Family Funders Network

Family Strengthening Issue Briefs

What are the issues facing vulnerable families?
How can I, as a Funder, make a difference?
These short briefs introduce you to the issues and suggest actions for philanthropy

Family Economic Success

Family Support Systems

Thriving and Nurturing Communities

· The High Cost of Being Poor

· Centers for Working Families

· Maximizing Benefits for Families: EITC and CCTC Outreach

· Financial Planning and Education

· Financial Services

· Homeownership and Predatory Lending

· Ensuring Safe & Affordable Housing - REVISED NOVEMBER 2008

· Workforce Development

· Work Supports

· Individual Development Accounts and Other Savings Tools

· Rural Family Economic Success

· Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

· Ensuring Early Success for Young Children

· Early Childhood Care & Education

o Early Literacy

o Transition to School

o Healthy Births

o Parents & Families

o Healthy Children

· Facilitating the Re-Entry of Former Prisoners

· Preventing & Treating Substance Abuse

· Healthy Marriage in Low-Income African-American Communities

· Supporting Healthy Marriage & Good Parenting

· Embracing Children with Incarcerated Parents

· Reducing Hunger & Food Insecurity REVISED NOVEMBER 2008

· Healthy Homes

o Childhood Asthma and Air Quality in the Home

o Childhood Lead Poisoning

o Unintentional Injury of Children in the Home

· Promoting Neighborhood & Community Vitality

· Contributing to Youth Development & Success

· Ways to Promote the Positive Development of Children and Youth

· Improving School Success & Student Outcomes

· Welcoming Immigrant & Refugee Families

· Promoting Intergenerational Community as Intervention

Chart developed by the Family Strengthening Policy Center

Policy Briefs by the Family Strengthening Policy Center These practice-driven policy briefs highlight emerging, promising, and proven practices in the field of family strengthening. Themes include Family Support Systems, Family Economic Success and Thriving and Nurturing Communities.

Helping a Small Family Foundation Think Big (2003)
This brief, published by the Foundation Strategy group (now FSG Social Impact Advisors), outlines how a small family foundation made a meaningful impact on the national problem of homelessness.

2005 Issue Briefs – Written by Just Partners, Inc.
2006 Issue Briefs on the Early Childhood Years – Written by Deanna S. Gomby and Kimberly Hsieh
Issue Briefs on Healthy Homes – Written by Deanna S. Gomby and Lisa Deal

Note: A number of these briefs were created for past Strengthening Vulnerable Families workshops and are in DRAFT form. The fact sheets are a work in progress and are being reviewed by experts in each field. They will be updated as revisions are suggested. Please do not circulate, cite or quote without specific permission. To recommend amendments, please contact ehyleck@familyfunders.org.

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