FPWA, formerly the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, is an anti-poverty organization in New York City that advocates for policies and initiatives that support New Yorkers living in poverty. The nonprofit looks at ways to raise wages, end wage segregation, enforce pay equity, establish accurate poverty measures and dismantle unjust systems.

FPWA Executive Director and CEO Jennifer Jones Austin will be giving one of the keynote speeches at City & State’s “Economic & Workforce Development Summit” on Thursday. With the event just a few days away, she discusses her nonprofit’s work, helping to lift New Yorkers out of poverty. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Can you tell us a bit about FPWA’s mission?

FPWA is a better than 100-year-old organization that, since

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