Pace University Partnering with The Community Fund of Bronxville, Eastchester and Tuckahoe on Needs Assessment

The Wilson Center for Social Entrepreneurship to analyze community services and resources

The Community Fund of Bronxville, Eastchester and Tuckahoe is partnering with Pace University to conduct a community needs assessment of programs and services available to residents.

In partnering with The Helene T. and Grant M. Wilson Center for Social Entrepreneurship at Pace University, The Community Fund is seeking to identify the types of services and resources available to residents, and to address any potential gaps or inadequacies in areas such as human services, health care, housing, public safety, day care, and recreation, among other vital community needs.

“The Community Fund is committed to supporting critical social, health and well-being programs that dramatically improve the lives of the people in our Bronxville, Eastchester and Tuckahoe Community,” said Amy Rutter Korb, executive director, The Community Fund. “Our partnership with Pace on this innovative needs assessment will help us not only determine the best programs to be supporting in and around our community, but also help direct the funds we raise to the programs that our community members care most deeply about.”

The Community Fund, which was founded in 1919, currently supports 26 social service agencies and community programs that provide critical services to Bronxville, Eastchester, Tuckahoe and the area within the Bronxville 10708 zip code – often at no cost to people who cannot afford to pay. Additionally, The Community Fund provides administrative support to the agencies it supports through on-going site visits, consultations, workshops and forums.

As part of this year-long partnership between The Community Fund and Pace University, Pace Public Administration and Wilson Center faculty and researchers will develop an in-depth community survey with interviews (all responses will remain confidential) targeting community members and leaders in the areas of public health, human services, business, nonprofits, government and the like. They will then analyze the information and complete a full report with recommendations on areas of need. The Community Fund will disseminate and present the findings in a series of community meetings and public announcements.

“Taking a good hard look at community resources and comparing them to current needs goes a long way to ensuring that no person or group is overlooked, and that The Community Fund is maximizing its reach and impact,” said Rebecca Tekula, executive director of the Wilson Center for Social Entrepreneurship, and professor of public administration at Pace. “We are looking forward to working with The Community Fund on such an important endeavor.”

“This data will allow us to understand the ongoing needs of the residents in these communities, which is especially important during these unprecedented times” said Gina Scutelnicu Todoran, department chair of public administration at Pace. “We look forward to seeing these results and are proud of this partnership with The Community Fund.”

The mission of the Helene T. and Grant M. Wilson Center for Social Entrepreneurship is to promote social change through entrepreneurship. The Center furthers this mission by serving Pace students across all disciplines, social enterprises and nonprofit organizations with education, research, communication, and advisory service.

Wilson Center and Public Administration faculty and graduate students have completed a variety of in-depth research projects and reports for local governments and community organizations across a variety of areas, including an assessment of K-12 learning programs for the Westchester Children’s Association; the economic impact of the nonprofit sector in Westchester County; a community assessment of performance for the Port Chester Police Department; and Pace University’s overall economic impact in New York State.

About Pace University

Pace University has a proud history of preparing its diverse student body for a lifetime of professional success as a result of its unique program that combines rigorous academics and real-world experiences. Pace is ranked the #1 private, four-year college in the nation for upward economic mobility by Harvard University’s Opportunity Insights, evidence of the transformative education the University provides. From its beginnings as an accounting school in 1906, Pace has grown to three campuses, enrolling 13,000 students in bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs in more than 150 majors and programs, across a range of disciplines: arts, sciences, business, health care, technology, law, education, and more. The university also has one of the most competitive performing arts programs in the country. Pace has a signature, newly renovated campus in New York City, located in the heart of vibrant Lower Manhattan, next to Wall Street and City Hall, and two campuses in Westchester County, New York: a 200-acre picturesque Pleasantville Campus and the Elisabeth Haub School of Law in White Plains. Follow us on Twitter or on the Pace News website

About The Community Fund of Bronxville, Eastchester and Tuckahoe

The Community Fund is a locally-focused grant making organization comprised of resident volunteers that provides financial assistance and administrative support to non-profit organizations whose programs target the health, education, and welfare of local Bronxville, Eastchester, and Tuckahoe residents. Our mission is to help the members of the BET with their most pressing needs. The Fund invests $500,000 annually into our community through macro and micro grants targeting quality of life issues. Our staff and volunteers are dedicated to ensuring that the most vulnerable members of our community are taken care of and that all resident’s lives are improved dramatically through our support.