2025 NYBF Biennial Report
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A MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAIR AND PRESIDENT
In 1998, a dedicated group of industry professionals established the New York Building Foundation to help improve and better coordinate the building community’s approach to promoting and supporting New York City’s construction industry. Now in its 27th year, the Building Foundation remains as dedicated as ever to furthering its mission not only for the benefit of the building industry, but for all New Yorkers across the five boroughs.
Throughout its history, the Building Foundation has contributed over $2 million in grants and scholarships to non-profit organizations in New York City related to the built environment. This has included support for educational programs aimed at developing an interest in the industry among K-12 and college students; training organizations that assist adults from various backgrounds with joining the trades; programs to encourage clean, safe worksites; and research on issues impacting both the building industry and the city’s economic future.
Over the past few years, the Building Foundation has focused on expanding its reach and increasing its impact. The following pages provide an overview of some of the organizations across the city that the Building Foundation has provided grants to recently. This includes a grant in the amount of $50,000 to the New York City Fund for Public Schools to help introduce the next generation of young people to careers in design, construction and real estate through its Industry Scholars Program, which supports high school students in advancing post-secondary education and career aspirations through valuable work-based internships.
This year, the Building Foundation will be underwriting the creation of the Mental Fitness Steward Training Program through Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations with the coordination of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York. This vital initiative will prepare volunteer mental fitness stewards on construction job sites to engage at-risk co-workers and to refer them to support services available through their respective local’s member assistance program or other appropriate resources.
The Foundation also continues its research partnership with the Building Congress to produce research and reports addressing the trends and issues facing the industry. This work includes the annual industry forecast, the New York City Construction Outlook, the supplemental Construction Outlook Update Workforce Snapshot, and the Building Congress’ updated energy report, Powering the Empire State.
We thank our Board of Governors and Building Congress members for their role in the Foundation’s efforts. With their partnership, the Foundation looks forward to building on this momentum with new and exciting partnerships and initiatives that best support the growth of our industry and of New York City.
NEW YORK BUILDING FOUNDATION
BOARD OF GOVERNORS
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MISSION STATEMENT
Formed in 1998, the New York Building Foundation promotes the long-term growth and well-being of the New York City building industry and the wider community through an active program of research, education, and philanthropy. The Building Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization that leverages the talents and vast resources of all sectors of the building industry to benefit New Yorkers and give back to the community.
GRANT RECIPIENTS
To help fulfill its mission, the Building Foundation issues grants to non-profit organizations involved with, or relating to, the design, construction and real estate industry in New York City and engaged in activities for the benefit and welfare of the industry and/or residents of New York State.
Recent Building Foundation grant recipients include:
ACE Mentor Program of Greater New York
The ACE Mentor Program is a not-for-profit organization that helps prepare high school students for careers in design and construction through mentoring by industry professionals. Their mission is to engage, excite and enlighten high school students to pursue careers in architecture, engineering, and construction through mentoring and to support their continued advancement in the industry.
Cooper Union – Retraining Program for Immigrant Engineers
The Cooper Union’s Retraining Program for Immigrant Engineers (RPIE) is a free program that provides highly trained immigrant, refugee, and asylum seeker engineers who are work authorized and living at or below the poverty line with the necessary technical and soft skills training, professional networking, and professional development opportunities to build competitive careers in New York State Engineering sectors.
Cornell University – BCTC Mental Fitness Steward Training Project
The New York Building Foundation is providing a grant in the amount of $60,000 to fully underwrite a new program being developed at Cornell University in partnership with the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York to address the mental wellness of workers in the industry. Workers in the Building Trades face disproportionately highs suicide rates tied to a number of factors such as the increased risk of opioid addiction due to challenging physical conditions and jobsite hazards, economic difficulties and job insecurity, and a workplace culture that often prevents construction workers from recognizing and addressing mental wellness issues. The Mental Fitness Steward Training Project is designed to prepare rank-and-file volunteers to identify and engage with co-workers at risk of mental health problems and to direct them to properly trained peer support specialists in their union’s Member Assistance Program.
Green City Force
Green City Force’s AmeriCorps program prepares young adults aged 18-24 who reside in the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) or low-income housing in NYC and have a high school diploma or equivalency for careers through green service. Being part of the Service Corps is a full-time commitment encompassing service, training, and skills-building experiences related to healthier buildings and communities.
La Colmena – Staten Island Community Job Center
La Colmena is a nonprofit community-based organization working with day laborers, domestic workers, and other low-wage immigrant workers in Staten Island through organizing, education, culture, and equitable economic development.
Manhattan University – Summer Engineering Awareness Program
Manhattan College’s goal is to provide a contemporary, person-centered educational experience that prepares graduates for lives of personal development, professional success, civic engagement, and service. As part of its mission, it created the Summer Engineering Awareness Program (SEAP) in 1982, which is a vital part of the College’s year-round efforts to attract minorities and young women to engineering by providing students with exposure to engineering and science, while learning about the wide range of rewarding career options available to them.
New York City Fund for Public Schools – Student Pathways
The NYC Fund for Public Schools supports the Office of Student Pathways, which focuses on aligning school curriculum, instruction, and operations to ensure students graduate with real-world skills and a plan for a rewarding career and long-term economic security, including the FutureReadyNYC initiative. The New York Building Foundation provided a $50,000 grant to go towards expanding the Industry Scholars program to provide internship opportunities for students in the construction, engineering and architecture sectors.
The Point Community Development Corporation
The Point Community Development Corporation is dedicated to youth development and the cultural and economic revitalization of the Hunts Point section of the South Bronx. Celebrating over 25 years of service, The Point offers a multi-faceted approach to asset-based community development.
Salvadori Center – NYCHA STEAM Innovators Program
Salvadori’s mission is to teach science, technology, engineering, arts/architecture, and math (STEAM) to all K-12 students but primarily those in under-resourced communities, through a collaborative, hands-on, project-based approach that uses the built environment to show students how STEAM is relevant to their lives. The NYCHA STEAM Innovators is a new pilot program that supports design justice for youth in NYCHA. The program illustrates the relevance of STEAM and connects younger residents with skills and resources so they can create positive structural change in their communities.
Tools & Tiaras
Tools & Tiaras Inc., is dedicated to empowering girls aged 6-14 with the message that “Jobs Don’t Have Genders®.” Through their innovative Expose. Inspire. Mentor. program, they offer hands-on workshops and immersive summer camps focused on skilled trades and STEAM careers. Their mission is to break down stereotypes and redefine the concept of “women’s work,” opening up a world of possibilities for young girls.
Waterfront Alliance
For more than 17 years, Waterfront Alliance has been on the frontlines of environmental, waterfront, and climate change education, reaching students and teachers throughout New York City, educating and mentoring tomorrow’s climate workforce, and providing communities with tools and resources to engage in major infrastructure decisions in productive ways.
