(Bronx, NY… April 24, 2018) … On the steps of City Hall in lower Manhattan today, and at a ceremony held at the Dr. Katharine Dodge Brownell School in the Southeast Bronx, Alan Mucatel, executive director of what was formerly known as Leake & Watts, one of New York City’s oldest and largest human services agencies, announced that the organization has changed its name to Rising Ground. He said that the new name reflects the agency’s ability to provide a comprehensive foundation of support to New York’s children, adults, and families in need so they can rise above adversity and thrive.
“For nearly two centuries, Leake & Watts has been at the forefront of providing services that support children, adults, and families in need. Over time, as community needs have changed, so have our services and our approach to meeting those needs,” Mr. Mucatel explained. “Without letting go of our rich and inspiring history, our new name connects to and clearly communicates the underlying positive themes inherent in our work. We offer a solid foundation of support, providing people with the resources, hope, and opportunity to move ahead and reach their goals.”
At City Hall, Mr. Mucatel was joined at the ceremony by Rising Ground Board President José Jara, New York City Council Member Mark Gjonaj, and staff and youth from the Biondi Elementary School, an accredited special education school and one of Rising Ground’s many supportive programs.
[A video announcing the name change can be viewed here. The video file is available to members of the media upon request.]
The announcements at City Hall and the Brownell School were just two of 28 stops in 27 hours around the city, at which Rising Ground introduced its new name to staff, supporters, and participants in its programs. The new name was warmly received in The Bronx, where the organization supports more than 7,500 individuals every day in 39 separate programs.
Rising Ground supports more than 12,000 of the Greater New York area’s neediest children and adults each year through special education, early childhood programs, foster care and adoption programs, family mental health services, services for children and adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities, and juvenile justice services, among other areas of support. The agency operates 47 programs at 25 different sites and employs a workforce of 1,400 people, of which roughly half are Bronx residents, making it one of the city’s largest human services agencies.
Renaming and rebranding the agency comes after a period of rapid growth. Rising Ground’s operating budget nearly doubled in size from $56 million in 2009 to more than $100 million in 2018, as the number of people in its programs jumped from 5,000 to more than 12,000 over the same period. The organization has tripled the amount of private charitable support it receives. It is also the Gold Winner of the prestigious Gold Nonprofit Excellence Award for Overall Management Excellence from the New York Community Trust, and was a finalist for the Brooke W. Mahoney Award for Outstanding Board leadership.
Mr. Mucatel explained, “We rapidly expanded our services so we could offer multifaceted support to address the complex challenges of people in need in New York City. We now have a name that better communicates what we do, and the broad scope of our services.”
Until today, the agency carried the eponymous name of its founders, John George Leake, a New York lawyer, and John Watts, Jr., a Westchester County judge and former congressman. What began in 1831 as the Leake and Watts Orphan House, sited at Trinity Church in lower Manhattan, grew into a large agency with operations in The Bronx, Westchester, Manhattan, and Brooklyn. Although not religiously affiliated, the legacy of the agency’s initial relationship with Trinity Church persists to this day with a member of the church’s community sitting on the not-for-profit’s Board of Directors.
Winning a Rare Grant for Rebranding
The agency was awarded a $250,000 Community Resiliency Fund grant in 2015 to rebrand the organization—a rare accomplishment, since most grants are earmarked for programs. But the agency made a strong case that it needed a new brand to reach more people and attract new donors. As part of the rebranding, the agency developed new mission and vision statements, a new visual identity, and redesigned its website. Red Rooster Group, a branding agency focusing on working with nonprofit organizations, managed the three-year renaming and rebranding process.
“Our prior name did not convey the nature of our work, and lacked immediate recognition within the communities we support,” explained Meredith Barber, senior director of institutional advancement at Rising Ground. “We wanted our neighbors to quickly connect our name to our work and mission, and find us easily when they sought support. Rising Ground does just that.”
Board President José Jara also sees the name as an inspiration. “The Rising Ground name will help more people understand the scale and scope of what we do, as it represents advancement, not only for the people we support, but for our organization as well. We keep reaching higher, and we keep looking for more opportunities to serve. The name captures the essence of what we believe, what we do, and what we accomplish.”
About Rising Ground
Rising Ground, formerly Leake & Watts, is a leading nonprofit human services organization, providing the children, adults, and families in the Greater New York City area with the resources and skills needed to rise above adversity and positively direct their lives.
Rising Ground delivers: innovative educational programs from early childhood through high school; dedicated support that facilitates safe environments for children and helps families thrive; result-focused programs that help youth involved in the juvenile justice system change the trajectory of their lives; caring services that help promote independence for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities; and pro-active community health initiatives that foster physical and emotional well-being.
Founded as an orphanage in 1831, Rising Ground has been at the forefront of evolving community needs and has become a leader in utilizing result-driven, evidence-based practices. Today, the organization’s work is a positive force in the lives of more than 12,000 individuals annually. The organization was honored as the Gold Winner of the New York Community Trust Nonprofit Excellence Awards. For more information, visit www.risingground.org.
Alan Mucatel, executive director, with children from the Dr. Katharine Dodge Brownell School in the Bronx.
Alan Mucatel, executive director, with children from the Dr. Katharine Dodge Brownell School in the Bronx.
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