KEYSTONE POLICY SERIES
How They Do It: Pennsylvania Funders on Engaging the Public Sector
Philanthropy professionals in Pennsylvania understand how state policy affects the nonprofit sector, and many have a history of engaging and educating state policymakers. Even given private foundations’ constraints on lobbying, there are numerous opportunities for communication between philanthropy and the public sector that are permissible and can serve to build relationships and advance important issues.
A number of Pennsylvania funders work to ensure that both public and private dollars are used effectively to promote quality results, to the benefit of both taxpayers and communities. Funding organizations that work regularly in fields like public education, healthcare or workforce development often house deep knowledge, expertise and connections that can be useful to fellow funders whose work is place-based or occasionally touches upon these fields.
The Keystone Policy Series of conference calls/webinars has been developed by Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania and Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia to inform all Pennsylvania funders about how their colleagues are working on selected statewide policy issues. Funding organizations across the state will:
- Learn background information about a community issue from a statewide perspective
- Hear about work undertaken by Pennsylvania funding colleagues to address a policy challenge
- Learn about potential solutions in Pennsylvania and potential roles for philanthropy
- Build/ strengthen working relationships with other funders across the state
Join us for the first in this series:
Tuesday, January 31, 2017 2:00 – 3:00 PM
Education Advocacy
Join our funding colleagues as they address statewide education advocacy efforts currently underway; including current priorities and challenges, the role their organizations play in these initiatives, and opportunities for other funders to become involved. Examples for discussion include:
- Pre-K for PA, an initiative of Early Learning PA established in 2014 with the goal of making pre-k a priority issue in the gubernatorial and legislative elections and advocating increased access to high-quality pre-k for all Pennsylvania’s 3- and 4-year olds.
- The Campaign for Fair Education Funding, a non-partisan coalition of 50+ statewide organizations whose mission is to ensure that Pennsylvania adopts and maintains an adequate and equitable system of funding public education. Funders will hear about the implications of House Bill 1552, signed by Governor Wolf in June 2016, which establishes a funding formula and provides emergency funds for two of the commonwealth’s financially distressed school districts, as well as his call for new funding to help restore equity to Pennsylvania public school districts.
- The Pennsylvania Early Learning Investment Commission (ELIC), which was created in September 2008 through Executive Order. Funders will hear about how the Commission works to secure public investment in early learning by focusing on practices that are educationally, economically, and scientifically sound by increasing business, civic, and public awareness of the importance of early childhood education.
Speakers:
Kristen Burns, Associate Director, Grable Foundation
Michelle Figlar, Vice President of Learning, The Heinz Endowments
Stan Thompson, Education Program Director, The Heinz Endowments
Elliot Weinbaum, Great Learning Program Director, William Penn Foundation
*Connection details will be emailed after registration.
More in the Series/Save the Date:
Thursday, February 23, 2017 - 2:00 – 3:00 PM
Health Policy Advocacy
The Pennsylvania Health Funders Collaborative (PHFC), an active statewide funders’ network, strives to improve the effectiveness of health funders' initiatives by promoting collaboration, sharing best practices, and creating a unified voice among funders working in communities across Pennsylvania. Join us as Ann Torregrossa, Executive Director of PHFC, provides an update on state health policy issues on the horizon that all funders should be aware of, such as how proposals to change the Affordable Care Act and reform Medicare and Medicaid would affect Pennsylvania. She will also share PHFC’s priorities and initiatives for the coming year.
Wednesday, March 29, 2017 - 2:00 – 3:30 PM
Investing in Change: Foundation Support for Lobbying and Other Advocacy
Not sure how to make the case to your board for funding advocacy? Uncertain whether you can fund grantees that lobby? Wondering whether your public or private foundation can speak out on a particular issue? Join us as Abby Levine, Director of Alliance for Justice’s Bolder Advocacy program, explores these questions and more.
April (Date/Time TBA)
Financially Distressed Municipalities
Act 47 empowers the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development to declare certain municipalities as financially distressed. It provides for the restructuring of their debt, limits their ability to obtain government funding, authorizes their participation in Federal debt adjustment actions and bankruptcy actions under certain circumstances and provides for consolidation or merger of contiguous municipalities to relieve financial distress. Join us as Karen Miller, Senior Fellow at Berks County Community Foundation, discusses the status of the Pennsylvania cities currently operating under Act 47 and what it will mean for philanthropy as cities transition out of the program.