Creating Equitable Private-Public Partnerships

The thought of working with the government for funding is enough to give any grants manager chills. Despite the potential for impactful granting, the bureaucracy can be intimidating and discourage the development of productive public-private partnerships. But what if it didn’t have to be that way? When the Pinellas Community Foundation was given a mandate to plan, implement, distribute, and evaluate $30 million of federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funding in five months, four staff members were able to award most of the funding and get it to grassroots organizations. These organizations provided services in the areas of food, behavioral health, and eviction mitigation through legal aid. In this session, learn how Pinellas approached this massive undertaking, surmounted the challenges that came along the way, and created a transparent and equitable process. Attendees will also learn how to build capacity while simultaneously using public funds to help deliver critical services in times of crisis, and how to ensure that bureaucracy does not impede equitable decision-making, funding, and evaluation.

Speakers

Brittany Baldwin
Program Associate
Pinellas Community Foundation

David Bender
Director of Grants and Operations
Pinellas Community Foundation

Cheri Wright-Jones
Senior Program Officer
Pinellas Community Foundation