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Philanthropy Partnerships with Government

This event was held on February 18, 2020

Sunrise at the US Capitol in Washington DC
Photo by Andy Feliciotti on Unsplash
Event Resources:
In times of government transition, there is always a surge of interest in creating strategic, intentional partnerships between the philanthropic community and the federal government. Early childhood philanthropy has played many roles in supporting government at all levels.  In this first of a series of in-depth discussions on strategies for working with government, we focused on strategies for leverage, expertise, talent, and engagement outlined in: Value-Added Strategies for Philanthropy: Partnering with a New Administration framework by SWB Strategic Solutions and Freedman Consulting LLC.  This Framework was introduced on a January 7, 2021 virtual Funders Briefing on How Philanthropy Can Support the New Administration co-hosted by the framework authors.

Event Takeaways

During this discussion we discussed examples and lessons from funders who are using or have used these strategies in partnership with government:

  1. Pooled and/or Matching Federal Resources Around Aligned Areas of Investment (Leverage)
  2.  Addressing Staffing and Capacity Needs of Government Agencies (Talent)
  3. Strategic Insights, Networks and Expertise to Tackle Public Sector Challenges (Expertise)
  4. Supports for Convenings, Conversations, and Connecting Policymakers to Communities and Families (Engagement)

Examples of Philanthropy Partnerships with Government:

Michigan: Governor’s Office of Foundation Liaison (OFL),  created in 2003 at the suggestion of Michigan philanthropic leaders, the Office — the first and only one of its kind in the nation — is housed in the executive branch of state government and is funded by over 20 foundations.  Learn more: Overview of OFL Key Roles (October, 2020); From Network Creator to Partnership Champion, Evaluation of the OFL (2018).

Hawai’i: In June, 2020, a massive expansion of public Pre-K from just four-year-old’s to all three and four-year-old’s passed with combined support and advocacy from the Samuel L. and Mary Castle Foundation, Omidyar Network, and Kamehameha Schools (the largest indigenous ECE funder in America).  With little state money available to fund the expansion, several vital private funders, including the Samuel N. and Mary Castle Foundation and Kamehameha Schools, stepped up to support initial implementation of the Pre-K expansion.  Castle also co-sponsored a legislative bill (HB 1236) to fund an early childhood educator stipend program for AY 2021-2022, a House bill would not have been introduced without the Castle Foundation paying for the stipends for 1-3 years while the state tax base slowly recovers from the pandemic shock. An award from the Early Educators Investment Collaborative for Hawaii’s ECE efforts also helped spur the bill.

New Jersey’s ACEs Action Plan: Created in partnership with the New Jersey ACEs Collaborative (New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF), the Burke Foundation, The Nicholson Foundation, the Turrell Fund) and the Center for Health Care Strategies.  To support implementation of this work, the philanthropy partners are working closely with the state to establish the NJ Department of Children and Families – ACES Executive On Loan.

Nurture NJ Strategic Plan: A public/private partnership led by the Office of the First Lady of New Jersey, funded by The Nicholson Foundation and the Community Health Acceleration Partnership.  Nurture NJ is a bold plan for reducing maternal mortality by fifty percent and eliminating racial disparities in birth outcomes. It includes over 70 specific, actionable recommendations for maternal health stakeholders across all sectors, and will position New Jersey as a national leader in the fight for maternal health equity.  A group of funders are also considering the role of a funder collaborative focused on infant and maternal health to help support this work.

Oregon:  In 2020, a voters approved a tax measure to fund one of the most progressive universal preschool policies in Multnomah County, OR – where Portland is located. The Portland chapter of Social Venture Partners played a major role in the Preschool for All initiative, providing leadership on the planning task force, and incubating early strands of planning and assessment via staff and volunteer partner efforts over several years. Oregon Community Foundation, United Way of Columbia-Willamette and a number of other foundations, individual donors and donor advised funds supported planning costs (including amplifying the capacity of local community-based organizations serving communities of color to participate and bring parent voice to the table).

BUILD Initiative –Launched in 2002 by 14 ECFC foundations to leverage private funds to stimulate public investments in early learning. Today, the BUILD Initiative works intensively with 8 states and DC to support state leaders in their work to develop a comprehensive system of programs, policies and services that serve the needs of young children and their families.

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