Issue Areas
Your Passion. Our Purpose.
We have the track records and strategic partners to help our clients impact the issues that matter most to people and our planet.
TAKING ON BIG ISSUES AND INEQUITIES
We use our decades of experience delivering results, our access to top experts, and our network of strategic partners to develop and execute innovative approaches to change. Whether your goal is to combat the immediate impact of a global pandemic, make the planet more sustainable, or close persistent gaps in education, health, and economic outcomes, we are ready to meet this moment with you in any of the following areas.
Racial Equity
Racial Equity
All people, and particularly those who have suffered from bigotry and oppression, deserve fair treatment, justice, and an equal opportunity for success. Working closely with experts and our strategic partners, we help clients tackle systemic racism to address inequities in economic, educational, health, environmental, and other social outcomes.
our Track record of impact
- Partnered with Omaha Community Foundation, The Sherwood Foundation, and The Lozier Foundation on participatory grantmaking pools that invested in communities of color and nonprofits led by people of color
- Conducted original research to power map political, corporate, nonprofit, education, and foundation leaders, disaggregating data along racial and gender lines
- Invested in statewide “welcoming work” that helped rural and urban communities be more inclusive of immigrants and refugees
- Co-Invested with the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce and three local foundations to support a cross-sector initiative to make Omaha a more inclusive city
- Funded a series of racial equity trainings for leaders and staff of foundations and major nonprofits
- Partnered with a major company to create a regional, community-based initiative to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion with a focus on training, capacity building, and awareness campaigns
civic engagement
civic engagement
Healthy communities and a healthy democracy are fueled by engaged citizens. We help clients improve civic learning and engagement, unite people across divides to solve community problems, and strengthen the quality of local media. We also support efforts to enact reforms that strengthen democratic institutions, electoral practices, and the effectiveness of government to deliver on its promise of equality, freedom, and opportunity for all.
our Track record of impact
- Ran a neighborhood grants program in partnership with the Omaha Community Foundation that brought community members together to plan and execute local improvement projects
- Supported the launch of the Tri-Faith Initiative, a major effort to create interfaith dialogue and cross-faith service projects between Christian, Jewish, and Muslim communities
- Led a steering committee of national nonprofit and political leaders to create a business plan to launch a collective impact effort to strengthen American democracy
- Advised a major funder on how to structure a fund to advance pro democracy reforms and community engagement
Arts & Culture
Arts & Culture
Arts and culture unleash our creativity, unite us in our common humanity, challenge us to think about and take action on tough topics, and make our lives and our communities more vibrant. We help clients improve access to the arts, build the capacity of artists and arts and cultural institutions, support community engagement and arts education, and leverage the arts as a key vehicle to promote diversity and make communities more inclusive.
our Track record of impact
- Managed the grantmaking process for a major gift to a university for a new arts education college
- Co-led an initiative to address lack of diversity in arts museum leadership and curator positions by investing in pipeline development programs at dozens of museums across the country in parntership with the Ford Foundation
- Launched and led a regional grantmaking program that provided capacity building funds to arts organizations and convened those organizations to plan joint projects to strengthen the local arts sector
- Invested in the sustainability and growth of community-based cultural organizations serving and representing the heritage of African, Asian, Middle Eastern, and Central American immigrants and refugees
- Funded major capital projects, education programs, community outreach, and capacity building for museums, performing arts centers, and other arts and culture organizations
Education
Education
A high-quality education unlocks a lifetime of opportunity. We help clients directly support students across the full education pipeline – from early childhood development and mastering critical literacy and numeracy skills to graduating high school and college prepared for a meaningful career and a joyful life. And we help clients strengthen and align education and employment systems and out-of-school time supports to ensure youth have a seamless pathway to success.
our Track record of impact
- Served as public school teachers in inner-city schools
- Structured and oversaw scholarship programs for first-generation and low-income college goers
- Launched cradle-to-career collective impact initiatives supported by the Ford Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Greater Texas Foundation that aligned school districts, higher education institutions, and employers
- Created statewide programs in Nebraska and Texas to build community college capacity and improve completion rates
- Crafted education strategies for major corporations, foundations, school districts, and state agencies
- Built an evaluation and learning system for the 13 cities participating in the Lumina Foundation’s Latino Student Success initiative
- Funded the design and replication of innovative new school models in cities across the US
- Invested in early childhood, college success, out-of-school time, teacher diversity and quality, school financing, special education, and youth development initiatives
- Managed the launch of a major early childhood education investment guide for business leaders
Health & human services
Health & human services
People are able to reach their full potential only when they are healthy, food-secure, housed, and safe. We help clients improve access to health care, close health disparities, develop public health campaigns, and improve individual and community wellbeing. We also help clients ensure the most vulnerable among us have access to nutritious food, adequate housing, and safe living conditions.
our Track record of impact
- Launched HIV, family planning, and malaria prevention campaigns in Rwanda and Zimbabwe
- Funded advocacy campaigns to reduce STIs and teen pregnancies
- Invested in the construction of a major new cancer center, infectious disease center, and high-tech virtual reality training center for physicians
- Developed the five-year HIV strategy for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, influencing over $1 billion in funding
- Designed and launched a multi-sector diabetes treatment and management initiative for Eli Lilly & Company in India, Brazil, South Africa, and Mexico
- Funded statewide domestic violence capacity to ensure that no woman was more than 100 miles from a shelter and supportive services
- Evaluated the $160 million Africa Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Project in Botswana on behalf of the Merck Foundation
- Invested in initiatives and organizations that addressed food insecurity, housing and homelessness, domestic violence, abused and neglected children, childcare, and nutrition
- Managed Title V block grant technical assistance to 17 state health departments’ bullying prevention efforts on behalf of the US Health Resources and Services Administration
- Convened state and national health funders to learn about and act upon maternal health disparities in North Carolina
- Coordinated the launch of an award-winning awareness campaign of Georgia’s child care rating system
Environment
Environment
Addressing the climate crisis limits the severity of natural disasters and provides us all with fresh air, clean and sufficient water, and other sustainable resources. We help clients address climate change impacts, improve water and air quality, preserve biodiversity, tackle environmental injustice, and enhance education and engagement about our natural world.
our Track record of impact
- Supported the acquisition and development of wetland, prairie, and grassland areas for conservation and environmental education purposes
- Built the strategy and evaluation frameworks for environmental nonprofits working in concert with companies to advance sustainable seafood practices on behalf of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation
- Funded organizations to advocate for more sustainable agricultural practices in Indiana, Iowa, and Illinois
- Funded nonprofits and government efforts to protect marine resources in the US, Mexico, Indonesia, Chile, and Paraguay
- Raised over $100 million with major foundations, including the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation and the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation to advance water solutions for communities, economies, and the environment throughout river systems in the Western part of the US
- Funded reforestation projects in floodland areas in Arkansas and Louisiana
Economic Opportunity
Economic Opportunity
Good jobs, successful entrepreneurs, and inclusive economies lead to individual and community prosperity. We help clients invest in workforce development, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and other supports and policies that break the cycle of poverty and build strong and vibrant communities.
our Track record of impact
- Developed and funded strategies that increased the quality and stock of affordable housing in underdeveloped urban neighborhoods
- Designed and funded the creation of a new economic development think tank, Heartland Forward, focused on the renewal of mid-America
- Advised the Rwandan president and cabinet on the country’s economic strategy, focused on tourism and coffee and tea production
- Structured a statewide initiative with Midwest Housing Equity Group to build the capacity of rural communities to develop housing and launched an impact investment pool to fund projects
- Catalyzed and invested in major urban core, transportation, and riverfront redevelopment in downtown Omaha and rural main street renewal efforts in rural Nebraska
- Strengthened regional entrepreneurial ecosystems by mapping assets and gaps, increasing available startup and growth capital, and networking and building the capacity of entrepreneurs