NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today marks the launch of the Impact Collaborative (IC), a groundbreaking initiative dedicated to creating sustainable and scalable solutions to disrupt generational poverty and provide under-resourced communities with access to the social and mental well-being services they need to thrive. With a cornerstone multi-million dollar investment from one of New York’s most prestigious social services organizations, the Child Center of NY (Child Center), the IC is set to revolutionize how Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) work together. By leveraging leading-edge technology, research, and analytics, IC aims to transform lives through innovation, collaboration, sustainable solutions, and storytelling. The IC is building a strong network of CBOs, technology platforms, industry experts, researchers, and funders collectively focused on addressing the growing mental health, socioeconomic, and educational needs in under-resourced communities.
Community-based organizations (CBOs) are the heart and soul of their communities, fostering a wealth of local expertise, ingenuity, and resiliency to deliver vital community-driven services. However, while their impact is undeniable, CBOs often operate with limited resources, making it challenging to maximize their impact. To address this, the Impact Collaborative is calling on innovators in the private sector and experts in the nonprofit space to join forces, leveraging their collective networks and ecosystems to enact lasting systemic change. By uniting the best and brightest across these networks, the IC can collectively build impactful solutions for individuals and communities that are financially viable, scalable, and efficient for the organizations that deliver them, thus producing a blueprint for systemic transformation across communities nationwide.
In addition, the Impact Collaborative is thrilled to announce its inaugural strategic partnerships with the Child Center of NY, InUnity Alliance, and the Queens Chamber of Commerce. InUnity Alliance, an association representing more than 200 substance use disorder and mental health care providers throughout New York State, and the Child Center will help shape the member hub and its service offerings as founding members.
The Queens Innovation Foundation, in affiliation with the Queens Chamber of Commerce, will be instrumental in working with the IC and its CBO members to ideate and prototype data-driven technology solutions that help IC members deliver services to their clients more efficiently and effectively. These organizations share the IC’s vision of a new impact paradigm.
The Impact Collaborative is founded by industry leaders eager to ensure the amplified impact and long-term viability of the CBOs that are working relentlessly to break the cycle of generational poverty and improve mental well-being. It is built on the Child Center’s proven ability to fuse business acumen with a mission-driven purpose: using cutting-edge technology and analytics to inform decisions and allocate limited resources effectively. By collectively working together to create sustainable business models and provide innovative, tech-enabled services, the IC aims to impact hundreds of thousands of clients in under-resourced communities by 2030.
Mission and Vision: Taking a Collaborative Approach to Create Lasting Social Impact
The Impact Collaborative’s mission is to create scalable, sustainable solutions that empower under-resourced children and families to thrive and fulfill their potential. “The IC is an important step in bringing together a cross-section of private-public stakeholders who collectively have the expertise to develop and scale solutions. I’m excited for InUnity Alliance members to continue to learn from each other, collaborate with the broader network, and actively contribute to the development of innovative services that support our mission of ensuring that every New Yorker who needs timely care for substance use and/or mental health disorder can access and afford it,” said Jihoon Kim, InUnity Alliance’s inaugural CEO.
“The Queens Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to partner with the IC and work with its network of experts to build leading-edge tech solutions in our Queens-based innovation hub, supporting communities’ needs in Queens, in New York, and across the US,” said Tom Grech, President and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce. “With our rich diversity, transportation infrastructure, world-class colleges and universities, and thriving arts and culture scene – Queens is uniquely positioned to serve as a global hub for AI, emerging tech, and social impact innovation.”
Upon announcing the multi-million dollar seed funding, Adam Schwartz, Board Chair of the Child Center of NY, shared, “Our cornerstone investment in the Impact Collaborative is a transformative step toward scaling the incredible work of the Child Center. This investment not only amplifies our reach but also solidifies our commitment to creating sustainable change and long-term impact for the communities we serve.”
Dick Jay, Chair of the IC Board and longtime business leader, emphasized the organization's vision, stating, “The Impact Collaborative provides cost-effective, scalable, and measurable social impact solutions that attract investor dollars due to demonstrated ROI.”
Barbara Mulvee, Interim CEO and Vice Chair of the Board of the IC, added, “Through our work with the Child Center of NY, we’ve learned that fostering collaboration, providing advanced resources, and taking a data-centric approach can collectively build innovative solutions to address mental well-being and disrupt generational poverty. By expanding this strategy to include other CBOs, the IC and its partners will collectively empower organizations to deliver better services, leading to transformative results across the US.”
A National Ambition with Local Roots
While rooted in New York and headquartered in Queens, the Impact Collaborative has national ambitions.
“The Impact Collaborative is designed to be a national model,” said Traci Donnelly, Founder and President of the Impact Collaborative. “We are not only addressing the immediate needs of children and families but are also building the infrastructure for long-term, systemic change. By leveraging technology and data, we ensure that all organizations, regardless of size, have the tools they need to thrive.”
Leadership and Expertise
At the helm of the Impact Collaborative is a distinguished team of social impact leaders with deep expertise across the nonprofit and corporate sectors. Dick Jay, a 26-year member and former Chair of the Child Center Board, and an influential business leader, serves as Chair of the IC Board of Directors. Jay’s extensive experience in both corporate and nonprofit spheres brings added depth and strategic oversight to the organization.
Barbara Mulvee is appointed interim CEO. Barbara is a seasoned strategic advisor and global financial services leader, recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2020, underscoring her dedication to social impact. Serving as Co-Founder and Chief Financial & Administrative Officer is nonprofit veteran Stephen Donowitz, who brings decades of trusted fiscal stewardship at the Child Center to his role. Additional partners include Multihouse, an award-winning production company and communications firm led by Michael Tessler. With Multihouse, strategic relationships have been established to create powerful social impact storytelling opportunities. Tessler previously served as President of the International Youth Congress, leading social impact efforts across 25 countries.
