Houston Endowment, an Independent Sector member, is a place-based funder deeply committed to addressing its community’s most significant challenges and reducing barriers to opportunities. The Foundation recently awarded a grant of $2.13 million to the National Partnership for New Americans to help strengthen the successful integration of immigrants into the local society, economy, and democracy. We asked President and CEO Ann B. Stern about Houston Endowment’s efforts to create a vibrant, thriving, and inclusive community.
IS: From the establishment of Houston Endowment in 1937, your mission for the Houston area has aligned well with Independent Sector’s mission to create a healthy and equitable nation where all can thrive. Tell us about the continuing thread that has run through your organization’s mission to tackle some of our nation’s most important social issues.
Ann B. Stern: Our founders, Jesse H. Jones and Mary Gibbs Jones, were very forward thinking. They knew that to address the most pressing needs of Houstonians, Houston Endowment would need to change and adapt. They gave the Foundation a broad charter to serve Houstonians, but didn’t dictate how that should be done. As a result, our mission remains the same — to improve the quality of life for the people of Greater Houston — but in response to our community, we’ve adapted our strategy and priorities over time to have greater impact.
It’s important to all of us to honor the Jones legacy, and we do that not only with funding, but also by leveraging our staff’s expertise. We believe in bringing people together — civic leaders, the business community, local government, other funders — to help solve big problems. This is something that Jones did well, from his work in helping to forge one of the nation’s first public-private partnerships to build the Houston Ship Channel, to his role leading the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, the government agency that guided America out of the Great Depression. We look to his example in the work we do every day.
IS: You pursue your mission by placing priority on three major programs — PreK-12 public education, civic engagement, and arts and parks. Can you briefly touch on the focus of each?
Ann B. Stern: About five years ago, Houston Endowment went through a comprehensive strategic planning process and identified these three long-term funding priorities, which we believe are essential elements for a vibrant, thriving, and inclusive community.
We are deeply committed to PreK-12 public education and believe access to an excellent education drives opportunities for our residents. Our focus in this area is to strengthen the pipeline of well-prepared and supported teachers. We are very encouraged by the innovative approaches districts and teacher prep programs are taking to rethink pathways into the teaching profession and provide support to broaden their capacity to do so.
Equally important for our region’s future is civic engagement — residents need to be aware of and participate in decisions that impact their lives. That means engaging in the democratic process and having access to high-quality, independent, community-focused journalism, which is why we supported Houston Landing, a new nonprofit newsroom that launched this year. We also focus on helping new Houstonians move along the legal pathway to citizenship, learn how U.S. systems are organized, and gain access to critical supports. We believe our region is stronger when all residents are effectively integrated into the community.
Finally, we believe arts and parks are essential elements for a world-class city and provide us with opportunities to connect with each other. In addition to supporting signature parks and trails that connect our city, we want every Houstonian to have access to great parks in their own neighborhoods. Our support of the arts is meant to celebrate different stories and perspectives, to build inclusion, and to foster empathy. A great example is our Jones Artist Awards program, which recognizes the diverse stories and perspectives of local emerging artists.
IS: Your substantial grant to the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA) is intended to focus on building infrastructure within local government to expand naturalization initiatives, and also to train “community navigators” to reach and assist eligible-to-naturalize residents. Talk about why you made this grant and how these efforts will help empower more immigrants and refugees to pursue citizenship.
Ann B. Stern: Houston’s incredible diversity is one of its greatest assets — nearly 1 in 3 residents here is foreign born. For decades, immigrants have fueled Houston’s economy and contributed to our unique culture.
We know that there are 300,000 lawful permanent residents in the Greater Houston area who are already eligible to become citizens, but less than 10% are taking the step to apply for citizenship each year and are missing out on the full rights and benefits of citizenship — including the right to vote and freedom of travel, as well as significant economic benefits. Naturalized citizens have higher incomes and higher rates of homeownership, which significantly benefit their lives and also have positive ripple effects on the whole economy. Citizens also have access to federal resources such as student financial aid and FEMA assistance, which is especially important for those of us living here on the Gulf Coast where we are often impacted by hurricanes and severe weather.
There are a number of common barriers people face that deter them from applying for citizenship, such as financial constraints, English language difficulty, confusion about the requirements and application process, and a lack of access to legal and exam preparation services. This grant to NPNA will help build out the local infrastructure needed to minimize these barriers and guide residents toward citizenship and all of the benefits that come with it. Ultimately, we want everyone who lives in Houston to have the opportunity to thrive.
IS: Independent Sector’s Upswell Summit is happening in Texas in Dallas-Fort Worth, November 15-17. As we close, can you tell us why being a member of Independent Sector has been important to you as you pursue your mission and serve the Greater Houston community?
Ann B. Stern: There is not a single issue facing our communities that can be solved by one entity alone, and we know that philanthropy can have a greater impact when we share ideas and learn from one another. Independent Sector provides that space to collaborate with civic-minded individuals who are equally committed to building thriving communities. It has been an invaluable resource and voice for the work of nonprofits and philanthropies, and we are proud to be a member.
Debra Rainey is Manager, Communications at Independent Sector.
Houston area photo: Iwan Baan, courtesy Houston Endowment
