In a previous blog post, we talked about how we’re beginning to operationalize the Tower Foundation’s emerging focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). One of the early steps we’ve taken is to get a better sense of the organizations we’re working with: how many are led (board and/or executive leadership), staffed, and serving people of … Continued
All too often, children whom teachers say are ‘acting out’ or who are in conflict with family members at home are actually struggling with mental health. Experts estimate that as many as 41,000 children in Massachusetts have unmet mental health needs, and nearly 17,000 of those youth qualify for an Individualized Education Plan in school owing to … Continued
At long last, I’m pleased to announce that the Tower Foundation has launched its new grants portal. We hope that it will be easier and more pleasant for you to see what grant opportunities are available, apply for grants, check on grant payments, request technical assistance, and share stories about your work. If you had … Continued
We’re very excited about the transition to our new grants portal, but I’m sorry to say that we’re running a bit further behind schedule than we’d imagined. While we expected to “flip the switch” last week, it’s actually going to happen this Thursday. Here are a couple of things you need to know: If you … Continued
Back in 2012 the Foundation’s Trustees and staff adopted a Results-Based Accountability (RBA) approach to understanding our grant making impact on the fields and communities we serve. As part of adopting RBA, we identified a total of 19 community-wide goals across the issue areas we support (if you’re curious, you can find them on page … Continued
Over the past year or so, we’ve been exploring Human-Centered Design (HCD). At a super-high level, HCD is a process of developing products or programs that places the end-user at the center of the process. It involves a deliberate set of stages and activities that helps designers get closer to end-users to get a better … Continued
The New York Times reported yesterday that the Federal Communications Commission recommended shortening the 10-digit National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number (1–800–273–8255) to three digits. This would effectively make it a “911” for suicide prevention. This is an excellent suggestion, and it echoes what Michael Hogan, Ph.D. recommends in the first installment of the 2019 Think … Continued
The Peter & Elizabeth Tower Foundation is pleased to announce its recent grant awards totaling nearly $1.1 million to 11 organizations for projects benefitting Barnstable, Dukes, Essex, and Nantucket Counties in Massachusetts; and Erie and Niagara Counties in New York State. According to Tracy Sawicki, the Foundation’s Executive Director, “These projects show many different ways … Continued
The Peter & Elizabeth Tower Foundation is pleased to announce its recent grant awards totaling nearly $1.3 million to 15 organizations for projects benefitting Erie and Niagara Counties in Western New York, as well as Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Essex County in Eastern Massachusetts. “It’s a great privilege to support these organizations as they work … Continued
One day a few weeks ago, Chuck popped his head into my office. He told me that he’d just finished up a videoconference with one of our grantees. They were wrapping up the first year of a grant, and the videoconference served as the formal report narrative. They talked about all the things you’d expect … Continued
