YouthBuild USA conducts studies and reporting systems to track hate crimes and what they term “hate incidents.” Youth Build is related to AmeriCorps and awards staff with AmeriCorps education awards. ¹

History

YouthBuild USA’s roots began in 1978 as the Youth Action Program under Dorothy Stoneman as a coalition of non-profits that became a nationwide advocacy group in 1988 as the YouthBuild Coalition.  The stated goal was to help students and young adults with education and job placement, especially from low income backgrounds.

YouthBuild USA first secured federal funding in 1992 under the Housing and Community Development Act, sponsored by then-U.S. Senator John Kerry (D-MA). ^{2 3}

In 1994, the Department of Housing and Urban Development dispersed $40,000,000 in federal grants through YouthBuild USA. By 2006, YouthBuild USA was moved under the Department of Labor with the authorization of the Workforce Investment Act. ^{4 5} The Youth Build federal program is currently controlled by and under contract with the U.S. department of Labor.

Currently there are 260 operations in the US and 81 programs across 21 countries abroad which are funded by federal, state, and local government in the United States. ⁶

John Valverde, the YouthBuild CEO, was formerly jailed for 16 years for homicide between 1991 and 2007. ⁷ Valverde was hired as CEO for YouthBuild USA in January 2017. ⁸

Government Funding

Youth Build USA receives funding from federal, state, and local levels. YouthBuild advocates for its own funding through bills such as the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. ⁹

Congress granted $42.5 million in 2000 and $60 million in 2001 through the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Funding also flows from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). ¹⁰ The YouthBuild Coalition founded in 1988 alongside YouthBuild USA was formed to advocate to Congress for federal funding which has totaled over $400 million between 1993 and 2002. ¹¹

YouthBuild USA signed two contracts totaling $3.1 million with a consultancy called TenSquare. ¹²

Communities Against Hate Initiative

YouthBuild USA is part of the Communities Against Hate Initiative, a project of the Open Society Foundations that supports left-wing organizations involved in documenting and reporting acts and rhetoric hostile to various demographic groups. ¹³ YouthBuild received a $95,700 grant from Open Society Foundations to support the tracking of “hate incidents” by Boston Public Schools teachers. ¹⁴ Other groups involved include Center for Community Change; Color of Change; Genders & Sexualities Alliance Network; Hollaback!; Muslim Advocates; National Council of La Raza; National Network for Arab American Communities; New York City Anti-Violence Project; Southern Poverty Law Center; and Transgender Law Center. ¹⁵

Donor Organizations

YouthBuild USA receives significant funding from both government and private sources, including a number of liberal institutional foundations and corporate philanthropies.

Four federal US agencies have given grants to YouthBuild USA since its inception including the USDA, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Labor, and the Department of State. ^{16 17} Other government organizations who have donated to YouthBuild USA are also direct affiliates, including AmeriCorps and the Corporation for National and Community Service. ¹⁸

Saint Gobain and CertainTeed gave a $500,000 grant for building housing in collaboration with the left-wing advocacy group the U.S. Green Building Council. ¹⁹

1. YouthBuild USA. “A Message from YouthBuild USA Founder/CEO Dorothy Stoneman.” Medium. May 24, 2016. Accessed September 25, 2019. https://medium.com/@YouthBuildUSA/a-message-from-youthbuild-usa-founder-ceo-dorothy-stoneman-4922be986499
2. “YouthBuild USA.” Candid. October 1, 2002. Accessed September 25, 2019. https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/npo-spotlight/youthbuild-usa
3. “Our Story.” YouthBuild USA. 2019. Accessed September 26, 2019. https://www.youthbuild.org/our-story
4. “WIOA Support.” YouthBuild USA. May 27, 2014. Accessed September 25, 2019. https://www.help.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/YouthBuild%20USA%20-%20WIOA%20Support.pdf
5. Saint-Gobain. “Saint-Gobain and CertainTeed Launch Three-Year, $550,000 Partnership with YouthBuild USA.” PR Newswire. December 24, 2010. Accessed September 25, 2019. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/saint-gobain-and-certainteed-launch-three-year-550000-partnership-with-youthbuild-usa-111849449.html
6. “A Message from Dorothy Stoneman.” YouthBuild USA. 2019. Accessed September 26, 2019. https://www.youthbuild.org/update/message-dorothy-stoneman
7. Moro, Julia. “From Prisoner to CEO: Queens Native Heads Nonprofit Organization.” QNS.com, June 19, 2018. https://qns.com/story/2018/06/19/from-prisoner-to-ceo-queens-native-heads-nonprofit-organization/.
8. Faison Jr., Seth. “Arrests in a Killing Police Say was Revenge.” The New York Times. September 8, 1991. Accessed September 25, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/1991/09/08/nyregion/arrests-in-a-killing-police-say-was-revenge.html
9. “Workforce Development.” YouthBuild USA. 2019. Accessed September 26, 2019. https://www.youthbuild.org/workforce-development
10. Hernandez, Rudy. “Youth in action.” U.S. Department of Justice. May 2001. Accessed September 25, 2019. https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/yfs00106.pdf
11. “YouthBuild USA.” Candid. October 1, 2002. Accessed September 25, 2019. https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/npo-spotlight/youthbuild-usa
12. Wooster, Martin Morse. “Charter school funders: look out for “turnaround consultants”.” Philanthropy Daily. July 3, 2018. Accessed September 25, 2019. https://www.philanthropydaily.com/charter-school-funders-look-out-for-turnaround-consultants/
13. Nal, Renee. “Weaponizing “Hate”: Elastic Definitions and Squishy Numbers.” Capital Research Center. September 7, 2018. Accessed September 25 ,2019. https://capitalresearch.org/article/weaponizing-hate-elastic-definitions-and-squishy-numbers/
14. “Communities Against Hate: Front-Line Organizations.” Open Society Foundations, July 27, 2017. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/uploads/30fc518e-d1da-4306-8578-8afb39c37a42/communities-against-hate-front-line-organizations-20170313.pdf.
15. Nal, Renee. “Weaponizing “Hate”: Elastic Definitions and Squishy Numbers.” Capital Research Center. September 7, 2018. Accessed September 25 ,2019. https://capitalresearch.org/article/weaponizing-hate-elastic-definitions-and-squishy-numbers/
16. “Public Funders.” YouthBuild USA. May 3, 2018. Accessed September 25, 2019. https://www.youthbuild.org/public-funders
17. “YouthBuild USA Receives $10 Grant from Department of Labor to prepare high school dropouts and young adult offenders for future employment.” America’s Promise Alliance. July 30, 2019. Accessed September 25, 2019. https://www.americaspromise.org/news/youthbuild-usa-receives-10-grant-department-labor-prepare-high-school-dropouts-and-young-adult
18. “AmeriCorps.” YouthBuild USA. 2019. Accessed September 26, 2019. https://www.youthbuild.org/americorps
19. Saint-Gobain. “Saint-Gobain and CertainTeed Launch Three-Year, $550,000 Partnership with YouthBuild USA.” PR Newswire. December 24, 2010. Accessed September 25, 2019. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/saint-gobain-and-certainteed-launch-three-year-550000-partnership-with-youthbuild-usa-111849449.html