Associate Membership: Eligibility and Dues

What is Associate Membership?

Associate membership (as distinct from full membership) is a way for philanthropic professionals located in the greater New York City metro area to be connected with and engaged in the Philanthropy New York community when their organization is based outside of our region and has opted not to be full members of PNY.

We created the Associate membership structure because we recognized that full membership, and the sliding dues scale based on the organization's total grantmaking, didn't make sense for instances where a few staff or trustees were here in the New York City region and eager to be involved but the rest of the organization was located outside of our region and wasn't going to be involved.

Eligibility and Dues

Associate membership is open to organizations that meet the eligibility criteria for full membership and align with the following statement:

“If your organization maintains at least 75 percent of its total employees AND at least 90 percent of its executive team in offices located outside the New York Metro Area (as defined below), it qualifies for associate membership at a flat annual rate, currently $1,200."

(For corporate giving programs, the term “organization” refers to the corporate giving unit, not the entire corporation. For unstaffed foundations, trustees are considered staff for the purposes of the policy.)

Definition of New York Metro Area
Philanthropy New York defines "New York Metro Area" as the counties in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut that are included in the US Office of Management and Budget's definition of the New York metropolitan area (Metropolitan Statistical Area and Combined Statistical Area). 

  • New York Counties: Bronx, Dutchess, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Ulster, Westchester
  • New Jersey Counties: Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union, Warren 
  • Connecticut Counties: Fairfield, Litchfield, New Haven

Membership Structure

Associate membership is held by the organization and is specifically for the staff members and trustees based within the New York Metro Area (as defined above). Those individuals may attend Philanthropy New York programs and engage with member services and resources at member rates. Associate membership does not extend to the entire organization.

(As a governace note, Associate members may serve on Board committees but are not eligible to serve on PNY's Board of Directors. Associate members also cannot vote at PNY’s Annual Meeting.)