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Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity: Raising Awareness in ’08 Election

As our nation prepares for the Democratic and Republican National Conventions taking place late this summer, we will all be deluged with coverage of both horserace politics and substantive issues. Amidst the frenzy, The Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity—an Eos Foundation grantee—seeks to make sure the issue of poverty does not get lost in the shuffle.

Over 36 million Americans live in poverty – earning less than $20,650 for a family of four. Even worse, 12 million American children grow up in impoverished homes, the largest number compared with 20 other wealthy nations. Spotlight believes that America can do better, and is helping to make sure the 2008 Candidates are committed publicly to doing so.

Spotlight’s “5 Questions” program queried all of the major candidates in the 2008 election about their views on addressing poverty. The goal is not only to get candidates to say they are committed to the issue of poverty, but to also help hold them accountable once in office. “Rising poverty is one of the most serious issues facing America today,” said Senator Barack Obama, while Sen. John McCain maintained, “I will make the eradication of poverty a top priority for the McCain Administration.”

Spotlight has made considerable progress toward the realization of its goal since its formation by a group of national leaders in the fall of 2007. Beginning initially with two funding partners, the Eos Foundation and the Annie E. Casey Foundation, The Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity now boasts ten contributing organizations, a website that attracts thousands of hits every week, and a major bi-partisan event held at the Brookings Institution in March of 2008. With intense media coverage expected surrounding the Conventions in the coming months, Spotlight will help focus the election on solutions for impoverished Americans.

Read the candidates’ answers to the 5 Questions and learn more about the Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity.

Eos Grantee Highlighted on Popular NPR Program

With healthcare a major issue in the upcoming presidential election and the new mandate requiring adults to have health insurance in Massachusetts, finding solutions for spiraling healthcare costs has become a top public priority. The Medical-Legal Partnership for Children – a Boston Medical Center-based nonprofit and Eos Foundation grantee – was recently featured on the prestigious ‘Marketplace’ radio program for their creative, cost-effective solution to this nationwide epidemic. ‘Marketplace,’ which airs nationally on NPR, is the most popular business program in the United States, drawing over eight million listeners weekly.

MLPC, founded in 1993 by Boston Medical Center’s Chief of Pediatrics Barry Zuckerman, seeks to help patients navigate the complex legal systems that hold solutions to health problems. In short, MLPC believes that not all illnesses are biological. Sometimes, social factors like sub-standard living conditions or malnutrition play a role in making people sick. When this happens, low-income parents are often forced to take their children to receive costly care at the emergency room, contributing heavily to the rising cost of healthcare. MLPC combines the strengths of the medical and legal professions to reduce health disparities for low-income families.

In her interview with Marketplace, Ellen Lawton, Executive Director of MLPC’s Boston office, cites the example of a family with a diabetic child. If their utilities get shut off, that family can no longer refrigerate the insulin, eventually forcing the child to the emergency room. MLPC can provide legal counsel to help get the utilities back on, avoiding another costly ER visit.

Staff Counsel Johanna Flacks noted, “There are landlords who will not respond until the matter is ratcheted up to one that is officially legal in nature.” MLPC has a simple, creative solution to offer – help low-income families fix the social factors leading to ill-health and cut costs that way. As their coverage on Marketplace shows, it’s a smart decision for both business and society.

Click here to listen to the full ‘Marketplace’ report by Jeff Tyler or read the transcript. Learn more here about The Medical-Legal Partnership for Children.

Eos Grantee Sponsors Latina Entrepreneurs Summit

Since its founding in 1995, the Center for Women & Enterprise (CWE) has helped over 14,500 people develop or expand their businesses. The organization’s recent “Latina Entrepreneurs Summit” at Boston’s Seaport Hotel is part of their commitment to diversity and a campaign to encourage entrepreneurship among underrepresented groups (30% of CWE’s clients are people of color). Attendees chose between two tracks—entrepreneurship and career development—featuring workshops such as business plan development, self-branding, effective communication, and a workshop on resources for small businesses taught by Massachusetts’ Small Business Administration director.
Prominent businesswoman Nina Vaca, the Founder and CEO of Pinnacle Technical Resources, was the keynote speaker. Originally from Ecuador, Nina started her company (which provides information technology solutions to Fortune 500 companies) in 1996. She is a two-time winner of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Businesswoman of the Year award, and has appeared in Fast Company as one of North America’s Top 25 Women Business Builders. In 2007, she was named one of the 100 most influential Hispanics in America by Latino Leaders magazine.

The Summit—the second CWE has held—was intended to encourage Latina executives to consider launching their own businesses, facilitate professional networking in the community, and ensure that aspiring entrepreneurs are aware of the resources CWE can offer. The event was co-sponsored by the Association of Latina Professionals in Finance and Accounting, and Sanchez and Santiago. To learn more or become involved in next year’s summit, visit www.cweonline.org, call 617.532.0251, or email agomez@cweonline.org.

Rock Star Raises Money for The Food Project

The Food Project—a Massachusetts-based nonprofit and Eos grantee—is a long way from platinum-selling rock star Jack Johnson’s native Hawaii. But the famed rocker and surf champion’s “Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation” took the group by surprise when it recently offered to highlight their work during Johnson’s upcoming gig at the Tweeter Center in Mansfield.

The Food Project (TFP) and a small group of select charities will set up shop in the “Village Green,” a collection of interactive booths at the concert that will educate and inspire attendees. Johnson’s foundation is also contributing $500 to TFP and will match all contributions up to $2500 made at the show (scheduled for Wednesday, August 6th) or online (http://www.jackjohnsonmusic.com/allatonce/nonprofits) (scroll to The Food Project).

“Our hope is that the partnership between The Food Project and Jack Johnson will get more people thinking about where food comes from and the fact that not everyone has access to local, healthy food,” says Jen James, TFP’s Communications Director. Can’t make it to the Tweeter Center? As part of “Eat Local Week,” TFP will hold a pre-concert event on Wednesday, August 6th in Copley Square where visitors can learn more about eating local and snack on a free Bay State carrot. Click to learn more about The Food Project (http://www.thefoodproject.org/) and their partnership with Jack Johnson (http://blog.thefoodproject.org/2008/jack-johnson-and-the-food-project/).

Eos Supports Innovative Nonprofit Showcase

The Social Innovation Forum (SIF)-a nonprofit that identifies and aids outstanding social innovators working on issues that impact Boston-area communities-recently held its 5th Annual Showcase Event to celebrate cutting-edge, effective organizations.

At the event, which took place on April 30th at the MIT Faculty Club, SIF's six "2008 Social Innovators" gave presentations about their work and the progress they have made. Eos is sponsoring this year's "Improving Food Security and Nutrition for Children and Families" track, which has allowed City Spouts-an organization providing sustainable schoolyard gardens and related programs for the Cambridge public schools-to receive assistance including management consulting and coaching, graphic design help, and introductions to other potential supporters.

City Sprouts' work is essential, says SIF Co-Director Susan Musinsky, because "Good, healthy food that will fuel young people is not readily available in most communities in greater Boston. Burgers, pizza, fries and soda are the food of the younger generation. Though they're available and affordable, they often lead to obesity and many other health issues."

Funding SIF helps Eos leverage its commitment to food security issues. Musinsky notes that Eos' support helps SIF "find volunteers and in-kind partners who can assist the Innovators and help them to deepen their mission and their work.it allows us to have a multiplier effect."

Millionaire investor is raising cash to aid poor

Boston Business Journal

After making millions in hedge funds, Ken Nickerson wants to give his money away to fight poverty in Boston.  And he’s looking for a few like-minds and deep pockets to do the same.  With a $15 million, five-year grant from his family foundation as seed money, Nickerson has started Boston Rising, a fund that aims to support effective anti-poverty programs in and around the city.
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Shifting philanthropic focus

Boston Business Journal

Andrea Silbert, Eos President and Andrew Wolk, founder and CEO of Root Cause co-authored this op-ed which discusses the shift toward a new MBA-style of philanthropy.
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New anti-poverty group launched with $15 million gift

Boston Business Journal

The Eos Foundation has pledged $15 million to be paid over five years to combat poverty in the Boston area. The money will be used to jumpstart an independent nonprofit, Boston Rising, and will be modeled after Robin Hood -- an innovative New York City-based group that draws significant support from financial, hedge fund, and industry leading professionals.
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Massachusett's Poor Children are
Being Left Behind

Metro Boston

While Massachusetts has one of the lowest rates of poor children, it ranks last in the country in caring for its needy kids, according to a report set to be released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a Baltimore-based association that focuses on child welfare.
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Feeding the Hungry

Study: 464,000 Bay Staters, 7% of population, at risk

Worcester Telegram and Gazette

The Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, a project co-initiated by the Boston-based nonprofit Eos Foundation, has just released a poll showing that 50 percent of Americans believe the hunger problem in the United States is getting worse, up from 38 percent in 2002.
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Casey, Eos Foundations Launch Initiative to Advance Poverty Concerns in 2008 Presidential Campaign

The Chronicle of Philanthropy

The Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Eos Foundation have announced a new initiative intended to advance the issues of poverty and opportunity during the 2008 presidential campaign. The Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity seeks to engage presidential, congressional, and local candidates in substantive discussions about poverty and keep these issues in the forefront as a new administration sets its agenda.
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Foundations Push Presidential Candidates to Discuss Poverty

Philanthropy News Digest

The Annie E. Casey Foundation, in Baltimore, and the Eos
Foundation, in Boston, announced today they have started a project to get the 2008 presidential candidates to give priority to issues related to poverty and hunger-and will enlist other foundations to help.
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The Heat or Eat Dilemma

Boston Globe

Parents know that children can freeze to death more quickly than they can starve to death, and so most decrease food purchases first to pay for heat. Dr. Deborah A. Frank , director of the Grow Clinic for Children at Boston Medical Center and Joseph P. Kennedy II, chairman and president of Citizens Energy Corporation co-author an op-ed on the heat or eat dilemma.
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