Per Scholas Chief Development Officer Caitlyn Brazill Participates in Philanthropy Panel Discussion
On May 5th, Per Scholas Chief Development Officer Caitlyn Brazill took part in a panel discussion, How Philanthropy Can Advance Economic Equality, hosted by NYU as part of an event series offered as a collaboration between Aperio Philanthropy and the George H. Heyman, Jr. Program for Philanthropy and Fundraising, within the NYU SPS Center for Global Affairs.
Other panelists included Kristine Borok, the Chief Operating Officer and Acting Chief Development Officer of Hot Bread Kitchen, Dr. Stacy Dykstra, the Chief Executive Officer of Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, and Dr. Seft Hunter, the Director of Black-Led Organization and Power-Building at Community Change Action.
The panel sought to explore the ways in which philanthropists and funders have been—and should be—contributing to recovery from the pandemic and financial well-being of Americans going forward. Panelists discussed the role of philanthropy in efforts such as providing emergency support, expanding financial inclusion, alleviating poverty, and addressing the root causes of poverty.
In her remarks, Caitlyn emphasized that closing the opportunity gap in tech would allow Black communities across the country to accumulate billions of dollars more annually, benefiting the broader economy, local governments and communities and, more importantly, reducing economic inequities and increasing generational wealth for Black individuals and families.
“Philanthropy can make a material and sizable difference,” Caitlyn said in her closing remarks. “In the 5 years I have been at Per Scholas, we went from training under 1,000 people a year to 4,000 this year – that’s 4,000 people with marketable skills they didn’t have on January 1st, and that’s $114M in new annual earnings going into the pockets of families around the country and into communities who are being left behind in this economic recovery. Thousands of people would not have had that chance if it wasn’t for the generous investment of foundations and companies and individuals who trusted us and believed in our mission. I feel good every day for the part I can play in helping people transform their own economic future, and I’m grateful for our partners who invest in that work.”
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