Every day, millions of American children and families face barriers to reaching their full potential. Every day, the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities brings the power and innovation of our national strategic action network to help strengthen communities and equip families to build positive futures.

Our vision: A healthy and equitable society where all children, families, and communities have equal access to:

  • Health and well-being
  • Economic opportunity
  • Educational success
  • Safety and security

We are building this future together…

... with thousands of dedicated social sector leaders and hundreds of Alliance members nationwide

... with philanthropy, educational institutions, public entities, corporate partners, state associations, federations, councils, and countless others

... with you


With your support, we are building a stronger tomorrow for America.

 

At three Innovation Design Summits in 2017, we engaged cross-sector teams to tackle some of society’s toughest challenges in health, education, and nonprofit workforce development. Leveraging human-centered design principles to bridge sectors and silos and turn ideas into action, the summits brought together more than 300 professionals to build solutions that can be adopted and accelerated by the Alliance network. 

Change in Mind Initiative

The Change in Mind Initiative, with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Palix Foundation, and in collaboration with the Palix Foundation’s Alberta Family Wellness Initiative, intentionally infuses brain science and evidence into 15 organizations and programs and identifies new insights into the longer-term challenge of facilitating and accelerating change at the systems and policy levels.

Aramark Partnership

Aramark engages with over 100 community organizations to inspire families to lead healthier lives and empower people to succeed through workforce enablement. Aramark Building Community grants support health and wellness programming to build vibrant, sustainable communities for all. 

Within Our Reach

In partnership with Casey Family Programs, the Alliance advances Within Our Reach to equip policymakers, practitioners, and advocates with the tools they need to fundamentally reform child welfare and support the recommendations of the Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities.

Commitments of High-Impact Nonprofit Organizations

The Kresge Foundation commits to a 3-year effort to expand and refine the Commitments of High-Impact Nonprofit Organizations, our innovative framework that drives high impact results for social sector organizations. This complements investments made by the Annie E. Casey Foundation to further the Commitments assessment and develop learning tools and resources. 

Permanency & Well-Being Cohort

In 2017, the Alliance embarks on their fourth year of Permanency & Well-Being Cohort (formerly Residential Transformation Cohort) with support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Participating organizations work to shift their cultures to develop systems, strategies, and interventions that are focused on creating family stability, permanency for children, and putting families and children on a path to well-being. 

Promote Aging in Place

Funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), in partnership with the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, this three-year study on the Effectiveness of Peer-to-Peer Community to Promote Aging in Place advances organizations’ capacity for collaborative research and building scientific evidence. 

Second Acts for Strong Communities

With support from Deerbrook Charitable Trust, Bader Philanthropies, and the David & Lucile Packard Foundation, we unite 10 member organizations and our network to improve the lives of children, youth and families and the community-based organizations that serve them by harnessing the skills, experience and talents of our nation’s older adults.

Working Together for Better Health Outcomes

The Alliance partners with the Nonprofit Finance Fund and the Center for Healthcare Strategies, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, to study the emergence of health care-human services partnerships. Through a national survey, report, case studies and partnership assessment, the project uncovered the characteristics of partnerships and lessons learned to improve collaborative healthcare solutions.   

 

Public Policy Platform and 2017-2019 Federal Public Policy Agenda

 
Urge federal lawmakers to make funding decisions and tax policies that protect and enhance support for families and communities. Support policies that integrate prevention and early-response strategies to proactively build family and community strengths. Support access to affordable preventive and fully integrated health care.

 

 

In partnership with American Public Human Services Association, Oliver Wyman, SeaChange and lead funders Ballmer Group Philanthropy and The Kresge Foundation, this rigorous study of the financial health of the social sector will identify financial challenges and drive solutions that include cross-sector partnerships with philanthropy, business, public and private sector.

Values Statement on Equity

At the Alliance, we envision a world where society and its systems (e.g. education, criminal justice, health care, housing, the economy) are just, fair, and inclusive, enabling all people to participate and reach their full potential.

We believe in the dignity and humanity of all people. We strive for a healthy and prosperous society that promotes all people having equitable access and opportunity, yet we recognize that systemic and institutional inequities, especially in matters of race, remain significant barriers for people and communities working to reach their full potential. 

We recognize that we must lead our social sector in making the changes we want to see in society. Our charge is to:

  • Lead, with compassion, for social justice
  • Stand in the gap to support all those who are affected by inequity
  • Create space at the table for all groups to contribute
  • Support economic growth in diversity
  • Build a society that is committed to engaging the voices and respecting the humanity of all people

Support our work to help the nation’s children, families, and communities. 

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