A community that cares focuses on making itself the best it can be

Central New York is a community that cares about its future and its business and private citizens.

Several organizations and community members focus on initiatives relating to racial equity, inclusion, justice in the workplace, and in our private lives.

In the business arena, two organizations lead the way in helping businesses grow, move forward and provide equitable workplaces.

CenterState CEO, a business leadership organization and chamber of commerce, focusesis the largest driver of racial equity in business. It’s dedicated to the success of its members and prosperity of the region.  It understands that diversity – in all its forms – is imperative to the success of any business or community. www.centerstateceo.com

As such, it offers a variety of programs to help businesses, and business professionals, succeed.  CCEO offers an array of diversity, equity and inclusion corporate training programs to the business community as well.  It also developed a Business Equity Pledge that several CNY business leaders have signed, committing to building inclusive, welcoming and equitable workplaces. https://www.centerstateceoequity.com/take-the-pledge

Wise Women’s Business Center is hosted by the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University and funded partly by the U.S. Small Business Administration. WISE stands for Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship and is dedicated to empowering female entrepreneurs in Central New York in all stages of business.

They provide access to financial, human, social and intellectual capital, essential for achieving economic success.

Their mission is to empower women entrepreneurs by providing access to financial, human, social, and intellectual capital essential for achieving economic success, especially women who are economically or socially disadvantaged.

 We serve all aspiring and current small business owners, especially women who are economically or socially disadvantaged.  They offer a variety of training programs, business and career counseling and networking.

For more information visit https://wisecenter.org/

Outside the business arena, local organizations are offering programs to educate Central New Yorkers. 

The United Way of CNY launched a 21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge that thousands of Central New Yorkers took advantage of.   You can see the challenge here.  https://unitedway-cny.org/21-day-racial-equity-habit-building-challenge/

The program helps people discover how racial and social injustice impacts our community, connects people and identifies ways to dismantle racism and other forms of discrimination.

Interfaith Works runs several programs to foster relationships and meaningful conversation among diverse groups.  The Ahmad and Elizabeth El-Hindi Center for Dialogue brings disparate groups of people together to talk, to foster understanding and trust, and to find ways to work together for the betterment of our community. The program focuses on community concerns and understanding across racial, ethnic, religious and community differences. 
Interfaith Works also runs dialogues and action clubs in several high schools in the areas to create a safe space for discussions about structural racism, conflict resolution skills, breaking down stereotypes and building alliances. https://foundationhoc.org/

The Central New York Community Foundation established a Black Equity and Excellence Fund to focus on building community dialogue, increasing the capacity of Black-led organizations the are supporting historically underserved communities, and to support community-based projects that counteract systemic racism, encourage self-sufficiency.  For more information on the grants visit https://cnycf.org/receive/grants/black-equity-excellence/

The Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties recently approved a $10M plan as an initial 10-year commitment to address racial equity and social justice issues. The Foundation will work with multiple partner organizations, local governments and residents in a two-county initiative to address systemic and systematic racism in Herkimer and Oneida counties. https://foundationhoc.org/