With its funding it has created a consortium of partners who together are credited with results including:
- 45% reduction in number of youth in state custody in New York
- 28% decrease in admissions to state placements in New York
- 24% less juvenile arrests in New York (2010 to 2012).
Emily underscored the importance of philanthropic capital used to ignite coalitions and collaborative work, to support and promote the input of young people and their families, and to convene decision-makers. She stressed the value of independent resources free of government ties to invest in building relationships across stakeholder groups —including law enforcement, local government, judiciary, state agencies, and importantly youth and families most affected by the injustices of the status quo.
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My hope is that our experience will encourage other foundations, no matter the size, to believe that they, too, can have a big impact on a social issue that may appear too daunting to tackle. The opportunity awaits for us all to be bold and use our unique role as philanthropists to spark, and even drive, large-scale social change.
Emily Tow Jackson, Executive Director of the Tow Foundation
