The future of 100,000 women-owned small businesses in New York hangs in the balance. Proposed federal budget cuts to SCORE—a critical nonprofit partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration—threaten to eliminate the foundation behind one of the city’s most vital entrepreneurial networks: New York Women in Business (NYWIB).
Founded in 2016 by marketing veteran Mary Tan, a longtime SCORE mentor, NYWIB was built by—and continues to operate because of—SCORE’s resources, volunteers, and infrastructure. Without SCORE, NYWIB will not survive. For nearly a decade, NYWIB has helped women turn ideas into income, passion into purpose, and side hustles into sustainable livelihoods. That entire ecosystem is now at risk.
“This isn’t just a funding cut. It’s a direct hit to women fighting to build something for themselves and their families,” said Tan, who has mentored more than 2,000 entrepreneurs through SCORE. “Defunding SCORE means the end of NYWIB—and silencing thousands of women’s voices, dreams, and economic potential.”
The True Cost Of Defunding SCORE
Nationally, SCORE’s 10,000+ volunteer mentors serve over 100,000 small business clients annually, helping to create and sustain jobs while generating billions in economic impact. In New York alone, SCORE’s network supports thousands of entrepreneurs each year. Without SCORE’s guidance, the ripple effects would be devastating:
- Thousands of viable businesses could fail
- Millions in annual economic output could disappear
- Countless jobs could be lost
- Significant tax revenue could vanish
SCORE clients are 3x more likely to start a business and 2x more likely to remain in business after two years compared to non-clients. If SCORE disappears, the entire NYWIB network disappears with it—taking critical mentorship, workshops, and startup success stories along with it.
Act Now — Your Voice Can Save NYWIB and Women-Owned Businesses Across New York
NYWIB is urging entrepreneurs, families, and allies to take immediate action. Contact your New York State Senator and demand continued federal funding for SCORE. Without it, NYWIB—and the thousands of women-owned businesses it supports—will cease to exist.
Speak up. Show up. Stand with the women who keep New York’s small business economy alive.
Find your senator: nysenate.gov/find-my-senator