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THE THREE PILLARS OF THE COMMUNITY IMPACT FUND
Our Community Impact Fund expands our collective reach to help fuel more strategic investments to make Houston a more vibrant region for all. The Community Impact Fund Supports:
UNDERSTANDING HOUSTON
Leveraging independent data and over 200 indicators, Understanding Houston continues to reveal how the quality of life in our tri-county area, from arts and education to housing and economic opportunity, is changing over time. The accessible information and insights are a sounding board for community voices and are an essential resource for smart philanthropic analysis for Houston’s decision-makers. Community needs identified through Understanding Houston will guide new strategic investments in high-impact initiatives addressing pressing challenges in the community so more Houstonians can thrive. With this objective lens and through the support of our generous donor community, we can better support our neighbors by tackling Houston’s growing and shifting needs with data and evidence at the center of our decision-making.
HIGH-IMPACT GRANTMAKING
We are launching a new grantmaking opportunity to help address some of Houston’s most pressing social and economic challenges. This collaborative grantmaking will create deep partnerships that leverage resources to improve the lives of Houstonians. The High-Impact Grantmaking will be led by a committee of diverse experts and community leaders who will dig deep into a pressing community need, inform a funding strategy, and recommend investment opportunities to the Foundation’s Board for approval. Through an inclusive process, the Foundation will seek to maximize the impact of collective investment and efforts within a focus issue area over the next 3-5 years. Our initial issue area for collaborative action grantmaking will be identified by the end of 2023.
GREATER HOUSTON DISASTER ALLIANCE
Along with annual collaborative action grantmaking, we remain dedicated to our 15-year history of impact in disaster recovery and resilience. The Greater Houston Disaster Alliance (Disaster Alliance) is an action-focused initiative powered by the Foundation and United Way of Greater Houston, publicly launched in May 2023. The Disaster Alliance will build a broader tent of partners focused on disaster preparedness and resiliency yearround for our region to ensure we are not only ready for the next disaster but also more resilient – reducing the repeated harm caused by disasters on our most vulnerable neighbors to the extent possible.
If Greater Houston Community Foundation (Foundation) can educate, encourage, and activate funders to help support the betterment of Houston, we will truly make an impact. Houston has a vast array of nonprofits working to address the needs of our community, and the Foundation has the unique ability to shape funders’ understanding of how their investments can impact the future of our city. With the Community Impact Fund, the Foundation will have a strong lever to address needs and encourage the great potential of our city.
