Next call: November 12, 2025 | 2:00pm ET, 1:00pm CT, 12:00pm MT, 11:00am PT, 10:00am AK

Funders Together for Housing Justice and Fund for Housing and Opportunity are creating intentional spaces for our members to connect, share, and strategize in response to the administration change. In addition to our regular webinars focused on field updates and national trends, we are hosting monthly, informal Policy Funder Calls for members to exchange insights, elevate pressing concerns, and explore collective actions to advance housing and racial justice in this critical moment.

What to Expect 

These are active, discussion-based calls that are member-driven and lightly facilitated by Funders Together and Fund for Housing and Opportunity staff. They are designed as open spaces for funders to:

• Share what they are seeing in their communities, especially as policies and political shifts impact people experiencing homelessness.
• Surface emerging challenges and opportunities for advocacy and resource alignment.
• Seek support, ideas, and thought partnership from peers navigating similar dynamics.
• Strategize around philanthropy’s role in protecting and advancing racial equity and housing justice amidst ongoing attacks on these efforts.

Call Logistics

Policy Funder Calls will take place once monthly on Wednesdays at 2:00pm ET, 1:00pm CT, 12:00pm MT, 11:00am PT, beginning April 9th, 2025, and continuing until further notice.

These calls will not be recorded for security purposes and to ensure open conversation, but we will capture live notes to share key takeaways with participants.

Registration

Please register for the upcoming monthly policy calls below. Once a Funders Together staff member has approved your registration, you will receive your unique Zoom link.

Register for the November 12th Call

Register for the December 3rd Call

Please note: Participation in Funders Together programming is limited to foundations, community foundations, grantmaking staff at United Ways, corporate giving programs, individual philanthropists, venture philanthropy and other non-traditional philanthropic giving entities, philanthropy-serving organizations, and members of Funders Together. Government funders and staff at organizations where grantmaking is not the primary function are not eligible to participate. Funders Together reserves the right to deny participation to individuals we believe do not meet participation eligibility criteria. If you have questions about your eligibility, please reach out to Rachelle A. Matthews (RAM), Director of Membership and Programs.

Technology

This funder call will take place via Zoom meeting. Registration will be open until the time of the call. If you do not receive your Zoom link or have technical issues logging into this call, please reach out to Rachelle A. Matthews (RAM) at [email protected].

This call will last 60 minutes.

Looking for Broader Field Updates?

If you’re interested in hearing national updates from field leaders and learning about the broader response from philanthropy, we will continue to host regular policy-focused programming. These calls will be topic-specific highlighting high-level trends, federal policy shifts, and philanthropic strategies in response to the national landscape. Stay tuned for more information about upcoming webinars and philanthropy-wide briefings! We’ll be sharing dates and details soon, so keep an eye on your inbox.

Co-Sponsored by Funders Together for Housing Justice 

About the Series

The Philanthropy for Voter Engagement initiative—led by Nonprofit VOTE in collaboration with United Philanthropy Forum, Council on Foundations, and Independent Sector—provides tools, resources, and best practices for funders interested in strengthening democratic participation.

This summer, the initiative conducted a national landscape analysis, interviewing foundations, philanthropic advisors, and philanthropy-serving organizations and reviewing emerging research on the intersection of democracy and philanthropy. The findings revealed a complex picture:

• Some funders feel more motivated than ever to invest in voter engagement.
• Others are uncertain about strategic direction.
• Some are divesting entirely from voter engagement activities.

Yet one theme was consistent: funders who remain committed—or are exploring their commitment—need clearer direction, candid guidance, and actionable strategies in a climate of legal uncertainty, political volatility, and increasing attacks on civic participation efforts.

To meet that need, the Philanthropy for Voter Engagement Initiative is launching a Funder Learning Series designed to help funders:

• Ground their strategies in current insights about the voter engagement landscape
• Navigate common concerns raised during the landscape analysis
• Explore actionable approaches to supporting civic participation
• Learn alongside national and regional philanthropic partners

Funders Together for Housing Justice is proud to co-sponsor this series, recognizing that housing justice and civic participation are deeply interconnected—and that communities cannot build power without access to trusted information, equitable voting systems, and inclusive democratic processes.

Upcoming Sessions

Media, Democracy, and Voter Engagement
Wednesday, November 19, 2025 | 1:00pm ET, 12:00pm CT, 11:00am MT, 10:00am PT, 9:00am AK

Democracy relies on trusted, culturally relevant, and widely accessible information. As media systems rapidly evolve—through local journalism, community storytelling, social media, and influencer-driven networks—voters increasingly rely on nontraditional sources to understand issues and decide whether and how to participate.

This session will highlight models from across the country that show how philanthropy can:

• Strengthen local and community-led media ecosystems
• Support trusted messengers
• Invest in narrative infrastructure
• Ensure communities have access to credible information as they prepare to vote

Featured Speakers:

• Max Zorick | Civic (Re)solve
• Allison Taylor Levine | Spotlight Delaware
• Raymond Paultre | American Experiments (AE) & Project 68 (P68)
• Misty Avila | The James B. McClatchy Foundation

How Voter Engagement Organizations Are Adapting Their Approaches in a Challenging Era
Wednesday, December 3, 2025 | 1:00pm ET, 12:00pm CT, 11:00am MT, 10:00am PT, 9:00am AK

With midterm elections less than a year away, voter engagement organizations continue to prioritize civic participation despite mounting pressures—from federal budget cuts, to escalating immigration enforcement, to misinformation and threats to organizational safety.

This session will spotlight organizations and funders that are:

• Responding to rapid shifts on the ground
• Adapting voter engagement methods in real time
• Sustaining long-term strategies centered on community power
• Building a democracy that reflects and serves their communities

Tuesday, January 27 | 2pm ET, 1pm CT, 12pm MT, 11am PT , 10am AK 

In our commitment to our north star of housing justice and its many structural intersections, Funders Together is honored to partner with upEND Movement to screen their short documentary A Vision of Grace. The film follows Youth Voices Empowered (YVE), a vibrant youth-led advocacy initiative amplifying the voices of young people experiencing housing insecurity in Houston. Through candid interviews, the youth share their lived experiences with houselessness and family separation while celebrating the joy and healing they’ve found in community. Montrose Grace Place emerges as a central character in the film—a sanctuary offering safety, belonging, and the possibility of chosen family. 

A Vision of Grace is a tribute to what it means to live abolition now. It highlights the urgent need to replace systems of punishment and separation with community-rooted care, showing what becomes possible when young people are seen, heard, and held in love. 

Speakers 

• Josie Pickens (she/her) | Executive Producer, A Vision of Grace 
• Sydnie Mares (she/her) | Director, A Vision of Grace 
• Michael Durham (he/him) | Director of Networks, Funders Together for Housing Justice (moderator)  

Registration  

This event is hosted by the Funders Network for Youth Success, a peer network of Funders Together for Housing Justice. If you are already a member of this network, use the same link as the Youth Homelessness Funder Strategy Circle already on your calendar. If you are not, RSVP for this event using the button below. Once a Funders Together staff person has confirmed your eligibility, Michael Durham will forward you the calendar invitation with the access link.  

Please note: Participation in Funders Together programming is limited to foundations, United Ways, corporate giving programs, philanthropy-serving organizations, and members of Funders Together. Government funders and staff at organizations where grantmaking is not the primary function are not eligible to participate. If you have any questions about your eligibility to participate, please email Rachelle A. Matthews, Director of Membership and Programs.   

Technology 

This funder call will take place via Zoom meetings. Registration will be open until January 26. If you do not receive your Zoom link or have technical issues logging into this call, please reach out to Michael Durham.

This call will last 60 minutes.  

Join Us in San Diego for the Philanthropic Leaders Track at the 2026 National Alliance to End Homelessness Leadership Summit on Ending Homelessness 

For our Spring 2026 convening, Funders Together for Housing Justice has been invited to partner with the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) to curate the Philanthropic Leaders Track at the 2026 National Leadership Summit on Ending Homelessness held in San Diego, March 2-4, 2026.

Taking the place of our 2026 Funders Forum, this track—Leading Together for Housing Justice in the Face of Authoritarianism—will offer timely content, candid dialogue, and practical strategy for philanthropic leaders. Funders Together is designing important conversations and opportunities for peer learning that reflect this political moment and strengthen philanthropy’s role in advancing housing justice while facing authoritarianism. 

This is a different kind of convening: one that brings fresh energy and new opportunities while carrying forward the heart of what makes our gatherings distinct. Participants can expect action-oriented sessions exploring how philanthropy can block harmful policies and build community power, smaller group discussions that foster closer peer connections, and integrated sessions with leaders from across the homelessness sector.  

It’s a chance to be in community, wrestle with complexity, and strengthen our collective capacity to support housing justice in the face of unprecedented challenges. 

What this means for you 

• Different format, same action-oriented content: Engage in sessions designed to surface practical strategies for philanthropy to advance housing justice and support organizing efforts in this political moment.
• Deeper peer connections: The smaller attendance format allows for more intimate discussions with your peers from across the country to grapple with philanthropy’s role in fighting back against authoritarianism in order to advance housing justice and liberation for all. 
• Community with sector leaders: While the content is geared towards a philanthropic audience, select sessions are integrated with leaders from the homelessness sector offering a chance to learn more deeply from leaders on the ground. 

Overview

Date: March 2–4, 2026 
Location: Sheraton San Diego Resort | 1380 Harbor Island Dr., San Diego, CA 92101
Organizers: Hosted by the National Alliance to End Homelessness; Philanthropic Leaders Track curated by Funders Together for Housing Justice 

Registration

Registration for the Philanthropic Leaders Track at the 2026 NAEH Leadership Summit on Ending Homelessness includes access to all Summit sessions and plenaries, the Networking Reception on Monday, March 2, 2026, and continental networking breakfast and lunch on Tuesday and Wednesday (March 3 – 4).  

Registration Fees: 

• $950 – Standard (through January 19, 2026) 
• $1,000 – Late (after January 19, 2026) 
• $1,050 – Onsite 

Space is limited, so we encourage you to register as soon as possible. 

Please note: Registration is managed directly through the National Alliance to End Homelessness, so clicking the link below will direct you to the NAEH website to complete your registration. Your confirmation email will also come from the National Alliance to End Homelessness. 

For questions about registration or logistics, contact [email protected]. 

What To Expect at the Philanthropic Leaders Track 

• Closed-Door Leadership Intensive – Courage to Lead: Holding the Line, Building the Future 
• Interactive Workshop – Who Decides? Civic Assemblies and the Future of Housing Justice 
• Collaborative Case Lab – Co-Leading Through Challenges with Partners 
• Spotlight Sessions on philanthropy’s role include: 
  • Building local funder collaboratives 
  • Moving from defense to offense in policy 
  • Strengthening democracy through housing justice 
  • Advancing prevention strategies like rent control 

Full session descriptions will be available soon. 

Philanthropic Leaders Track Eligibility 

Leadership is defined by action, not by job title. Whether shaped by lived experience, policymaking, funding, organizing or research, leadership drives the transformation of systems, practices, and narratives affecting the most marginalized. This track is designed for philanthropic leaders — including private and community foundations, United Way grantmaking departments, corporate giving programs, venture philanthropy, and individual philanthropists investing in homelessness solutions, system transformation, or community infrastructure. 

Hotel & Travel  

After registering for the Leadership Summit, don’t forget to book your hotel room and make your travel plans soon — the discounted block at the Sheraton San Diego Resort will fill up quickly.  

Health and Safety Precautions and Frequently Asked Questions 

Read FAQs, the Health and Safety precautions, Code of Conduct, and our Disability Justice Guidelines here.