)
- Amanda C. Farías Council Member, District 18 (Bronx)
- Lynn C. Schulman Council Member, District 29 (Queens)
- Selvena N. Brooks-Powers Council Member, District 31 (Queens)
- Lincoln Restler Council Member, District 33 (Brooklyn)
- Crystal Hudson Council Member, District 35 (Brooklyn)
- Chi A. Ossé Council Member, District 36 (Brooklyn)
- Shahana K. Hanif Council Member, District 39 (Brooklyn)
- Rita C. Joseph Council Member, District 40 (Brooklyn)
- Darlene Mealy Council Member, District 41 (Brooklyn)
- Gale A. Brewer Council Member, District 6 (Manhattan)
Represented by lobbyist firms
- Bolton-St. Johns, LLC Lobbyist firm
Holds contracts at
- Department of Education City agency
- Department of Sanitation City agency
- Department of Youth and Community Development City agency
Funded by these agencies
- Department of Education City agency
- Department of Sanitation City agency
- Department of Youth and Community Development City agency
Lobbied former members
Members who have since left their seat
- Erik Bottcher
- Justin Brannan
- Keith Powers
- Rafael Salamanca Jr.
What they lobbied on
subjects from their filings
- Budget - Awards from NYC for food distribution
- Budget - Funding for feeding the hungry and special education programs
- Budget - Funding for special programs and education.
- Budget - Lobbying in support of environmental and food access programs across all five boroughs
- Resolution - Miscellaneous Issues in NYC
City contracts
Registered city contracts, largest first by current contract value (not amount spent): running now, then registered to start later, then ended. Totals count every registered contract. Each line shows its Checkbook contract ID. The tag on each row is how it was awarded (“no-bid” = non-competitive).
- Community Composting Education and Awareness Department of Sanitation · CT182720258803019 $1,875,000
- NEGOTIATED SERVICES-SERVICES Department of Education · CT104020273003447 $25,000
- FY26 CLOSE RELATED TAKEDOWNS PER PRGRM OFFICES Department of Education · CT104020263007076 $25,000
- OUTREACH AND EDUCATION PROJECT IN SUPPORT OF RECYCLING PROGR Department of Sanitation · CT182720161407999 · ended 2020 $11,000,000
- Provide Outreach and Activities for the Recycling Champions Department of Education · CT104020209060760 · ended 2024 $9,864,240
- GROW NYC EMERGENCY FOOD ACCESS PROGRAM Department of Sanitation · CT182720201423461 · ended 2021 $8,833,482
- COUNCIL ON THE ENVIRONMENT DBA GROW NYC Department of Sanitation · CT182720111419864 · ended 2015 $7,830,832
- GrowNYC Renewal #2- GrowNYC Zero Waste Programs Department of Sanitation · CT182720238800510 · ended 2024 $6,385,375
- Funding to support the Family Health Center Department of Youth and Community Development · CT126020268807598 · ended 2026 $4,569,829
- Recycling Champions Program Department of Education · CT104020169655182 · ended 2019 $3,891,392
Largest payments, by purpose
The organization's largest individual city payments (roughly $25,000 and up), grouped by purpose, to show what recent money was for. This is NOT a total — smaller payments aren't listed; see “Paid to date” above for the complete amount paid against its contracts. Fiscal years 2020 and later.
- GROW NYC EMERGENCY FOOD ACCESS PROGRAM Department of Sanitation · FY2022 · 10 payments $4,889,931
- GROW NYC EMERGENCY FOOD ACCESS PROGRAM Department of Sanitation · FY2021 · 6 payments $2,199,650
- OUTREACH AND EDUCATION PROJECT IN SUPPORT OF RECYCLING PROGR Department of Sanitation · FY2020 · 11 payments $2,157,924
- GrowNYC Renewal #2- GrowNYC Zero Waste Programs Department of Sanitation · FY2024 · 9 payments $2,088,383
- GrowNYC Renewal #2- GrowNYC Zero Waste Programs Department of Sanitation · FY2023 · 9 payments $1,694,113
- Provide Outreach and Activities for the Recycling Champions Department of Education · FY2024 · 8 payments $1,592,124
- GROW NYC FOOD SCRAP Department of Sanitation · FY2022 · 10 payments $1,224,596
- Support GrowNYC and the Greenmarkets in Council District 43 Department of Youth and Community Development · FY2026 · 4 payments $1,126,503
- To support composting efforts at StuyTown Greenmarket Department of Youth and Community Development · FY2024 $975,029
- GROW NYC FOOD SCRAP Department of Sanitation · FY2023 · 4 payments $950,710
- Funds for food access programs that promote SNAP/EBT. Department of Youth and Community Development · FY2021 · 12 payments $943,245
- Funding to support the Family Health Center Department of Youth and Community Development · FY2026 $873,938
- Support the operations of GrowNYC food prorgram. Department of Youth and Community Development · FY2023 · 12 payments $755,451
- Funds to support GrowNYC projects and programs. Department of Youth and Community Development · FY2020 · 12 payments $548,500
- Provide Outreach and Activities for the Recycling Champions Department of Education · FY2023 · 3 payments $388,733
- Community Composting Education and Awareness Department of Sanitation · FY2026 · 5 payments $354,969
- GrowNYC Renewal #2- GrowNYC Zero Waste Programs Department of Sanitation · FY2025 · 4 payments $327,061
- To support composting efforts at StuyTown Greenmarket Department of Youth and Community Development · FY2025 · 4 payments $316,387
- OUTREACH AND EDUCATION PROJECT IN SUPPORT OF RECYCLING PROGR Department of Sanitation · FY2021 · 2 payments $274,361
- Provide Outreach and Activities for the Recycling Champions Department of Education · FY2025 $212,717
Discretionary funding received
City Council discretionary (member-item) awards, largest first. Covers FY2009-FY2027.
- Grow NYC Community Composting · DSNY · FY2025 $500,000
- Grow NYC Community Composting · DSNY · FY2026 $500,000
- Grow NYC Community Composting · DSNY · FY2027 $500,000
- Access to Food and Nutritional Education Access to Food and Nutritional Education · DYCD · FY2020 $388,750
- Access to Food and Nutritional Education Access to Food and Nutritional Education · DYCD · FY2021 $388,750
- Access to Healthy Food and Nutritional Education Access to Healthy Food and Nutritional Education · DYCD · FY2022 $388,750
- Access to Healthy Food and Nutritional Education Access to Healthy Food and Nutritional Education · DYCD · FY2023 $388,750
- Access to Healthy Food and Nutritional Education Access to Healthy Food and Nutritional Education · DYCD · FY2024 $388,750
- Access to Healthy Food and Nutritional Education Access to Healthy Food and Nutritional Education · DYCD · FY2025 $388,750
- Access to Healthy Food and Nutritional Education Access to Healthy Food and Nutritional Education · DYCD · FY2026 $388,750
- Access to Healthy Food and Nutritional Education Access to Healthy Food and Nutritional Education · DYCD · FY2027 $388,750
- EBTs and Food Markets EBTs and Food Markets · DYCD · FY2016 $335,000
- Access to Food and Nutritional Education Access to Food and Nutritional Education · DYCD · FY2017 $335,000
- Access to Food and Nutritional Education Access to Food and Nutritional Education · DYCD · FY2018 $335,000
- Access to Healthy Food and Nutritional Education Access to Healthy Food and Nutritional Education · DYCD · FY2019 $335,000
- Food Distribution CD# 18 CM Farias · Food Pantries · DYCD · FY2026 $100,000
- Speaker's Initiative CM Speaker · Speaker's Initiative · DYCD · FY2026 $100,000
- Speaker's Initiative Speaker's Initiative · DYCD · FY2026 $100,000
- Speaker's Initiative CM Speaker · Speaker's Initiative · DYCD · FY2027 $100,000
- Speaker's Initiative CM Speaker · Speaker's Initiative · DYCD · FY2027 $100,000
Funded by these council members
City Council members who steered discretionary (member-item) money to this organization, largest first (FY2020 and later, where the sponsoring member is disclosed). Sitting members link to their page.
- Alexa Avilés FY2021-2027 · 17 awards $576,000
- Shekar Krishnan FY2022-2027 · 13 awards $485,000
- Amanda C. Farías FY2023-2027 · 11 awards $400,000
- Christopher Marte FY2022-2027 · 15 awards $297,000
- Chi A. Ossé FY2022-2027 · 14 awards $296,500
- Julie Menin FY2022-2027 · 13 awards $287,500
- Shahana K. Hanif FY2022-2027 · 11 awards $155,000
- Joann Ariola FY2022-2027 · 6 awards $150,000
- Rivera FY2020-2025 · 7 awards $140,000
- Sandy Nurse FY2022-2027 · 9 awards $134,000
- Althea V. Stevens FY2022-2027 · 8 awards $133,371
- Jennifer Gutiérrez FY2022-2026 · 5 awards $130,000
- Pierina Ana Sanchez FY2022-2025 · 9 awards $125,000
- Gjonaj FY2020-2021 · 7 awards $120,000
- Darlene Mealy FY2022-2027 · 8 awards $120,000
- Rita C. Joseph FY2022-2027 · 9 awards $115,000
- James F. Gennaro FY2021-2027 · 7 awards $110,000
- Lynn C. Schulman FY2022-2027 · 11 awards $107,050
- Menchaca FY2020 · 5 awards $100,000
- Keith Powers FY2020-2026 · 7 awards $95,000
Officer & key-staff pay
Reportable compensation from this organization's IRS Form 990 (Part VII), latest available filing (FY2023). Includes pay from related organizations where reported; an annual figure, not a running total. Source: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
- Marcel Van Ooyen President/CEO $363,819
- Gerard Lordahl Director, Green Space $205,970
- Julie Walsh Assistant. Director/Assistant. Sec. $190,944
- Dennis Conroy Director Of Finance $189,214
- Michelle Sarria Director, Human Resources $181,402
- Nicholas Rolf Director, Advancement $158,388
Officer pay over time
Total officer pay changed +16% from FY2020 to FY2023. Top-officer reportable compensation by year (org-paid only), with each year's share of total revenue. Source: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer 990 filings.
- FY2020 Marcel Van Ooyen · 6.1% of revenue $307,505
- FY2021 Marcel Van Ooyen · 3.31% of revenue $320,369
- FY2022 Marcel Van Ooyen · 4.82% of revenue $354,892
- FY2023 Marcel Van Ooyen · 5.35% of revenue $363,819
Where their influence converges
Outside interests connected to this official through more than one independent channel — drawn straight from the records the rest of the site already shows. “Lobbied them” = a lobbying filing that named the member. “Outside spending” = an independent-expenditure committee the interest funds spent in
- Amanda C. Farías It lobbied them; it holds contracts at 1 agency in their committees' jurisdiction
- Chi A. Ossé It lobbied them; it holds contracts at 1 agency in their committees' jurisdiction
- Eric Dinowitz It lobbied them; it holds contracts at 1 agency in their committees' jurisdiction
- Gale A. Brewer It lobbied them; it holds contracts at 1 agency in their committees' jurisdiction
- Lynn C. Schulman It lobbied them; it holds contracts at 1 agency in their committees' jurisdiction
- Rita C. Joseph It lobbied them; it holds contracts at 2 agencies in their committees' jurisdiction
- Shahana K. Hanif It lobbied them; it holds contracts at 2 agencies in their committees' jurisdiction
Federal awards
Federal awards made directly to this organization in fiscal years 2023 through 2026. Each amount is what the federal government has OBLIGATED on that award as recorded on USAspending.gov as of 2026-08-31 — money committed, not money paid out. These are prime awards only: federal money this
- Department of Housing and Urban Development 14.251 Economic Development Initiative, Community Project Funding, and Miscellaneous grants · Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development · Grant $1,000,000
- Department of Agriculture 10.575 Farm to School Grant Program · Food and Nutrition Service · Grant $488,759
- Department of Agriculture 10.902 Soil and Water Conservation · Natural Resources Conservation Service · Grant $338,248
- Department of Agriculture 10.175 Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program · Agricultural Marketing Service · Grant $97,750
- Department of Agriculture 10.311 Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program · National Institute of Food and Agriculture · Grant $85,591
- Department of Agriculture 10.575 Farm to School Grant Program · Food and Nutrition Service · Grant $79,035