New Networks: The Power of Women’s
Funds For Two-Generation Change
July 10, 2014
A shared vision for women’s philanthropy
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Why a two-generation approach?
In the U.S. today,
nearly 45 percent of
children live in lowincome families. The
long-term economic
prosperity of our
country is at risk
when children,
parents, and families,
resilient in spite of
great odds, struggle
to achieve
educational and
economic success.
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Two-generation core components
early childhood
education
social
capital
networks, friends,
and neighbors
health &
well-being
mental health
addressing adverse
childhood experiences
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postsecondary &
employment
pathways
economic
supports
asset building
housing
4
Why is education at the core?
Return on investment in education for children AND their parents is high
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How do relationships fit into two-gen?
social capital
• Career coaches, cohort models, and case managers
• Family, friends, and neighbors
• Community and faith-based organizations
• School and workplace contacts
• Leadership and empowerment programs
• Family engagement
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Healthy children = Healthy adults
Childhood Trauma has Long-Term Effects
Death
early
death
Whole Life Perspective
disease, disability,
& social problems
adoption of health-risk
behaviors
social, emotional, & cognitive
impairment
adverse childhood experiences
Conception
Randa, R. F. & Felitti, V. J. The Adverse Child Experiences Study. Retrieved from http://acestudy.org
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What supports help stabilize families?
economic supports
• Housing
• Transportation
• Financial education and asset building
• Tax credits
• Student financial aid
• Food assistance
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Who we are: Women’s Funding Network
The largest philanthropic network in the world dedicated to improving
the lives of women and girls
Through more than 165 women’s funds and foundations in over 30
countries, we support and champion a vision that a better world for
women and girls is a better world for all.
WFN & Two Generation Approach
Partnership for Women’s Prosperity
• Six women’s funds and foundations, with Women’s Funding
Network connecting them and sharing knowledge and
practices for replication across our Network
• Creating sustainable change in a multifaceted way:
– How do we dismantle poverty?
– What do good jobs look like for women?
– How do we support individual women, while recognizing the
systemic barriers affecting their path to economic security?
• New strategies, a learning community, and $2.6 million in
grantmaking combined to reach 13,000 women
COLLABORATION INSTITUTE
How it Works: We Connect the Dots
The Women’s Fund of Greater Birmingham provides the time and resources for agencies to
collaborate and create solutions that never before existed.
Teams
Formed
Plans
Formalized
Careful
Review
Funding
Awarded
Organizations from a
variety of sectors
begin working
together.
Teams receive
targeted consulting
from experts.
Each proposal is
thoroughly
researched to ensure
quantifiable success.
Selected teams move
women out of
poverty.
A TWO-GENERATION MODEL
Pharmacy Technician Training Program (Pell City, Alabama)
Jefferson State
Community College
Post-Secondary
Skills Training
Alabama Career Center
Social Capital
(Career Coaching)
Higher
Wage
Jobs for
Women
Head Start
Childcare and Early
Education
Pell City
United Methodist
Economic Supports
(Food Assistance)
Mississippi has:
•A health problem
•An education problem
•An economic problem
Two generation programs are the common sense answer to
all three.
Women’s Foundation for a
Greater Memphis
Memphis Two–Generation Solutions
•
•
Urban Strategies Memphis HOPE®
Access to Early Childhood Education and Development by Engaging
Parents as Ambassadors and Advocates
Supporting Education and Workforce Training for Women and Youth
Development through Public Private Partnerships
•
Yolonda
Solutions in Action: The McGee Family’s Trajectory To Success
Literacy
Council
Adult GED
Program
Bridges
Out of
Poverty
Martavious,
Robin, Robert,
Michelle
Intentional
Integration through
Parent Involvement
and Family Supports
Leadership
Academy
Technology
and
Employment
Assets for
Independence
Family
Success
RISE
financial
literacy
Women’s Foundation for a
Greater Memphis
Early Childhood Education Innovation Pilot Program (ECEIP)
ECEIP
Ambassadors
Program
Ambassador
Leaders
Recruitment
Orientation
Training
Mentoring and
Home Visits
Ambassador
Partners
Parent
Interview
Pre-Assessment
Nurse-Family
Partnership @
Le Bonheur
Early Success
Coalition
Network
Urban Child
Institute
Research
Women’s Foundation for a
Greater Memphis
Women and Families Economic Security Opportunities
Blueprint for
Prosperity
Innovation
Zone
Parent
Ambassadors
Goals
•
•
Expanding public-private
partnerships with
businesses
Eliminate poverty by 5%
over 5 years in Shelby
County’s poorest zip
code, 38126
Train parent
Ambassadors to
advocate for Early
Childhood Education
among other parents
in their community
Expand Memphis HOPE’s two-generation approach to providing wraparound social services to
include 3 years of annual evaluation measuring program effectiveness and collective partnership
impact outcomes.
Establish a public-private Innovation and Collaboration Training Institute designed to build a
systemic and collective approach to address issues and barriers to improve women’s economic
security.
Women’s Funds as Laboratories for
National Change
In Minnesota, a landmark
“Women’s Economic Security
Act” was passed in May 2014.
The Act was spearheaded by the
Women’s Fund of Minnesota, led
by Lee Roper-Batker. WFM acted
as a bipartisan advocate and
messenger in moving the
legislation through the state
legislature.
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