Funders Together to End Homelessness • 220 Newbury Street, 2nd Floor, Boston MA 02116 • 617.236.2244 • www.FundersTogether.org

Issues Explorer #5:Grantmaking Strategies

Funders Together to End Homelessness • 220 Newbury Street, 2nd Floor, Boston MA 02116 • 617.236.2244 • www.FundersTogether.org

Research and Demonstration Projects

• Research begets funding – foundations looking for minimum investment should support research

• Demonstration projects = great way to convince community of effectiveness, safety, reduction in homelessness

• Examples: – Connecticut Supportive Housing Demonstration– Taking Health Care Home

Convene and Collaborate

• Collaborate via regional associations of grantmakers

• Gives more leveraging power to smaller foundations

• Good way to put muscle behind a particular population or program

• Examples: – Pittsburgh– San Diego

Public/Media Campaigns

• Share your strategies with provides, policymakers, press

• Stay on message in your giving and public statements

• Invite other funders to adopt your message• Examples:

– Building Tulsa, Building Lives– Heading Home Minnesota

Ten Year Plans

• Become a leader in your local Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness

• Set a goal of reducing homelessness by XX% over next ten years

• Examples: – Denver’s Road Home – Osteopathic Heritage Foundations

Advocacy and Systems Change

• It is allowable in many forms (i.e. won’t lose your tax exempt status)

• Often most effective way to make lasting change• Key areas: health care reform, systems

integration, service delivery• Examples:

– Hilton Foundation– Campion Foundation

Next Steps

• Join Funders Together• Learn more about specific issues• Join or start a regional affiliate of Funder Together• Bring experts to your community• Determine the strategies that make sense for you