Karolyn R. Gould is associate director of the Independent Living Resource Center at Hunter College School of Social Work. From 1978 through 2000, she was director of human services with the South Bronx Development Organization and director of its successor agency, the South Bronx Development Organization.

Should Wall Street firms, banks, pharmaceuticals, media corporations get more involved in social issues, and why – and how?

It depends on how you define social issues. Big business should get more involved in issues that improving the quality of the labor force, such as adolescent literacy, an unmet program need that can impact positively on the employ ability of young adults. Or after-school programs that we know reduce absenteeism of working parents. Overall, programs should be supported that impact positively on labor force performance and growth, promote sustainable development in neighborhoods and increase property values and local purchasing power.

How can community-based civic organization work better with the city’s corporations?

Community residents should contribute to and benefit from economic and commercial development in neighborhoods. This should be the goal of collaboration between civic organizations and Big Business. Community-based civic organizations as well as social organizations need more collaborative approaches that apprehend business needs and develop local responses that support them. Business need to be realistic about neighborhood organizations’ capacities to respond to their needs and provide pro bono technical assistance, such as project-based staff loans (very short term) when expertise is needed for a specific, non-repetitive task.