FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 5, 2024
CONTACT: Mariam Robinson, mrobinson@martinwaymire.com
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Steelcase Foundation held its first gathering on Saturday to welcome the 30 Black and Latina mothers living in Kent County who were selected as cohort partners in the foundation’s 10-year, $10-million-dollar Investment in Families Initiative. The initiative will learn from and collaborate with mothers in the cohort to identify systems and policy changes that will better support families’ individual and collective well-being statewide.
“Our Foundation continues to be hyper focused on how we better support the long-term needs of children and families,” said Daniel Williams, president of the Steelcase Foundation. “The 10-year duration of the initiative is a groundbreaking approach to combat the fleeting nature of traditional programming and philanthropic investments. This is a part of our larger strategy that centers the inherent brilliance of community and understands that children and families are negotiating complex and interwoven systems, structures and policies that rarely communicate with each other or align.”
This partnership with mothers supports their understanding of the evolution of families’ experience over time, staying with them from early childhood into middle and high school, Williams said. The Foundation will be able to hear directly from families how their goals change over time and how structures and systems hinder or help them throughout the process.
“We recognize that so many families are struggling financially and that the need for these types of initiatives and direct community investments is significant,” said Stacy Stout, director of family-centered philanthropy at the Steelcase Foundation. “We also recognize that how families feel is incredibly important. Together, we are dedicated to lifting up the work, learning and agency of this cohort so we can collectively begin to change how systems treat and partner with Michigan families.”
In structuring the Investment in Families Initiative, the Steelcase Foundation worked directly with mothers through surveys and focus groups to define what “success” meant to them, and in combination with additional research, the Foundation outlined the initial supports that will be offered to the 30 cohort families:
- Monthly guaranteed basic income to reduce cognitive load on families;
- Child savings accounts for all underage children to support K-12 and post-secondary success;
- Deeper sense of belonging, connection and support through the cohort model designed to foster relationships, co-learning and social networks;
- Dedicated staff to support the creation and advancement of self-determined goals and to navigate resources and systems to maximize outcomes;
- Mental health and wellness support to increase the positive “felt difference” by mothers and their families;
- And self-identified personal and professional development.
The 30 cohort partners will meet quarterly, with the option to engage more deeply with the study by serving on research and narrative advisory committees.
“How and where we share the data points and stories from this initiative over the next 10 years is a crucial part of the work,” said Stout. “We need to correct and challenge the harmful narratives that have shaped the policies and systems hurting these families.”
The Steelcase Foundation also launched an advisory council to:
- Identify pitfalls and opportunities for the initiative and cohort partners;
- Connect and map to other initiatives and efforts that may reinforce goals and learning;
- Co-learn and bring respective learnings back to organizations and spheres of influence;
- And serve as accountability partners to keep the initiative aligned with espoused values and framework.
The advisory council will begin meeting in October, with several sectors and organizational partners represented, such as the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Women’s Resource Center, DataWise Consulting LLC, mental health providers, K-12 and post-secondary education, health care, cohort mothers and more.
“Our hope is that the advisory council will deepen the learning, as well as advance policy and other solutions based on that learning within their organizations and beyond. They will bring a tremendous amount of experience, connections, knowledge and dedication to family outcomes, and together as a community we will create more positive sustained change than we ever could alone,” said Stout.
The Steelcase Foundation has also partnered with UpTogether, a national systems-change organization working to disrupt the status quo approach to ending poverty. UpTogether will lead the financial distribution efforts with the cohort families.
“We are excited to be partnering on this important initiative to invest in mothers,” said Jesús Gerena, CEO of UpTogether. “Moms know what’s best for their children and can be trusted to make the best decisions for their families.”
To learn more about the Investment in Families Initiative, visit www.steelcasefoundation.org/investment-in-families-initiative.
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About the Steelcase Foundation
The Steelcase Foundation is committed to creating sustainable, positive change in communities. With a focus on innovative philanthropy and community-driven initiatives, the Foundation aims to drive equitable outcomes and empower individuals and families to thrive. Learn more at www.steelcasefoundation.org.
