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Funders Together to End Homelessness is the only national network of grantmakers working to end and prevent homelessness. We are determined to make homelessness a word we no longer have to use, a reality no one has to live.
We believe that we can end homelessness and that philanthropy will play a critical role in this effort.
But first, we must come together to share what works, learn from one another, and challenge each other to develop innovative, long-lasting solutions. To end homelessness, we must rethink systems that merely manage the issue or tolerate it as an “intractable” social problem. We must increase coordination across departments and agencies and initiate strategic partnerships among funders, policymakers, business leaders, advocates, and service providers. And we must advocate for the necessary policy changes at the local, state, and national levels.
Be a Catalytic Funder
We continue to see an encouraging trend: funders working to end homelessness are focusing not on the successes of individual programs, but rather on a systemic approach that addresses the underlying causes of homelessness. They know that housing-based solutions combined with the right supports can end homelessness, so they invest in and promote Housing First, permanent supportive housing, and rapid re-housing. They make investment decisions based on data and evidence. They take risks to discover innovative solutions. And they raise the bar for everyone else.
Learn
Building a Funders Network 101: How You Can Catalyze Change in Your Community
What are the key elements in building an effective funders network in your own community?
Grantmakers Toolkit for Ending Homelessness
Homelessness is a complex issue but it is not an unsolvable problem. It can be ended and philanthropy has a vital role to play.
Collaborate with Other Funders
No funder has the resources to end homelessness alone. Funders can play a powerful role in bringing together a diverse group, finding common ground among differing perspectives, and identifying specific ways to work together for the benefit of all. Working with other funders in your community--and formalizing a funders network--can also ensure that effective grantees are well-supported, technical assistance and capacity-building are directed towards programs that show potential, and philanthropy speaks with a collective voice about solutions to homelessness.
Network
At Funders Together, we work to facilitate information sharing and scale best practices. One of the ways we do this is through issue- and community-based learning opportunities.
Collaboration and partnership are at the heart of our national approach to ending homelessness. Learn how our regional funders networks are making progress in their communities.
Be a Voice for Change
Funders are more than just a checkbook. People experiencing homelessness interact with many different systems and funders have a unique vantage point to connect the dots, ensuring that we adequately address the needs of the people we are trying to serve. Philanthropic dollars are small when compared to government funding, but through advocacy, funders can build support new approaches and strategic shifts. Through advocacy, foundations can help reduce policy barriers, leverage funds, and create bridges between different systems to have a real impact on ending homelessness. Your voice matters.
Act
While there are numerous policies that may affect homelessness services and prevention, we stand behind these key policy priorities.
Private foundations are prohibited from lobbying, but there is so much more to advocacy than supporting or opposing a specific piece of legislation.
Become a Member
Add your voice to more than 160 funders who are calling for philanthropy to leverage its resources for the greatest possible impact. Because homelessness has no single cause or solution, our members are engaged in various kinds of grantmaking. Some are specifically focused on homelessness while others work in related areas like health care, workforce development, child welfare, domestic violence, and food security. They represent all types of foundations as well as corporate giving programs and United Ways.
JoinAlthough we have been working for nearly two decades on homelessness, we are constantly learning from the creative, passionate work of partners throughout the country ... the Funders Together network provides encouragement and tools for advancing our homelessness work. We've learned from fellow members around promising practices, building public-private collaboratives, and evaluating systems change efforts.
-Bill Pitkin, Director, Domestic Programs at Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
I so appreciate Funders Together’s ability to galvanize funders from across the nation to recognize the efficiencies gained and the social impact realized when we work collaboratively- it is why we are called 'Funders Together!’
-Bobbie Ibarra, Executive Director, Miami Coalition for the Homeless
My small family foundation's affiliation with Funders Together has allowed us to undertake much more strategic and effective grantmaking in homelessness. We have also become part of a vibrant and growing network of philanthropists around the country seeking to promote best practices to end homelessness in America.
-Tom Nurmi, Trustee at William S. Abell Foundation
When our small family foundation decided to focus on ending homelessness, our biggest hurdle was identifying where and how to start. After one meeting with a Funders Together board member, we not only knew where to start, but what to do and how to do it.
-Sonya Campion, Trustee at Campion Foundation
Funders Together has given me a platform to engage the other funders in my community. Our local funding community has improved greatly to support housing first models and align of resources towards ending homelessness.
-Leslie Perkul, Vice President at Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland
Funders Together allows us to amplify our voice at the national level, and to engage in policy issues and discussions that we might not otherwise have access to.
-David Wertheimer, Deputy Director, Pacific Northwest Initiatives at Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
