Monday-Friday: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

215 Centennial Mall South, Suite 200
Lincoln, Nebraska 68508

 

 

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Our approach

While the community partners we engage provide direct help to the populations who need it, we provide support, nourishment and a favorable environment for the initiatives to thrive through this proven process:

1. Prepare

Nebraska Children and Families Foundation works with communities who want help, and are ready to commit to a community collaboration approach. We start by assessing the state of child well-being within the community. Using a set of indicators (including poverty level, number of juvenile arrests and births to teenage parents), we begin to identify data-based patterns that community systems will need to address. We also look at the services and resources available in the community, as well as any gaps in services, to identify the best partners who are already addressing more granular issues within the larger pattern. From here, we guide the community partners as they translate the data into a framework for success.

2. Advise

Thanks to our connections with the most advanced science on child and family dynamics and development, as well as our experience with other communities statewide, Nebraska Children and Families Foundation is in a unique position to put forth evidence-based systems and processes to address the needs of a community. We guide communities to develop a plan that coordinates the community partners and to fill any gaps in services that are needed to successfully make a difference.

3. Collaborate

Nebraska Children and Families Foundation helps community partners develop a shared understanding of their challenges, a standard set of processes, a common vocabulary and an understanding of the strengths each member can offer. We bring the right partners to the table, train them on cross-functional communication, and facilitate the journey toward a common goal throughout the initiative. The end result? The community can reach more people and have a greater impact with fewer resources.

4. Fund

Nebraska Children and Families Foundation infuses the initiative with funding. Grants are provided through state and federal funds administered by the foundation, which are leveraged by public and private funding partners. This unique blend of funding is a required element when addressing systematic social issues. No one funding source can be tapped for all needs. And no other organization in Nebraska has the partnership power to bring so many funding sources together to benefit children.

5. Implement

Centralized coordination is key to creating positive change. Nebraska Children and Families Foundation has dedicated staff to community organization with science-based policies, procedures and practices by helping to:

  • Establish local governance
  • Formalize infrastructure
  • Create communications best practices among the members
  • Maximize the efficient use of limited resources, so the community can do more with less
  • Fill in the necessary services and resources that aren’t available to the community
  • Advocate for needed changes in state policy
  • Raise awareness of issues and solutions through effective messaging

6. Evaluate and sustain

With shared measurement tools already established, Nebraska Children and Families Foundation will collect and evaluate data at to determine if the changes made by the community partners are having the desired effect. If we feel that the child well being indicators are not reacting favorably, we will help them adjust the plan.

215 Centennial Mall South, Suite 200
Lincoln, Nebraska 68508

Monday-Friday: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

© Nebraska Children and Families Foundation 2024

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