FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, January 5, 2026
QBP RICHARDS LAUNCHES 2026 QUEENS COMMUNITY BOARD APPLICATION PROCESS
Deadline to apply: Friday, February 13
QUEENS, NY — Following a first term defined by success in amplifying historically marginalized voices and fostering a stronger sense of civic engagement across communities, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. is kicking off his second term in office with the launch of his 2026 Queens community board membership application process.
Beginning today, civic-minded individuals who are interested in serving on their local community board can submit an application to the Borough President’s Office. The online form — available at bit.ly/communityboard2026 and at www.queensbp.nyc.gov — takes just a few minutes to complete, making the process easier for prospective applicants while also allowing for a more diverse applicant pool.
The application deadline is Friday, February 13. This deadline applies to both new applicants and existing community board members seeking an additional term. For the upcoming round of appointments, the two-year term of service will begin on Wednesday, April 1.
Also launching later today, in conjunction with the application, is a digital campaign curated by the Borough President’s Office highlighting the importance of community board service and encouraging Queens residents of all ages, genders, ethnicities, orientations and backgrounds to apply. The campaign will include video interviews with Borough President Richards and a diverse array of current Queens community board members — posted weekly on the office’s social media platforms — detailing the work of a community board and how one’s membership can bring positive change to a neighborhood.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the tremendous progress we’ve made in diversifying our community boards and giving our neighbors seats at the table during my first term. But there is so much more work to do to create a local government that is truly by, for and of the people,” said Borough President RICHARDS. “If this challenging political climate has inspired you to get involved in your community and make your neighborhood a better place to call home, I strongly encourage you to do so by applying for a seat on your community board. Together, we can and will make a difference.”
Over the course of Borough President Richards’ first term, his administration has worked tirelessly to generate higher interest in community board membership and reverse historic demographic inequities around age, gender, background and more that have existed for decades across Queens’ 14 community boards.
As detailed in the Borough President’s 2025 Community Board Demographic Report, more 4,500 applications have been submitted since 2021 — the vast majority of which came from individuals who had not previously served on a community board — while last year’s process alone saw 916 Queens residents submit applications.
Of those 916 applicants last year, 361 were appointed to a community board. That includes 119 new members who were not previously serving on a board — the largest number of new members appointed during the Richards Administration thus far.
Over the five application cycles overseen by Borough President Richards, the significantly larger and more diverse applicant pools have led to community board classes that are younger, more female and have greater percentages of members who identify as Latinx/Hispanic, African American, South Asian, East Asian/Pacific Islander, LGBTQIA+, immigrants and beyond.
Borough President Richards’ community board appointments are a product of the Queens Borough President’s Office’s modernization of the application process in 2021 and sustained outreach to potential applicants, particularly those from underrepresented constituencies, every year since. Efforts to simplify the process included digitizing the application into an easily-fillable online form that no longer required notarization.
The heightened interest also stems from Borough President Richards’ 2021 announcement of a series of good-government reforms aimed at establishing a centralized code of conduct for all 14 community boards, as well as a call for a holistic review of each board’s bylaws, making boards more welcoming places for new members.
There are 59 community boards citywide, including 14 in Queens, and each hold monthly full membership meetings. The boards play an important advisory role in considering land use and zoning matters in their respective districts under the City’s Uniformed Land Use Review Procedure, in addition to holding hearings and issuing recommendations about the City budget, municipal service delivery and numerous other matters that impact their communities.
All Queens community board members are appointed by the Queens Borough President, pursuant to the City Charter, with half of the appointments nominated by the City Councilmembers representing their respective Community Districts. Each board has up to 50 unsalaried members, with each member serving a two-year term.
All community board members who wish to continue serving on a board are required to reapply at the conclusion of their two-year term and are subject to review and reconsideration.
Follow the Office of the Queens Borough President via @QnsBPRichards on X (formerly Twitter) and @QueensBPRichards on Facebook and Instagram
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