Building Skills NY

What it reported doing in 2025

Building Skills NY launched a construction industry employment initiative to hire New York City residents to work in the construction industry, and to create a career path for those hires who have the interest, capability and capacity to succeed in the construction trades. Participating developers and contractors ask their general contractors and subcontractors to commit to hire a number of Building Skills referrals over the course of the next year. These referrals are referred by public and not for profit agencies, are vetted by Building Skills, have an OSHA 30 and Site Safety Training certificate and are expected to have a minimal level of experience in construction. (Continued on Sch O) Contractors are asked to provide an opportunity for these new hires to work as laborers or helpers/assistants in their trades, and to evaluate them at the end of their employment. In addition to providing us with an assessment of their skills, contractors are asked to assess the prospects for these individuals to benefit for further training in a trade. We also ask if there are any other NYC residents working for the contractors who can also benefit from training. Building Skills is currently conducting courses in NCCER in Level One Plumbing, Electrical, Carpentry, and HVAC. In addition to the training, Building Skills maintains a database of experienced workers, referred by industry employers, for referral for future work. This virtual hiring hall, as it is built up over time, will provide a resource for contractors and subcontractors to address hiring needs. Contractors and subcontractors are asked to participate in this database by providing referrals of successful employees who are hired on a temporary basis, and by providing job placements when hiring opportunities arise.The goals of this initiative are three-fold. One, it is an opportunity for the industry to take steps to address unemployment and underemployment in New York City by committing to provide entry level jobs to New York City residents. Second, by creating a process to enable successful employees to receive further training and access to placement in jobs when an original job placement is completed, the initiative will enable these employees to develop the skills to learn a trade and have a career in the construction trades; Third, by providing training and a source of trained workers for employers, this initiative will create a better qualified and more productive workforce for the future. This program is primarily supported by contributions.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 79.6%; rating input score 80
• Program expense ratio: 83.5%; rating input score 84
• Fundraising efficiency: $10.38 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 4.7%; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.39; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.15; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 33.5%; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 16.1% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 17.4% per year; rating input score 100; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 15.4% per year; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings