JobsFirstNYC is honored to be a beneficiary of Kelley Drye’s Task Force on Racial Equity’s fall fundraising campaign. JobsFirstNYC was chosen alongside the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth, the Shriver Center on Poverty Law, and the Equal Justice Initiative, by the task force’s Charitable Contributions Working Group.

This Working Group began an intensive, months-long research process over the summer that sought to identify organizations that “collectively tackle the broad range of substantive areas affected by racial inequality, including education relating to the legacy of slavery and its aftermath, criminal justice reform, economic opportunity, and inequalities in housing, health, employment and the environment.” These focus areas came from themes around community engagement, education, and advocacy that other Task Force Work Groups had been focusing on. JobsFirstNYC was a natural fit for this campaign, with our emphasis on economic mobility for all young adults and their communities.

After selecting these beneficiaries, Kelley Drye worked to educate their community on the four different organizations through written materials as well as videos. They also hosted a webinar, where JobsFirstNYC was able to speak directly to the impact we’ve had on the young adult workforce development system, the out of school out of work population, and the communities where these young people live. In addition to raising money through their network, Kelley Drye offered a generous initial gift, as well as exceeded their promised match. 

JobsFirstNYC will use this funding for general operating expenses, which will allow us to continue creating and advancing solutions that break down barriers and transform the systems supporting young adults and their communities in the pursuit of economic opportunities.