Center for Economic Opportunity

1. Center for Economic Opportunity Encore Fellows November 29, 2011

2. About the Center • Center for Economic Opportunity • CEO was established by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg in December 2006 to implement, monitor, and evaluate the City’s new anti-poverty programs. • Innovation Fund • $100 million public-private partnership. • Supports the implementation of CEO’s anti- poverty initiatives and pilot programs. • Funds the monitoring and evaluation of programs. • Commitment to Evaluation • All program outcomes tracked. • Program-specific evaluation strategies developed. • Evaluation products include early implementation reviews, analyses by program area, and several long-term evaluations. • Evaluation partners include City agencies, MDRC, Westat, & Metis. CEO releases annual reports on program and policy initiatives.

3. How CEO Works • Center for Economic Opportunity • Funding, program design and development, implementation, evaluation, and policy • Agencies • Management of contracts and providers, and program implementation • Providers • Provide direct service, recruit participants, and offer other services

4. Lessons Learned & Best Practices • Sharing Our Knowledge • CEO shares lessons learned, best practices, and evaluation findings by hosting public forums and roundtables. • The CEO Forum Series A series of forums to share evidence and best practices from innovative anti-poverty programs. Sessions focus on topics that closely align with CEO programs and goals. Recent events include: • Innovative Solutions to Community College Retention and Graduation • Investing in Innovation • Advancing Sector Strategies for Workforce Development CEO Sector Strategies Forum at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on April 2011

5. CEO Objectives and Approach • Identify Successful Anti-Poverty Programs • Implement new programs in collaboration with multiple City agencies. • Utilize strong internal and external evaluation teams to review programs, identify best practices, and gauge success. • Base future funding decisions on program results. • Share best practices and lessons learned. • Develop New Measures & Policies • Pursue an alternative to the outdated federal poverty measure. • Use lessons learned to inform future policy recommendations. • Expand Pilots to Build a National Body of Evidence • Pilots to be replicated in cities nationwide through the Social Innovation Fund. • Project Rise: Education-conditioned internship • Jobs-Plus: Site-based employment initiative for public housing residents • WorkAdvance: Sector-focused training and advancement program • SaveUSA: Savings program linked to the tax refunds • Family Rewards: Conditional Cash Transfers to reduce current and future poverty

6. Youth Development Programs Education programs and other support services, as well as new work opportunities & internships • Young Adult Internship Program (DYCD) provides short-term paid internships, placements into jobs, education or advanced training, and follow-up services to disconnected youth ages 16 to 24 years. • Number Served: 1,360 • Young Adult Literacy Program (DYCD and Libraries) offers targeted literacy and math instruction, work readiness, support services, and internships. • Number Served: 635 • CUNY ASAP (CUNY) provides extensive support to help students and working adults complete Associate's Degree. • Number Served: 1,220 • Teen ACTION (DYCD) establishes after-school service-learning programs for middle and high-school students in neighborhoods with high rates of poverty and teen pregnancy. • Number Served: 4,551

7. Workforce Development Programs Stable employment and career advancement to provide a clear pathway out of poverty • Advance at Work (SBS) increases income for low-wage workers through job upgrades, access to work supports, and asset-building activities. • Number Served: 2,128 • Sector-Focused Career Center (SBS) is a job placement and training center that focuses on a single economic sector. • Healthcare – Number Served: 1,450 • Manufacturing – Number Served: 781 • Transportation – Number Served: 2,978 • Jobs-Plus (CUNY, HRA, NYCHA) is an evidence-based employment program targeting public housing residents. • Number Served: 600 • Nursing Career Ladders (HHC/DOE) prepares low-income individuals for sustainable careers in nursing. • Licensed Practical Nurse – Number Served: 40 • Registered Nurse – Number Served: 73

8. Asset Development Programs Asset building and saving strategies to promote self sufficiency • Financial Empowerment Centers (OFE/DCA) offers free, one-on-one financial education and counseling to low-income New York City residents. • Number Served: 5,551 • $aveNYC (OFE/DCA) allows eligible low-income tax filers to use a portion of their tax refund to build savings. • Number of Account Holders: 1,370 • Childcare Tax Credit (DOF) provides low-income eligible families with a refundable tax credit to help pay for childcare expenses. • Number of Households Receiving Credits: 31,789

9. Conditional Cash Transfer Programs • Opportunity NYC – Family Rewards (CEO/MDRC/Seedco) pilot used cash incentives to reduce short-term material hardship and support long-term human capital development. This family focused program offered rewards for activities related to educational effort and achievement, preventive health care, and employment and training. • Number Served: 2,200 households • Opportunity NYC – Work Rewards (CEO/HPD/NYCHA/MDRC/Seedco) provides work and job training incentives to adults living in subsidized housing. This initiative is testing alternative strategies involving employment assistance and financial work and training incentives in different combinations. • Number Served: 2,400 families Innovative anti-poverty strategies modeled on the programs in more than 20 countries worldwide

10. Social Innovation Fund & The Young Men’s Initiative CEO Next Generation

11. Federal Social Innovation Fund (SIF) • The Corporation for National & Community Service • A federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America. • Leads President Obama’s national call to service initiative, United we Serve. • Manages the Social Innovation Fund Awards. • The Social Innovation Fund • Established by the 2009 Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, a new public-private investment vehicle designed to identify and replicate effective solutions to critical challenges. • Approximately $100M has been awarded to 16 intermediary organizations nationwide over two years, to be matched 1:3 by private funds.

12. CEO Social Innovation Fund • A Unique Opportunity • In July 2010, CEO, in partnership with the Mayor’s Fund to Advance NYC, was awarded an annual $5.7 million Social Innovation Fund grant. • Grant will replicate five innovative anti-programs in 8 cities nationwide. • SIF Partners • The Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City: A nonprofit organization designed to support public programs and enhance NYC’s ability to serve its residents through joint ventures between philanthropy and city government. • MDRC: A nonprofit education and social research organization that develops and evaluates bold new ideas aimed at improving the well-being of low-income individuals. • DCA’s Office of Financial Empowerment:A government initiative that educates, empowers, and protects low-income New Yorkers so they can build assets and make the most of their financial resources. • Private Funders: Significant support is provided by 23 funders to date. • City Partners: Each of our 8 partner cities embraces innovation and prioritizes evidence-based strategies polices and programs.

13. CEO/SIF Programs A five-year $85 million national initiative to replicate successful programs and build a national body of evidence. • Workforce Development • Supporting training, job retention, and career advancement. • Youth Development • Re-engaging adolescents who are not at work or in school. • Asset Development • Helping low-income individuals maximize their resources. • Conditional Cash Transfer • Incentive-based strategies which reward individuals that meet targets.

14. Social Innovation Fund Programs • Workforce Development WorkAdvancehelps adults to increase employment in targeted sectors that have room for advancement. • CEO Pilots: Advance at Work and Sector-Focused Career Centers • Participating Cities: New York City; Cleveland & Youngstown, OH; and Tulsa, OK • Providers: St. Nick’s Alliance and Per Scholas (NYC); Towards Employment with The Burdman Group (Cleveland and Youngstown); Madison Strategies Group (Tulsa) Jobs-Plusprovides community-based services to help public housing residents enter, sustain, and advance in work. • CEO Pilots: Jobs-Plus • Participating Cities: New York City and San Antonio, TX • Provider: BronxWorks (NYC); San Antonio Public Housing Authority (San Antonio)

15. Social Innovation Fund Programs • Youth Development Project Rise is a twelve-month education-conditioned internship program for disconnected young adults 18-24 years. • CEO Pilots: Young Adult Internship Program and Young Adult Literacy Program • Participating Cities: New York City; Newark, NJ; and Kansas City, MO • Providers: Kingsborough Community College, Henry Street Settlement, and FEGS Health & Human Services (NYC); Rutgers University and T.E.E.M Gateway (Newark); Catholic Charities of Kansas City – St. Joseph and Full Employment Council (Tulsa) • Asset Development SaveUSAoffers matched savings accounts to low-income tax filers, building on the savings opportunity presented by tax refunds. • CEO Pilot: $aveNYC • Participating Cities: New York City; Newark, NJ; Tulsa, OK; San Antonio, TX • Providers: Food Bank of New York (NYC); Newark Now (Newark); Community Action Project of Tulsa (Tulsa); and United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County (San Antonio)

16. Social Innovation Fund Programs • Conditional Cash Transfer Family Rewardsprovides cash incentives to families for achieving milestones that lead to better health, education, and employment outcomes. • CEO Pilot: Opportunity NYC – Family Rewards • Participating Cities: New York City and Memphis, TN • Providers: Seedco with BronxWorks and Children’s Aid Society (NYC); and Seedco with Porter-Leath and Urban Strategies Memphis Hope (Memphis)

17. Building A National Body of Evidence • Evaluation of Programs • All five programs will be evaluated, including three with random assignment. • By working together, the cities can test whether programs can be adapted locally and whether program models have national relevance. • Influence Public Policy & Federal Practice • SIF programs selected for their effectiveness and potential to inform policy. • Partners interested in improving services and re-shaping agency policy. • CEO has engaged a range of stakeholders eager to share lessons learned, including local governments, non-profit providers, foundation representatives, and policymakers. • Best practices to be shared through CEO’s SIF Learning Network, which will convene partners and stakeholders, and disseminate program findings.

18. Young Men’s Initiative • About the Initiative • The Young Men’s Initiative (YMI) is a comprehensive effort to tackle the broad disparities slowing the advancement of young men of color. • Investment • Three-year action plan will invest $127 million to support new programs and policies designed to breakdown barriers to success. • Issue Areas • The plan advances four areas where the disparities are greatest and the consequences most harmful: Education; Justice; Employment; Health. • Commitment to Evaluation • Measure and evaluate the success of new program investments, policy and agency practice changes. The Chairs of Young Men’s Initiative released their recommendations in August 2011

19. Breaking the Cycle of Poverty Engaging youth with education and employment opportunities to develop and advance a career. • Education • $3 million expansion of CEO’s Young Adult Literacy Program, a program operated by DYCD and Public Library Systems that offers targeted literacy and math instruction, work readiness, support services, and paid internships. • Fund the Community Education Pathway to Success (CEPS) a pre-GED program developed by the Youth Development Institute, a $3 million investment. • Employment • Expand CEO’s Jobs-Plus program by $24 million, whichremoves barriers to work for residents in public housing and helps connect them to jobs. • Expand CEO’s Young Adult Internship Program by $9 million, which provides short-term paid internships, placement into jobs, education or advanced training, and follow-up services to disconnected youth ages 16 to 24 years old.

20. Engaging Youth at Risk Building communities for court-involved youth • Justice • $6 million expansion of CEO’s NYC Justice Corps, which helps young adults involved with the criminal justice system to reintegrate into their communities through community benefit projects, paid internships, educational opportunities and support. • $6.3 million will support Justice Scholars and Justice Community programs to help court-involved youth explore career and education options. • Health • Project Ceasefire, apublic health violence prevention model that focuses on the highest-risk communities and youth. • Creation of a training program through City Health and Hospitals Corporation to better prepare physicians, nurses, and other providers to work with adolescents.

21. Connecting and Supporting Youth Supporting the City’s youth to reach their full potential • Mentorship • Establish intensive mentoring programs in Department of Probation Neighborhood Opportunity Networks (NeONs) for youth on probation. • Advocate, Intervene, Mentoring and Transformative Mentoring • After school mentoring to middle-school youth. • Peer mentoring within GED programs.

22. An Accurate Measure for New York City CEO Poverty Measure

23. The CEO Poverty Measure CEO developed new measure of poverty that better reflects families’ expenses & resources • Current Measure • Established in mid-1960s at 3 times cost of food. • Based on outdated assumptions for expenses and resources. • Common threshold across U.S., adjusted by CPI. • CEO Measure • Based on approach developed by the National Academy of Sciences. • Updates measures of expenditures and resources. • Reflects regional differences in the cost of living. • Account for the long-term rise in living standards. . CEO’s third poverty measure report looks at change over time (2005-2009).

24. The CEO Poverty Measure A new measure of poverty that better reflects families’ expenses & resources

25. The CEO Poverty Measure Comparing CEO Poverty Rate to the Official Poverty Rate Source: American Community Survey Public Use Micro Sample as augmented by CEO

26. CEO’s Next Steps • Maintain & Initiate New Anti-Poverty Innovations • Make smart, informed investments based on data and evaluations • Continue to innovate using city tax levy and philanthropic funds • Expand Effective Programs with Federal Support • CEO work prepares NYC for strategic investment of new funds • Replicate CEO & Encourage National Investment • Use the Federal Social Innovation Fund to implement multi-city pilots • Support the replication of non-SIF funded CEO programs across the nation • Become a Leader in Federal Innovation • Disseminate research and lessons learned through participation in conferences and forums, and through the release of program evaluations

27. For More Information Visit CEO’s website at www.nyc.gov/ceo. Veronica M. White Executive Director NYC Center for Economic Opportunity 212-788-13488 | VWhite@cityhall.nyc.gov