“We can accomplish more together than we can alone.”— Max De Pree
True words that are often forgotten.
York County Community Foundation understands that to resolve complex social issues in our community, it will take transformative thinking and collaboration among multiple organizations. That is why we are thrilled to have made two recent multi-year grants to courageous collaboratives that are stepping out of their silos and working across sectors to tackle tough issues so our community can thrive.
The Collaborative for Stable Housing in York County is being led by Friends and Neighbors of Pennsylvania which is pursuing innovative long-term solutions through collaboration to make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring in York County.
In recent years it has become even more clear that people from all walks of life are facing homelessness and housing insecurity. The lack of safe, affordable housing leads to a multitude of challenges and impacts employment, education, and health. The Collaborative for Stable Housing seeks to knit together a broad network of nonprofit service providers to create a solid path to stable housing for those with housing insecurity in York County.
The second collaborative receiving a grant is LogosWorks Partners who provides leadership to the York County Safety Collab that grew out of five years of relationship-building among police chiefs, the Black Ministers Association, and the District Attorney’s Office. This group is working to promote trust and transparency between police and the communities they serve. The York County Safety Collab will facilitate cooperation between law enforcement agencies, community leaders, and citizens by facilitating investments in training, equipment, and community engagement. Funding has already been secured for county-wide de-escalation training, equipment to improve police departments, and violence prevention investments in youth.
With grants from York County Community Foundation’s Fund for York County, these collaboratives will hire coordinators to use best practices in collective action and develop common goals, implement action plans, and track and report progress. YCCF supports these efforts that can address chronic barriers to economic mobility for people in our community. . . a major focus of the York County Community Foundation.
In 2022, we established the THRIVE grant program to support programs and collaboratives that are helping lower income people achieve economic mobility. Last year we awarded $730,000 to nonprofit organizations providing career training, financial literacy, housing opportunities, and quality childcare. We invest in specific programs and services as well as cross-sector collaboratives that strengthen the service delivery system and improve community-wide indicators like rates of homelessness or use of force by police officers.
Investing in transformational change is one of the things that sets York County Community Foundation apart. Because gifts to the Fund for York County are endowed, our community has a permanent source of grants to help our community thrive. We’re York’s foundation – here to build a united and prosperous community today and for future generations.
YCCF understands that we can accomplish more together than alone. That is why we are so grateful to the many donors to the Fund for York County and the courageous community leaders who envision better for us all.
Jane M. Conover, MSW
President & CEO of York County Community Foundation
Adrian N. Buckner, MBA, MPP
Vice President of Grants and Community Engagement and Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer of York County Community Foundation
