Mission & Vision
The Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City cultivates partnerships that combine the incomparable reach of government with the entrepreneurial spirit of the private sector to create a stronger and more just city for all New Yorkers.
How They Work
The Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization working with over 30 City agencies and offices, 300 institutional funders, and 100 community-based partners.
The Mayor's Fund and its partners advance initiatives that improve the lives of New Yorkers from all walks of life and across all five boroughs. In particular, the Mayor's Fund has made strategic investments to promote mental health services for all New Yorkers, increase workforce development opportunities for young New Yorkers, and meet the needs of New York City's diverse immigrant community.
The Mayor's Fund is chaired by First Lady Chirlane McCray and governed by a Board of Directors appointed by the Mayor. In addition, the Mayor's Fund has an Advisory Board comprised of prominent civic and business leaders appointed by the Mayor to advise and assist the Board of Directors.
History
The Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City (formerly Public-Private Initiatives Inc.) was established in 1994. Since its creation over twenty years ago, the Mayor's Fund has facilitated public-private partnerships to create a stronger and more just New York City.
In the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack, the Mayor's Fund established the Twin Towers Fund—raising $107 million to support the families of rescue workers who lost their lives or were severely injured in the attack. With the support of the Mayor's Fund, New York City opened the first Family Justice Center in 2005—allowing domestic violence survivors to access prosecutorial, counseling, and housing and financial assistance services in one location for the first time. In 2010, the Mayor's Fund and the Mayor's Office for Economic Opportunity (formerly the Center for Economic Opportunity) received New York City's first Social Innovation Fund grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service to replicate some of City's most successful anti-poverty pilot initiatives and to build a national body of evidence demonstrating the impact of the programs. The Mayor's Fund and the Mayor's Office for Economic Opportunity partnered again in 2011 to launch the Young Men's Initiative, a $127 million public-private partnership to invest in programs that connect young men to educational, employment, and mentoring opportunities.
Most recently, the Mayor's Fund created the Center for Youth Employment, a public-private initiative to substantially increase employer engagement and partnership opportunities with a goal of ultimately connecting 100,000 young New Yorkers ages 14-24 to summer jobs, mentorships, and internships each year by 2020. The Mayor's Fund , the Mayor's Office for Economic Opportunity, and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene also secured the City's second Social Innovation Fund grant to launch Connections to Care, a $30 million public-private partnership evaluating the integration of mental health support at community-based non-profits serving low-income and at-risk populations who struggle with unmet mental health needs.
