Rethink Food NYC, Inc.
Lobbying client
A chef-led nonprofit founded in 2017 by Matt Jozwiak that rescues surplus food from New York City restaurants and turns it into meals distributed to food-insecure residents through community-based organizations. In our records it has filed 15 lobbying reports since 2024, registered citywide, reaching 51 city officials through lobbyist Kasirer LLC on subjects tied to city budget funding.
- Council members lobbied
- 51 (citywide)
- Filings (since 2024)
- 15
- Lobbying compensation (since 2024)
- $377,000
- Industry (per city contracts)
- Goods
- City contracts
- none active as of 2026-08-22 · $1,720,750 awarded since 2020
- Paid to date
- $1,646,038
- Won without a fresh bid
- 100% of contract value · $1,720,750 · 5 contracts
- Discretionary funding (FY2009-FY2027)
- $258,750 · 19 awards
- Funding history
- Funded 4 years (FY2021–FY2025); not in FY2027
- Top officer pay (FY2024)
- $237,812 · Matthew Jozwiak, Founder, CEO
Represented by lobbyist firms
- Kasirer LLC Lobbyist firm
Holds contracts at
- Department for the Aging City agency
- Department of Sanitation City agency
- Department of Youth and Community Development City agency
Funded by these agencies
- Department of Sanitation City agency
What they lobbied on
subjects from their filings
- Budget - Budget Funding
- Budget - Budget funding
- Budget - New York City Budget Funding
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).
- COVID-19 Adult Food Access Program Department of Sanitation · CT182720201428126 · ended 2020 $1,170,000
- COVID-19: Emergency Food Provider Funding Department of Sanitation · CT182720201423967 · ended 2020 $500,000
- Funds will support the Rethink Food program. Department of Youth and Community Development · CT126020268803144 · ended 2023 $35,000
- 2RM - support district based senior services Department for the Aging · CT112520238807713 · ended 2023 $10,000
- Funding to support food rescue efforts in Council District Department of Youth and Community Development · CT126020238806741 · ended 2021 $5,750
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.
- COVID-19 Adult Food Access Program Department of Sanitation · FY2021 · 3 payments $816,286
- COVID-19: Emergency Food Provider Funding Department of Sanitation · FY2021 · 2 payments $335,000
- COVID-19: Emergency Food Provider Funding Department of Sanitation · FY2020 $165,000
Discretionary funding received
City Council discretionary (member-item) awards, largest first. Covers FY2009-FY2027.
- Jacob A. Riis Settlement - Queensbridge Houses Welcome NYC · DYCD · FY2024 $50,000
- Jacob A. Riis Settlement - Queensbridge Houses Welcome NYC · DYCD · FY2025 $50,000
- Food Pantries CM Bronx Delegation · Food Pantries · DYCD · FY2024 $20,000
- Food Distribution CD# 18 CM Bronx Delegation · Food Pantries · DYCD · FY2025 $20,000
- Council District 18 CM Speaker · DYCD · FY2023 $15,000
- Council District 18 CM Speaker · DYCD · FY2024 $15,000
- Council District 18 CM Speaker · Speaker's Initiative · DYCD · FY2025 $15,000
- Rethink Food - Queens - Council District 26 CM Won · DYCD · FY2023 $10,000
- Council District 33 CM Restler · Support Our Seniors · DFTA · FY2023 $10,000
- Food Programs CD# 35 CM Hudson · Food Pantries · DYCD · FY2025 $10,000
- Food Rescue & Meal Preparation Program - Council District 35 CM Brooklyn Delegation · Boroughwide Needs Initiative · DYCD · FY2021 $5,750
- Brooklyn Community Kitchen CM Brooklyn Delegation · Food Pantries · DYCD · FY2023 $5,000
- Council District 33 CM Restler · DYCD · FY2023 $5,000
- Brooklyn Community Kitchen CM Brooklyn Delegation · Food Pantries · DYCD · FY2024 $5,000
- Council District 4 CM Powers · DYCD · FY2024 $5,000
- Brooklyn Community Kitchen Food Pantry CM Brooklyn Delegation · Food Pantries · DYCD · FY2025 $5,000
- Council District 4 CM Powers · DYCD · FY2025 $5,000
- Food Insecurity Program- Council District 45 CM Louis · DYCD · FY2025 $5,000
- Council District 26 CM Won · DYCD · FY2024 $3,000
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.
- Lincoln Restler FY2023 · 2 awards $15,000
- Julie Won FY2023-2024 · 2 awards $13,000
- Keith Powers FY2024-2025 · 2 awards $10,000
- Crystal Hudson FY2025 · 1 award $10,000
- Farah N. Louis FY2025 · 1 award $5,000
Officer & key-staff pay
Reportable compensation from this organization's IRS Form 990 (Part VII), latest available filing (FY2024). Includes pay from related organizations where reported; an annual figure, not a running total. Source: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
- Matthew Jozwiak Founder, CEO $237,812
- Sharlene Frank Chief People Officer $233,060
- Christopher Hollinger Chief Financial Officer $224,697
- Jordan Correa Chief Program Officer $207,308
- Tara Francois VP Of Engagement $161,483
- Adaeze Okoli Chief Of Staff $149,129
Officer pay over time
Total officer pay changed +228% from FY2020 to FY2024. Top-officer reportable compensation by year (org-paid only), with each year's share of total revenue. Source: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer 990 filings.
- FY2020 Matthew Jozwiak · 1.4% of revenue $221,171
- FY2021 Erin Hill · 5.29% of revenue $243,422
- FY2022 Matthew Jozwiak · 14.57% of revenue $270,483
- FY2023 Matthew Jozwiak · 3.39% of revenue $266,026
- FY2024 Sharlene Frank · 2.97% of revenue $209,692
Community project funding secured by (FY2024)
Members of New York's congressional delegation named as requestors of an enacted FY2024 community project for this organization, in the House Appropriations Committee's own final project tables. Each figure is the amount APPROPRIATED for that project, not money paid out to this organization to date.
- Daniel S. Goldman Rethink Food Fleet · NY · Transportation, Housing and Urban Development $175,000
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 $175,000