42
43
resources, navigate crises like COVID-19, and leverage government initiatives. A prime example is the Brownsville Hub Cooperative, which focuses on entrepreneurial development, wealth-building, climate readiness, and career preparation. It also helped communities tell stories that reshaped their perceptions of poverty. For example, the Undo Poverty Flushing Collaborative produced The Cost of Living , a documentary that gained recognition at the NYC Independent Film Festival and the Shorty Awards, amplifying the voices of families navigating poverty. Initially a four-year initiative, Mobility LABs extended its timeline due to COVID-19 and concluded in March 2025. Spanning five states—including NYC communities in Brownsville, the South Bronx, and Flushing— its approach prioritizes trust, collaboration, and storytelling to drive change.
The Power Fund is Robin Hood’s initiative to support nonprofit leaders of color working to combat poverty in New York City. The fund was launched to address disparities in philanthropic funding and ensure that leaders with deep community connections have the resources they need to drive meaningful change. It provided financial support, leadership development, and access to Robin Hood’s network to help organizations expand their impact. Beyond grants, the Power Fund offered mentorship, strategic guidance, and capacity- building resources. By investing in leaders who understand the unique challenges faced by their communities, the fund strengthens organizations that are best positioned to create effective solutions.
it more inclusive and equitable. Donor support made it possible for Robin Hood to amplify the voices and work of nonprofit leaders, helping to ensure that solutions to poverty are shaped by those with firsthand experience and deep ties to the communities they serve. The Power Fund was seeded with an initial investment of $10 million by Robin Hood, with additional investments from partners, including BlackRock, Capital One, Macquarie Group, NBCUniversal, Salesforce, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, Warburg Pincus, and Wells Fargo, in addition to employee match program support from Bridgewater Associates, Goldman Sachs Gives, and Tudor Investment Corporation. Our deepest gratitude to each of these donors.
Robin Hood believes that where you start in life shouldn’t determine where you end up, and through Mobility LABs, communities in need are charting new, self-determined destinies. Economic and racial barriers limit pathways out of poverty, and too often, impacted communities lack a voice in designing solutions. Formed in 2018 through a partnership between Robin Hood, The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Tipping Point Community, and The Gates Foundation, Mobility LABs funds nine demonstration communities to develop and test strategies that connect economic success, agency, and belonging. Over six years, Mobility LABs has driven impact in three key ways. It catalyzed additional financial investment, with anchor partners securing an additional $11 million beyond Robin Hood’s initial funding. It strengthened community infrastructure, helping partners develop centralized collaboration models to steward
The initiative also aimed to influence how philanthropic funding is distributed, making
Made with FlippingBook Digital Publishing Software