Per Scholas, Inc.
Lobbying client
Per Scholas is a nonprofit that provides free technology job training, headquartered in the Bronx, with programs in more than 25 cities training people for careers such as software development, cybersecurity and IT support at no cost. It has filed 15 lobbying disclosures since 2024, working with the Parkside Group and lobbying 16 City Council members including Erik Bottcher, Julie Won, Chi Osse and Yusef Salaam, for $129,000 in compensation, on city budget funding for workforce training. The nonprofit holds $72,079 in active city contracts as of August 2026 and has been awarded more than $7 million in city contracts since 2010.
- Council members lobbied
- 16
- Filings (since 2024)
- 15
- Lobbying compensation (since 2024)
- $129,000
- Industry (per city contracts)
- Human Services
- City contracts (active)
- $72,079 · 1 contract
- Awarded all-time
- $7,032,308 · 44 since 2010, incl. expired
- Paid to date
- $6,476,506
- Won without a fresh bid
- 100% of contract value · $7,007,308 · 43 contracts
- Discretionary funding (FY2009-FY2027)
- $5,845,309 · 182 awards
- Funding history
- Funded every year since FY2009 (19 years running)
- Top officer pay (FY2023)
- $442,957 · Plinio Ayala, President And CEO
Lobbied these council members
- Carmen N. De La Rosa Council Member, District 10 (Manhattan)
- Eric Dinowitz Council Member, District 11 (Bronx)
- Kevin C. Riley Council Member, District 12 (Bronx)
- Pierina Ana Sanchez Council Member, District 14 (Bronx)
- Oswald J. Feliz Council Member, District 15 (Bronx)
- Althea V. Stevens Council Member, District 16 (Bronx)
- Linda Lee Council Member, District 23 (Queens)
- Shekar Krishnan Council Member, District 25 (Queens)
- Julie Won Council Member, District 26 (Queens)
- Nantasha M. Williams Council Member, District 27 (Queens)
- Jennifer Gutiérrez Council Member, District 34 (Brooklyn)
- Chi A. Ossé Council Member, District 36 (Brooklyn)
- Yusef Salaam Council Member, District 9 (Manhattan)
Represented by lobbyist firms
- The Parkside Group, LLC Lobbyist firm
Holds contracts at
- Department of Design and Construction City agency
- Department of Small Business Services City agency
- Department of Youth and Community Development City agency
Funded by these agencies
- Department of Citywide Administrative Services City agency
- Department of Youth and Community Development City agency
Lobbied former members
Members who have since left their seat
- Diana Ayala
- Erik Bottcher
- Rafael Salamanca Jr.
What they lobbied on
subjects from their filings
- Budget - Workforce training/NYC budget
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).
- PWDNPRSCH, IT Equipment System Department of Design and Construction · CT185020268801289 $72,079
- prepares New Yorkers age 18 to 65 for career pathways in tec Department of Youth and Community Development · CT126020268802734 · ended 2026 $1,708,402
- STIMULUS-ARRA ADULT TIME EXTENSION ONLY Department of Small Business Services · CT180120100018963 · ended 2011 $506,799
- ARRA-ADULT TIME EXTENSION Department of Small Business Services · CT180120100018962 · ended 2011 $506,799
- Initial Outfitting for Per Scholas Department of Design and Construction · CT185020101421411 · ended 2015 $491,498
- will help support expenses for New York Tech Training Department of Youth and Community Development · CT126020238807006 · ended 2023 $455,574
- To support technical training and career development service Department of Youth and Community Development · CT126020228802932 · ended 2021 $343,627
- Funding to support career readiness training for NYCHA Department of Youth and Community Development · CT126020228805076 · ended 2022 $237,797
- Support career readiness training for residents of the NYCHA Department of Youth and Community Development · CT126020201408901 · ended 2020 $237,797
- To support Diversity Inclusion & equity in Tech Initiative Department of Youth and Community Development · CT126020191406739 · ended 2019 $237,797
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.
- prepares New Yorkers age 18 to 65 for career pathways in tec Department of Youth and Community Development · FY2026 · 9 payments $664,910
- To support technical training and career development service Department of Youth and Community Development · FY2022 · 6 payments $273,876
- Funding to support career readiness training for NYCHA Department of Youth and Community Development · FY2023 · 6 payments $226,516
- will help support expenses for New York Tech Training Department of Youth and Community Development · FY2023 · 4 payments $198,046
- will help support expenses for New York Tech Training Department of Youth and Community Development · FY2024 · 2 payments $157,495
- Support career readiness training for residents of the NYCHA Department of Youth and Community Development · FY2020 · 2 payments $87,140
- To support technical training and career development service Department of Youth and Community Development · FY2023 $56,664
- Purchase of IT Equipment for Per Scholas Inc. Department of Citywide Administrative Services · FY2020 $48,216
- Support career readiness training for residents of the NYCHA Department of Youth and Community Development · FY2021 $41,976
- *Funding to Support Costs of IT Workforce Training Program Department of Youth and Community Development · FY2022 $30,819
- Funds will be used to support technical training Department of Youth and Community Development · FY2020 $28,000
Discretionary funding received
City Council discretionary (member-item) awards, largest first. Covers FY2009-FY2027.
- Diversity, Inclusion & Equity in Tech Initiative Diversity, Inclusion & Equity in Tech Initiative · DYCD · FY2023 $282,797
- Diversity, Inclusion & Equity in Tech Initiative Diversity, Inclusion & Equity in Tech Initiative · DYCD · FY2024 $282,797
- Diversity, Inclusion & Equity in Tech Initiative Diversity, Inclusion & Equity in Tech Initiative · DYCD · FY2025 $282,797
- Diversity, Inclusion & Equity in Tech Initiative Diversity, Inclusion & Equity in Tech Initiative · DYCD · FY2026 $282,797
- Diversity, Inclusion & Equity in Tech Initiative Diversity, Inclusion & Equity in Tech Initiative · DYCD · FY2027 $282,797
- Diversity, Inclusion & Equity in Tech Initiative Diversity, Inclusion & Equity in Tech Initiative · DYCD · FY2018 $237,797
- Diversity, Inclusion & Equity in Tech Initiative Diversity, Inclusion & Equity in Tech Initiative · DYCD · FY2019 $237,797
- Diversity, Inclusion & Equity in Tech Initiative Diversity, Inclusion & Equity in Tech Initiative · DYCD · FY2020 $237,797
- Diversity, Inclusion & Equity in Tech Initiative Diversity, Inclusion & Equity in Tech Initiative · DYCD · FY2022 $237,797
- Diversity, Inclusion & Equity in Tech Initiative Diversity, Inclusion & Equity in Tech Initiative · DYCD · FY2021 $202,127
- Workforce Development Workforce Development · Dsbs · FY2009 $108,000
- Diversity, Inclusion & Equity in Tech Initiative Diversity, Inclusion & Equity in Tech Initiative · DYCD · FY2017 $86,000
- Speaker's Initiative CM Speaker · Speaker's Initiative · DYCD · FY2024 $80,000
- Speaker's Initiative CM Speaker · Speaker's Initiative · DYCD · FY2025 $80,000
- Speaker's Initiative CM Speaker · Speaker's Initiative · DYCD · FY2026 $80,000
- Boro Boro · DYCD · FY2015 $75,000
- Local DYCD · FY2015 $75,000
- Local DYCD · FY2016 $75,000
- Local DYCD · FY2017 $75,000
- Local DYCD · FY2018 $75,000
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.
- Jennifer Gutiérrez FY2023-2027 · 5 awards $100,000
- Oswald J. Feliz FY2023-2027 · 5 awards $100,000
- Ayala FY2020-2025 · 6 awards $95,000
- Chi A. Ossé FY2024-2027 · 4 awards $80,000
- Keith Powers FY2020-2026 · 7 awards $35,000
- Crystal Hudson FY2024-2027 · 4 awards $34,000
- Marmorato FY2024-2025 · 2 awards $30,000
- Chris Banks FY2025-2027 · 3 awards $30,000
- Althea V. Stevens FY2022-2026 · 5 awards $29,000
- Diaz FY2020-2021 · 2 awards $20,000
- Rivera FY2023 · 1 award $20,000
- Eric Dinowitz FY2024 · 2 awards $20,000
- Julie Menin FY2024-2027 · 4 awards $20,000
- James F. Gennaro FY2026-2027 · 2 awards $20,000
- Vanessa Gibson FY2020-2021 · 2 awards $16,000
- Ampry-Samuel FY2020-2021 · 2 awards $10,000
- Antonio Reynoso FY2020-2021 · 2 awards $10,000
- Amanda C. Farías FY2022 · 1 award $10,000
- Pierina Ana Sanchez FY2023-2024 · 2 awards $10,000
- Farah N. Louis FY2024 · 1 award $10,000
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.
- Plinio Ayala President And CEO $442,957
- Caitlyn Brazill Chief Development Officer $257,473
- Michelle K Pullaro Chief Operating Officer $229,277
- Jasmine Miller Chief Training Officer $207,203
- Constantine Lianos Chief Accounting Officer $199,183
- Montreece A Smith Executive VP, People $191,046
Officer pay over time
Total officer pay changed +24% 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 Plinio Ayala · 5.84% of revenue $328,925
- FY2021 Plinio Ayala · 4.02% of revenue $359,849
- FY2022 Plinio Ayala · 3.77% of revenue $475,088
- FY2023 Plinio Ayala · 2.2% of revenue $442,957
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
- Althea V. Stevens It lobbied them; it holds contracts at 1 agency in their committees' jurisdiction
- Carmen N. De La Rosa 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
- Julie Won It lobbied them; it holds contracts at 1 agency in their committees' jurisdiction
- Linda Lee It lobbied them; it holds contracts at 1 agency in their committees' jurisdiction
- Nantasha M. Williams It lobbied them; it holds contracts at 1 agency in their committees' jurisdiction
- Oswald J. Feliz It lobbied them; it holds contracts at 1 agency in their committees' jurisdiction
- Pierina Ana Sanchez It lobbied them; it holds contracts at 1 agency in their committees' jurisdiction
- Shekar Krishnan It lobbied them; it holds contracts at 2 agencies in their committees' jurisdiction
- Yusef Salaam It lobbied them; it holds contracts at 1 agency 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 Homeland Security 97.127 Cybersecurity Education and Training · Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency · Grant $1,500,000
- Department of Labor 17.701 Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (“WANTO”) Technical Assistance Grant Program · Employment and Training Administration · Grant $350,000