1. Community capacity building Funding Initiative
Hello and welcome
Information Session
February 2016

2. Agenda About Deaconess Foundation
Community Capacity Building: Our Approach
Engagement Model
Annual Grant Cycle
Application Requirements
Key Dates
Contact Information

3. About Deaconess Foundation

4. About deaconess foundation
Vision Deaconess Foundation envisions a community that values the health and well-being of all children and gives priority attention to the most vulnerable.
Mission
In the spirit of our faith heritage, the mission of Deaconess Foundation is to improve the health of the Metropolitan St. Louis Community and its people.

5. About deaconess Foundation
Deaconess’ mission began in 1889 when the Deaconess Sisters were trained to care for the poor and sick in St. Louis.
Deaconess Foundation is a ministry of the United Church of Christ.
Since 1998, the Foundation has invested more than $75 million to improve the health of the St. Louis region.
Foundation itself was founded in 1972 as a supporting foundation for the Deaconess Hospital.
Proceeds from Hospital sale divided between Deaconess and Incarnate Word

6. Deaconess’ Geographic footprint

7. About deaconess foundation
To advance our mission…
We focus on the mission of helping the most vulnerable.
We seek change.
We listen.
We see the bigger picture.
We invest time and expertise, as well as funds.
We develop long-term relationships.

8. About deaconess foundation
…to fulfill our promise to the community.
Healthy, hope-filled futures
for children benefit us all.
Children are our primary customers
Holistic approach to child well-being includes mental spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and physical health

9. Community capacity building
Our Approach
Community capacity building

10. Community capacity building
Collaborative engagement and investment
with diverse partners to strengthen the region’s capability
to achieve better outcomes for children and youth
Deaconess seeks to:
mobilize diverse constituencies through community engagement;
expand knowledge by resourcing and informing translation of research into public policy;
leverage relationships with the faith community and capacity building expertise to increase advocacy; and
focus mission-related monetary distributions on efforts with potential for systems-level impact.
Get people talking and collaborating with one another
Opportunity to bring research to the community level
Faith community is a part of our heritage, and we want to work with them for the betterment of our youth

11. Community Capacity Building
Engagement Model

12. Engagement Model Community Engagement Advocacy Financial Investment
Deaconess Impact Partnership
Deaconess Nursing Scholarships
Church-related Grants
Small Grants
Annual Grant Cycle
Impact Partnership, currently in Round 3
Nursing Scholarship partnership with Scholarship Foundation and St. Louis American
Grants targeted to churches within the United Church of Christ
Small grants up to $5K related to foundation mission

13. Financial Investments
Annual grant Cycle

14. Annual Grant Cycle
Preferred methods for funding:
Mobilize an empowered community engaged in effective action that builds public will and advances child well-being
Activities:
Award grants to nonprofit organization engaged in advocacy to improve public policy impacting children and youth; and
Support strategic organizing efforts that amplify the voices of parents and youth within Deaconess’ geographic footprint.
Support work through networks/coalitions (issue or place based)
Activity
Award grants to collective impact networks that increase their capacity to focus on children and youth.

15. Annual Grant cycle
Strategies informed by research (all can be found at
Leveraging Limited Dollars, National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy
Collective Impact, Stanford Social Innovative Review
Many Hands, More Impact, Grantmakers for Effective Organizations
Building Transformative Youth Leadership, Funders Collaborative on Youth Organizing

16. annual grant cycle nonprofit organization advocacy grants
Key Findings
“Advocacy is when nonprofits promote a policy or idea and encourage others to adopt it” (NCRP)
Every $1 invested into advocacy returns $115 in community benefit
Nonprofits advocate for efficient and effective use of public funds; many reforms do not require government revenue

17. annual grant cycle nonprofit organization advocacy grants
Selection principles based on research
Leadership by and mobilization of affected communities;
Participation in coalitions;
Application of racial equity lens;
Legal advocacy; and/or
Electoral engagement as complementary strategy.
Leadership by and mobilization of marginalized communities is essential to success
Leadership needs support to be effective
Developing leadership can provide generational leaders
Combining direct service agencies and advocacy or organizing is effective
Coalitions are needed to achieve statewide or significant policy reform
Benefits include: broad support, bridge building among diverse communities, addition of skills and capacities (lobbying, research, communication)
Applying a racial equity lens helps ensure that programs and policies address disparities
Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity defines a racially equitable society as one in which the distribution of resources, opportunities and burdens was not determined or predictable by race
Ways to apply lens: promote policy to reduce disparities, partner across communities
Legal advocacy can have can have far-reaching effects, yet it is a tool underutilized by grantmaker
Electoral engagement complements other strategies for achieving change
Electoral activities adds boost to community effectiveness

18. annual grant cycle nonprofit organization advocacy grants
Eligibility Criteria
Projects must advocate for an improved policy or community process which results in better outcomes for vulnerable/at-risk/low-income children;
Organization must have 501(c)(3) status or signed agreement with a nonprofit fiscal agent;
Project must advocate at the local, regional, state and/or national level;
Project must impact children and/or youth in Deaconess’ geographic footprint.

19. annual grant cycle Collective impact network capacity grants
Key Findings
Collective Impact - the commitment of a group of important actors from different sectors to a common agenda for solving a specific social problem.
Different from other collectives, because it involves: (1) a centralized infrastructure, (2) a dedicated staff and (3) a structured process.
Social issues arise from the interplay of government and commercial activities. Thus, complex problems need to be solved by a collective effort.
Isolated Impact- nonprofit sector typically uses an isolated impact method where the approach oriented toward finding a solution embodied within a single organization and expand outward

20. annual grant cycle Collective Impact Network Capacity Grants
Selection principles based on research
Demonstration of five conditions:
Common agenda;
Shared measurement systems;
Continuous communication;
Mutually reinforcing activities; and
Independent backbone support.
Common Agenda: common understanding of the problem and joint approach to solving it through agreed upon actions
Shared Measurement Systems: collecting data and measuring results at the community level helps align efforts and keep accountability
Mutually Reinforcing Activities: encourage participants to undertake activities in which it excels and is coordinated with the actions of others
Continuous Communication: consistent meeting and communication builds trust among collective
Backbone Support Organization: dedicated staff separate from participating organizations who can plan, manage, and support the initiative through ongoing logistical support

21. annual grant cycle Collective Impact Network Capacity Grants
Eligibility Criteria
Focus on long-term, intractable challenge for children and/or youth;
Illustrate multi-sector participation; and
Has a signed agreement with a 501(c)(3) organization to serve as its fiscal agent.

22. annual grant cycle Youth Organizing Support
Key Findings
Participants in youth organizing gain knowledge and skills to understand and change social inequalities.
Young people who are involved in organizing increase their educational motivation and aspirations.
Young leaders feel a sense of urgency about their work as related to their own abilities and impact on the community.

23. annual grant cycle Youth Organizing Support
Selection principles based on research
Engagements are aimed at:
Organizing affected youth/young adults to take collective action on their own behalf;
Training youth/young adults in methods of community organizing;
Teaching youth/young adults to analyze systems and community level issues; and
Leading a direct action in an effort to solve an issue affecting youth/young adults.

24. annual grant cycle Youth Organizing support
Eligibility Criteria
Train youth and/or young adults in the methods of community organizing;
Represent grassroots, parent or student-led organizations or affected communities;
Has a signed agreement with a 501(c)(3) organization to serve as its fiscal agent; and
Amplifies the voices of affected communities in the St. Louis region.

25. Application requirements

26. Application requirements
Modified Missouri Common Grant Application can be accessed at
Application narrative
Financial documents

27. Key dates
April 1 - application and supporting documents due by 4 p.m. to May 20 - Grant awards will be announced. June 1 – Grant cycle begins. June 4 - Grant awards will be issued at Deaconess’ Children at the Center event to be held at Mathews-Dickey Boys’ and Girls’ Club.

28. For more information, contact
Dr. Brandon D. Haynes
Director, Community Engagement
(314)