There’s a shortage of funding and capacity-building opportunities available to small grassroots organizations in NYC, which is why the Grassroots Policy Incubator has been designed specifically to support their needs.

A snapshot of the work we’ve done this past month, including quantifying the need for investment in the human services sector, building the next generation of civic engagement leaders, and building an evidence base on the impact of criminal legal reforms.

The study found the sector has doubled since 2000, but that real wages have stagnated compared to private sector employment—with women of color most impacted.  

The New York City Health Justice Network (NYC HJN) is supporting people returning home from incarceration by providing holistic healthcare and social services. A recent evaluation of the program found evidence that it made a positive impact on reducing future criminal legal system involvement.

The Fellowship aims to tap into the wealth of exemplary CUNY students to build a corps of civically engaged leaders who will embark on a two-year program, training them on voter engagement and education as well as community involvement.

An overview of the work we did this past month, including tapping into public sector partnerships to prevent hate crimes, helping develop resources to support incarcerated students transition to college after release, and highlighting the amazing women of our Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Project Working Group.

Many survivors of gender-based violence face obstacles in accessing services in their communities. The Gender-Based Violence Project is taking a woman-led approach to better understand the challenges and successes of organizations that provide support to survivors and the survivor experience of receiving support.

Many incarcerated students are unable to finish their degree before they are released, meaning they must continue their college education once they return to the community to earn the degree they worked toward. To address barriers to reenrolling, the Higher Education in Reentry Reimagined initiative is working to bridge the needs of formerly incarcerated students with the services of educators and providers.

We’re working with community-based organizations to better understand the role they play in reporting and responding to hate crimes, as well as how to grow partnerships and services to support survivors and prevent future crimes. 

A snapshot of the work we’ve done this past month, including kicking off new data-driven collaborations, convening elected officials and their staff from across New York City and State, and synthesizing a decade’s worth of research on the impact of community investments.

By giving them the tools to understand the root causes of their feelings—especially intense ones such as anger or anxiety—participants described being better able to manage them. For participants like Robert, this not only led to reduced feelings of stress and depression, but to better relationships and interactions with others.

A snapshot of the work we’ve done this past month.