Events

EVENTS

Funder Coffee Chats, Webinars & Strategy Sessions

2Gen Strategies: Funding Across Generations for Whole Family Success

The challenges facing children, youth, and families are experienced by the whole family. When economic insecurity or mental health challenges are experienced by a child or a parent, the effects are felt by everyone in the family. Trauma and inequity are too-often carried from generation to generation. If our aim is to improve the lives of children and create a more equitable world, a multigenerational approach is effective. Policies and programs that understand and embrace a multigenerational approach build on full-family strengths, explore the roots of problems, and bring comprehensive solutions to the table.

Join the Children, Youth & Family Funders Roundtable and Ascend at the Aspen Institute for a discussion of funder strategies that build multigenerational approaches in both program and policy. Together, we’ll discuss:

Examples of multigenerational strategies in both programmatic and policy funding
Issue areas with whole-family momentum
Areas ripe for investment
Internal and process changes funders made when switching to a multigenerational strategy
How to start

Speakers:

Paula Collins-Sammons, W. K. Kellogg Foundation
Marjorie Sims, Ascend at the Aspen Institute
Nicole Witherbee, John T. Gorman Foundation

Supporting LGBTQ Youth & Families in the Face of Anti-LGBTQ Policies & Rhetoric

In a very short time, we’ve seen a distressing backlash against LGBTQ rights – from challenging parents’ right to form families to restricting which pronouns can be used in schools to prohibiting gender-affirming healthcare for young people. Challenging LGBTQ rights is challenging democracy. It’s challenging quality healthcare and quality education. A welcoming and supportive community fosters positive development for all children. If you fund health, education, youth development, economic opportunity – these policies and the negative rhetoric around LGBTQ youth and families affects you and your grantees. This webinar will cover:

Why LGBTQ rights are being challenged now
What you can do in your field of funding
How to best listen to youth voices

Join us in this urgent moment to support LGBTQ youth and families.

Speakers:

Chris Bui, The Colorado Health Foundation
Maheen Kaleem, Grantmakers for Girls of Color
Mike White, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Looking Ahead to 2023: Policy Opportunities for Children and Families

The 2022 election results bring change, new opportunities, and different challenges. Join us as we learn about the policy landscape at both the national and state levels. We’ll discuss how potential policy changes could affect children and the varieties of roles funders can play to advance, defend against, or communicate better about policy.

Speakers:

Bruce Lesley, First Focus
Kimberly Perry, DC Action
Jenifer Wagley, Our Children Oregon

Funding Trauma & Healing

During this funder conversation, we heard from two funders on how they fund trauma and healing, their goals, how they decided what models to fund, and the lessons they’ve learned along the way.

Paula Sammons, W. K. Kellogg Foundation – Focus on family economic security and bridging research in brain development and behavioral economics to create human services programs that center whole families
Elizabeth Star Winer, Winer Family Foundation – Focus on early relational health and ensuring that families have access to the health and development opportunities they need so parents and children’s social, emotional, mental, and physical needs are met

https://vimeo.com/776275969

Trauma & Healing: What funders can do to build connection, trust, and radical change for kids

What’s the difference between trauma-informed care and healing-centered engagement? How do you know which approach is best-suited for your goals, whether in early childhood, healthcare, or youth engagement? Join us as we talk with Dr. Shawn Ginwright, one of the nation’s leading innovators, provocateurs, and thought leaders on African American youth, youth activism, and youth development, and the founder of Flourish Agenda. We’ll talk through why children need both trauma-informed care and healing-centered engagement and what funders can do.

Early Relational Health: A Foundation for Mental Wellness

Children need nurturing relationships with their caregivers and communities to build trust and a feeling of safety and belonging in the world. This early relational health can be a keystone of mental wellness and resiliency, preparing children to thrive in a challenging world. During a national emergency in child and adolescent mental health, it is critical for funders to question what can be done to quell the emergency, bot now and in the future. Early relational health is one area with significant opportunities for funders to act.

Join us to hear from David Willis, Senior Fellow at the Center for the Study of Social Policy. Together, we’ll learn about what funders can do to strengthen children’s earliest relationships with their caregivers and their broader communities

Addressing the Child & Youth Mental Health Crisis

In October, the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Children’s Hospital Association issued a joint Declaration of National Emergency in Child and Adolescent Mental Health. This webinar explores the scope of the problem. We’ll answer questions including:

How do we know there is a problem and what does that problem look like?
Who is affected?
How do mental health problems differ in young and older children?
Is this crisis because of the pandemic or outside of, but exacerbated by, the pandemic?
What does this mean in your community? What supports do kids and families need?
What are potential pathways for funders to make a difference?

Join us as we hear from:

Tamar Magarik Haro, Senior Director of Federal and State Advocacy, AAP,
Karen VanAusdal, Senior Director of Practice, CASEL, and
Nia West-Bey, Director of Youth Policy, CLASP.

Closing Gaps: Academic Success for All Post-Pandemic

After two years of instability due to the pandemic, many funders and parents are concerned about children’s lost opportunities. Alarming data on lower reading and math gains have led foundations leaders to wonder what can be done to help children “catch up.” Join us to learn more about:

What the data really says about children’s academic gains during the pandemic
How the pandemic highlights racial equity gaps endemic in the education system
Why a focus on “learning loss” can be detrimental to students
What funders can do to help all children succeed in school
Policy opportunities that advance learning for all

We’ll hear from Allison Socol, Assistant Director of P-12 Policy at The Education Trust.

This webinar is co-hosted by:

A Better World for Kids: What Kids Funders Can Do About Climate Change

Wednesday, September 15 * 1:30-2:00 pm eastern

Kids funders are experts in education, brain development, healthcare, trauma, mental health, and more. The environment hasn’t typically been considered a kids issue. And yet education, brain development, healthcare, trauma, and mental health are all impacted by our changing climate. It’s time for kids funders to grapple with ways their work can be leveraged or ways in which the impact of their work is minimized by the force of climate change.

Watch the recording to learn more about what kids funders can do about climate change.

Partner Event: Shifting Power in Grantmaking to Improve Child and Youth Outcome Series

Elevate Children Funders Group

The resounding call to more fully engage the communities we serve has the power to spur innovation and amplify impacts. But what does it mean, in practical terms, to make this shift as funders? Examine this question in a six part webinar series.

Tuesday, September 7 * 10:00-11:00 am EST – Why is shifting power vital to improving child and youth outcomes? Hear from a panel of experts sharing why community-centered grantmaking is more than “a good thing to do”.

Tuesday, September 14 * 10:00-11:00 am EST – How do we shift power? Learn practical steps and tools to help funders move towards community-centered grantmaking.

Tuesday, September 21 * 10:00 – 11:00 am EST – Does community-centered grantmaking work? Explore case studies from around the world.

Tuesday, September 28 * 10:00-11:00 am EST – How are funders shifting power? What are funders doing differently? How did they made the transition?

Tuesday, October 5 * 10:00-11:00 am EST – What can you do in practice? This session is designed as an interactive workshop, an experiential journey into shifting power in grantmaking.

Tuesday, October 12 * 10:00-11:00 am EST – How can you measure community-centered grantmaking? In this interactive workshop session, you will examine evaluation tools that capture community-driven systems change.

Learn more and register here!

Partner Event: Intersectional Justice: Migrants on the Front Lines of Climate Change

Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR)

Wednesday, July 28 * 1:30-2:30 pm EST

Across the world, climate change is displacing millions of people from their homes, forcing many from the Global South to seek refuge in the United States and other countries. Meanwhile, in the United States, hurricanes, heat waves, fires, and other climate change-fueled disasters present immigrants with significant hazards where they live and work.

How do we prevent people displaced by climate change from falling through the cracks? How do we support immigrant communities who are facing the worsening effects of climate change?

We need policy that meets the realities of both immigrant and climate justice. Join Unbound, GCIR, Four Freedoms Fund and leaders from the field for a conversation on equitable approaches to dealing with the fallout when migration and climate change interact.

Speakers:

Johanna Chao Kreilick, Union of Concerned Scientists
Ama Francis, International Refugee Assistance Project
Ahmed Gaya, OneAmerica
Saket Soni, Resilience Force

How does climate change affect children’s mental health?

Join the Children, Youth & Family Funders Roundtable and ecoAmerica as we discuss the ways climate change is affecting children’s mental health. Climate change is happening now; our children and communities are experiencing warmer weather, more air pollution, and more frequent natural disasters than generations of the past.

There are a number of ways that climate change is affecting mental health – from coping with the stressors of trauma to the compounded stress and daily dread of living on a planet in peril. For children, there can be a sense of loss, both the real loss of places, things, and relationships that are important to them and the perceived loss associated with impending disaster. The fear and feeling of powerlessness that comes with learning about and experiencing climate change affects children deeply. Interestingly, new research also shows that children who have experienced natural disasters may be more resilient and lead more sustainable lifestyles when given hope, advice, and support from caregivers.

This webinar will explore both the effects of climate change on children’s mental health and the variety of approaches funders can take to build children’s resiliency and support the connections with community, adults, and educators that help children cope with uncertainty.

Partner Event: Why Care About Care? Our Economy Depends on It

Economic Opportunity Funders (EOF) & Asset Funders Network Webinar

Tuesday, June 15 * 1:00-2:00 pm eastern

Misunderstood, underfunded, and undervalued

When you combine the 53 million unpaid caregivers with the nearly 5.7 million people working in the care sector – primarily women of color earning low wages and devoid of benefits and protections – and the people who benefit from that care, the issue of care impacts everyone.

The care economy, historically undervalued and underfunded, is at an intersectional and intergenerational issue encompassing childcare, early childhood education, home-based care for older adults and people with disabilities as well as the caregivers who provide the associated services.

COVID-19 put a spotlight on the critical need to build an infrastructure with policies in place that will appropriately address care on multiple fronts for care workers who provide the services we all need.

Join AFN and EOF for a webinar on June 15 as they release a new report designed to deepen funders’ understanding of the intersectional/intergenerational issues related to the care economy. They will lift up key public policies while providing innovative strategies and opportunities for greater funder collaboration to build an equitable care infrastructure.

Register here!

Taking on Child Poverty

The pandemic relief bill includes a child benefit package with the potential to cut child poverty to about 6% from 14%, according to projections from the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University. This brief webinar explores:

Why child poverty is important and its impacts on children
How it is measured
Issues of equity and opportunity related to child poverty
How the stimulus bill works to reduce child poverty
What funders can do to leverage the bill in their communities and make these changes permanent

Two experts from the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia will join us to share their research – Dr. Megan Curran & Dr. Chris Wimer.

Partner Event: 2021 Virtual Budget and Tax Briefing

Economic Opportunity Funders (EOF) is holding their annual budget and tax briefing virtually this year over the course of April. See and register for the events below.

Federal Policy, Budget, and Revenue Outlook

April 8, 2021 * 1:00-2:15 pm eastern

Government services, structures, and systems are an essential foundation for a healthy economy where opportunity and prosperity are broadly and equitably shared. The twin pandemics of COVID-19 and systemic racism have exposed and deepened our current economy’s structural weaknesses and inequalities and spurred a new moment of national reckoning on racial justice. Join us to learn more about key provisions in the federal budget and recovery package, upcoming budget debates, and strategies to advance worker justice, social protections, and an economy that works for all.

Speakers:

Dr. Michael McAfee, President & CEO, PolicyLink
Sharon Parrott, President, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Marcia Egbert, Program Director, The George Gund Foundation (Moderator)

Register here!

State Policy, Budget, and Revenue Outlook

April 15, 2021 * 12:00-2:00 pm eastern

The COVID-19 pandemic and recession triggered a state budget crisis and exposed and deepened our current economy’s structural weaknesses and inequalities. The anticipated federal fiscal relief and stronger than anticipated revenue projections suggest the worst is probably over, leaving some state policymakers proposing harmful tax cuts and austerity policies that will slow down the recovery and cause further harm to families and communities, with disproportionate impacts on immigrants, tribal nations, communities of color, and women. Now is the time to advance bold progressive revenue policies where everyone pays their fair share and communities can thrive. Join us to learn more about how states are responding and what’s at stake and in play in 2021. This two-part program will share an overview of key policy and narrative battles and opportunities in the states and offer lessons learned and insights from proactive and defensive revenue campaigns in New Jersey and West Virginia.

Speakers:

Kelly Allen, Executive Director, West Virginia Budget and Policy Center
Michael Leachman, Vice President of State Fiscal Policy, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Brandon McKoy, President, New Jersey Policy Perspective
Mariya Taher, Narrative Liaison, Topos Partnership
Misha Werschkul, Executive Director, Washington Budget and Policy Center
Karina Jimenez Lewis, Associate Director of Policy Reform & Advocacy, The Annie E. Casey Foundation (Moderator)

Register here!

Making the Case for Cash

April 22, 2021 * 1:00-2:00 pm eastern

As millions of Americans continue to struggle to make ends meet, there has been increased national attention to and growing public support for cash transfers as an effective way to get money into the pockets of people hit hardest by the pandemic and economic crisis. Government and philanthropy are experimenting with a variety of approaches – universal basic income pilots, emergency stimulus, and tax credits – to explore how to ensure that families who need it the most have access to flexible resources. Join us to learn more about how government, philanthropy, and advocacy organizations are making the case for cash.

Speakers:

George Jones, CEO, Bread for City
Aisha Nyandoro, CEO, Springboard to Opportunities
Nisha Patel, Powered by Shakti (Moderator)

Register here!

Making Kids & Families Policy Priorities: A Funder Policy Roadmap for 2021 and Beyond

After the 2020 elections, it is time to reflect on what funders can do to progress policy changes. This Roundtable webinar covers policy actions at both the federal and state levels and includes opportunities for funders to discuss with their peers the most effective ways to create policy and systems change.

During this interactive webinar, we’ll discuss:

What policy changes are possible at the federal and state levels and why
Basic needs, early childhood, and health policy
How policy change is likely to happen
Ways to fundamentally change systems so that kids are a priority, not an afterthought
Funder roles in policy and systems change

Speakers:

Bruce Lesley, First Focus on Children
Deborah Stein, Partnership for America’s Children

Future of Child Care, pt. 2 – An Accessible, Equitable, High Quality Child Care System

Join us for the second part of our Future of Child care series in which we’ll discuss:

A vision for a more affordable, equitable, high quality child care system
How to build a movement that calls for a different system
Ways to center the voices of parents and providers
Flexible funding strategies

Speakers:

Danielle Atkinson, Mothering Justice
Seth Borgos, Community Change
Melissa Boteach, National Women’s Law Center

Future of Child Care, pt. 1 – COVID’s Impact & Relief for the Field

The upside of the pandemic for child care is increased attention and calls for support. This is an opportunity for funders to help reshape the field and create a system that is more equitable, affordable, and accessible for all families. The downside is that pre-existing problems (an unsustainable business model, questions around quality, professionals not earning a living wage, and more) that once were cracks in the system are now fissures.

Join us for the first part of our Future of Child Care series in which we’ll discuss:

How the pandemic is affecting the child care field,
Ways to build parent and provider leadership,
Potential ways for funders to provide relief, and
Short-term ideas to jump start a new vision for the future.

Speakers:

Julia Barfield, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation
Katherine Gallagher Robbins, CLASP
Mary Ignatius, Parent Voices

Partner Event: State & Local Budgets – The Next COVID-19 Battlefront

Economic Opportunity Funders (EOF) & Funders’ Committee for Civic Participation (FCCP) Webinar

Thursday, October 1 * 3:00-4:00 pm eastern

The pandemic and economic fallout are placing significant strains on state and local budgets, costing millions to contain the disease and driving sharp declines in income and sales tax revenues. State budget shortfalls are predicted to total to a cumulative $555 billion over state fiscal years 2020-2022. This does not include the additional shortfalls local and tribal governments and US territories face. Unlike the federal government, most states and localities must balance their budgets every year. Large budget shortfalls, dwindling rainy day funds, and insufficient federal relief will leave policymakers facing tough choices about raising taxes and fees, cutting spending on critical programs like education and healthcare, and imposing layoffs on public employees. We know from experience how deep spending cuts and long-term austerity policies can slow down the recovery and cause further harm to families and communities, with disproportionate impacts on immigrants, tribal nations, communities of color, and women.

Join this webinar to learn more about the state and local fiscal crisis, lessons learned from the Great Recession, key principles for an equitable response, and how state and local advocates are gearing up for the budget battles to come.

Speakers:

Caitlin Hamood, Stoneman Family Foundations (Moderator)
The Honorable Julie Gonzales, Senate Finance Committee, Colorado General Assembly
Marcela Díaz, Somos Un Pueblo Unido
Erica Williams, State Fiscal Policy, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Cosponsors: Chesapeake Bay Funders Network, Children Youth & Family Funders Roundtable, Council of New Jersey Grantmakers, Environmental Grantmakers Association, Funders Together to End Homelessness, Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees, Grantmakers for Thriving Youth, Maryland Philanthropy Network, Philanthropy New York, United Philanthropy Forum, Workforce Matters.

Register here

Data, Children, Families, & COVID: What We Know

The COVID pandemic continues to change America – economic turmoil, job losses, uncertainty around schooling, shifting public opinions on policies to support workers and families, etc. More than one in six Americans have moved since the beginning of the pandemic. These changes will have long-lasting implications and it’s critical for grantmakers to thoughtfully consider how these changes impact their strategies. This webinar will introduce data from three sources – the Census’s Household Pulse Survey, University of Oregon’s Rapid-EC survey focused on early childhood during the pandemic, and USC’s Center for Economic and Social Research’s survey on education. Join us to learn more about how families and children have been impacted by the pandemic.

Speakers:

Jason Fields, United States Census Bureau
Phil Fisher, University of Oregon, Rapid-EC Study
Arie Kapteyn, University of Southern California, Center for Economic and Social Research
Mark Mather, Population Research Bureau
Anna Saavedra, University of Southern California, Center for Economic and Social Research

Cosponsored by the Economic Opportunity Funders.

State Budgets Post-Crisis & Medicaid: What Families Can Expect

Wednesday, July 8 * 2:00-3:00 pm eastern

The economic fallout from the COVID-19 crisis is projected to deeply impact state budgets for years. This likely means budget cuts. As Medicaid is a large portion of state budgets, it is one area likely to be affected, but how? What will state budget cuts mean for children and families? Join the Roundtable, Economic Opportunity Funders (EOF), and Grantmakers in Health (GIH) to hear from:

Joan Alker, Georgetown University Center on Children and Families
Judy Solomon, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Stabilizing Children’s Lives During Crisis

We know that stability is critical for children’s healthy development and well-being, but how can we, as funders, build supports for children during this health and economic crisis during which everyone’s lives are upturned? This new tool from the Urban Institute visualizes the web of supports that buttress stability in children’s lives – from meeting basic needs to shoring up positive relationships to building support for family-friendly policies. Join us as we learn more about how this crisis has affected children and discuss different funder strategies for building stability during a time of uncertainty.

Stabilizing Children’s Lives During Crisis

Thursday, June 11 * 1:00-1:30 pm eastern

During this Meet the Researcher webinar, we’ll hear from Gina Adams at the Urban Institute about ways in which the current crisis has affected children. Gina will share thoughts on how funder strategies fit into the web of supports.

What Funders Can Do to Stabilize Children’s Lives Now

Wednesday, June 17 * 2:00-3:00 pm eastern

During this follow-up funder discussion, we’ll talk about funding strategies that build stability for children. Featuring:

Jennifer Ng’andu, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Jennifer Stavrakos, William Penn Foundation

Partner Event: Innovations to Support Families during COVID-19

ECFC webinar

Thursday, May 14 * 3:00 pm EST

Join ECFC to discuss innovations in home visiting. During the pandemic, families are facing more stress than ever – economic and emotional. At the same time, their connections to early educators, home visitors, and other parents are also strained by closures and distancing. Funders and family supporting programs are adapting quickly to continue services for families. Join this informal conversation with experts from the field to consider what’s possible and what’s proving effective to support families. Speakers include:

Constance Gully, President and Chief Executive Officer, Parents as Teachers
Adrian Pedroza, National Director of Strategic Partnerships, Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors
Andrew Russo, Co-Founder & Director, National Family Support Network

Learn more and register here.

Partner Event: Towards an Equitable Response and Recovery – Grantmaking Strategy Under COVID-19

Workforce Matters and NFG’s Funders for a Just Economy webinar

Thursday, May 28 * 2:00 pm EST

Interested in learning more about how your peers are tackling the challenges of grantmaking in the COVID-19 era? Join Workforce Matters and NFG’s Funders for a Just Economy to discuss the strategies three foundations are using to respond to working families’ near-term needs related to income, employment, job training, and supportive services while sustaining their long-term work to reduce disparities and injustices and advance family economic security. Speakers include:

Rachel Korberg, Ford Foundation
Monica Munn, The Mariam Assefa Foundation
Jeanne Sakamoto & Casey Budesilich, James Irvine Foundation

Learn more and register here.

Partner Event: COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Immigrant Families and Communities: Recommendations for Philanthropic Action

GCIR webinar

Wednesday, April 15 * 1:00 – 2:30 pm EST

Join GCIR to learn from leaders in the immigrant rights movement on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic about how philanthropy must significantly increase grantmaking dollars, shift grantmaking practices, embrace risk, and assert leadership to meet the challenges of this moment.

GCIR’s funding recommendations are here.

Learn more and register here.

Covid-19 Peer Call

Thursday, March 26 * 12:00-1:00 pm eastern

The past two weeks have seen dramatic changes in your work – both how you work and what you are doing. Get together with your peers to hear what they are up to.

How are you staying connected to your grantees? Up to date on the information in your community?
Has the crisis shifted your grantmaking strategies or process?
What is your organization doing in response to the crisis?
What are you doing to stay sane and recognize the amazing work that you are doing right now?

Please join us! We want to get through this together as a community. Hearing your voices will be a highlight of the week.

Register here.

Medicaid and Wealth Inequality: Meet the researcher – Naomi Zewde

Thursday, March 19 * 2:00 – 2:30 pm Eastern

Does Medicaid have an impact on whether poor families can stay in their homes? What about on poverty rates? How has Medicaid expansion affected families experiencing poverty?

Learn all of this and more with Naomi Zewde! Naomi is an Assistant Professor of health policy and management at the Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy at CUNY.

During this webinar:

Learn about Naomi’s research on Medicaid’s economic security impacts
Discuss ways for funders to get involved
Ask your questions!

Watch the webinar!

Economic Opportunity Funders 17th Annual Budget and Tax Briefing for Grantmakers

March 5-6 in Washington, DC

Join this two day briefing for funders to network with colleagues and learn about and discuss pressing policy developments, key battles and opportunities at the federal and state level, and emerging policy, communications, and organizing strategies to advance worker justice, social protections, and an economy that works for all.

Hear from organizers and advocates on how they are preparing for the 2020 elections and beyond and what role philanthropy can play to support them.

Learn more and register here!

Partner Event: How Medicaid Supports Trauma-Informed Care for Children – GIH

Grantmakers in Health webinar

November 21, 2019

Learn more and register here

Join GIH for this webinar. Experiencing trauma in childhood increases the risk of chronic disease and behavioral health issues throughout life. The Medicaid program, which provides health coverage for approximately 40 percent of children and youth aged 0-18 in the United States, is uniquely positioned to support broad, prevention-focused, trauma-informed care and services. Join this briefing to learn more about current behavioral health and trauma services covered by the Medicaid benefits package, discuss examples of state-based best practices and innovative policy initiatives, and explore future opportunities to improve Medicaid’s response to children exposed to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and other forms of trauma. Featured speaker: Kamala Allen of the Center for Health Care Strategies

Upcoming events of interest

If you are interested in the intersection of immigration and child welfare, check out:

A Threat to Health & Well-Being: Public Charge’s Expected Impact and How Philanthropy Can Respond
- GCIR webinar
- September 26, 2019

If you are curious about innovative funding for policy advocacy, check out:

Philanthropy’s New Playbook for Policy Advocacy
- Urban Institute event
- October 15, 2019

If you want an up-to-date assessment of workforce policy changes, check out:

Federal Policy Update & Higher Ed Reform Primer
- Workforce Matters webinar
- October 30, 2019

Watch the webinar here!

Policy research, public will building, message development, grassroots and grasstops engagement. Funders have lots of tools in their toolkit!

Join funder colleagues to discuss a range of advocacy and systems change strategies used to ensure more children, families and communities thrive. We’ll discuss strategies and lessons learned from a variety of funder perspectives.

Speakers:

Katherine Beckmann, Program Officer, Children, Families and Communities at the Packard Foundation
Jennifer Esterline, Executive Director at the Texas Education Grantmakers Advocacy Consortium
Sara Watson, Senior Director, Policy at the Bainum Family Foundation

Investing in Change – Supporting Advocacy and Policy Work: Funders Together to End Homelessness Partner Webinar

Thursday, March 28 at 2:00 pm eastern

RSVP here!

How can philanthropy make the case for funding advocacy to end homelessness? Uncertain whether you can fund grantees that lobby? What’s philanthropy’s role in educating new members of Congress on housing and homelessness issues? What does it look like to support local ballot initiative work?

Funders Together is partnering is Alliance for Justice to answer these questions and more! This session will cover:

Reasons for philanthropy to support advocacy and policy work
Definitions of lobbying and activities that are exemptions to the definitions of lobbying, including those which are permissible for private foundations
Rules for private and public foundation grants to nonprofits that lobby, including general support, specific project, and multi-year grants
How funders can educate and inform incoming Congressional leaders on issues that affect housing and homelessness policy
Supporting local efforts, such as ballot initiatives and narrative change campaigns

RSVP here!

This webinar is only open to members of Funders Together, private funders, United Ways, and philanthropy-serving organizations.

Funder Priorities for 2019-2020 — Take the Survey!

For the Roundtable’s next conversation, we want to highlight the policy changes that most affect families and the strategies funders are using to support, shape, or defend against these changes.

To get a sense of your family-focused philanthropy, policy, and equity priorities in 2019 and 2020, we are surveying our members and asking our affinity group partners to distribute the survey as well. We will release a report outlining trends in the field and ways we can better work together.

Survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/kidpolicies

All data will be confidential. The final report will feature trends we see across the data and will not highlight individual organizations. Your survey responses will not be shared. If you have any questions or concerns about the survey, please contact Catherine Jahnes at [email protected].”

EITC Policy – Looking Back, Looking Ahead – EITC Funders Network Partner Webinar

Join the EITC Funders Network for an annual look at current federal and state EITC policies and what’s to come in the year ahead.

February 14 at 1:00 pm eastern

2018 was a big year for tax credit advocacy on the state level: bills to enact or expand state EITCs moved forward in multiple states and five states successfully expanded their state EITCs and two states enacted new Child Tax Credits (CTCs). On the federal level, the 2017 tax reform’s effects, including changes to the CTC, continued to ripple through the economy as proposals to strengthen tax credits emerged. Looking ahead, tax credit proposals are already being introduced in state legislatures and federal advocates are looking beyond the shutdown to opportunities for expansion.

Speakers:

Lauren Pesactore, Tax Credits for Workers and Their Families
Samantha Waxman, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Census 2020 Messaging Testing Results – FCCP Partner Webinars

The Funders Census Initiative (FCI) at FCCP has an on-going webinar series on census messaging. During each briefing, you’ll learn about best practices to reach hard-to-reach communities. There are two briefings in January:

Wednesday, January 16 at 1:00 pm eastern – National Congress of American Indians – register here

Wednesday, January 23 at 1:00 pm eastern – Arab American Institute – register here

Debriefing the 2018 Elections – FCCP Partner Webinar

Monday, January 7

3:00-4:15 pm eastern

As we jump into the new year, let’s look at policy opportunities that arise from the 2018 elections, including ballot initiative wins on voting rights restoration, money in politics reforms, redistricting, and more. What can we do to continue advancing this work? What policies might get traction in 2019? Learn more about this webinar offered by the Funders’ Committee for Civic Participation! The webinar is open to charitable foundation staff and philanthropic advisors.

Looking Ahead to 2019: Policy Opportunities for Children and Families

Tuesday, January 29 at 12:00 – 1:15 pm eastern

The 2018 election results bring change, new opportunities, and different challenges. Join us as we learn about the policy landscape at both the national and state levels. We’ll discuss how potential policy changes could affect children and the varieties of roles funders can play to advance, defend against, or communicate better about policy.

Speakers:

Bruce Lesley, First Focus
Deborah Stein, Partnership for America’s Children

Watch the webinar!

We Can All Prosper: College and Workforce Training Access and Completion – A Funder Strategy Conversation

Education and workforce training open doors for families to greater economic security and flexibility, but for many families, there are substantial barriers. This is especially true for low-income families and communities of color. For the past several months, we have explored the dynamics of these barriers, including policies that are quickly changing to restrict access to much-needed supports, the expense of child care, housing insecurity, and the changing nature of work and its impact on work quality. Now, we come together to talk about the roles philanthropy can play in making education or workforce training more feasible for families.

Speakers:

Caroline Altman Smith, The Kresge Foundation
Rosa Maria Castaneda, The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Louise Myrland, The Women’s Foundation of Colorado
Paula Sammons, W.K. Kellogg Foundation

Making the Census Count for Young Children: A Funder Strategy Conversation

The Census faces a major problem – undercounting young children, especially those in low-income or immigrant families. These children and families face the consequences for years, including decreased funding for necessary supports, such as food programs, affordable housing, and education. We can do better! Funders are gearing up for Census 2020. Join us to learn more about the myriad ways to get involved in your community.

Speakers:

Marcia Avner, The Bauman Foundation
Florencia Gutierrez, The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Bill O’Hare, O’Hare Data and Demographic Services, LLC
Jonathan Tran, California Endowment

Immigration Strategy Discussion

Are you interested in learning more about how your foundation can use its expertise to enter the immigration space? Are you seeking ways to communicate differently with your peers and colleagues about the effects of immigration policy today? Do you wonder how to better align your strategies across your issue areas?

Our first strategy discussion focused on supporting immigrant children and families! Four funders shared their strategies, including how they developed them and how they are linked with other issue areas.

Speakers:

Denise Dell Isola, Irving Harris Foundation
Sandra Martinez, The California Wellness Foundation
Laura Speer, The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Kavitha Sreeharsha, Emerson Collective

Healthy Babies, Successful Families – GCIR Partner Webinar

Join GCIR to learn about ways to help immigrant families access the health, nutrition, and safety services necessary for infants to thrive. The first six years of life are critical for brain development and immigrant families face unique challenges.

Learn more here and join us on Thursday, May 10 at 2:00 eastern for an in-depth program call provided by our partner Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees.

A Guide to the New Public Charge Rules – GCIR Partner Webinar

Recently proposed new public charge rules could block families from obtaining visas or permanent residency status because they use health and social services benefits for their eligible children. Learn more about these proposed rule changes and what funders can do in response.

Learn more here and join us on Thursday, April 19 at 4:00 eastern for an in-depth policy call provided by our partner Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees.

Increasing Stability. Improving Child and Family Outcomes: Launching the Funders Roundtable

March 14, 2018 – 2:30-4:00 pm eastern

For our first webinar together, we delved into research on the importance of family stability for positive child outcomes. We heard from field experts on what we have learned so far and what programs and policies work to provide stability in uncertain times. We talked with funder leaders about policy strategies to stabilize children’s lives. And, we talked together about the goals and plans for the Roundtable.

Speakers:

Gina Adams, Urban Institute
Leslie Boissiere, The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Beverly Buck, Aloha Foundation
Elsa Holguin, Rose Community Foundation
Paula Sammons, W.K. Kellogg Foundation

EVENTS

Funder Coffee Chats, Webinars & Strategy Sessions

Watch the webinar!

Help us shape the Roundtable!