CHALLENGES
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored and exacerbated racial and socioeconomic disparities. As a result of the pandemic, the city’s unemployment rate is nearly twice the national average; small businesses owners are struggling to compete in a digital economy; and accessing affordable housing and quality health care is increasingly difficult for lower income New Yorkers. Corporate leaders recognize that moving the needle on some of the entrenched drivers of inequality requires intervention on a scale that no single company can achieve.
OPPORTUNITIES
Partnership member companies and their employees invest significant resources and expertise in programs and projects that benefit the residents and disadvantaged communities of the city. Member companies are organizing apprenticeship, job training, and hiring programs aimed at communities of color, including students at the City University of New York. They are investing in incubator programs and venture funds targeted at diverse entrepreneurs. They are promoting volunteer efforts by their employees aimed at increased civic awareness and engagement.
Our Work in Civic Engagement and Corporate Responsibility
PROGRAMS
Homeless Assistance Fund
Launched by the Partnership for New York City with the city and housing nonprofit Breaking Ground, this unique public-private initiative provides services and mental health resources to New Yorkers experiencing homelessness. Funded by charitable contributions from more than 60 Partnership member companies, Breaking Ground’s Connect to Care program combines intensive outreach and trust-building among New York City’s most vulnerable and entrenched homeless population and accelerates getting these individuals into the treatment programs and housing they need.
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David Rockefeller Fellows
The Fellows program prepares senior executives for more active leadership in civic and public affairs. Since 1989, nearly 600 business leaders have participated in this immersive one-year program where they learn how decisions are made, services delivered, and power is exercised in the nation’s largest and most powerful city.
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Career Discovery Week
Launched in 2020 as a joint initiative between the Partnership for New York City and New York City Public Schools, Career Discovery Week introduces public high school students to the world of work and the extraordinary range of career choices that New York City employers offer.
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Small Business Resource Network
The Small Business Resource Network (SBRN) provides small business owners with easy access to public and private sources of funding and technical assistance. The SBRN is a joint initiative with the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, the New York City Economic Development Corporation, and the five borough Chambers of Commerce. Since its launch in 2020, it has connected with over 25,000 small businesses, mostly minority and immigrant-owned, and channeled aid from government and expert volunteers, many of whom come through Partnership member companies. With corporate funding, the SBRN launched “Open + Online” to help small businesses gain e-commerce capabilities to better compete in the accelerated digital economy.
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Corporate Social Responsibility Network
The Partnership convenes cross-industry thought leaders in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Philanthropy, ESG, and Human Resources for roundtables and working groups to identify CSR priorities and make recommendations on collaborative initiatives in areas such as education, workforce development, diversity and inclusion, and entrepreneurship.
PROGRAMS
Every Vote Counts
In October 2019, the Partnership launched the most comprehensive survey of the city’s private sector employees. The results indicated that the employees of Partnership member companies want to be more involved in local civic affairs. The Partnership works with more than 200 member companies to carry out a voter education and mobilization campaign “Every Vote Counts,” providing information on key voter deadlines, ranked choice voting, poll sites, and candidate debates. These efforts contributed to the largest voter turnout in the June 2021 municipal primary since 1989.
Leadership in Action
The Partnership leads and supports many cross-sector industry groups focused on investing in new businesses, providing mentorship to entrepreneurs and innovation in healthcare.
