Hello from the Greater Houston Community Foundation!

We're gearing up for fall and the end of the year with the September issue of Insights. We hope you and yours had a good summer, in spite of the uncertainty that continues to unfold. The GHCF team is still working entirely remotely at this time, but we are fully functional and able to serve all of your philanthropic needs as usual. Read on to learn more about the rise of hunger in our area, exciting virtual programming, and more. And, as always, please do not hesitate to contact us.
 

Best Regards,
The GHCF Team 
ARTICLE ROUND UP
DID YOU KNOW?
HUNGER IS ON THE RISE IN OUR AREA

Over 900,000 people, including more than 350,000 children, are food insecure across the three-county Houston area and for each county, we see higher rates of food insecurity compared to the nation. The New York Times published a new and powerful piece on hunger and the shadow of food insecurity on American families during the pandemic. You can also learn more by viewing our webinar on food insecurity hosted in April.

GHCF is proud to partner with Get Shift Done for Houston, an initiative in partnership with Get Shift Done and Houston Food Bank, administered by the Greater Houston COVID-19 Recovery Fund. This initiative was created to increase access to food and the capacity of our region’s food banks by hiring low-income people in the service industry to fill labor shortages brought about by the declines in volunteers during the pandemic. To learn more and donate, visit www.getshiftdone.org/greater-houston/home.
YEAR-END GIVING DEADLINES

We are here to help you with your 2020 year-end giving!

Please Note: Cash or securities must be received into the GHCF account by 12/31/20 in order to be treated as a 2020 charitable gift. Contact donorservices@ghcf.org to ensure your intended gift is properly credited. Read more about year-end giving deadlines here.
UPCOMING VIRTUAL PROGRAMS
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM
Thursday, September 24 | 12:00 - 1:15 PM

During the program, you will hear from leading experts on issues within the criminal justice system at both the national and local levels, with a focus on racial disparities.

Our featured speakers will discuss the landscape of the system including policing, pretrial, community supervision, prison reform, fines, and fees. The program will conclude with Q&A and ways that you can get involved in criminal justice reform
UNDERSTANDING HOUSTON
Listening & Learning:
A Look at Housing Inequities in Houston
Tuesday, October 20 | 9:00 - 10:30 AM

Deepening our understanding and re-imagining the future. Join a thought provoking and interactive session that will help address the following:

  • Current state of housing in Houston
  • Persistent disparities in housing opportunities that exist today
  • Root causes of these disparities and why they persist
  • Opportunities for Houston to make progress on this issue
  • Philanthropy's role
GHCF RESPONSE TO COVID-19
GREATER HOUSTON COVID-19 RECOVERY FUND
Nearly $17 Million Donated

The Greater Houston area continues to see COVID-19 cases grow, and with them, the continued economic hardships for the most vulnerable families and individuals in our region. In responding to urgent community needs, generous foundations, corporations, and individuals have contributed nearly $17 million to the Greater Houston COVID-19 Recovery Fund. To date, the fund has distributed $13 million in grants to area nonprofits to address urgent needs.

Round 1 Impact Report

We are proud to share that over 54,900 individuals living in 16,812 households were served during the first round of funding. Click here to review the Round 1 Impact Report and learn more. The report includes data on the number of individuals and households served from the Round 1 fund distribution by service and various demographic characteristics.

We will continue to share more data regarding the impact of the Greater Houston COVID-19 Recovery Fund along with lessons learned. 
Click the play button to meet John, who received assistance through this fund.
HARRIS COUNTY COVID-19 RELIEF FUND
$30 Million to Serve Some of the Most Vulnerable in the County

The Harris County COVID-19 Relief Fund disbursed $15 million to 44 local, community-based organizations that will provide vulnerable individuals and families support for housing, electricity, food, childcare, and other essential needs. These trusted, high-performing organizations are actively supporting the community, and have a deep understanding of those impacted by the pandemic. They will utilize funds to provide financial assistance to eligible individuals and families with whom they are already engaged.

On June 23 and 24, the Harris County COVID-19 Relief Fund opened its application for aid to the public as part of its second phase of funding. The application, which was available online and over the phone, was inundated by hundreds of thousands of Harris County residents seeking assistance from the fund. As of September 10, the Relief Fund assisted over 20,000 households.

For the latest updates on the fund, visit our Updates & Media and Data Dashboard pages. The data dashboard is updated weekly and provides data on the number of households served
UNDERSTANDING HOUSTON

Given the pressing and urgent needs presented due to the pandemic and economic crisis, Understanding Houston has accelerated the issue selection on disasters and economic opportunity. GHCF continues to play a role in responding to disasters, and the current public health disaster has exposed and exacerbated the challenges communities faced even prior to the pandemic. Stay tuned for more information on virtual engagement on these critical issues. And, in the meantime, we would like to share several blog posts highlighting the issues Houstonians are facing during this uncertain time.
NEWS FROM THE CENTER FOR FAMILY PHILANTHROPY
FAMILY GIVING CIRCLE

The Family Giving Circle recently launched the fall 2020 grant cycle, which focuses on Anti-Human Trafficking. The Family Giving Circle is an opportunity for families to learn, volunteer, and grant together in the Greater Houston area. Contact Allison Hale for more information on how to join the Family Giving Circle and its Youth Leadership Team.
NEXT GEN DONOR INSTITUTE

The Next Gen Donor Institute is accepting nominations for its 2021 class. Learn more about the program, and contact Annie Hurwitz for scheduling and availability information.
NEXT GEN GIVING CIRCLE

This year’s Next Gen Giving Circle mission is to fund initiatives that are addressing food insecurity through creative, innovative, or educational programming for Houston's affected families. Thirty nonprofits applied for the $10,000 grant, and the grantee will be selected at the end of September.
GHCF OFFICE UPDATE

Though we are working entirely remotely at this time, we are fully functional and able to serve all of your philanthropic needs as usual. We continue to monitor the data on COVID-19 in our community to determine the best timing for a partial reopening of the GHCF office. The GHCF Governing Board remains active and engaged with the GHCF team, monitoring the Foundation’s overall business model and financial health, and ensuring we continue to partner as effectively as possible with our donors and for our community.  
GHCF STAFF ANNOUNCEMENT

Congratulations to Diane Higginbotham, Jennifer Touchet, and Susan Zarich on their completion of the Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP) professional designation from the Richard D. Irwin Graduate School of The American College of Financial Services! Read more about this accomplishment, and how their CAP designation will benefit our community.
GHCF is proud to be a Houston Work Safe Company! Learn more about the Greater Houston Partnership Initiative and what it means to be a Work Safe company.