Funders for Family Leadership

Parent leaders and parent leadership organizations are at the front and center of the work carried out by Funders for Family Leadership, a philanthropic collaborative on parent organizing, family engagement, and leadership development. FFL works to improve how the field of philanthropy partners with, supports, and elevates the voice of parent leaders, parent organizers, and family engagement centered organizations and programs.

This national network of grantmaking organizations engages in information sharing, joint learning, and networking activities that lead to funding and other supports to parent leadership efforts across multiple issues. Their goal is to contribute best practices that support and highlight the expertise of parents and caregivers from low-income communities and communities of color, to ensure programs and policies better support families. VIVA Social Impact Partners has supported the group’s planning work and its implementation of actionable strategies to engage and attract network members and develop field-advancing tools and learning opportunities. 

VIVA has developed and facilitated annual convenings and webinar series to inform and promote internal and external practices that support and partner with parents, elevate their experiences, and lift the voices of parent leaders in their communities. VIVA also supports the collaborative’s communications and outreach, including developing its website and newsletters. In additional VIVA worked with FFL to develop and pilot the Philanthropic Self-Assessment Tool for Equitable Parent Partnership, a framework for reflection, inquiry, and conversation to maximize funders’ positive impact and avoid causing harm to parent leaders and the communities they fund.

The Funders Group continues to grow its membership and reach, expanding the capacity of the field to equitably partner with parent leaders and parent leadership organizations.