Philanthropic Adoption
In the next few years, we are squarely focused on making radical systems changes that redirect focus on the strengths rather than the weaknesses of those living in poverty. To be successful, we need the active engagement of and support across the entire philanthropic community.
We are proud of our philanthropic partnerships and have worked hard to forge strong and collaborative relationships over the last 18 years. Together, we will pave the way for widespread adoption of FII’s approach.
As we bring other system stakeholders to the table, we will continue to lean on these partnerships to validate the hard work and initiative of low income families, enhance our data through rigorous technology standards, and shift policies and practices toward direct investments.
A sampling of recent philanthropic partnerships are featured below.
Google.org
Six Googlers joined FII’s technology team for several months, working full time to help us advance our mission.
“We love that FII invests directly in families and empowers them to use their own solutions to build economic and social mobility.”
Samantha Hennessey
Senior Manager
Google.org
New Profit
New Profit recently launched a campaign to support breakthrough leaders across America who are taking on some of today’s toughest challenges. FII CEO and breakthrough leader Jesús Gerena was asked “What’s your big audacious goal?”
“In the past 50 years, with the advent of the social service sector, families have been pointed to agencies and case workers for solutions. We believe, and our data proves, that the long-term solutions to permanently exit poverty lie within one’s own community. Our goal is to see agencies, investors, and communities recognize the strength of community-led solutions, acknowledge families for their strengths, and invest in families’ initiatives directly.”
“Our goal is that agencies, investors, and communities recognize the strength of community-led solutions, see families for their strengths, and invest in families’ initiatives directly.”
Jesús Gerena
CEO
Family Independence Initiative
Stand Together: Catalyst Network
The Stand Together Foundation is committed to breaking the cycle of poverty by supporting the creative solutions of individuals and organizations who are driving dynamic entrepreneurship in communities across the country and helping people transform their lives. The Catalyst Program is a rigorous 6-month experience that offers training and resources to entrepreneur-led non-profits. FII Executive Vice President Jorge Blandón participated, delivering a keynote on how the War on Poverty is failing to support the initiative of families relative to economic mobility, and why FII’s approach is the solution.
“I learned young that when we support someone’s pride instead of attacking it, we can fuel people’s dreams.”
Jorge Blandón
Executive Vice President
Family Independence Initiative
St. David’s Foundation
“For St. David’s Foundation, we invest locally but we try to think very big. We first encountered FII about two and a half years ago and had a reaction that I think is not uncommon when people are introduced to the FII model which was, “whoa! It’s kind of radical!” And then, when you take a deep breath and sit with it for a while, you realize there is nothing radical at all about it. It is radically intuitive because it is deeply ingrained in the way people operate, in the way people want to relate to one another, in the way that we want to live our lives and build for the next generation. What FII is doing is helping us develop a really important new narrative but that new narrative is only as good as what we do with it. It is incumbent upon us to take this information and drive it towards systems change because otherwise, it’s just a new story. What we want is for that story to define the way we build our systems.” – Kim McPherson, Senior Program Officer, St. David’s Foundation
“We have found working with FII to be truly helpful because it has really changed the lens through which we look at our work. There are questions that we ask now that we never did before.”
Kim McPherson
Senior Program Officer
St. David’s Foundation