On June 8-10, thirty-four funders from across the United States gathered virtually to kick off the second Foundations for Racial Equity (FRE) community of practice. We came together to forge new relationships, learn about the work that others are doing related to racial equity and ending homelessness, and to articulate goals that we want to work toward over the next two years. 

Measure J passed in California on November 2020, signaling a critical win in a long-fought battle for greater equity and reform by local advocates. The measure’s campaign was built and executed by BIPOC-led organizations who have been working for over a decade to transform our justice system and reverse structural racism’s long-term devastation of poor communities of color. 

Learning with others and building relationships is at the heart of creating change. Funders Together is excited to announce the thirty funders in our second Foundations for Racial Equity community of practice who will work together to advance racial equity in their homelessness and housing work.

"When all is said and done, I hope we use this as an opportunity to really imagine the things we thought were impossible that are actually possible." -- Jeremie Greer, Executive Director of Liberation in a Generation

Funders Together and members of the National Coalition for Housing Justice co-signed a letter to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors expressing concern over the nomination of Dr. Drew Pinsky to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) Commission.

Funders Together pushes philanthropy to both fund grassroots organizations that are working on housing justice and to make sure that their voices are being included in policy conversations. On March 30, Funders Together and California YIMBY hosted a briefing to introduce funders to five Black and Latinx led/serving grassroots organizations that want to work deeper in housing affordability issues and center racial equity in the process. Here are the profiles of the five organizations who shared how increased capacity can transform housing policy.

Organizers and advocates won groundbreaking victories in investments through the American Rescue Plan. The bill notably moves away from trickle-down economics and instead gives direct support to households in need and makes tremendous progress prioritizing the needs of people who are struggling with unemployment, housing instability, and health care coverage.

Nobody can solve homelessness on their own. But if we work together—health care providers, government agencies, nonprofits that provide needed services, and insurance payors – we can become an outstretched hand to help people experiencing homelessness and prevent others who are struggling with housing instability.

As our philanthropic members increasingly center equity within their work, the staff of Funders Together to End Homelessness, Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO), PEAK Grantmaking, and Southern California Grantmakers (SCG) recognized an opportunity to apply an equity lens to a tool that already exists in the toolbox of most funders: evaluation.  

Through meetings and conferences we attended over the past few years, we were drawn in by the Equitable Evaluation Initiative (EEI), which asked us to imagine, “What might be possible if evaluation was conceptualized, implemented, and utilized in a manner that promotes equity?”

The National Coalition for Housing Justice, of which Funders Together is a part of, sent the following letter to Congressional leaders lifting up priorities and resource needs for people experiencing homelessness in the next COVID-19 relief and recovery package.