New Networks: The Power of Women’s Funds For Two-Generation Change

July 10, 2014

Ascend at the Aspen Institute • April 2014

A shared vision for women’s philanthropy

Ascend at the Aspen Institute • April 2014

Why a two-generation approach?

In the U.S. today, nearly 45 percent of children live in low-income 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.

4

Two-generation core components

Ascend at the Aspen Institute • June 2014

5

Why is education at the core?

Return on investment in education for children AND their parents is high

Ascend at the Aspen Institute • June 2014

6

How do relationships fit into two-gen?

Ascend at the Aspen Institute • June 2014

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

7

Healthy children = Healthy adults

Ascend at the Aspen Institute • June 2014

Randa, R. F. & Felitti, V. J. The Adverse Child Experiences Study. Retrieved from http://acestudy.org

early

death

disease, disability,

& social problems

adoption of health-risk

behaviors

social, emotional, & cognitive

impairment

adverse childhood experiences

Conception

Who

le L

ife P

ersp

ectiv

e

Death

Childhood Trauma has Long-Term Effects

8

What supports help stabilize families?

Ascend at the Aspen Institute • June 2014

economic supports

• Housing

• Transportation

• Financial education and asset building

• Tax credits

• Student financial aid

• Food assistance

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.

Who we are: Women’s Funding Network

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 INSTITUTEHow 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.

TeamsFormed

Organizations from a variety of sectors

begin working together.

PlansFormalized

Teams receive targeted consulting

from experts.

FundingAwarded

Selected teams move women out of

poverty.

CarefulReview

Each proposal is thoroughly

researched to ensure quantifiable success.

A TWO-GENERATION MODELPharmacy Technician Training Program (Pell City, Alabama)

Head StartChildcare and Early

Education

Alabama Career CenterSocial Capital

(Career Coaching)

Pell City United Methodist

Economic Supports (Food Assistance)

Higher Wage

Jobs for Women

Jefferson State Community College

Post-Secondary Skills Training

Mississippi has:• A health problem

• An education problem• An economic problem

Two generation programs are the common sense answer to all three.

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

Family Success

Mar

tavi

ous,

Ro

bin,

Rob

ert,

Mic

helle

Yolo

nda

Leadership Academy

Technology and

Employment

Assets for Independence

RISE financial literacy

Literacy Council

Adult GED Program

Bridges Out of

Poverty

Intentional Integration through Parent Involvement and Family Supports

Solutions in Action: The McGee Family’s Trajectory To Success

Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis

Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis

Early Childhood Education Innovation Pilot Program (ECEIP)

ECEIPAmbassadors

Program

AmbassadorLeaders

RecruitmentOrientation

Training

Mentoring and Home Visits

Nurse-Family Partnership @

Le Bonheur

Ambassador Partners

Parent Interview

Pre-Assessment

Early Success Coalition Network

Urban Child InstituteResearch

Goals• 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.

Blueprint for Prosperity

Innovation Zone

Women and Families Economic Security Opportunities

Parent Ambassadors

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

Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis

Ascend at the Aspen Institute • June 2014 19

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.

20

Creating tools with, and for, the field

Ascend at the Aspen Institute • June 2014

http://ascend.aspeninstitute.org@AspenAscend

Facebook/AspenAscend