Big Initiatives Incorporated
Lobbying client
Big Initiatives Incorporated is the legal name of Big Reuse, the Brooklyn-based environmental nonprofit that runs community composting sites, curbside food scrap collection, resale centers and street tree care programs across the five boroughs, some of it on New York City Parks Department land. It filed 15 citywide lobbying disclosures since 2024, reaching 51 council members with no listed lobbying firm, on city council discretionary funding, restoring community composting funding after a Department of Sanitation budget cut, and renewal of a Parks Department license agreement. Big Initiatives reported $17,146 in compensation and holds $6.17 million in active city contracts as of August 2026, out of $16.76 million received from the city since 2016.
- Council members lobbied
- 51 (citywide)
- Filings (since 2024)
- 15
- Lobbyist firm(s)
- In-house
- Lobbying compensation (since 2024)
- $17,146
- Industry (per city contracts)
- Goods
- City contracts (active)
- $6,167,310 · 2 contracts
- Awarded all-time
- $16,756,297 · 9 since 2016, incl. expired
- Paid to date
- $12,006,591
- Won without a fresh bid
- 100% of contract value · $16,741,297 · 8 contracts
- Discretionary funding (FY2009-FY2027)
- $5,482,085 · 85 awards
- Funding history
- Funded 8 years (FY2017–FY2027), including each of the last 5
- Top officer pay (FY2024)
- $160,575 · Justin Green, Executive Director
Holds contracts at
- Department of Health and Mental Hygiene City agency
- Department of Parks and Recreation City agency
- Department of Sanitation City agency
- Department of Youth and Community Development City agency
Funded by these agencies
- Department of Sanitation City agency
- Department of Youth and Community Development City agency
What they lobbied on
subjects from their filings
- Budget - City Council Discretionary Expense Funding
- Budget - City council discretionary funding
- Budget - Restoring community composting funding cut in DSNY budget in December FY24 PEGS.; Determination regarding real property - Effort to renew license agreement with NYC Parks department for…
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 · CT182720258806235 $5,250,000
- The New York City Air Conditioner Recovery Program Department of Health and Mental Hygiene · CT181620251410278 $917,310
- SPECIALIZED OPERATION OF DEC REGISTERED COMPOST EDUC FACILIT Department of Sanitation · CT182720201421393 · ended 2025 $9,944,152
- To support A Greener NYC environmentally friendly program. Department of Youth and Community Development · CT126020258804771 · ended 2026 $498,750
- A Greener NYC supports environmentally friendly programs tha Department of Youth and Community Development · CT126020238808291 · ended 2023 $98,000
- CGRTB-Compost Cubes for Green Thumb Community Gardens Department of Parks and Recreation · CT184620268807544 · ended 2026 $15,000
- Funds to supports environmentally friendly Programs. Department of Youth and Community Development · CT126020191407568 · ended 2018 $15,000
- Supports education and green-job training Department of Youth and Community Development · CT126020191404952 · ended 2017 $13,085
- Funds will be used to support Compost Initiatives. Department of Youth and Community Development · CT126020248804575 · ended 2023 $5,000
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.
- SPECIALIZED OPERATION OF DEC REGISTERED COMPOST EDUC FACILIT Department of Sanitation · FY2023 · 12 payments $2,475,610
- Community Composting Education and Awareness Department of Sanitation · FY2026 · 13 payments $2,409,729
- SPECIALIZED OPERATION OF DEC REGISTERED COMPOST EDUC FACILIT Department of Sanitation · FY2022 · 11 payments $1,941,959
- SPECIALIZED OPERATION OF DEC REGISTERED COMPOST EDUC FACILIT Department of Sanitation · FY2024 · 7 payments $1,672,291
- Community Composting Education and Awareness Department of Sanitation · FY2025 · 2 payments $469,366
- SPECIALIZED OPERATION OF DEC REGISTERED COMPOST EDUC FACILIT Department of Sanitation · FY2021 · 5 payments $317,971
- To support A Greener NYC environmentally friendly program. Department of Youth and Community Development · FY2027 $77,625
- To support A Greener NYC environmentally friendly program. Department of Youth and Community Development · FY2025 $49,875
- To support A Greener NYC environmentally friendly program. Department of Youth and Community Development · FY2026 $49,875
Discretionary funding received
City Council discretionary (member-item) awards, largest first. Covers FY2009-FY2027.
- Community Composting Community Composting · DSNY · FY2027 $1,500,000
- Community Composting Community Composting · DSNY · FY2025 $1,400,000
- Community Composting Community Composting · DSNY · FY2026 $1,400,000
- Community Composting Community Composting · DSNY · FY2025 $100,000
- Community Composting Community Composting · DSNY · FY2026 $100,000
- Big ReUse - Council District 33 CM Restler · NYC Cleanup · DYCD · FY2025 $35,000
- Council District 33 CM Restler · NYC Cleanup · DYCD · FY2024 $20,000
- Council District 40 CM Joseph · A Greener NYC · DYCD · FY2025 $20,000
- Council District 40 CM Joseph · A Greener NYC · DYCD · FY2026 $20,000
- Council District 7 CM Abreu · A Greener NYC · DYCD · FY2026 $20,000
- Street Tree Care - Council District 38 CM Aviles · A Greener NYC · DYCD · FY2026 $20,000
- Big ReUse - Council District 33 CM Restler · NYC Cleanup · DYCD · FY2026 $20,000
- Council District 7 CM Abreu · A Greener NYC · DYCD · FY2027 $20,000
- Street Tree Care - Council District 38 CM Aviles · A Greener NYC · DYCD · FY2027 $20,000
- Environmental Initiatives CM Joseph · A Greener NYC · DYCD · FY2027 $20,000
- Tree pits, Tree care & Green Initiatives - Council District 33 CM Restler · A Greener NYC · DYCD · FY2027 $20,000
- Council District 33 CM Restler · NYC Cleanup · DYCD · FY2027 $20,000
- A Greener NYC A Greener NYC · DYCD · FY2018 $15,000
- A Greener NYC A Greener NYC · DYCD · FY2019 $15,000
- Big Reuse Community Compost Events & Giveaways - Council District 26 CM Won · A Greener NYC · DYCD · FY2024 $15,000
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.
- Julie Won FY2023-2027 · 10 awards $135,000
- Lincoln Restler FY2023-2027 · 7 awards $130,000
- Rita C. Joseph FY2023-2027 · 5 awards $80,000
- Julie Menin FY2023-2027 · 10 awards $78,000
- Shahana K. Hanif FY2023-2027 · 8 awards $76,000
- Tiffany L. Cabán FY2023-2027 · 6 awards $75,000
- Jennifer Gutiérrez FY2023-2027 · 5 awards $55,000
- Sandy Nurse FY2023-2027 · 5 awards $50,000
- Crystal Hudson FY2023-2027 · 4 awards $45,000
- Nantasha M. Williams FY2025-2027 · 3 awards $40,000
- Shaun Abreu FY2026-2027 · 2 awards $40,000
- Alexa Avilés FY2026-2027 · 2 awards $40,000
- Gale A. Brewer FY2025-2027 · 3 awards $30,000
- Farah N. Louis FY2026-2027 · 2 awards $30,000
- Ayala FY2025 · 1 award $10,000
- Elsie Encarnación FY2026 · 1 award $10,000
- Oswald J. Feliz FY2026-2027 · 2 awards $10,000
- Carl Wilson FY2027 · 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.
- Justin Green Executive Director $160,575
- Diana Stinehour Finance Director $98,508
Officer pay over time
Total officer pay changed +250% 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 Justin Green · 4.08% of revenue $74,014
- FY2021 Justin Green · 2.8% of revenue $98,787
- FY2022 Justin Green · 4.72% of revenue $135,982
- FY2023 Justin Green · 4.98% of revenue $185,248
- FY2024 Justin Green · 9.48% of revenue $160,575