Learn what’s happening at the Foundation and in the communities where we work. Hear from staff and partners about their accomplishments and lessons learned along the way.
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Our newly-launched “Strengthening Partner Capacity” grant guidelines for 2019 mark the beginning of a more streamlined approach to capacity building funding at the Tower Foundation. The Foundation’s Trustees and staff are committed to supporting the organizations, and their leaders, responsible for advancing our goals across the four fields we fund (intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, mental … Continued
PART 2 [This second (and final) installment takes a look at recent Tower grants and their impact on the target population, grantee organization, and the field at large.] Once again, we wanted to take a look at the somewhat broader impact of our grantmaking. On our lessons learned forms, we also scored grants for impact … Continued
PART 1 [This installment of a two-part series looks at the performance of Tower grants when measured against specific project goals; Part 2 will look at the broader impact of the same grants.] Every 18 months or so, we take a look at the latest cluster of closed grants and assess their aggregate effectiveness and … Continued
I couple of years ago I got in the habit of blogging about each conference I attended. It imposed some healthy discipline, forcing me to go over notes and reflect a bit on what I learned at plenary sessions, what I picked up at break-out sessions, and maybe what live music venue I found nearby. … Continued
This is the third in a multi-part blog series. Catch up with Part I here and Part II here. In the adaptive leadership framework, “getting on the balcony” is the idea that, when met with complex challenges, you leave your world on-the-ground – your deadlines, to-do list, and distractions –and look at the big picture … Continued
This is the second in a multi-part blog series. Check out the last one here. 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 … 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
