News

Three organizations promoting technology in nonprofits – NTEN, Technology Affinity Group, and Tech Impact – have released a report calling on all foundations to support cybersecurity in nonprofits. Their collaborative funder briefing, “Cybersecurity Essentials for Philanthropy,” includes Pierce Family Foundation as an example of a funder who takes this issue seriously and providing grantee support for it. As PFF’s …

The Pierce Family Foundation gave our first grant in 2008. In early September of 2018, to celebrate our 10th anniversary, PFF staff members went on a two-day whirlwind tour to all of our Core Grantees, past and present. Each organization was presented with a Celebrating Our Core Grantees document, a grant to be used on staff appreciation …

The Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) is partnering with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning and the Metropolitan Mayor’s Caucus in an effort to boost the capacity of local, suburban governments. As they plan their efforts, they are turning to the nonprofit sector to learn about best practices in capacity buidling. MPC recently interviewed Pierce Family Foundation’s Program Director, Heather …

On June 26, 2018 youth service providers, funders, City of Chicago officials, community stakeholders and young people gathered to celebrate the impact of the Chicago Youth Storage Initiative (CYSI). Pierce Family Foundation was a founding partner in CYSI, along with Knight Family Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation and Tracy Baim of Windy City Times. CYSI was created to …

“How many FTE staff members does it take to raise $XX?” This is a question those in the nonprofit community hear often. The Pierce Family Foundation sent a survey to PFF grantees, other Chicago funders to share with their grantees, and colleagues. A hearty thank you to the 90 organizations that responded to the survey! …

In April 2018, the Pierce Family Foundation convened several grantees for a conversation regarding the unique opportunities and challenges facing these agencies in working with staff teams that include employees from the community, their client base, and/or with those with lived experiences of homelessness or housing insecurity. The foundation has compiled notes from this conversation, …

Pierce Family Foundation Co-Executive Director Marianne Philbin recently published a blog piece on Candid. “9 Strategic (and Inexpensive) Ways Funders Can Support Grantee Staff” outlines the programs and methods that PFF uses to address capacity building for nonprofit staff—and advocates for other funders to try them, too!

Fund the People, a national effort to maximize investment in the nonprofit workforce, has published a toolkit that provides guidance, best practices, and data to help funders and nonprofits alike increase investment in nonprofit staff. The Pierce Family Foundation is featured in the “field studies” section of the toolkit. As Fund the People notes, “Nonprofit people are nonprofit programs. Given this …

The Pierce Family Foundation announces the publication of Equipped and Ready: A Best Practices Manual for Preparing Homeless Services Staff to Succeed. This is free for use and can be downloaded below. This manual, like all of our work, was inspired by our grantees, who sought a resource to help them with the training and retention of qualified staff …

2017 has been a big year for the Chicago Youth Storage Initiative (CYSI). In addition to current storage program partners—La Casa Norte, Unity Parenting and Counseling, Puerto Rican Cultural Center, Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, and Teen Living Programs—new locker programs were launched at the following facilities: Through CYSI, there is now a total of 225 …