Photo of legislative chamber room

Think you have no part in influencing public policy? You actually could be integral in change that improves the impact of your charitable efforts. The FGA’s Scott Centorino explains how your specific experiences can influence decisions of policy leaders.

Photo of Missouri legislative chamber room

More Americans returning to work equates to less government spending on social programs, but it also restores dignity and strengthen community. James Whitford explains more about a missed opportunity in his article, originally publlished in InsideSources.

The USICH sets lofty goals for reducing homelessness by doubling down on the failed Housing First program—yet the USICH themselves have admitted that though “funding for homelessness assistance has increased every year,” the unsheltered population has grown by a staggering 20.5% nationally.

No across-the-board solutions exist for resolving homelessness. But, more granular data – specific to a community’s population vs. an entire county – can help identify common causes. TCI’s James Whitford discusses how a recent state bill can help do just that.

Homeless camp in tents on city sidewalk

Housing First is intended to quickly connect people experiencing homelessness to permanent housing “without preconditions such as sobriety, treatment or service participation requirements.” Yet, it has the unfortunate result of trapping people in a cycle of dependency.

In a recent conversation, Jennifer Johnson, a former lawyer turned child care cooperative director, told me, “Many of the women (she) represented were good mothers. They loved and desired to parent their children. However, they just couldn’t figure out how to work and pay for child care.” Jennifer’s story represents similar conversations that I have had with pregnancy care center directors, child care centers and nonprofit leaders.