Examining the Landscape of Organizations working in areas of Reproductive Justice, Childcare and Youth Leadership in Upstate New York and on Long Island

The New York Women’s Foundation (NYWF) provides funding to organizations focused on supporting all women, girls and gender non-conforming individuals in achieving long-term economic security. Within the scope of this project specifically, NYWF is focused on reproductive justice, child care and youth leadership for women, girls and gender non-conforming individuals experiencing poverty or issues of racial disparity. The NYWF currently operates solely within the five boroughs and is interested in expanding its reach within New York State.

This report provided a landscape analysis of areas in NY State that the NYWF may expand their services. The Capstone team based this analysis on data and research on the community’s needs, and supplemented this information with qualitative interviews of service, nonprofit and philanthropic organizations which share goals to NYWF and that operate in the identified communities.

Due to the close geography and the intertwined nature of the communities, the team was asked by NYWF to focus on Long Island as the main geographical target of analysis. After a high level review of other areas in NY State, the team chose Mid-Hudson Valley as a second geographical focus. The team identified indicators which helped us develop a broad understanding of these two areas’ needs, which showed that the chosen regions deserve special attention due to their hidden economic needs. The team further identified key individuals within organizations that support these communities and conducted interviews to understand how they are currently servicing these areas and where there may be gaps. This will also be used to inform the NYWF of the existing network of service organizations as they make their decisions to expand and create new partnerships in the wider New York State area.