Baltimore
Maryland
Huntington
West Virginia
Los Angeles
California
Tulsa
Oklahoma
Union County
South Carolina
In Baltimore, a network effect drives impact
On any given night, more than 2,500 people are without shelter in Baltimore. Yet that figure doesn’t account for those on the verge of being without a home: nearly half of the city’s residents live below 200% of the federal poverty line ($31,200 for a family of four).
For the many Baltimore funders and nonprofits addressing homelessness, the effort is not about merely helping those on the streets, but preventing the loss of a home from occurring in the first place for millions living on the edge. Philanthropic funders have an opportunity to collaborate with cross-sector partners, build trust and act on community needs, and fund a place-based approach that can help end and prevent homelessness.
“Homelessness is an area that is often misunderstood,” says Claudia Wilson Randall, executive director at the Community Development Network of Maryland (CDN). “We need to tell the stories of these people and the work they do. We need to talk about them as people who have human value.”
Kevin Lindamood, president and CEO of Health Care for the Homeless, an organization that provides racially equitable healthcare and housing, and advocates to reduce the instances and burden of homelessness, agrees: the problem is not broken people. “The problem is broken systems…There are people just like you and me living in impossible circumstances.”
Randall says Baltimore has an opportunity “as [part of] one of the wealthiest states, in the wealthiest country, to be different... We need a large group of philanthropic partners that believe we can have a city that's not reliant on this huge underclass.”
"Homelessness is entirely solvable. It's a myth to say otherwise. Collaborations are instrumental in building [the political will to do so] and demonstrating the success of collective action."
Going further, Together
Practitioners say solving homelessness, like any systemic or societal issue, requires a cross-sector approach. In Baltimore, funders are tackling the issue of homelessness head-on, and collaboratively.
The Maryland Philanthropy Network (MPN) brings together more than 100 philanthropic groups statewide to tackle a number of causes, including arts funding, aging, environmental sustainability, and workforce development. MPN has created “affinity groups,” and hosts a local table of Funders Together to End Homelessness - Baltimore (FTEHB). The group brings together private and public funders (Annie E. Casey Foundation, CDN, Health Care for the Homeless, and Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (MDHCD) are among them) to focus on structural and racial inequities related to housing instability, homelessness, and support services.
“We're a convener and collaborator,” says Danista E. Hunte, MPN’s President and CEO. “Our goal is to bring best practices to inform philanthropic practice, so that our funders learn together, grow together, and have greater impact across the state.”
Funders may have their own priorities, but through ongoing collaboration and communication, they develop agreed-upon goals and strategies together. “There are lots of opportunities for consensus building, even with individual funders who might have their own individual priorities and strategies,” Hunte says.
This network structure sets the funders up for shared success: going further together, as the old saying goes. “We really strive to learn together and push one another,” Hunte says. Plus, “collectively, they can fund a larger project that they couldn’t fund themselves.”
Some are more risk-averse than others, but “one of the benefits of working in partnership is we assume and distribute some of that risk. Less risk-averse funders are willing to step out on a limb, do a little testing, and we can do that together and learn,” she says.
A Seat at The Table
Challenges around social and housing justice, Hunte says, are cross-sector problems that require cross-sector solutions. That means inputs from all city corners — from nonprofit tenant-rights groups to government to sophisticated for-profit developers.
“We need them all pulling in one direction,” Randall says. “When you have a number of organizations talking about your work from all their various vantage points, that’s what really makes a difference. That’s real power.”
When individual funders band together in a group like FTEHB, “there is power in acting as one,” Lindamood says. With the range of nonprofits and funders working on the problem, “we can bring people together around shared priorities, and as a nonprofit, we have benefitted from collective investment.” FTEHB allows varying voices to coalesce around an issue or target population and drive philanthropic dollars to those areas of need.
“The key is looking at an interdisciplinary challenge by having interdisciplinary solutions and problem-solvers at the table,” says Hunte.
“break down the power dynamic”
Danista E. Hunte is a Barbados native. Her family moved to Baltimore when she was four years old, she went through the city’s public school system, and with the help of “an amazing guidance counselor,” applied to and graduated college.
“I never thought I would end up in philanthropy, but there’s power in being able to move money,” she says. “There's always an inherent power dynamic between the funder and grantee. And one of the goals that we want to address here is to break down that power dynamic, and really engage in a true partnership to solve challenges.”
She’s proud of her family’s immigrant heritage. You can see it in the gold charm of the island dangling on her necklace. “I know the positive of being in a country like the United States, but also appreciate and know the real challenges,” she says. “And I think that push and pull is the thing that motivates me to stay in this work, and to try to impact some change.”
Listen, learn, & lean in
When funders enter a community, “listen before acting,” Lindamood says.
“Have conversations not only with those who have been doing the work but with those actually experiencing what you are trying to solve,” he says. “If you’re trying to address homelessness, you have to start by engaging people with the lived experience of homelessness. And if you’re trying to support the efforts of organizations that have been intervening, in many cases, for decades, don't come in with something new that you want to accomplish. Ask them first what they're trying to accomplish and how you can enhance their efforts.”
Input as you go is also key — especially from those with lived experience. At Health Care for the Homeless, five board members are current clients of the organization.
“We also recognize that people with lived experience who give their time and expertise should be compensated,” Lindamood says. Last year, the group launched a compensation program to pay their own clients for feedback.
Success is a long game
“Measuring outcomes is an ongoing challenge. Addressing intractable systemic problems that have been racialized means that this is a long game,” Hunte says.
Partnerships, like FTEHB, track their outcomes. For example, the group partners with the Baltimore mayor’s office and state and local housing departments — which have access to quantitative numbers — to track homelessness figures, which only tell one part of the story.
“And then the onus is on us to engage with the community to ask about changes they have seen,” Hunte says. “It helps us gather qualitative outcomes and put stories and narratives to quantitative outcomes.”
When it comes to outcomes, be “data-driven and heart-led:” That’s the mantra in Maryland’s governor’s administration, says MDHCD's Scott Gottbreht, Ph.D. As it pertains to homelessness, leaders look at statewide housing shortage data, set growth targets, and curate a strategy with nonprofits, private sector partners, and funders to reach it. “The art form is mobilizing those voices in an organized way to make an impact,” he says.
To drive momentum, funders should aspire to measure beyond yearly outcomes —tracking both qualitative and quantitative long-term indicators of success, he says.
“There are many different ways to measure success and impact. In federal grant compliance, for example, meeting certain data and evaluation measures is considered successful. But success may be measured differently for people with lived experience. As funders, we work to better understand different measures of success and provide the best support for our partners and grantees."
Blazing Trails For The Public Sector
Scott Gottbreht, Ph.D. isn’t just in his role at the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development because it’s a job. It’s personal.
“Both my father and grandfather were homeless for the majority of their adult lives,” says the department’s assistant secretary of policy. “I saw firsthand what homelessness looked like growing up. And it became a passion project for me. No other family should have to go through the sort of things my family went through. Housing should be a human right.”
How should funders work with the government? Gottbreht offers tips:
- Private dollars should lead public dollars, by experimenting with innovations and pilot programs. “Philanthropy can blaze a trail with innovation, and government can bring it to scale over the long term.”
- Come to the public sector with a strategy and resources in place. “It’s a great way to speed up the conversation. Don't wait for government agencies to respond to RFPs, put in grant applications, or articulate their gaps and needs. Philanthropy can grease the wheels by providing consultants, studies, pilot programs, supplemental staffing — there’s a whole range of interventions that can be done to make it easier for government to move in certain directions.”
In union county, collaboration is empowering communities to lead
Nestled in the heart of South Carolina’s Upstate region are Union County and Spartanburg, neighboring counties working side-by-side to redefine the region’s future. The region has faced major economic shifts, and now local leaders, businesses, and residents are coming together to drive new opportunities — investing in workforce development, expanding access to essential services, and fostering a renewed sense of place for those who call it home.
Spartanburg and Union County share a rich history, having once been a region with a thriving textile industry that declined between the 1970s-2000s. Dr. Joey Haney, Superintendent of Union County Schools, grew up in Union County and reflects on their closeness, “People that lived in Union [County] would work in Spartanburg or the other way around.” While the fluid movement across the county lines has strengthened neighborly ties, educational outcomes and access to economic opportunities are still largely determined by ZIP codes. Union County, the more rural of the two, has always relied on a network of volunteers and informal service organizations to meet the needs of families in crisis. However, without a formalized infrastructure, major philanthropic dollars that could support systems level change would not be able to reach the community.
Spartanburg offers broader access to essential services like hospitals, job opportunities, and housing, with a stronger job market and a wider range of affordable housing options. While Union County faces a higher poverty rate at 23.4% compared to Spartanburg’s 13.8%.
"Too often, decision-makers in corporate and philanthropic America invest in places where they have direct ties — where they live, work, or see customers. As a result, rural communities, which make up 14% of the U.S. population, are overlooked and underfunded. This underinvestment isn’t just financial — it extends to infrastructure as well... These foundational gaps limit everything from education and health to economic growth."
Bringing Back an Industry
When MycoWorks broke ground on the world’s first mycelium factory in Union County in 2022, there was a renewed excitement in the community for the potential of new jobs coming into town. The bio-tech company uses advanced manufacturing techniques to make eco-friendly, leather-like materials from mushrooms that are used across fashion, automotive, and interior design as a sustainable alternative to traditional leather.
Doug Hardesty, COO at MycoWorks, emphasized how the decision to build in Union County was led by the company’s intention to be an innovative continuation of the area's textile legacy, noting, “Union [County] was historically a mill town. As traditional textiles moved on, we’ve seen ourselves as the next extension of that — bringing a new way of developing textiles to South Carolina.” However, workers in Union County needed additional training to qualify for the new jobs, such as those brought by MycoWorks. Additionally, the region required a more robust infrastructure to expand the talent pool and attract new residents.
“We think about sustainability at MycoWorks in a few different ways — both in terms of the ability to participate in a circular economy, but also in terms of the workforce of future generations in Union County.”
Collaborating with the Community to Support Growth and Embrace Change
The BlackRock Foundation saw an opportunity to use philanthropy to help bridge the skills gap and support the infrastructure needed to begin to build a talent pipeline and create socioeconomic change in Union County. They turned to neighboring Spartanburg for inspiration.
Guided by discussions with Spartanburg Community College and The University of South Carolina-Union — two key academic institutions dedicated to developing local talent — and a select group of community leaders. The BlackRock Foundation learned about the organization leading Spartanburg's newly launched plans to tackle a similar challenge.
Daniel West, VP of Social Impact at BlackRock, contacted Dr. Russell Booker, CEO of Spartanburg Academic Movement (SAM), after seeing their success in amplifying community voices and collaborating with stakeholders to improve outcomes for children and families in Spartanburg.
Inspired by SAM’s model of collective action, The BlackRock Foundation explored how they could foster a cradle-to-career approach in Union County, recognizing that workforce development extends beyond job training to include social determinants, like housing and healthcare. The BlackRock Foundation identified key stakeholders, like SAM, to facilitate the grant, and convene local organizations to develop a long-term plan for the community. These efforts and flexible grants would support building the infrastructure and capacity for the community to identify their funding needs.
Some of those grants supported leaders like Paige Stephenson, President & CEO of United Way of the Piedmont, in delivering comprehensive community services, from homelessness prevention to mental health and disaster response. Other grants funded cross-organizational coordination, ensuring alignment of efforts.
“This investment brought the community together, aligning resources on one vision and strengthening the pathway from education to employment. Not only did the BlackRock Foundation offer rapid resource grants, the flexible funding allowed us to put resources behind things that contribute to long-term outcomes.”
A Fresh Start
For Dennis Byrd, MycoWorks offered a fresh start after 20 years in the automotive industry, drawing him in with its innovative approach to “using mushrooms to create something.” Now a shift lead in inoculation, he values the slower, more intentional work at the factory. He was part of training Richard Makepeace who used to work at UPS before starting at MycoWorks, and is now thriving as a shift lead in fermentation. Both men see this place as more than a job — it’s a place of stability and an opportunity to be part of an innovative future. Dennis is hoping to move to North Union soon to be closer to his job, and envisions a future where his children can join the company.
Going further together
When The BlackRock Foundation first came to Union County, there were county leaders that supported the community's efforts to become a better place to live and work. However, without an organization to effectively take on large scale philanthropic investment, there were fundamental challenges in deploying the resources needed to build the talent pipeline.
Today, with the help of organizations, including SAM, Spartanburg County Foundation (SCF), and the United Way of Piedmont, and with funding from The BlackRock Foundation, Union County is able to take on more philanthropic funding, exchange learning among leaders, and give residents the opportunity to plan its future. SCF supports the newly funded Union County Foundation by providing back-office services and a venue for local Union County trustees to convene and make key funding decisions. Through funds from the BlackRock Foundation’s grant, the Union County Foundation was able to make its first set of community grants and start to map the nonprofit ecosystem in Union.
Despite a two-year investment window, The BlackRock Foundation’s place-based strategy allowed for outsized impact. West explained, “Given our position as national funders and the limitations around how long we stay in a place, we asked ourselves ‘how do we create depth of impact, while still maintaining a place-based mindset?’ The answer was, to be guided by the community, and investing in their capacity to propel themselves forward.” For leaders like Stephenson, this funding allowed her to put boots on the ground to gather community feedback. She shared, “We were able to hire someone specifically for Union County that was building those trusted relationships not just with institutions, but with grassroots leaders so that all voices could be represented in the planning process.”
“We all benefit when we're helping our neighbors, because it is not just about us; it’s about the region. I believe in order to be successful in our work, we have to convene. We have to be a knowledge source when applicable. This opportunity from The BlackRock Foundation allowed us to do just that.”
From internships to mindset shifts
MycoWorks was an early signal of civic and community investments. With a growing local economy, fundamental services, infrastructure, and amenities, such as hospital systems, housing, and even a Starbucks, came into the community to meet local needs. To ensure that Union County residents could participate in the boom, The BlackRock Foundation’s investment worked twofold; flexible funding opportunities supported building onramps to economic mobility that range from paid internships to local job fairs, while laying the groundwork for the community to have the tools and capacity to effectively implement its vision for the future. This two-pronged strategy allows leaders to move from a scarcity mindset to one that is long-term and strategic–an approach guided by their relationships with local leaders. The BlackRock Foundation is proud to be part of a broader movement of funders that are changing the landscape of philanthropy to be more community-centered and mindful of the past, present, and future of the places where they work.
“ We know that we are here for a small part on the longer journey for these communities, but we hope that our investments here and the exposure brought by The Foundation’s brand can be a proof point that attracts follow-on funding that can carry the work forward in years to come, in this community and others like it.”
Building Momentum
This pivotal shift has fostered a renewed sense of hope and possibility throughout the region. Stephenson, highlighted this transformation, stating, “This investment from The BlackRock Foundation really inspires people to think bigger about what is possible and to approach things with a planning mindset. It has been phenomenal to see the spirit that has come from the investment, and the hope and energy that it has inspired.” Dr. Booker also emphasized the importance of this place-based approach, saying, “It's really about empowering the community, trusting them to know their community best, and letting them say, ‘This is what we need.’” Most importantly, these shifts made by The BlackRock Foundation are catalyzing opportunities to attract follow-on investments–an approach that allows the community to carry on this work over time, and beyond this initial investment. With more coordination across the ecosystem, Union County is able to build momentum to create sustained and meaningful generational impact.
In Baltimore, a network effect drives impact
On any given night, more than 2,500 people are without shelter in Baltimore. Yet that figure doesn’t account for those on the verge of being without a home: nearly half of the city’s residents live below 200% of the federal poverty line ($31,200 for a family of four).
For the many Baltimore funders and nonprofits addressing homelessness, the effort is not about merely helping those on the streets, but preventing the loss of a home from occurring in the first place for millions living on the edge. Philanthropic funders have an opportunity to collaborate with cross-sector partners, build trust and act on community needs, and fund a place-based approach that can help end and prevent homelessness.
“Homelessness is an area that is often misunderstood,” says Claudia Wilson Randall, executive director at the Community Development Network of Maryland (CDN). “We need to tell the stories of these people and the work they do. We need to talk about them as people who have human value.”
Kevin Lindamood, president and CEO of Health Care for the Homeless, an organization that provides racially equitable healthcare and housing, and advocates to reduce the instances and burden of homelessness, agrees: the problem is not broken people. “The problem is broken systems…There are people just like you and me living in impossible circumstances.”
Randall says Baltimore has an opportunity “as [part of] one of the wealthiest states, in the wealthiest country, to be different... We need a large group of philanthropic partners that believe we can have a city that's not reliant on this huge underclass.”
"Homelessness is entirely solvable. It's a myth to say otherwise. Collaborations are instrumental in building [the political will to do so] and demonstrating the success of collective action."
Going further, Together
Practitioners say solving homelessness, like any systemic or societal issue, requires a cross-sector approach. In Baltimore, funders are tackling the issue of homelessness head-on, and collaboratively.
The Maryland Philanthropy Network (MPN) brings together more than 100 philanthropic groups statewide to tackle a number of causes, including arts funding, aging, environmental sustainability, and workforce development. MPN has created “affinity groups,” and hosts a local table of Funders Together to End Homelessness - Baltimore (FTEHB). The group brings together private and public funders (Annie E. Casey Foundation, CDN, Health Care for the Homeless, and Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (MDHCD) are among them) to focus on structural and racial inequities related to housing instability, homelessness, and support services.
“We're a convener and collaborator,” says Danista E. Hunte, MPN’s President and CEO. “Our goal is to bring best practices to inform philanthropic practice, so that our funders learn together, grow together, and have greater impact across the state.”
Funders may have their own priorities, but through ongoing collaboration and communication, they develop agreed-upon goals and strategies together. “There are lots of opportunities for consensus building, even with individual funders who might have their own individual priorities and strategies,” Hunte says.
This network structure sets the funders up for shared success: going further together, as the old saying goes. “We really strive to learn together and push one another,” Hunte says. Plus, “collectively, they can fund a larger project that they couldn’t fund themselves.”
Some are more risk-averse than others, but “one of the benefits of working in partnership is we assume and distribute some of that risk. Less risk-averse funders are willing to step out on a limb, do a little testing, and we can do that together and learn,” she says.
“break down the power dynamic”
Danista E. Hunte is a Barbados native. Her family moved to Baltimore when she was four years old, she went through the city’s public school system, and with the help of “an amazing guidance counselor,” applied to and graduated college.
“I never thought I would end up in philanthropy, but there’s power in being able to move money,” she says. “There's always an inherent power dynamic between the funder and grantee. And one of the goals that we want to address here is to break down that power dynamic, and really engage in a true partnership to solve challenges.”
She’s proud of her family’s immigrant heritage. You can see it in the gold charm of the island dangling on her necklace. “I know the positive of being in a country like the United States, but also appreciate and know the real challenges,” she says. “And I think that push and pull is the thing that motivates me to stay in this work, and to try to impact some change.”
Listen, learn, & lean in
When funders enter a community, “listen before acting,” Lindamood says.
“Have conversations not only with those who have been doing the work but with those actually experiencing what you are trying to solve,” he says. “If you’re trying to address homelessness, you have to start by engaging people with the lived experience of homelessness. And if you’re trying to support the efforts of organizations that have been intervening, in many cases, for decades, don't come in with something new that you want to accomplish. Ask them first what they're trying to accomplish and how you can enhance their efforts.”
Input as you go is also key — especially from those with lived experience. At Health Care for the Homeless, five board members are current clients of the organization.
“We also recognize that people with lived experience who give their time and expertise should be compensated,” Lindamood says. Last year, the group launched a compensation program to pay their own clients for feedback.
Success is a long game
“Measuring outcomes is an ongoing challenge. Addressing intractable systemic problems that have been racialized means that this is a long game,” Hunte says.
Partnerships, like FTEHB, track their outcomes. For example, the group partners with the Baltimore mayor’s office and state and local housing departments — which have access to quantitative numbers — to track homelessness figures, which only tell one part of the story.
“And then the onus is on us to engage with the community to ask about changes they have seen,” Hunte says. “It helps us gather qualitative outcomes and put stories and narratives to quantitative outcomes.”
When it comes to outcomes, be “data-driven and heart-led:” That’s the mantra in Maryland’s governor’s administration, says MDHCD's Scott Gottbreht, Ph.D. As it pertains to homelessness, leaders look at statewide housing shortage data, set growth targets, and curate a strategy with nonprofits, private sector partners, and funders to reach it. “The art form is mobilizing those voices in an organized way to make an impact,” he says.
To drive momentum, funders should aspire to measure beyond yearly outcomes —tracking both qualitative and quantitative long-term indicators of success, he says.
“There are many different ways to measure success and impact. In federal grant compliance, for example, meeting certain data and evaluation measures is considered successful. But success may be measured differently for people with lived experience. As funders, we work to better understand different measures of success and provide the best support for our partners and grantees."
Blazing Trails For The Public Sector
Scott Gottbreht, Ph.D. isn’t just in his role at the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development because it’s a job. It’s personal.
“Both my father and grandfather were homeless for the majority of their adult lives,” says the department’s assistant secretary of policy. “I saw firsthand what homelessness looked like growing up. And it became a passion project for me. No other family should have to go through the sort of things my family went through. Housing should be a human right.”
How should funders work with the government? Gottbreht offers tips:
- Private dollars should lead public dollars, by experimenting with innovations and pilot programs. “Philanthropy can blaze a trail with innovation, and government can bring it to scale over the long term.”
- Come to the public sector with a strategy and resources in place. “It’s a great way to speed up the conversation. Don't wait for government agencies to respond to RFPs, put in grant applications, or articulate their gaps and needs. Philanthropy can grease the wheels by providing consultants, studies, pilot programs, supplemental staffing — there’s a whole range of interventions that can be done to make it easier for government to move in certain directions.”
“Employment is a central tenet for us, but not just employment that takes advantage of the community to extract from it, as West Virginia has done in the past. It’s about bringing along the community in this reclamation process.”
In Baltimore, a network effect drives impact
On any given night, more than 2,500 people are without shelter in Baltimore. Yet that figure doesn’t account for those on the verge of being without a home: nearly half of the city’s residents live below 200% of the federal poverty line ($31,200 for a family of four).
For the many Baltimore funders and nonprofits addressing homelessness, the effort is not about merely helping those on the streets, but preventing the loss of a home from occurring in the first place for millions living on the edge. Philanthropic funders have an opportunity to collaborate with cross-sector partners, build trust and act on community needs, and fund a place-based approach that can help end and prevent homelessness.
“Homelessness is an area that is often misunderstood,” says Claudia Wilson Randall, executive director at the Community Development Network of Maryland (CDN). “We need to tell the stories of these people and the work they do. We need to talk about them as people who have human value.”
Kevin Lindamood, president and CEO of Health Care for the Homeless, an organization that provides racially equitable healthcare and housing, and advocates to reduce the instances and burden of homelessness, agrees: the problem is not broken people. “The problem is broken systems…There are people just like you and me living in impossible circumstances.”
Randall says Baltimore has an opportunity “as [part of] one of the wealthiest states, in the wealthiest country, to be different... We need a large group of philanthropic partners that believe we can have a city that's not reliant on this huge underclass.”
"Homelessness is entirely solvable. It's a myth to say otherwise. Collaborations are instrumental in building [the political will to do so] and demonstrating the success of collective action."
Going further, Together
Practitioners say solving homelessness, like any systemic or societal issue, requires a cross-sector approach. In Baltimore, funders are tackling the issue of homelessness head-on, and collaboratively.
The Maryland Philanthropy Network (MPN) brings together more than 100 philanthropic groups statewide to tackle a number of causes, including arts funding, aging, environmental sustainability, and workforce development. MPN has created “affinity groups,” and hosts a local table of Funders Together to End Homelessness - Baltimore (FTEHB). The group brings together private and public funders (Annie E. Casey Foundation, CDN, Health Care for the Homeless, and Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (MDHCD) are among them) to focus on structural and racial inequities related to housing instability, homelessness, and support services.
“We're a convener and collaborator,” says Danista E. Hunte, MPN’s President and CEO. “Our goal is to bring best practices to inform philanthropic practice, so that our funders learn together, grow together, and have greater impact across the state.”
Funders may have their own priorities, but through ongoing collaboration and communication, they develop agreed-upon goals and strategies together. “There are lots of opportunities for consensus building, even with individual funders who might have their own individual priorities and strategies,” Hunte says.
This network structure sets the funders up for shared success: going further together, as the old saying goes. “We really strive to learn together and push one another,” Hunte says. Plus, “collectively, they can fund a larger project that they couldn’t fund themselves.”
Some are more risk-averse than others, but “one of the benefits of working in partnership is we assume and distribute some of that risk. Less risk-averse funders are willing to step out on a limb, do a little testing, and we can do that together and learn,” she says.
“break down the power dynamic”
Danista E. Hunte is a Barbados native. Her family moved to Baltimore when she was four years old, she went through the city’s public school system, and with the help of “an amazing guidance counselor,” applied to and graduated college.
“I never thought I would end up in philanthropy, but there’s power in being able to move money,” she says. “There's always an inherent power dynamic between the funder and grantee. And one of the goals that we want to address here is to break down that power dynamic, and really engage in a true partnership to solve challenges.”
She’s proud of her family’s immigrant heritage. You can see it in the gold charm of the island dangling on her necklace. “I know the positive of being in a country like the United States, but also appreciate and know the real challenges,” she says. “And I think that push and pull is the thing that motivates me to stay in this work, and to try to impact some change.”
A Seat at The Table
Challenges around social and housing justice, Hunte says, are cross-sector problems that require cross-sector solutions. That means inputs from all city corners — from nonprofit tenant-rights groups to government to sophisticated for-profit developers.
“We need them all pulling in one direction,” Randall says. “When you have a number of organizations talking about your work from all their various vantage points, that’s what really makes a difference. That’s real power.”
When individual funders band together in a group like FTEHB, “there is power in acting as one,” Lindamood says. With the range of nonprofits and funders working on the problem, “we can bring people together around shared priorities, and as a nonprofit, we have benefitted from collective investment.” FTEHB allows varying voices to coalesce around an issue or target population and drive philanthropic dollars to those areas of need.
“The key is looking at an interdisciplinary challenge by having interdisciplinary solutions and problem-solvers at the table,” says Hunte.
Success is a long game
“Measuring outcomes is an ongoing challenge. Addressing intractable systemic problems that have been racialized means that this is a long game,” Hunte says.
Partnerships, like FTEHB, track their outcomes. For example, the group partners with the Baltimore mayor’s office and state and local housing departments — which have access to quantitative numbers — to track homelessness figures, which only tell one part of the story.
“And then the onus is on us to engage with the community to ask about changes they have seen,” Hunte says. “It helps us gather qualitative outcomes and put stories and narratives to quantitative outcomes.”
When it comes to outcomes, be “data-driven and heart-led:” That’s the mantra in Maryland’s governor’s administration, says MDHCD's Scott Gottbreht, Ph.D. As it pertains to homelessness, leaders look at statewide housing shortage data, set growth targets, and curate a strategy with nonprofits, private sector partners, and funders to reach it. “The art form is mobilizing those voices in an organized way to make an impact,” he says.
To drive momentum, funders should aspire to measure beyond yearly outcomes —tracking both qualitative and quantitative long-term indicators of success, he says.
“There are many different ways to measure success and impact. In federal grant compliance, for example, meeting certain data and evaluation measures is considered successful. But success may be measured differently for people with lived experience. As funders, we work to better understand different measures of success and provide the best support for our partners and grantees."
Blazing Trails For The Public Sector
Scott Gottbreht, Ph.D. isn’t just in his role at the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development because it’s a job. It’s personal.
“Both my father and grandfather were homeless for the majority of their adult lives,” says the department’s assistant secretary of policy. “I saw firsthand what homelessness looked like growing up. And it became a passion project for me. No other family should have to go through the sort of things my family went through. Housing should be a human right.”
How should funders work with the government? Gottbreht offers tips:
- Private dollars should lead public dollars, by experimenting with innovations and pilot programs. “Philanthropy can blaze a trail with innovation, and government can bring it to scale over the long term.”
- Come to the public sector with a strategy and resources in place. “It’s a great way to speed up the conversation. Don't wait for government agencies to respond to RFPs, put in grant applications, or articulate their gaps and needs. Philanthropy can grease the wheels by providing consultants, studies, pilot programs, supplemental staffing — there’s a whole range of interventions that can be done to make it easier for government to move in certain directions.”
In Baltimore, a network effect drives impact
On any given night, more than 2,500 people are without shelter in Baltimore. Yet that figure doesn’t account for those on the verge of being without a home: nearly half of the city’s residents live below 200% of the federal poverty line ($31,200 for a family of four).
For the many Baltimore funders and nonprofits addressing homelessness, the effort is not about merely helping those on the streets, but preventing the loss of a home from occurring in the first place for millions living on the edge. Philanthropic funders have an opportunity to collaborate with cross-sector partners, build trust and act on community needs, and fund a place-based approach that can help end and prevent homelessness.
“Homelessness is an area that is often misunderstood,” says Claudia Wilson Randall, executive director at the Community Development Network of Maryland (CDN). “We need to tell the stories of these people and the work they do. We need to talk about them as people who have human value.”
Kevin Lindamood, president and CEO of Health Care for the Homeless, an organization that provides racially equitable healthcare and housing, and advocates to reduce the instances and burden of homelessness, agrees: the problem is not broken people. “The problem is broken systems…There are people just like you and me living in impossible circumstances.”
Randall says Baltimore has an opportunity “as [part of] one of the wealthiest states, in the wealthiest country, to be different... We need a large group of philanthropic partners that believe we can have a city that's not reliant on this huge underclass.”
"Homelessness is entirely solvable. It's a myth to say otherwise. Collaborations are instrumental in building [the political will to do so] and demonstrating the success of collective action."
Going further, Together
Practitioners say solving homelessness, like any systemic or societal issue, requires a cross-sector approach. In Baltimore, funders are tackling the issue of homelessness head-on, and collaboratively.
The Maryland Philanthropy Network (MPN) brings together more than 100 philanthropic groups statewide to tackle a number of causes, including arts funding, aging, environmental sustainability, and workforce development. MPN has created “affinity groups,” and hosts a local table of Funders Together to End Homelessness - Baltimore (FTEHB). The group brings together private and public funders (Annie E. Casey Foundation, CDN, Health Care for the Homeless, and Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (MDHCD) are among them) to focus on structural and racial inequities related to housing instability, homelessness, and support services.
“We're a convener and collaborator,” says Danista E. Hunte, MPN’s President and CEO. “Our goal is to bring best practices to inform philanthropic practice, so that our funders learn together, grow together, and have greater impact across the state.”
Funders may have their own priorities, but through ongoing collaboration and communication, they develop agreed-upon goals and strategies together. “There are lots of opportunities for consensus building, even with individual funders who might have their own individual priorities and strategies,” Hunte says.
This network structure sets the funders up for shared success: going further together, as the old saying goes. “We really strive to learn together and push one another,” Hunte says. Plus, “collectively, they can fund a larger project that they couldn’t fund themselves.”
Some are more risk-averse than others, but “one of the benefits of working in partnership is we assume and distribute some of that risk. Less risk-averse funders are willing to step out on a limb, do a little testing, and we can do that together and learn,” she says.
“break down the power dynamic”
Danista E. Hunte is a Barbados native. Her family moved to Baltimore when she was four years old, she went through the city’s public school system, and with the help of “an amazing guidance counselor,” applied to and graduated college.
“I never thought I would end up in philanthropy, but there’s power in being able to move money,” she says. “There's always an inherent power dynamic between the funder and grantee. And one of the goals that we want to address here is to break down that power dynamic, and really engage in a true partnership to solve challenges.”
She’s proud of her family’s immigrant heritage. You can see it in the gold charm of the island dangling on her necklace. “I know the positive of being in a country like the United States, but also appreciate and know the real challenges,” she says. “And I think that push and pull is the thing that motivates me to stay in this work, and to try to impact some change.”
Success is a long game
“Measuring outcomes is an ongoing challenge. Addressing intractable systemic problems that have been racialized means that this is a long game,” Hunte says.
Partnerships, like FTEHB, track their outcomes. For example, the group partners with the Baltimore mayor’s office and state and local housing departments — which have access to quantitative numbers — to track homelessness figures, which only tell one part of the story.
“And then the onus is on us to engage with the community to ask about changes they have seen,” Hunte says. “It helps us gather qualitative outcomes and put stories and narratives to quantitative outcomes.”
When it comes to outcomes, be “data-driven and heart-led:” That’s the mantra in Maryland’s governor’s administration, says MDHCD's Scott Gottbreht, Ph.D. As it pertains to homelessness, leaders look at statewide housing shortage data, set growth targets, and curate a strategy with nonprofits, private sector partners, and funders to reach it. “The art form is mobilizing those voices in an organized way to make an impact,” he says.
To drive momentum, funders should aspire to measure beyond yearly outcomes —tracking both qualitative and quantitative long-term indicators of success, he says.
Quote: Aliza Sollins
