NEW YORK - With poverty and the problems that go with it on the rise, more than 90 grantmaking foundations are banding together to help underserved communities in New York and the nation. They began signing on to Philanthropy's Promise this summer, and as of today they have pledged $1.5 billion to help fight poverty and address social problems.

Megan Bell, executive director of the Wilson Foundation, Rochester, says the effort is well timed, given the latest census numbers showing that one in five New Yorkers is stuck in poverty.

"We can't take over the burden of the government, but if all these foundations can band together and provide their resources in a more effective way, we hope to provide a bigger impact and take over some of the hardship caused by some of these government cuts."

Signatories of Philanthropy's Promise intend to use two high-impact strategies in their philanthropy for the next three years: dedicate at least 50 percent of their giving for the benefit of at least one underserved community, and dedicate 25 percent toward supporting policy and civic engagement.

The Wilson Foundation is among the organizations that has pledged to focus on social problems. The foundation has invested $900,000 in the fight against homelessness in Rochester, creating solutions that could work nationally.

Anika Rahman, president and CEO of the Ms. Foundation for Women, says her group also signed up for the Promise, pledging $3.5 million to groups that help women. She says part of that funding will help domestic workers, to ensure that the legislative gains they won in Albany are carried out.

"In November 2010, Domestic Workers United passed the New York State Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, which provides basic labor protections like overtime pay to more than 200,000 individuals."

Ms. Foundation for Women is also concerned that the recovery from the Great Recession has been slower for women, Rahman adds. Men have regained about 15 percent of the jobs they lost, while women have regained only 13 percent, she explains.

Bell points out that the growing gap between rich and poor is making it tough for mid-sized cities like Rochester to cope with problems like homelessness.

"There is such a concentration of wealth that the people who just can't quite reach those levels are having a hard time finding affordable rent, because the cost of living is so high."

Philanthropy's Promise (www.philanthropyspromise.org) is encouraging more foundations to sign on. It is a project of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP).

Further information is available at www.mcjcwilsonfoundation.org and www.ms.foundation.org.

Mike Clifford, Public News Service - NY