Friends of the Children Receives $2.5 million to Scale Model to New Communities and Expand Partnerships with Tribal Communities

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Dec 16, 2021, 10:00 ET

PORTLAND, Ore., Dec. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The national organization Friends of the Children announced today that they received a three-year, $2.5 million gift from the Minnesota-based Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies (MACP). Funding will support the organization to scale their evidence-based, long-term professional mentoring model in communities across MACP's geographic footprint and will also expand partnerships with tribal communities.

"Now more than ever, children and families need more support to recover from the pandemic. Native and tribal communities have been especially impacted at disproportionately high rates. We are humbled and inspired by this gift that will enable us to serve more children and families," said Terri Sorensen, CEO of Friends of the Children.

Friends of the Children pairs children facing the greatest obstacles with paid, professional mentors who stay by each child's side from as early as age four through high school graduation—12+ years, no matter what. In recent years, the organization has expanded to support caregivers through an innovative Two-Generation (2Gen) model aimed at supporting families to advance overall health and well-being.

Funding will support the organization to expand their child and whole-family well-being services to thousands more children and families through the establishment of new Friends of the Children locations within MACP's geographic footprint. Additionally, MACP's investment will enable Friends of the Children to hire Tribal Community Liaison Advisors and launch a Native Advisory Council, comprised of leaders who will drive the organization's journey to enhance and grow relationships with Native and tribal communities and inform the construction of the organization's strategic framework to support Native youth and families.

Thanks to a three-year, $6 million matching gift Friends of the Children received from the Echo Fund in May 2021, MACP's investment will have an even greater impact. "The Echo Fund's gift supported the establishment of the Friends of the Children Social Impact Fund, a powerful approach to mobilizing private resources to expand the Friends of the Children model in ways that are responsive to rural and tribal community needs," said Sorensen. "Matching the Echo Fund's $6 million gift dollar-for-dollar, funding from MACP enables us to unlock an additional $2.5 million to transform lives and partner with more communities across the country."

Full press release linked here.

SOURCE Friends of the Children