Just a few weeks ago, the Los Angeles chapter of Funders Together to End Homelessness held its quarterly meeting to discuss the role of advocacy in moving the needle toward ending homelessness. The big question at the meeting: What elements of a successful advocacy campaign can philanthropy support to make greater impact?

October 2015

At Funders Together, we make it a goal to share the work of funders across the country so you can learn what's working and adapt these strategies to your own community. One way we do that is through our Featured Members. Some are featured because of their innovative grantmaking. Others are featured because they are making connections and bringing new people into the conversation about ending and preventing homelessness. Still others are featured because they are challenging the very systems that allow homelessness to persist. In each case, our Featured Members are an integral part of the solution to homelessness.

Formed in 2013, Funders Together San Diego is comprised of individual philanthropists and grant makers who invest in effective systems change with the goal of ending homelessness throughout San Diego County. The former Homelessness Working Group transitioned from San Diego Grantmakers to become part of the growing group of public and private partners supporting activities to end homelessness in the region. The group works to coordinate existing community resources – including funds, services, health care and job readiness assistance – and align them more effectively to help break the cycle of homelessness.

Members:

• Alliance Healthcare Foundation
• Parker Foundation
• McCarthy Family Foundation
• Brailean Family Trust
• La Jolla Coin Shop
• San Diego Housing Commission
• United Way of San Diego County

We spoke with Erica Snyder, Community Impact Manager at United Way of San Diego County, who manages and staffs Funders Together San Diego, about the Funders Network.

Q: What has been some of the biggest benefits to being part of a Funders Network and can you also speak to some of the challenges that you have encountered and how the group has addressed those?

Erica Snyder (ES): As with any collaboration, there are major benefits along with some challenges. One of the biggest benefits of being part of a Funders Network is the ability to leverage funds. As individuals, our members are putting dollars in, but then seeing a larger impact because that money is now part of a larger pool. The learning and education opportunities are another critical benefit. They help inform us where our dollars will be best served as we look to invest into various system change efforts in the region. The collaborative also helps increase the ability to be visible throughout the county as members attend different community meetings with stakeholders. These meetings allow us to learn about various community efforts and determine not only individual goals, but how those goals fit into the collaboration’s funding strategy.

As far as challenges, many of our members have known each other for years and work very well together which is great, but we are now at a place where we would like to grow our membership and are determining thoughtful ways to engage new funders and increase membership. Also, philanthropy can sometimes have siloed conversations. Funders external to FTEH-SD may not always see the natural connection between their funding priorities (i.e. child welfare, education, etc.) and homelessness, so we need to encourage people to widen their own lenses and see how their passions intersect with homelessness. 

Q: What has been Funders Together San Diego’s most influential accomplishment?

ES: One of our most exciting accomplishments was being part of one of a major private-public partnerships in San Diego by working with the San Diego Housing Commission in support of their Housing First – San Diego Homelessness Action Plan. Our collaborative had $240,000 of funding available to invest in converting transitional housing into permanent housing options (i.e rapid re-housing or permanent supportive housing). By working with the commission and having discussions with them as a partner at FTEH-SD meetings, we were able to leverage that $240,000 into $10 million of public funding to support the operational expense of to create permanent supportive and convert existing transitional housing. This was huge, not only for our group, but for the county as a whole because it showed the power of private-public partnerships and how impactful it can be. The money we put forth was amplified to help as many as 1,500 San Diegans who are experiencing homelessness. This partnership was a great opportunity to show the community how philanthropy is able and willing to work with public agencies in order to create solutions.

Q: What are some projects that Funders Together San Diego have in progress?

ES: We have three areas of focus for our Funding Priorities: Systems Change, Regional Continuum of Care Council and Coordinated Assessment and Housing Placement System. Right now, our biggest focus is on systems change funding.

Moving forward, we are really focused on examining where there is energy and need within the community so we can focus there. That will help us determine the best area to send funds in order to bring about systems change in San Diego.

Q: Aside from funding systems-change, what other ways has Funders Together San Diego made strides in the county?

ES: The idea of a funding collaborative was really new to the community. The community, specifically public funders, was apprehensive at first because they weren’t used to seeing private funding coming together as group. Prior to Funders Together San Diego, most of the private funding was done at the organizational or individual level. Now they are seeing people coming together all in the name of ending homelessness.

When people refer to Funders Together San Diego now, they think of a strong, cohesive group. We share contractual language with our public funders to reinforce outcomes we are all trying to achieve. In turn, service providers are starting to understand how this process works and share with us what is working and where they are struggling which has really helped us understand where our dollars are needed.

Q: We urge Funders Together members to think about advocacy and how it can fit into their organizational plan. What role does advocacy play in Funders Together San Diego?

ES: Overall, the funding collaborative’s stance is to stay engaged and knowledgeable on what is happening within the homelessness space. In order to do so, we host speakers or educational opportunities and encourage members to advocate based on what they have learned. Since the foundations have different laws to adhere to, we encourage people to advocate on an individual basis. As individuals, advocacy efforts can take many forms, mostly at the local level: social media efforts, meeting with local officials, town hall meetings or sitting on various councils and the Continuum of Care Governance Board. As our members partake in these efforts, it reminds our community stakeholders that there is a group of passionate funders in the area who are dedicated to do whatever they can to end homelessness in the San Diego area and also nationally.

Q: What advice would you have for other who were considering starting or joining a Funders Network?

ES: Funders Together San Diego started as a learning community and grew from there. In that effort, we found a common interest as the place to start and as we learned more, common agreements were developed and trust was built. If you are looking to start a network, step one is to start engaging and talking with people who agree that they want to end homelessness. Step two is to build trust within that group. People want to collaborate with others who share passion and have motivation to do what it takes to produce outcomes, so by building trust and staying engaged, others will be drawn into that energy. If people are already meeting, attend! Take time to learn about the community and where other funders are investing so you can align efforts to make the largest impact. Philanthropy does a great job talking with the community and the more we talk with each other, the more we are able to bring fresh ideas to our peers. 

Interested in started a Funders Network in your area? Check out our Building a Funders Network 101 resource. 

2015 Policy Platform

While there are numerous policies that may affect homelessness services and prevention, we know that success in the following areas will dramatically reduce the number of people and families experiencing homelessness.  These are our policy priority areas for 2015.

 

Advocacy for Funders: The Legal Limitations on Lobbying

Funders can and should be advocates for policies and funding streams that can end and prevent homelessness. Understand the legal restrictions on private foundations’ advocacy efforts with this new resource.

Building a Funders Network

Funders networks have been critical to bringing together all kinds of grantmakers within a community and forging commitments to a systems approach. What are the key elements in building an effective funders network in your own community?

Ending Family Homelessness: The Systems Approach and the Role of Philanthropy [VIDEO AND BRIEF]

Until recently, modern family homelessness has been primarily addressed with temporary shelter or transitional housing and services to families during their crisis of homelessness. Funders are key players at the local, state, and national levels to lead the movement toward a systems approach to ending family homelessness.

Grantmakers Toolkit on Ending Homelessness

Philanthropy’s role is to be catalytic, to not only make effective grants to prevent and end homelessness, but to help lead our communities—through education and advocacy, coordinating, collaborating, and convening—toward the necessary systems changes that must accompany what works. How do you get started?

Included in this resource:

• Ending Homelessness: An Overview for Funders
• Effective Grantmaking to Help End Homelessness
• Retooling the Homeless Crisis Response System
• Using Local Data for System Improvement
• Framing the Front Door: Coordinated Assessment
• Improving Housing Outcomes with Rapid Re-housing
• Solutions that Work to End Homelessness

HEARTH Briefs

The Homelessness Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act, passed in 2009, is the most important piece of federal legislation on homelessness in 20 years. HEARTH affects how homeless services are funded and delivered, including consolidating funding programs, increasing local flexibility, and introducing new community-level performance expectation. How can funders support this transition?

Included in this resource:

• Effective Targeting of Permanent Supportive Housing
• Refocusing and Repurposing Transitional Housing
• Targeting Prevention, Expanding Diversion

Policy Principles

While there are numerous policies that may affect homelessness services and prevention, we stand behind these key policy principles. 

Sequestration's Impact on Homelessness [INFOGRAPHIC]

We know that sequestration is hurting homelessness services around the country. This infographic is designed to give a brief overview.

Systems Change 101: Understanding the Systems Approach

We are seeing an encouraging trend: thought leaders working to end homelessness are focusing not on the successes of individual programs, but rather on a systemic approach that addresses the underlying causes of homelessness and uncovers the dynamics that can get communities stuck.

TANF Fails to Meet Basic Needs

Today, in every state, a family that relies entirely on TANF for income cannot cover the cost of fair market rent. Funders can, however, play an important role in addressing the gap between state TANF benefits and Fair Market Rents, as well as strengthening the relationship between state TANF programs and housing programs.

Sample PowerPoint Presentation: Building a Funders Network

Sample PowerPoint Slides: Systems Change

Webinar: Connections Project

Webinar: Connecting Employment and Homelessness Systems

Webinar: Housing-based Solutions to Homelessness

Webinar: Systems Change 101

Webinar: Social Impact Investing

Introduction

Posted by Funders Together to End Homelessness · December 18, 2014 11:35 AM

Element I: Understand That No Funder Can Solve Tough Issues Alone

Posted by Funders Together to End Homelessness · December 18, 2014 11:30 AM

Element II: Build Relationships and Work Together Towards a Common Goal

Posted by Funders Together to End Homelessness · December 18, 2014 11:25 AM

How you can catalyze change in your community?

On March 10, the Los Angeles Homeless Funders Group hosted nearly 50 foundations to talk about the role of funders networks and collaboratives in preventing and ending homelessness.

FTEH members discussed the work, successes, and challenges of our regional funders networks.

We are excited for 2014!  Here's a look at what we're doing and how you can plug in.

Formed in 2013, our newest regional funders network in San Diego is comprised of private foundations and United Ways committed to preventing and ending homelessness.  Specifically, the Homelessness Working Group transitioned from San Diego Grantmakers to become part of the growing group of public and private partners supporting the United Way of San Diego County's activities to end homelessness in the region.  The partnerships will allow United Way to capitalize on the work already done by the Homelessness Working Group since its formation in 2003, while also increasing United Way's efforts to affect system-level change.

Purpose:  To promote an effective and efficient system of housing and services to help end homelessness in San Diego County.

Goal:  To build a San Diego County network of funders who are committed to solving homelessness through leadership, education, and advocacy; strategic collaboration, alignment and focus of resources; and effective promotion and replication of evidence based practices in our community. 

Objective:  Expand philanthropic engagement in the systems change work needed to end homelessness in San Diego County.

This blog post explains in greater detail how member organizations will work together moving forward.

Primary Contact

Amy Denhart

Participating Organizations

• Alliance Healthcare Foundation
• Brailean Family Trust Equity Partners 
• McCarthy Family Foundation
• Michael McConnell
• The Parker Foundation
• San Diego Housing Commission
• United Way of San Diego County

January 2014

At Funders Together, we make it a goal to share the work of funders across the country so you can learn what's working and adapt these strategies to your own community.  One way we do that is through our Featured Members.  Some are featured because of their innovative grantmaking.  Others are featured because they are making connections and bringing new people into the conversation about ending and preventing homelessness.  Still others are featured because they are challenging the very systems that allow homelessness to persist.  In each case, our Featured Members are an integral part of the solution to homelessness.

The Houston affiliate of Funders Together to End Homelessness organized intentionally as a public-private funders collaborative in order to align efforts, build on each other's strengths, leverage resources and work at a systems level.

The mission of Funders Together Houston is both simple and powerful: build a local network of funders who are committed to reducing homelessness through strategic collaboration and grantmaking.  In practice, this means that funders are learning with each other, promoting best-practice models in Greater Houston, and advocating for more effective policies.

Since its launch in September 2011, Funders Together has conducted educational site visits around the Houston area and formed two work groups: Advocacy and the Public-Private Funders Collaborative.  After spending some time pooling resources, Funders Together Houston is beginning to fund pilot projects to build awareness about what works among community stakeholders and provide accessible housing with appropriate wrap-around services.  And Funders Together Houston members are working together to rethink the system that allowed chronic homelessness to exist in the Houston area at all.

Funders Together Houston At-A-Glance:
 

		including private foundations, corporations, faith-based groups, a United Way, and government agencies
		who are committed to working together to end and prevent homelessness

Funders Together Houston Strategic Partners:

• One Voice Texas
• Greater Houston Community Foundation
• Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County
• Corporation for Supportive Housing

In 2013, Funders Together Houston ...

• Formed a steering committee to provide governance to the collaborative;
• Hosted five community events covering topics like how the faith community can help to end chronic homelessness and developing and financing permanent supportive housing to end homelessness;
• Conducted six site visits at area mental health units, transitional housing units for homeless youth and young adults, permanent supportive housing units, and more;
• Launched (through the Greater Houston Community Foundation) the Community Impact Fund to End Homelessness; and
• Funded the Houston Police Department's Homeless Outreach Team Video, highlighting a community policing initiative as an alternative to incarceration.

To learn more about Funders Together Houston, read through their bulletin archive here, read their one-year anniversary blog here, or contact Nancy Frees Fountain.