Annual Report 2009

New York Building Foundation

The New York Building Foundation was formed more than a decade ago to complement the work of the Building Congress through a program of targeted philanthropic, research, and educational activities. By marshaling the talents and goodwill of the industry, the Foundation looks for strategic opportunities to quantify and promote the industry's contributions to the region, expand its reach, and help prepare for the next generation of growth and innovation.

Education

One of the most important ways the Building Foundation serves the industry is through its financial support of existing programs that recruit, educate, mentor, and inspire tomorrow's design, construction, and real estate professionals. In 2008 alone, the Foundation supported scholarship programs for students of Alfred E. Smith High School in the Bronx, the Urban Assembly School of Design and Construction in Manhattan, and the ACE Mentor Program of Greater New York. In addition, the Foundation awarded a grant to the Salvadori Center to support a design challenge involving more than 100 local students and their mentors.

Training and Recruitment

The Building Foundation awarded $10,000 to Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW) to continue its New York Building Foundation Career Advancement Fund, which assists in providing training opportunities and funding resources for women-owned small businesses. NEW is an organization devoted to advancing opportunities for women in the construction trades.

Research

The Foundation makes important contributions to public policies concerning design and construction, as well as the City's economic future, through rigorous research of timely and relevant issues. In 2008, the Foundation spearheaded a groundbreaking new analysis of the factors contributing to high construction costs in New York City and potential solutions in its report, New York's Rising Construction Costs: Issues and Solutions. The Foundation also collaborates on the New York City Construction Outlook series, a franchise that is being expanded in 2009, in large part due to additional research funding by the Foundation.

Good Neighbors

The Foundation began a novel pilot program in 2008 called "Construction for a Livable City" which enlisted developers and contractors to voluntarily implement improvements to the design, quality, and character of construction site sidewalk arcades, fences, and barriers that were so ubiquitous, and often offensive, during the City's building boom. The intent of this good neighbor approach, modeled after a successful British program, is to minimize the inconvenience a project can inflict upon area residents and workers, and provide an avenue to acknowledge organizations whose worksites are models of efficiency and attractiveness.

Remembrance

The Foundation recently donated an additional $15,000 to the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, bringing its total contribution to $100,000. The intent of these donations is to help ensure that City residents and visitors from around the world can properly reflect on the tragic events of 9/11 and relive the heroism exhibited by New Yorkers, including members of this industry, in the hours, days, and months that followed.