At this week’s NAEH 2013 Conference on Ending Family & Youth Homelessness, Funders Together hosted several events as part of our Networking Series: Where Catalytic Philanthropy Begins With Conversation.
At this week’s NAEH 2013 Conference on Ending Family & Youth Homelessness, Funders Together hosted several events as part of our Networking Series: Where Catalytic Philanthropy Begins With Conversation. On the evening of February 20th, the Medina Foundation graciously sponsored and co-hosted a Funders Networking Reception at their offices in Seattle, providing an opportunity for members to connect the evening before the conference kick-off.
The next morning, in conjunction with the first day of the NAEH Conference, Funders Together hosted a pre-conference Networking Breakfast, co-hosted and sponsored by the Raikes Foundation and the United Way of King County. Following welcoming remarks from Tricia Raikes and Sara Levin of UWKC, FTEH Board Chair David Wertheimer provided a clear and succinct overview in answer to the layered question, “What is Funders Together to End Homelessness?”which was captured on video. Executive Director Anne Miskey then invited guests from the public sector’s federal, state, and local levels, along with members of Funders Together, to participate in a dialogue around youth homelessness, with specific emphases on best practices that have been successful, and on barriers that must be addressed. After a day packed with fantastic sessions, it was time to attend Thursday night’s Gates Foundation reception.
Gregory Lewis, Executive Director of the True Colors Fund, speaks about issues and challenges specific to LGBTQ youth facing homelessness at the Funders Networking Breakfast on February 21st, 2013.
This morning’s NAEH conference session entitled “Creating a Culture of Accountability: How Funders Can Encourage Good Results” was led by Anne Miskey, and featured David Wertheimer of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, as well as Kathleen Robertson of the State of Virginia Department of Housing & Community Development.Engaging attendees in a discussion about moving towards rapid re-housing models, this session emphasized the importance of public-private funder partnerships, as well as the need to utilize our collective influence to strengthen homelessness services and encourage positive results.
As we look to the week ahead and beyond to prepare the launch our new Learning Community with our first topic being on youth homelessness, we’ll review the exciting events of our visit to Seattle. With the success of the on-going Networking Series Events, the NAEH Conference itself, and the valuable connections we made with colleagues both familiar and new, we will be sharing more coverage, video, insights, and valuable information from the events of this past week, including more from the Funders Networking Breakfast dialogue.
For the remainder of our coverage of conference events and beyond, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and in person as we continue effectively collaborating to prevent and end youth and young adult homelessness. We’d like to thank Alliance President Nan Roman, and the entire staff of the NAEH, for putting together such a phenomenal and important conference.
As our week draws to a close, please watch and share this video to learn more about who we are and what we do. We’ve enjoyed our week on the road here in Seattle, and we look forward to future opportunities to share what’s working and to overcome obstacles together.
L-R, Board Member Bobbie Ibarra, Board Chair David Wertheimer, Executive Director Anne Miskey, and Board Vice Chair Leslie Stnisha at the Gates Foundation Reception in Seattle.