2:00 ET

Welcome and Opening

PLENARY: Pushing for Racial and Housing Justice through Strategic Policy and Advocacy 

Speakers:

• Amanda Andere, CEO, Funders Together to End Homelessness
• Peggy Bailey, Vice President for Housing Policy, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
• Colleen Echohawk, Executive Director, Chief Seattle Club
• Susan Thomas, President, Melville Charitable Trust

3:00 ET

Concurrent Breakout Sessions

Breakout 1A: How Philanthropy is Supporting Local and National Messaging and Narrative Work to End Homelessness

At past Funders Together convenings, we've invited researchers, people with lived expertise, and organizers to talk about changing the narrative and building public will to end homelessness. But, how are funders involved in this work? In this breakout session, we'll hear from two funders: Elisa Harrigan, from Meyer Memorial Trust, about how they supported the messaging that helped a local ballot measure to tax wealthy households for homeless services get passed in Portland, OR. We'll also hear from Aimee Hendrigan and Sarah Armour-Jones, from Melville Charitable Trust, about the national narrative campaign they have launched to shift perceptions about homelessness and housing.

Speakers:

• Elisa Harrigan, Housing Opportunities Program Officer, Meyer Memorial Trust
• Aimee Hendrigan,Vice President of Programs, Melville Charitable Trust
• Sarah Armour-Jones, Director of Communications, Melville Charitable Trust

Breakout 1B: Pushing for Housing Justice When Political Will Isn't Aligned

We know what is needed to end homelessness: investments in permanent, affordable housing. Low-barrier shelters and services that do not discriminate based on gender. Policies and resources that are equitable and support the most marginalized people. But, what can philanthropy do when the political will in your community isn’t aligned? How can philanthropy help use their influence to push for equitable policies and stand against discriminatory, racist, and harmful practices?

Join this breakout conversation for brainstorming and peer coaching from other funders who understand what it’s like to work in communities where equitable practices and policies are not part of the political discourse. 

Adjourn

2:00 ET

Welcome and Opening

PLENARY: Shifting Toward Systems Change and Racial Equity: A Conversation About Moving the Board and Grantmaking Strategy 

It’s constant and evolving work to focus our grantmaking strategy on systems change and racial equity and to bring the board along on that journey. In this discussion with foundation leaders, we’ll hear how they have been educating their boards and reorienting their grantmaking strategy in equitable systems change and what they found helpful in that journey. 

Speakers:

• Tony Richardson, Executive Director, Nord Family Foundation
• Susan Bass Roberts, Executive Director, Pohlad Family Foundation
• Kate Levin Markel, President, McGregor Fund

3:00 ET

Concurrent Breakout Sessions

Breakout 2A: Working Toward Racial Equity in Our Organizations

Funders have been working for several years to shift their organizational culture and grantmaking to be more equitable. But, what does this look like for members of Funders Together? In this breakout session, we’ll hear from funders about what they’ve been working to change in their organizations to make them more diverse, inclusive, and equitable and have an honest conversation about how philanthropy can hold itself accountable to these values. 

Speakers:

• Lindsay Hill, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Raikes Foundation
• Kristin Aldana-Taday, Program Officer, Domestic Programs, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation

Breakout 2B: Funding Commitments to Support Black Lives

After the current protests for Black lives started in May, many of our organizations put out statements in support of Black lives. A few foundations have also decided to back those statements through dedicated funding for Black people and Black-led organizations. In this conversation, we’ll hear about three foundation that have made dedicated funding commitments to the Black community and talk about what the work looks like now that those announcements have been made.

Join this conversation to learn more about Meyer Memorial Trust's Justice Oregon for Black Lives initiative, The Denver Foundation's Black Resilience in Colorado Fund, and The Zarrow Families Foundation's Commemoration Fund.

Speakers:

• LaDawn Sullivan, Director of Leadership and Equity, The Denver Foundation
  
• Kaberi Banerjee Murthy, Director of Programs and Strategy, Meyer Memorial Trust
• Bill Major, Executive Director, Zarrow Families Foundation 

Breakout 2C: Systems Change in Employment and Housing

At the end of 2019, Funders Together concluded Foundations for Employment and Housing, our two-year community of practice that explored how philanthropy can bring the employment and homelessness systems together for real systems change. In this breakout conversation, community of practice participants will share what they learned and what they’ve been working on at the intersection of employment and homelessness.  

Speakers:

• Brenyale Toomer-Byas, Senior Director for Economic Opportunity, Orange County United Way
• Heidi Alcock, Director of Grant Development and Communications, McGregor Fund
• Emily Harris-Shears, Senior Manager of Grantmaking & Capacity Building, Building Changes

Adjourn

4:30 ET

Virtual Reception Kick-off

This virtual reception is only to anyone registered for the Funders Institute, regardless of which day(s) they have registered for. We'll find joy through music and art and deepen relationships during this virtual networking reception.

Philip Metres has written ten books, including Shrapnel Maps (Copper Canyon 2020), Sand Opera, and The Sound of Listening. Awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship, the Lannan Fellowship, three Arab American Book Awards, and two NEAs, he is professor of English and director of the Peace, Justice, and Human Rights program at John Carroll University.

2:00 ET

Welcome and Opening

PLENARY: Uniting for Black Lives and Calling for Action: A Statement from True Colors United and the National Youth Forum on Homelessness 

After the murder of George Floyd, our inboxes were flooded with messages of solidarity. One of the clearest statements we saw was from True Colors United (TCU), in which CEO, Gregory Lewis, handed the pen to TCU staff and members of the National Youth Forum on Homelessness to craft True Colors United’s Statement on Black Lives. This statement balances what we know about systemic racism with clear calls to action and shows why we must listen to LGBTQ people of color with lived expertise. During this plenary, we’ll hear from Twiggy Pucci Garçon, Senior Program Director at True Colors United, about how TCU staff and members of the National Youth Forum on Homelessness crafted this statement and why we must follow the lead of people with lived expertise to find justice. 

Speakers:

• Twiggy Pucci Garçon, Senior Program Director, True Colors United
• Amanda Andere, CEO, Funders Together to End Homelessness (moderator)

Action and Accountability

In this breakout, participants will be broken up into triads to receive coaching, ideas, and advice about how to move forward a hope or dream to advance racial justice as a funder. This session will require active participation so that participants can receive the support they need to think through what it means to take action and be accountable in pushing for housing justice.

Resource: Action and Accountability Instructions

Asks & Offers 

Before we close, we’ll harness the wisdom of the Funders Together network through an Asks & Offers exercise. Come prepared with a question you’d like resources or thought partnership on, as well as something you can offer to other funders.  

Examples of asks could include:

• Help strategizing on policy change in conservative communities
• Racial equity consultants or trainers to lead specific conversations in your foundation
• Examples of how you’ve pushed grantees to think about racial equity.  

Examples of offers could include:

• Sharing how your organization has incorporated racial equity into board meeting
• Thought partnership around navigating difficult values conversations with grantees
• A racial equity framework that your organization has used or developed.  

Closing