Annual Report

Message from the Executive Director

Dear friends,

We’re looking at higher education with fresh eyes. The past year has caused us to ask ourselves: What is higher education for? What role does it play in advocacy? In peacemaking? In justice? Where does the role that we play - that of student, faculty member, staff member, administrator - communicate or elide with our full personhood and identity, in all of its messiness, complexity, and beauty.

I want to use these questions to help us think about the role our universities play in public life. In what ways are we asked to take a step beyond our gates to effect community solutions, to partner on innovative policy initiatives, to leverage our classroom experiences or our research agendas to address the most pressing issues facing our city and our nation. And this work needs to happen now, today. It is not enough to reside constantly in preparation for a future when we will be ready. It is not enough to write endless plans or goals. Health, education, access to food and housing, equal rights, participation in decision-making: these are fundamental goals of a functional society that treats every member as equal in the eyes of God, and as equally deserving of dignity and justice.

In our commitment to advancing justice and equity, as embodied in the Flourishing in Community (FIC) Grantmaker Initiative, we successfully led the application process and secured $50 million in funding from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This initiative, powered by Fordham University and its esteemed partners and funded by the Inflation Reduction Act in a program administered by the EPA, represents a pioneering method to align university resources with the pressing needs of our communities. The FIC Grantmaker is dedicated to placing frontline communities at the helm of change, particularly in New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands—regions that are disproportionately burdened by environmental and climate stressors. By focusing on rural, remote, coastal, and urban areas that have historically been underserved and underfunded, this grant aims to empower communities to drive their own solutions. It is a unique and powerful example of policy that lives out the commitments of Laudato Si.

I am delighted to introduce a pivotal development in our commitment to addressing local challenges and fostering community engagement: the establishment of The Bronx Research Institute for Community Solutions (BRICS) at Fordham University thanks to a major $1 million dollar gift from CCEL Advisory Board member Rose DiMartino. As a cornerstone of the Center for Community Engaged Learning's strategic plan, BRICS is set to emerge as a leading think tank, dedicated to addressing the complex social, economic, and environmental issues faced by the Bronx community. Modeled after prestigious research initiatives such as LMU’s Center for the Study of LA, BRICS aims to revolutionize local policy-making and community solutions through rigorous academic inquiry and practical engagement.

We have exciting prospects on the horizon. This past spring CCEL partnered with policy makers and colleagues to secure $11.5 million dollars in public funding - all made possible by a generous planning gift from Fordham Trustee and CCEL Advisory Board Member Meaghan Barakett - to transform a 12,000 square foot University holding into a robust community resource center and resilience hub. We can’t wait to hear your vision for what this investment in the Fordham Community can become.

Every member of our campus and our community has a role in these and the other powerful initiatives that work to align our University resources - our infrastructure, our research, our space, our people - with the goals and needs of our partners and neighbors. Reach out to us to find out how to partner on our EJ work, to explore the new community center in its planning phase, to hear about how your class, your club, your grant-funded project or your own personal growth can align with community work here in New York City. I can’t wait to see what we’ll build together.

Julie Gafney, Ph.D.

Associate Vice President for Strategic Mission Initiatives
Executive Director, The Center for Community Engaged Learning

Click here to view our 2022-2023 Annual Report.