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

Funders Together

A national network of foundations and corporations supporting strategic and effective grantmaking to end homelessness

Who We Are

• An affinity group of foundations and corporate donors

• Founded in 2004 by 5 foundations, 2 corporations, and 2 implementing partners who committed $37m to ending homelessness

• Have 120+ organizational members and $75 million+ committed to ending homelessness

How We Work

• National in scope, regional in approach • Share best practices in funding, collaboration,

and advocacy across the country• Support the work of our implementing partners,

the Corporation for Supportive Housing and the National Alliance to End Homelessness

What We Believe

• Homelessness is a solvable problem

• Investments now save money in the long run

• Housing and prevention work and are cost-effective

• Philanthropy can not do it alone

“Philanthropy can experiment and test, working in partnership with government to find the best solutions, but the plight of the homeless is a societal responsibility which the society as a whole must be asked to meet.”

-- Frank Melville,Founding Board Chair,

Melville Charitable Trust

Objectives

• Build a national network of funders who support proven, evidence-based programs

• Support the study, research and collaboration needed to refine and improve practices and polices

• Advocate for the increase of local, state and national resources

 

Long Term Goals

• Create the systems change needed to end homelessness for 2 million Americans

• Raise and leverage at least $100 million for housing and services by the end of 2010

• Create 90,000 more units of supportive housing by 2014 (60,000 of the overall goal of 150,000 have already been developed)

National Steering Committee

Melville Charitable Trust, Robert Hohler (chair)

William S. Abell Foundation,Tom Nurmi

Barr Foundation, Melinda Marble

Butler Family Fund, Martha Toll

Campion Foundation, Sonya Campion

Corporation for Supportive Housing, Deb DeSantis

Fannie Mae, Joe Weisbord

Paul and Phyllis Fireman Foundation, Deborah Fung

Frey Foundation of Minnesota, Jim Frey

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, David Wertheimer

William S. Abell Foundation,Tom Nurmi

Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Bill Pitkin

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Nancy Barrand

National Alliance to End Homelessness, Nan Roman

Osteopathic Heritage Foundation, Terri Donlin Huesman

Rockefeller Foundation, Darren Walker

Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland, Leslie Strnisha

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

Join Funders Together

Email request to join to jason@melvilletrust.org

Or, fill out the simple online application at www.funderstogether.org/signup

9

“It is important to ask what the key

interventions are that seem to be

making a difference. You will not be

surprised to hear among these key

interventions are supportive housing

and an emphasis on getting the most

people with disabilities into housing.

Moving people out of the shelter

system more quickly both reduces the

need for beds and reduces

homelessness.”

Nan Roman PresidentNational Alliance to End HomelessnessWashington, DC

Partner Voices

“Society has at times given up on our most

vulnerable populations and incorrectly

concluded that nothing can be done to

address their issues, or to solve the cycle of

despair resulting in long-term homelessness.

We know differently – there are proven

solutions that work. Effective, cost-efficient

models that move vulnerable people off the

streets and into affordable, permanent

housing where they can receive the support

they need to heal and build better lives.”

Deborah DeSantisPresident and CEOCorporation for Supportive HousingNew York, NY

Partner Voices

“Ending homelessness is about

empowerment. It’s about finding ways

to help people to help themselves. It

is about applying diligent and

thoughtful guidance that enables

each individual and each family to

acquire self-reliance and

independence. The people who help

make that happen are among the

most talented and dedicated and

patient that I have ever worked with.”

G. Robert HohlerExecutive DirectorMelville Charitable Trust, Hartford, CT

Partner Voices

“Chronic homelessness is an issue

that cuts across many funders’

interests – from health and health

care, mental illness, and child

welfare to prisoner reentry, poverty,

and community development. No

single funder or provider can solve

it alone, and we cannot solve it

without the involvement of both the

private and public sectors.”

Risa Lavizzo-Mourey PresidentRobert Wood Johnson FoundationPrinceton, NJ

Partner Voices

“People who are chronically homeless and

who are not housed create very, very difficult

circumstances in our cities. And wouldn’t it

make better sense - wouldn’t our sense of

fairness and justice be met by providing

them with a supportive housing unit? This is

not the 1980s when we were bewildered by

this phenomenon. We understand it. We

know what works. So the question is, do we

have the will to actually implement what we

know works, and what, quite frankly, doesn’t

cost us any more money to do?”

Darren Walker Vice President of Foundation InitiativesThe Rockefeller FoundationNew York, NY

Partner Voices

“What unites us all, what powers us

all... is the vision of a society where

everyone has a place that they can

call home. It is a vision we all believe

can be achieved. We are sure that

some day, sooner rather than later,

others will look back upon this time

and say: In such a great country, with

such unbelievable resources, what on

earth took them so long?”

Stephen MelvilleBoard ChairMelville Charitable TrustHartford, CT

Partner Voices

Funders Together to End Homelessness • 220 Newbury Street, 2nd Floor, Boston, MA 02116 • 617.236.2244 • www.FundersTogether.org 16

Funders Together: Homelessness Ends Here