Do you feel like your foundation is stuck in a rut? Is your foundation actually helping instead of hindering progress on addressing critical issues and the needs in your communities? Do you think there’s something you can do better to elevate your foundation’s impact from good to great?
The 2016 NCRP Impact Awards recipients can serve as inspiration for ways that your foundation can leverage all of its resources to help strengthen communities and move the needle on the issues it cares about.
- Consumer Health Foundation, Small/Midsize Private FoundationLearn how CHF is making headway in advancing the health and well-being of low-income communities and communities of color in the D.C. Metro Area through grantees like Bread for the City. BCF considers racism as a root cause of poverty that leads to the health inequity, housing instability and income inequality their clients experience on every day. It was among several local organizations that successfully advocated for the District of Columbia’s “Ban the Box” law that went into effect in December 2014.
- Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, Large Private FoundationThe San Francisco-based Haas, Jr. Fund is a leading funder of immigrant rights, marriage equality and education equity. It is a foundation of “firsts”: It was the first foundation to focus on comprehensive immigration reform and to make marriage equality a priority. It was the first foundation to partner with the San Francisco Unified School District on strengthening its pre-K to 3 approach to improve education outcomes for communities of color. Read how the foundation is making an impact through its work with the Civil Marriage Collaborative, the Haas Leadership Initiative and more.
- Patagonia, Corporate FoundationA certified B Corporation, Patagonia believes that grassroots activism plays a very important role in addressing pressing environmental problems and helping those in the frontlines. It helped fund the NYC Climate Justice Youth Summit where 750 New York City students explored climate adaption and community resiliency in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. The event was organized by UPROSE, an intergenerational, multi-racial, nationally-recognized community organization that promotes the sustainability of the Sunset Park community in Brooklyn through community organizing, education, leadership development and cultural/artistic expression.
- Sandler Foundation, Public CharityFounded by Herb and Marion Sandler, founders of California savings and loan holding company Golden West Financial Corporation, the Sandler Foundation believes in a particular approach to supporting grantees to improve human rights and social justice. The foundation helped launch notable organizations like Pro Publica, Center for American Progress, Washington Center for Equitable Growth and Learning Policy Institute. It supports activist organizations like PICO National Network and ACLU.
These awardees, along with recipients of the NCRP Impact Awards in 2013, 2014 and 2015, offer examples of how your foundation can invest its limited grant dollars in ways that have lasting positive impact in your communities.
So give them a shout out!
And we’d love to hear how these awardees are helping you to dream big for your own foundation. Share in comments below or use the #NCRPImpactAwards16 hashtag on Twitter.
Yna C. Moore is communications director of NCRP. Follow @ynamoore and @NCRP on Twitter.
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