overview

how we work

We are reaching out on many fronts to stand up for children. We know that good intentions and financial resources alone don’t bring about social change, and that we cannot improve the prospects for vulnerable children by ourselves.

Real change begins with individuals and communities. It also requires the ability to bring people together—whether it’s local and national organizations with shared interests, or legislative bodies with the power and vision to advance the greater good. And real change requires learning from our past, leveraging our strengths and working with a common purpose. From small meeting rooms in local communities to large legislative chambers, we’re standing up together in ways that make a measurable difference.

OUR WORK INVOLVES:

Leading Dialogue
We are sponsoring dialogue in local communities and building national networks to help identify challenges, establish priorities, coalesce resources and help children succeed.

Sustaining Communities
We lend our support to hundreds of committed community-based and national organizations, focusing significant resources on three places where children face especially tough challenges.  We believe that  our support of grassroots organizations in those locations can improve the lives of children. We also work with larger coalitions, providing leadership and funding to help them expand their reach and influence.

Investing in Opportunity
We supplement our grantmaking with mission-driven investments that enable high-impact financial institutions to move capital into vulnerable communities. These investments generate both social and financial returns by helping leading community development institutions extend loans to small businesses, helping families secure loans for affordable housing and providing financial services to low-income residents.

Sharing Our Expertise
The philanthropic community is a powerful force for good, and we join hands with other foundations by offering our knowledge, expertise, best practices, resources and influence to elevate our collective voice in support of causes we share.

Advocating Change
As we work inside communities, we learn about the unique education, health and economic challenges children face, and we lend our voice to local and national groups that promote change in public policies that impact children.

We view our mission through the dual lenses of racial equity and civic engagement, and partner with those who embrace these ideals.