As 2025 comes to a close, the team at Funders Together for Housing Justice took time to reflect on a year marked by transformation, transition, and deepened commitment to our mission. From a defining name change to leadership shifts and an increasingly hostile political environment, this year asked us to show up with clarity, courage, and care for one another.

What follows are selected reflections from our staff — moments that stood out, what we’re most proud of, or how the shift to Funders Together for Housing Justice resonates now, with the benefit of hindsight.

Highlight of the Year

"While interviewing Kassandra Frederique, CEO of Drug Policy Alliance, as our keynote address at the 2025 Funders Institute, I looked out to an audience completely dialed in, as if all of us were basking in the brilliance Kassandra gifted us, that it was just what we needed as a community. I looked down at my phone to check the time and saw Amanda’s text to the staff that read: “Remember this moment. I am so so proud of you.” - Michael Durham, Director of Networks 

"Honestly, Wale’s new album Everything Is a Lot is exactly how I’d summarize 2025. And in the midst of all of that, the brightest moment for me was watching the Funders Institute come alive—not just as an event, but as a declaration of who we are and who we’re becoming. It was powerful to be in a room where funders weren’t simply learning, but wrestling, expanding, and choosing to align more deeply with justice. Together, we threaded movement truth-telling, philanthropic courage, and grounded community expertise in ways that invited people to sharpen their analysis and stretch their imagination. Guiding that space affirmed for me that convening isn’t just logistical; it’s spiritual, political, and necessary. It reminded me that our work is to build clarity, connection, and collective purpose in a moment that demands nothing less." - RAM, Director of Membership and Programs 

What I'm Most Proud Of

"In a year filled with loss and harm — especially for our most vulnerable neighbors — I’m proud of how this team continued to show up with compassion and steadiness. Through organizational transition and an increasingly authoritarian environment, my colleagues offered one another grounding and care. That matters." - Lauren Bennett, Chief of External Affairs

"How our team has stood together through multiple transitions — our name change, leadership shifts, and a volatile federal landscape. We doubled down on our values, leaned on one another, and held onto a real sense of hope and possibility. That makes me incredibly proud and grounded in this team." - Carey Cabrera, Membership and Knowledge Coordinator

Reflection on the Name Change

"While we know many are moving away from words like justice, we are LEANING IN and standing firm. We will be clear that housing justice is not achieved until all have the housing option they choose. History will remember those that looked away, stepped away, didn’t act. That will not be us or our members. We are building a community that honors the work that came before us. My hope for 2026 is that our members will lift up their grantees, arm them properly for the fight and see us as the resource we are for them now, and join us!" - Jessica Venegas, Co-Interim CEO 

"In retrospect, the shift to Funders Together for Housing Justice feels clarifying, not symbolic. It names the truth that homelessness is produced by systems — not individual failure — and that ending it requires confronting power, racism, and scarcity head-on. The name has sharpened how I think about storytelling, advocacy, and responsibility, grounding our work in precision about both the harm we’re naming and the future we’re working toward." - Joshua Perrin, Communications and Program Manager

"We are right on time, and we cannot back down. Justice is slow, often unpopular, and always costly — but it is the only path to collective freedom. Naming housing justice is both a commitment and a warning: we will reckon with the past, heal in the present, and build a society that works for all of us. That clarity matters now more than ever." - Maegan Scott, Co-Interim CEO

"Our name change was long overdue.  Our old name did not define who Funders Together is as an organization and what we stand for.  Housing is a human right and in addition to having a roof over your head, there needs to be systemic changes to overcome racial disparities and injustices that impact people of color and the harm caused by those things." - Holly Sullivan, Finance Manager

_________ 

Looking Ahead 

As we move into 2026, we do so with shared conviction: housing justice is liberation work. This year reminded us that courage, clarity, and community are not optional — they are the foundation. 

We’re grateful to be in this work together.