Friday, March 27, 2020

Leader to Leader: Phoebe Boyer

Leader to Leader is a monthly column that looks at issues of leadership in the New York City nonprofit sector. Each month, the column will feature a conversation with a different nonprofit executive who is wrestling with an interesting challenge. Leader to Leader is written by Greg Berman, who served for nearly two decades as the executive director of the Center for Court Innovation.

Children’s Aid is one of New York City’s oldest and most important nonprofit organizations. Founded in 1853, the agency helped create the field of foster care in the United States. Since that time, it has grown into a multifaceted, multi-service agency that each year works with more than 50,000 families to help children in poverty realize their potential. 

Since 2014, Children’s Aid has been led by Phoebe Boyer, the first woman to occupy the role of CEO. In many respects, Boyer was a logical choice – she communicates the poise, passion and emotional intelligence that you would expect of the leader of a nonprofit like Children’s Aid. But in some ways, she was an unusual choice. While she started off her career in direct service, including a stint at Inwood House, Boyer rose to prominence in philanthropy, serving as the head of both the Tiger Foundation and the Robertson Foundation. Very few leaders of large social service agencies come from this kind of background.

Her experience in philanthropy brackets this conversation, which took place at Children’s Aid’s East Midtown office in early March. The other theme that runs through our discussion is the challenge of managing a large legacy organization, which poses unique challenges, both internally and externally. Read more here.

– Greg Berman

TODAY’S BUZZ:

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation donated $1 million to Citymeals on Wheels and $250,000 to God’s Love We Deliver to support their efforts to feed seniors and those with underlying health conditions during the COVID-19 outbreak. 

City Harvest: XTX Markets committed $10 million to the nonprofit to support its work helping New Yorkers accessing food during the coronavirus pandemic. 

The Henrik Lundqvist Foundation contributed $100,000 to the Food Bank for New York City.

How does the congressional coronavirus relief bill affect nonprofits? The National Council of Nonprofits has published an initial analysis of the bill, which passed the Senate late Wednesday. Access to loans and a new charitable giving incentive are included in the proposal. Nonprofit New York also has a guide to the federal bill as well as initiatives on a local and state level. 

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GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS:

New York City Administration for Children's Services: The department plans to enter into a negotiated acquisition contract with Binti Inc. to give software licenses for foster parent certification software.

New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: Sheltering Arms, $230,769 contract provided via City Council/borough president discretionary funds for the Children Under Five initiative. Samaritan Daytop Village, $130,000 contract provided via City Council/borough president discretionary funds to give mental health services to veterans. American Lung Association, $121,875 contract provided via City Council/borough president discretionary funds to provide Open Airways training to New York City school personnel.

New York City Department of Probation: Urban Youth Alliance International, $582,300 contract for the Works Plus program.

TOP NEWS: Nonprofits built themselves on a dream. Their new mission: survival (The New York Times) … The coronavirus stimulus bill provides nonprofit loans, grants, and a one-year “universal deduction” (Chronicle of Philanthropy) … COVID-19 could close most of New York’s food pantries within days (Daily News) … Online learning means new barriers for NYC’s homeless students (City Limits) … Internet service providers blocked NYC families with unpaid bills from remote learning deals. Mayor de Blasio plans to crack down on the practice (Chalkbeat New York) … A plan is in the works to expand free NYC school meals to adults, too (The City)

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Join over 100 nonprofits as we explore insights and strategies focused on streamlining processes and operations for nonprofits in New York. How do we make things easier and more pleasant for executive leadership, operations, IT, risk, finance, HR and more? There are new industry standards to consider, and new guidelines around applying for public funds to learn. Bring your organization into the 21st century and abandon old practices that are depleting your valuable resources! Click here to learn more.

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ANALYSIS: The nursing home lockdown creates unique problems for seniors and families (City Limits) … How telemedicine is reaching growing medical deserts in rural NY (Poughkeepsie Journal)

OPINION: After years of community organizing, nonprofits now get much-needed relief from a dangerous tax lien sale (Mara Kravitz, Gotham Gazette) … Three ways we can (and must) help small nonprofits now (Joan Garry, Chronicle of Philanthropy) … In a moment of crisis, philanthropy is showing its unique value (Olga Tarasov, Inside Philanthropy)

NYN Media Jobs

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Associate Executive Director for Transportation Services, The InterAgency Council of Developmental Disabilities Agencies, (New York, NY)

The InterAgency Council of Developmental Disabilities Agencies is seeking a highly qualified individual for this executive level position; responsible for overseeing all aspects of IAC’s transportation program including management of staff and ensuring transportation services for people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, I/DD, are safe, efficient and timely. The A.E.D. of Transportation Services will have excellent data analysis, verbal and written communication skills and exceptional interpersonal skills.  Apply here.

Chief Financial Officer, Saint Dominic's Family Services, (Blauvelt, NY)

The Chief Financial Officer reports directly to the President/CEO. He/she provides leadership, directs, and supervises Fiscal personnel, and purchasing activities. The CFO oversees the management and coordination of all fiscal reporting activities for the Agency. The individual is responsible for preparing internal and external financial reports, statements and budgets. He/she will help the Agency sustain its mission by taking a proactive role in strategic planning and forecasting. Apply here.

Development and Communications Associate, The Center for Community Services | CUCS, (New York, NY)

CUCS is seeking a Development and Communications Associate to join its Communications and Development team. This is an exciting position that includes special events, fundraising, and communications responsibilities with a dynamic team of communications and development professionals. Reporting directly to the Chief Development and Communications Officer, this position will play an essential role for CUCS as we work to expand our fundraising and communications initiatives. Apply here.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: To Alana Pilar Cantillo, senior director of advocacy for the New York Immigration Coalition … to Robin Vitale, vice president of health strategies in New York City for the American Heart Association … to Regina Myer, president of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership … to Ryan Lynch, chief of staff for Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams … to Steve Newman, former first deputy New York City comptroller … to Stephanie Gendell, associate commissioner for intergovernmental and interagency affairs at the New York City Administration for Children’s Services … and to Jess Lopez, lead member of the technical staff of customer-centric engineering at Salesforce.org.

Have a birthday, career change, birth or death to announce? email kdervishi@nynmedia.com.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Editor’s note: As efforts to contain the new coronavirus continue, many events are being canceled on short notice. Readers are encouraged to confirm event details before attending.

March 30 – Critical issues related to human resources decision making (Webinar)

March 31 – Enterprise risk management for nonprofits and associations: Where strategy meets risk (Webinar)

March 31 – Hunger, food and the coronavirus in NYC: What's been done and what we need to do (Webinar)

Submit your event by sending a short description and a working link to kdervishi@nynmedia.com.

TRADE TIPS: Building a modernized nonprofit technology plan (Nonprofit Pro)