This is the second in a multi-part blog series. Check out part one. The organizations we fund are essential to our work, and because of this, we are paying attention to the shift to Value Based Reimbursement (VBR) which we think will have a huge impact on many of our grantees. As a refresher, VBR … Continued
System Redesign and Why It Matters We here at The Tower Foundation have been paying attention over the last couple of years to the big changes happening in the health care delivery system. Why? Well, a few reasons. First, changes to the health care system mean big changes to not only the health care providers … Continued
A screening call? A clarification call? Which is it? WHAT is it? I just toiled over a preliminary application for you — what more could you possibly need from me??? What is this, torture? Hey there. Yes, you with your head on your desk. This is not a trap! We like screening calls a lot (which we have … Continued
My morning started in all its usual familiarity and chaos. (Peeling myself away from my kids in the morning is something I have not yet mastered since welcoming our second kiddo into our family this past summer.) My husband and I ran around, frantically executing the diaper-clean-clothe-feed-the-kids routine, managing to make ourselves look quasi-presentable, and … Continued
A few months ago, I attended an awards ceremony at the Dale Association. It was a great event with plenty of tasty desserts. The Foundation was among eight honorees recognized for their service to the community. While we were an award recipient; it underscores the fact that nonprofits are the “real heroes.” They do all … 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
Last June, I attended the American Association of Intellectual Disabilities (AAIDD) Annual Conference, held in Atlanta, Georgia. Georgia is commonly referred to as the “Peach State.” Of course I made sure that I took in some southern cuisine that included a bowl of delicious peach cobbler. After dinner, I drove by the birth home of … Continued
Just a few days ago, Chuck and I stopped off for a celebration at a downtown Buffalo restaurant. The celebration toasted almost two years of hard work from a coalition of Erie County-based behavioral health providers, agencies, and funders. The group had come together to respond to the negative perceptions that so many continue to … Continued
A wise man proportions his belief to the evidence. – David Hume, Scottish Historian and Empiricist On September 16, 2014, I completed the last phone survey of an evaluation of a five-year grant initiative at the Tower Foundation. If I haven’t lost you already, I’d like to take this blog space to summarize what we … Continued
Like dandelion seeds, our four main funding categories – mental health, substance abuse, learning disabilities, and intellectual disabilities – have most likely drifted into your life, affecting either someone you know or someone in your own family. One of these seeds floated into my life fourteen years ago. My twin sister, who was pregnant at … Continued
