Lisette Nieves welcomes attendees setting the tone for a day of cross-sector dialogue and collaboration, at the 2025 Innovation Across Silos Conference, a convening of nonprofit leaders, educators, policymakers, and partners ready to advance solutions for New York City’s communities. Held at the NYU Kimmel Center for University Life, New York, NY. Photo courtesy of the Fund for the City of New York.
Lisette Nieves is a visionary civic leader and nationally recognized advocate for public service innovation. She serves as President of the Fund for the City of New York (FCNY), where she leads one of the nation’s oldest and most respected civic research and innovation institutions dedicated to strengthening the effectiveness of government and nonprofit organizations.
In this role, Lisette sets the strategic direction of the Fund, overseeing policy innovation, applied research, leadership development, and operational initiatives that improve public systems in New York City and beyond.
About
Lisette Nieves hosts and honors Cheryl Wills at the FCNY 2026 Innovation Across Silos Conference. Held in New York, NY. Photo courtesy of the Fund for the City of New York.
Under her leadership, FCNY advances solutions at the intersection of policy, practice, and technology. Signature initiatives include the Cash Flow Loan Program, which has provided more than one billion in interest-free loans to nonprofit organizations over the past two decades, and the Partnership Program, which delivers essential back-office infrastructure and fiscal sponsorship to more than 100 diverse nonprofit organizations across the city.
Lisette also champions programs that elevate public service and community leadership, including the Sloan Public Service Awards, the Sloan Awards for Excellence in Teaching High School Science and Mathematics, and the Community Planning Fellows Program, which places graduate students with New York City community boards to expand local planning capacity and civic engagement.
At FCNY
Throughout her career, Lisette has embraced roles that amplify her commitment to public service, including appointments to the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics and the Board of AmeriCorps.
In Service
Her lifelong dedication to equity and leadership has been recognized in multiple spheres, including as a Truman Scholar, Rhodes Scholar, Aspen Pahara Fellow, and Richard P. Nathan Public Policy Fellow.