Funders Together Bulletin Masthead

April 25, 2012

Board of Directors
David Wertheimer
(Chair)
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Seattle, WA 

Leslie Strnisha
(Vice-Chair)
Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland
Cleveland, OH 

Deborah Fung
(Treasurer)
Paul and Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation
Boston, MA 

 

Tom Nurmi
(Secretary)
William S. Abell Foundation
Chevy Chase, MD 

 

Ann Woodward
(Clerk)
Melville Charitable Trust
Boston, MA 

 

Nancy Barrand
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Princeton, NJ 

 

Sonya Campion
Campion Foundation
Seattle, WA 

 

Terri Donlin Huesman
Osteopathic Heritage Foundations  
Columbus, OH 

 

Nancy Frees Fountain
The Frees Foundation
Houston, TX 

 

Bill Pitkin
Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
Los Angeles, CA 

 

Debbie Reznick
Polk Bros. Foundation
Chicago, IL 

 

Martha Toll
Butler Family Fund
Washington, D.C.  

 

Joe Weisbord
Fannie Mae
New York, NY 




Support Funders Together      
 
Funders Together is supported by generous grants from several of our member foundations. We don't currently charge dues, but we do encourage members to make a donation or a grant to help support our mission and services.


Funders Together is a 
 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. 
To make a donation, contact Allison Silva at
[email protected]

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IN THIS ISSUE

WELCOMING OUR NEW MEMBERS

Funders Together extends a warm welcome to our newest members.

 

> LA Homeless Funders Group puts its money where its mouth is
> Learn about the activities keeping our Houston Funders Network busy
> Protip Biswas of the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta recaps Innovations Forum 2012
> Support from Melville Charitable Trust aids our advocacy efforts 

NEWS FROM OUR FRIENDS

> The National Alliance to End Homelessness seeks data on rapid re-housing for families

> USICH's conversation with executive director of DESC  Bill Hobson about developing a seamless system of care 

USICH releases report on alternatives to criminalization

> HUD Secretary's Award for Community Foundations

 

Updates on national policies related to homelessness

The latest useful tools and resources on homelessness.

Details about upcoming conferences and webinars
 

Welcoming New Memberswelcome

  

Funders Together is delighted to welcome the following grantmakers to our network:

 

United Way of Greater Los Angeles l Los Angeles, CA

Alisa Orduna, Program Officer in Housing Stability 

  

United Way of King County l Seattle, WA

Vince Matulionis, Director, Ending Homelessness/ Meeting Basic Needs 

 

Greater Twin Cities United Way Minneapolis, MN

Marcia Fink, Director, Basic Needs, Community Impact  

 

Unihealth Foundation Los Angeles, CA

Nancy Mullenax, Senior Program Officer 

 

News from Our Members newsfromourboardandmembers 

Collaborative Funding: Putting Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

  

Bill Pitkin, director of domestic programs at the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and Funders Together board member, blogs about the LA Funders Group's success in building capacity in the public and non-profit sectors to better align housing, health, and other systems. The collaborative, which recently released a $42 million RFP for projects that support people identified as chronically homeless, serves as a great example of how philanthropy can take the lead in affecting systems change. 

Read more

 

Update from the Houston Funders Network

  

Our Houston regional network has been busy this month! On April 13, members toured St. Vincent's House, an agency in Galveston that works in homelessness prevention, specifically for individuals who face mental health challenges. During their April 17 public/private working group meeting, members met with with the Departments of Harris County Services and City of Houston Housing & Community Development to hear presentations about how the county and city receive and allocate funding.  

 

Innovation Thrives in the Non-Profit World

 

Vice President of the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta's Regional Homeless Coalition, Protip Biswas, blogs about Innovations Forum 2012, which showcased innovative practices in ending homelessness from around the Southeast region. FTEH board chair David Wertheimer and executive director Anne Miskey were keynote speakers. 

Read more 

 

Support from Melville Charitable Trust Aids our Advocacy Efforts 

 

Funders Together is thrilled to have received $200,000 from the Melville Charitable Trust, a family foundation that has pioneered models of supportive housing and community solutions and advanced important and far-reaching policy, research, and advocacy initiatives locally and nationally. Among the work supported by the Trust are our advocacy activities, including our work with trusted homelessness policy consultants on the development of educational materials for funders. Our staff is developing factsheets on how HEARTH Act implementation affects grantmakers and how philanthropy can work with public and private agencies to mainstream the response to homelessness. 

 

We remain very thankful for the continued support of the Trust, and for the support of the following organizations and individuals in 2011: Anaite O. Caceres, Ann Woodward, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Campion Foundation, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation,Daniel Becker, Fannie Mae Foundation, The Frees Foundation, Martha Toll, Paul and Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland, Terri Donlin Huesman, United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta, William Pitkin, and the William S. Abell Foundation. 

 

Tell Us Your Story!

 

Do you have news you'd like to share with other funders about your work in homelessness? Funding an innovative project? Looking to leverage funding? Your news could appear on our blog or in our bulletin. To share your news, contact Allison Silva at [email protected]

National Alliance to End Homelessness Requests Rapid 

Re-housing Data on Families

 

The Alliance is soliciting information from local communities and programs that offer rapid re-housing services to families. Desired data should demonstrate the long-term outcomes of families who have been assisted with rapid re-housing, which may include housing retention, employment, and recidivism outcomes. Cost comparison studies and examples of how rapid re-housing has been used in partnership with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) resources are especially welcome. If you are interested in contributing your outcomes, please contact Sharon McDonald, director for families and youth at the Alliance. 

  

Developing a Seamless System of Care: United States Interagency Council on Homelessness's Conversation with Bill Hobson, Executive Director of DESC 

 

For the last 30 years, Seattle's DESC has connected people experiencing street homelessness with the resources they need to get off the street. Using a Housing First approach in conjunction with outreach and support services, DESC provides a holistic system of care that assists individuals in times of crisis and on their path to stability. The agency also works closely with the Seattle Police Dept. to reduce incidences of criminalization, Read more 

  

United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Releases Searching out Solutions: Constructive Alternatives to the Criminalization of Homelessness

 

This USICH report outlines alternatives for communities that criminalize homelessness through laws that prohibit "acts of living," such as sleeping, eating, or sitting in public spaces. Based on a summit conducted with the Departments of Justice and Housing and Urban Development, USICH identified three solutions for communities struggling to prevent and end homelessness. Read more about these strategies, interventions, and their successful implementation in the full report

  

Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary's Inaugural Award for Community Foundations

 

The Council on Foundations (COF), in collaboration with HUD, is now accepting applications for the inaugural 2012 Secretary's Award for Community Foundations. This award emphasizes cross-sector partnerships between the philanthropic and public sectors. The goal is to recognize the partnership process and its impact as a community strategy to increase the quality of life for residents.

 

The Council will select a total of 10 awards to be given to community foundations, one each in the 10 HUD-defined regions of the country. Applications will be judged in five areas:

  1. Strength of the Cross-sector Partnership
  2. Place-Based Results
  3. Sustainability
  4. Innovation
  5. Transferability
Additional information about submitting an application to the 2012 Secretary's Award for Community Foundations, along with the fillable PDF application form, is available on the HUD website and the Council on Foundations website 

 

If you have questions or need additional information, contact the Council's Public-Philanthropic Partnership Initiative at [email protected] or 703-879-0688The Council on Foundations must receive completed PDF form/application via e-mail and any accompanying materials by 11:59 pm (Pacific) Friday, May 11, 2012

Policy Updatespolicy 
Good News from Capitol Hill for Federal Homelessness Programs

 

Funders Together Executive Director Anne Miskey blogs about last week's announcement that the U.S. Senate is proposing the largest one-year increase to the Department of Housing and Urban Development's McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants in nearly 20 years. Funders Together to End Homelessness was pleased to have a part in these efforts by contacting members of Congress by mail, email, and through in-person visits on the Hill.Read more 

Pending Legislation and New Funding Signal Continued Government Support for Ending Veterans Homelessness

Last month, the House passed the "Homes for Heroes Act," legislation that creates the position of Special Assistance for Veterans Affairs at HUD and requires an annual submission of a veterans supplemental to the Annual Homeless Assessment Report. Homes for Heroes is awaiting Senate action.

 

Additionally, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has made $15 million in grant funding available through the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program to provide job training services for homeless veterans. DOL anticipates awarding at least 50 grants to serve approximately 9,000 veterans. Funds will be awarded on a competitive basis to state and local Workforce Investment Boards, local public agencies, and nonprofit organizations. Grantees will provide homeless veterans with occupational, classroom, and on-the-job training, as well as job search and placement assistance, including follow-up services. View the Solicitation for Grant Applications

 

If you are a grantmaker with an interest in the welfare of America's veterans, consider joining our Working Group on Veterans Homelessness. For additional information, please contact Allison Silva  [email protected]

 

HUD Awards $33 Million for HIV-AIDS Housing Programs

 

On Thursday, March 29, HUD announced the renewal of funding for 28 local programs in 17 states for the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program. These grants will provide permanent supportive housing for 1,200 extremely low-income persons living with HIV/AIDS. Find out if your community benefits from these grants here.

Resource Centerresource
Resource Roundup: Spring 2012 

 

A recent Funders Together blog post features summaries and links to five resources we consider "recommended reads" for funders.These toolkits and briefs cover topics such as connections between Medicaid and permanent supportive housing, recommendations for applying HUD-VASH effectively, and employment models for people experiencing homelessness. Check out the Resource Roundup.

 

Save the Datesdates

Council on Foundations 2012 Annual Conference

Hosted by the Council on Foundations

April 29-May 1 I JW Marriott L.A. Live

 

This year's Council on Foundations annual conference will feature a tour of L.A.'s Skid Row (see below for more details). You may also be interested in sessions such as: Does Working with Government Have a Payoff?; A Conversation on What it Takes for Successful Global Partnerships; Boundary Spanning Leadership--Catalyzing Collaboration with Grantees & Each Other; and High Impact Investing for Economic Rebuilding: Workforce Partnerships between Philanthropy and Employers.

Register for the conference

  

SPECIAL OFFER FOR MEMBERS OF OUR NETWORK! 

We are pleased to offer you a member discount rate for the Council on Foundations 2012 Conference. If you are planning to register, please contact [email protected] to receive the FTEH PIN number and instructions on how to use it. 

 

Skid Row: The Real Deal Site Visit

Hosted by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Weingart Foundation, Durfee Foundation, and Funders Together 

April 30, 2012 | 1:00-4:30 | Los Angeles, CA

 

Homelessness exists all over the United States, but misinformation abounds. A clear picture and cross-sector alignment of philanthropy, government, and service delivery are essential to the solution. Progress is being made! Please join us for an intimate walking tour of L.A.'s Skid Row, led by residents, service providers, and local funders. Participants will visit permanent supportive housing sites and an innovative community health clinic serving the area's residents.  

 

The tour will be followed by a panel discussion with leaders from 
Los Angeles foundations and organizations working to integrate health care and housing to address chronic homelessness, as well as national leaders Funders Together to End Homelessness.  Key themes will include: improving health and housing outcomes, the role of philanthropy in catalyzing systems change and building capacity, and building cross sector partnerships. Register now

 

United States Interagency Council on Homelessness hosts sessions at United Way Worldwide Conference

Hosted by United Way Worldwide

May 2-4, 2012 | 4pm EST | Nashville, TN

 

Join USICH at the United Way Worldwide Conference to explore the unique opportunity for local United Ways to engage and convene community leaders to advance the effort to end homelessness.  Too often homelessness is viewed as an intractable community problem, but communities across the country are making progress in reducing homelessness by adopting best practices and driving collective impact agendas.

 

USICH will host The Hit List: High Impact Tips to End Homelessness in Your Community, a session that will focus on the efforts to end homelessness, but learning will be applicable to any action area.  It will explore specific examples of collective impact models to align research, policy, engagement, and grantmaking tools toward a common agenda. The session will have an interactive and participatory format so expect to be engaged.

Registration information 


Webinar: Trauma Informed Care for Mothers and Families Experiencing Homelessness

Hosted by the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness 

Wednesday, May 9, 2012 | 3-4 p.m. EST

 

Just in time for Mother's Day, join USICH for a discussion of the ways homeless services programs can use a trauma-informed care model to better serve mothers and children, and help break the cycle of trauma and homelessness. Panelists include Barbara Poppe, USICH's executive director  and Joan Gillece, and director of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's National Center for Trauma Informed Care.

Register now

 

National Conference on Ending Homelessness

Hosted by the National Alliance to End Homelessness

July 16-18 | Renaissance Washington D.C. Hotel 

 

Despite the strides we have made toward ending homelessness, there is still much to accomplish. The National Alliance to End Homelessness invites you to share your stories, discover new approaches to preventing and ending homelessness, and build strategic partnerships at its annual conference. Workshops cover a breadth of topics, including: Re-tooling Your Transitional Housing Program, Rapid Re-Housing for Survivors of Domestic Violence, Health Care Reform and New Strategies to Address Chronic Homelessness, and Improving the Crisis Response for Youth.   

Register now for a reduced fee

 

In conjunction with the conference, the Alliance is holding its 22nd Annual Awards ceremony July 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. The conference fee does not include the cost for attending the award ceremony, but you can purchase tickets here.  

 

 

  

National Zarrow Mental Health Symposium & Mental Health America Annual Conference

Sponsored by the Zarrow Foundations

September 19-21 l Tulsa, OK Convention Center

 

This conference features programs and research that address housing,Zarrow conference logo recovery, and community supports for people living with mental illness.  Discussion will focus on innovative approaches to the development of safe, decent, and affordable housing, and best practice models of support services needed to sustain recovery.  Register now for early-bird rates

 

Funders Together members are encouraged to submit a Call for Presentations proposal to share strategies and successes on topics such as: effectively working with grantmakers; successfully funding housing and support services for people with mental illnesses; and creating successful collaborations between funders, providers, advocates and the public sector. The deadline for submission has been extended to Monday, April 30. For more information, contact Wendi Fralick

 CONNECT           SHARE            BUILD 

Promote Effective Solutions to Homelessness. 

Join Funders Together Today!

 

Through Funders Together, you can connect with other funders like you, share lessons learned and promising practices, and help build the movement to end homelessness in America. Your voice can help make the difference in your community and across the country.

 
Contact Allison Silva, member services and development officer, at [email protected] with any questions about membership. 
 
                                                           Edited by Allison Silva and Divya Amladi