Governors Island Alliance Changes Name, Rebrands, as Friends of Governors Island

Are you a friend of Governors Island? The Governors Island Alliance announced today that it is rebranding, and has changed its name to the Friends of Governors Island. In anticipation of the fourteenth public season on the Island, the organization is getting ready for the public opening on May 28. With a little more than fifty days until the Island opens, the Friends are planning public activities and fundraisers (more information coming soon). Congratulations to the team, led by Merritt Birnbaum. From their news release:

Today we are announcing an exciting new development for our organization. Going forward, Governors Island Alliance will be known as the Friends of Governors Island.

This name change is a signal of our evolving relationship with the Island created by and for New Yorkers. We were founded in 1995 to advocate for the return of Governors Island to the people of New York, leading to the successful 2003 transfer of the Island from the Federal government to New York and the National Park Service.

Since then, Governors Island has undergone a remarkable transformation with expanded public access, new parks and infrastructure, and increasing tenancy, making it a vital piece of NYC’s cultural and recreational life.

Our new name reflects our expanding role as the independent nonprofit that supports the Island, not only with continued advocacy, but with additional financial resources and community building:

We will work in partnership with the Trust for Governors Island and the National Park Service to run the Island’s volunteer and membership programs, raise money to supplement public funding, and act as the Island’s champion at City Hall and the nation’s capital.

All of our activities support the continued transformation of Governors Island from an abandoned military base to an extraordinary public resource that combines new green spaces, historic structures, and innovative nonprofit, educational and commercial tenancies.

If you want to volunteer on the Island, click here. Follow the Friends of Governors Island on Twitter.