Urban Financial Services Coalition New York

The Urban Financial Services Coalition – New York (UFSCNY) formerly The Urban Bankers Coalition, Inc. (UBC), was founded in New York City in 1971. UFSCNY is a non-profit organization of professionals in the financial services industry.

UFSCNY is the founding chapter of the Urban Financial Services Coalition (UFSC), formerly the National Association of Urban Bankers. Urban Financial Services Coalition (UFSC) was formed in 1974, and is comprised of 50 chapters throughout the United States and Canada.

Prior to its founding, the extracurricular professional needs of minority banking professionals were met through local and autonomous banking groups. However, when bankers from different parts of the country began to discover the value of information sharing among associates from city to city, they organized local chapters into a national network under the umbrella of the National Association of Urban Bankers.

In 2001, the organization's name was officially changed to the Urban Financial Services Coalition. There are approximately 50 chapters of UFSC throughout the United States and Canada, with the New York chapter as the largest. In 2003, Urban Bankers Coalition, Inc. changed its name to Urban Financial Services Coalition - New York.

Our membership includes professionals, representing areas of expertise ranging from investment banking, to technology, financial services and commercial back office operations, as well as entrepreneurs. As participants in the private sector, we strive to have a positive impact on the changes in our community through educational and scholarship programs, community activities, and mentoring opportunities.

Recent local sponsors include: Amalgamated Bank, The Bank of New York, Citigroup, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, FleetBoston Financial, Goldman Sachs & Co., JPMorgan Chase, HSBC Bank USA, SBLI USA Mutual Life Insurance Co., Inc., Washington Mutual, The Williams Capital Group, L.P.

Enhance the representation of minorities in professional positions in the financial services industry and promote better access to financial services particularly for low-to-moderate income populations and communities.

We fulfill our mission by:

• Encouraging the full participation of our members
• Supporting involvement in community development activities
• Providing financial education to the public
• Serving an educational and networking resource for minorities who are currently employed and/or seeking a career in the financial services industry
• Promoting opportunities for members and being an advocate for diversity in the financial services industry
• Facilitating the goals and objectives as determined by the members

The Urban Financial Services New York's mandate is to:

• Assist and encourage members to achieve high standards of performance and to take advantage of available opportunities for professional advancement or increased business
• Promote economic improvement of the community through financial education and counseling
• Support organizations engaged in raising the standard of living within the community
• Encourage and inform high school and college students about careers within the financial services industry
• Provide scholarships and educational programs for high school and college students
• Assist our corporate members in recruiting, retaining and developing minority employees
• Be a value-added resource to our members, corporate members and our communities

Our membership includes professionals and entrepreneurs in the financial services industry. As participants in the private sector, we strive to have a positive impact on the changes in our society through educational programs and mentoring opportunities. The approximate breakdown of our membership by function is as follows::

• Commercial/Retail Banking - 70%
• Investment Banking/Brokerage - 25%
• Consulting/Research/Educational - 3%
• Other - 2%

The Urban Financial Services Coalition attracts minorities in the financial services industry that are seeking a resource organization that provides a link between corporations and our communities through education, information and the implementation of programs to facilitate empowerment. The current professional development/community programs and networking opportunities offered by the organization allow us to assist our corporate members in the retention and development of their employees.

Over 50% of our membership have post graduate education ranging from advanced business development programs to MBAs and PHDs. The average years of experience in all areas of financial services is approximately 10.2 years. We will be able to assist our corporate members recruiting efforts in the following manner:

1. Attendance at the annual career fair to be held at the New York Hilton & Towers
2. Participation in our corporate job listing program which is available to all current and prospective members
3. Direct mail solicitations to our members
4. Participation in our Web based job search/screening program (in development)