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Fund for the City of New York pitches Community Planning Fellowship to Bronx boards
Summary
Dr. Aljan Rafael Nunez of the Fund for the City of New York described a competitive two‑semester Community Planning Fellowship that places graduate students with community boards to deliver mapping, data analysis and research support; proposals are due Sept. 9.
Dr. Aljan Rafael Nunez, executive vice president of the Fund for the City of New York, told Bronx Community Board 1 on Monday that the organization is accepting proposals for its Community Planning Fellowship, a competitive program that places second‑year graduate students in community boards to help with data mapping, research and resolution writing.
"My name is doctor Aljan Rafael Nunez, the executive vice president of the Fund for the City of New York," he said, describing fellows’ academic backgrounds and the program’s training curriculum. Nunez said fellows typically come from urban planning, public policy, landscape architecture and related programs and receive a stipend for two semesters while partnering with boards on research projects.
The fellowship, Nunez said, supports projects such as retail composition studies, demographic trend analysis, mapping of under‑built or "soft" sites, and quality‑of‑life data visualizations drawn from public sources including 311. "They get about 15 different of our core community…competencies trainings," he said, listing topics from resolution writing to conflicts‑of‑interest guidance.
Steven Mendivenzo, the Community Planning Fellowship coordinator (introduced during the presentation), said boards may propose up to two projects to increase matching flexibility; fellows rank proposals and are assigned based on interest and academic fit. Mendivenzo said boards should identify a staff or volunteer supervisor willing to meet with fellows regularly to guide work and ensure deliverables address local needs.
Board members asked about project scope and advocacy work. A board member from CB8 said she was most interested in fellow support for advocacy strategy rather than mapping alone; presenters said carefully worded scopes can include civic engagement elements but the fellowship requires an academic research component.
Nunez encouraged Bronx boards to submit proposals and noted a program deadline: "Well, yes…September 9," he said in response to a question about timing. He also said the fund provides bridge financing to nonprofits and maintains a website with application details.
The board said the presentation and materials would be shared with committee chairs and district managers and urged community boards to consider submitting projects aimed at targeted local issues.
Next steps: the Fund for the City of New York is accepting proposals on its website (www.fcny.org) with a stated submission deadline of Sept. 9; board leaders will circulate the presentation slides and talk with district managers and committee chairs about potential proposals.
