March 15, 2025
Choice Words LLC, a strategic communications and grant writing firm based in the Hudson Valley, is proud to have served as the lead grant writers for the City of Poughkeepsie’s winning Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) grant application. The company also provided consulting and guidance for the Village of Nyack’s successful New York Forward application.
On Tuesday, March 11, New York Secretary of State Walter Mosley presented the City with the prestigious $10 million grant award during a ceremony at The Grandview in Poughkeepsie that was attended by more than 100 elected officials, business leaders and civic representatives. The City has been trying to win the DRI, which could serve as a catalyst for nearly $120 million in private and public projects, for several years.
“We at Choice Words are incredibly proud to have contributed to the City’s successful effort to finally win this significant NYS DRI grant award,” said Choice Words President Stephen Densmore. “We believe this is a direct reflection and acknowledgment of the great strides the city has made in recent years, particularly under the leadership of Mayor Yvonne Flowers and her management team.”
Choice Words LLC, which currently has offices in New Paltz and Ithaca, has served as the grant writers for two DRI awards—the City of Poughkeepsie and the City of New Rochelle—as well as a New York Forward award of $4.5 million for the Village and Town of Cornwall.
Choice Words serves clients in virtually all sectors including nonprofits, colleges, for profit firms and municipalities. To date the firm’s clients have been awarded more than $190 million in funding for a vast array of projects and essential programming.