2007 Funders Forum on Sustainable Gulf Coast Transformation
Overview
The Funders Forum on Sustainable Gulf Coast Transformation is a network of foundations committed to assisting civil society groups and others in the Gulf Coast region of the United States to chart a more sustainable and equitable future in the aftermath of the destructive storms of 2005.
With leadership from the Foundation for the Mid South, the Louisiana Disaster Foundation, the Community Foundation of South Alabama, the JP Morgan Chase Foundation, the Ford Foundation, John S. and James L. Knight
Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Twentieth Century Foundation and the Greater New Orleans Foundation, the first Funders Forum for Sustainable Gulf Coast Transformation was held on September 5-7th 2007 in New Orleans, Louisiana (click for Summary Proceedings from the Funders Forum on Sustainable Gulf Coast Transformation).
Attracting over 170 funders and key leaders in civil society, the Funders Forum sought to address complicated questions such as:
How can philanthropy help build lasting capacity in the region?
Will philanthropy make the necessary commitments to support larger long-term goals, such as building sustainable mixed-race, mixed-income communities in the region?
How can we build trust among the various levels and organizations within philanthropy to begin the process of collaboration?
How can we balance the need for immediate action against the need to build the capacity of civil society groups to advocate for better public policies?
How can we balance our own needs for institutional benchmarks assessing progress against the urgent need to meet real human needs of people in the region?
What are we learning from the aftermath of the devastating storms?
The question regarding learning was central to Forum discussions and post-Forum follow-up. Funders agreed that they were all deeply involved in the recovery and transformation process, but the key to effectiveness is a dedicated process to enhance collective learning and strategic grant making. The initial leaders of the Funders Forum asked the Initiative for Regional and Community Transformation at Rutgers University to help keep the success of the gathering moving forward through a series of activities:
Regional meetings and periodic conference call briefings to inform funders interested in Gulf Coast Transformation
A Website presence where funders can (1) learn about important trends and the activities of key leaders (2) exchange and deposit the rich written material being published by philanthropy and their grantees and (3) serve as a community exchange for learning, ideas and dialogue on the complicated process of regional and community transformation.
Assist funders plan a yearly large-group convening promoting idea exchange, learning and strategic collaboration.
The Funders Forum website is primarily for philanthropic organizations interested in staying engaged in the Gulf Region, however some of the content can be accessed below.
The State of Housing Access and Development in New Orleans Two Years and Counting
Panel
Flozell H. Daniels
President and CEO, The Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation (Facilitator)
Lauren Anderson
CEO, Neighborhood Housing Services of New Orleans
Annie Clark
Program Associate, PolicyLink
James Perry
Executive Director, The Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center
Landon R. Williams
Director of Housing and Small Business Development, The Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation
Transformation Dialogue Podcasts
Transformation Dialogues are interviews with interesting and important stakeholders in the Gulf Coast Region in the United States working to rebuild and improve their communities.
Briefings