Community Impact Funds
Renee Wizig-BarriosSenior Vice President & Chief Philanthropy Officer
Greater Houston Community Foundation
Community Impact Funds (CIF’s)
Community Impact Funds create
opportunities for GHCF donors and other local
funders to pool their giving in support of
strategic efforts around a chosen giving area.
Value Proposition
• Venture philanthropy
• Systemic Change
• Peer learning
• Leverage
• Impact
• Partnership
Measuring Impact of CIF’s
• GHCF Positioning
• Donor Engagement
• Grantmaking Impact, Leverage, and
Catalyzation
• CIF Business Model
Strategic Education Fund (SEF)
Strategic Education Fund (SEF)
Results & Leverage
• KIPP Courage outpacing national average in student
growth.
• Personalized instruction engaging students and
teachers in new ways.
• Additional grants leveraged by KIPP
• $760,000 additional dollars from other foundations to
take the program to scale.
Catalyst
• 4 new KIPP schools fully implemented Blended
Learning
• 5 other schools in process
• KIPP hired Dr. Minaz Fazal to lead blended learning
efforts and the region’s Blended Learning Community of
Practice.
• KIPP collaboration with Rice University to develop a
comprehensive blended learning evaluation
methodology
Next Steps for SEF
• SEF will continue to fund KIPP Courage Pilot through
implementation of 8th grade which will be
launched during the 2015-2016 school year.
• SEF is working with Spring Branch ISD to develop the
first blended learning pilot in a traditional school
district.
• Seek new donors for next phase.
• Reevaluate donor participation and governance
model.
• The City of Houston has a strategic community plan to
end chronic and veteran homelessness by 2015 and end all
forms of homelessness by 2020.
• The purpose of the GHFEH is to build a local network of
funders who are committed to reducing homelessness
through:• Leadership• Education• Advocacy• Strategic Collaboration and Grant-Making• Promotion and replication of best-practice models
Greater Houston Fund to End Homelessness (GHFEH)
Donors
• GHFEH was started through the leadership of Nancy Frees
Fountain from The Frees Foundation
• Partnership with a national organization – Funders Together to
End Homelessness (FTEH).
• Local Private Foundations and GHCF Donors participating.
GHFEH Overview
GHFEH Overview
GHFEH Grantmaking
• The GHFEH made its first strategic grant in June of
2014 to fund Youth Count 2.0.
• The University of Houston, School of Social Work and
the University of Texas, School of Nursing are
implementing a homeless youth count
• This ground-breaking study will provide previously
unavailable data about the scope of the homeless
youth problem in Houston.
Adaptive Learning
Source: Deming
• Engaging donors into CIFs is a patient process.
• Three to five years needed.
• Donors who engage build deeper bonds with
GHCF.
• Recognized community leaders are needed.
• Donors must have predisposition for
collaboration.
• Continually evaluate donor participation
model.
• Build vehicles for traditional donors.
Lessons Learned from CIFs
Adaptation for Other Community Foundations
• How do you currently offer opportunities for donors to
leverage their giving?
• Do donors in your community have an interest in
community giving vehicles?
• Can you include significant donors/community leaders
who can attract others?
• Does your staff have capacity to facilitate Community
Impact Funds?
• Can you partner with other foundations?
• Do you have financial resources to start up CIF’s?