Policy and Practice | June 2021

Case Study—Hawai’i

and is anxiously awaiting notification of their eligibility. This should not be the way that our system responds to such crises. Where Do We Go from Here? Both the long-standing problems with the way contracting and grant funding are structured for CBOs, along with the new challenges made acute by the current pandemic, have public agencies, private funders, and CBOs eager to address these system short- falls. So how do we plot a constructive path forward? First, contracting between public agencies and CBOs requires continued reform. In the standard approach, funders identify solutions and make agreements with CBOs to implement. They do so with little to no attention paid to funding flexibility as learning occurs, or to cashflow management so that services can be delivered from a stable foundation. In an improved approach, challenges identi- fied by public agencies can be solved with the CBO and the voice of the community. Their joint involvement in the critical thinking that leads to the best solutions can then be advanced through contracting that is ultimately focused on desired outcomes. For example, instead of contracting for health care services or public benefits within tightly regulated param- eters, advanced ecosystem partners work together to impact the factors within their communities that enable healthier conditions in the first place, whether through a social determinants of health 4 lens or some other tactic for preventing versus treating problems. Philanthropic funding to CBOs also can benefit from increased partnership between funders and organizations. Shifting more power to CBOs who have demonstrated the ability to meet the needs of organizations and com- munities can improve outcomes. “So often foundations set metrics that may not be the most effective for the work,” says Adair Mosley, president and CEO of Pillsbury United Communities in Minneapolis. Empowering CBOs to set right courses of action together with public agencies, private funders, and

The Big Island of Hawai’i is blessed not only with its weather, scenic views, and spirit of Aloha. It also nurtures a large network of community-based human services organizations that collaborate with one another to support native Hawai’ians and advance community outcomes aligned to the social determinants of health through improvements to housing, nutrition, education, health and wellness, transportation, and equitable access to technology. Yet they do so in an environment where resources, infrastructure, and equitable access to needed services are limited. The network of CBOs and the Hawai’i Department of Human Services are working closely together under the

banners of ‘Ohana Nui (one big family) and One Shared Future to change this reality. A local “Hui” has been formed—a close-knit group of CBOs representing health care, education, legal services, youth supports, and the preservation of “aina” or, the land and its deeply rooted values and traditions. These partners are taking their cue from a Systems Mapping approach whereby hundreds of lived experiences from community members have been aggregated into patterns and themes. The systems map is, in turn, driving a transformative Road Map of initiatives that respond to these shared stories and include a focus on greater political influence through even broader partnership with Vibrant Hawai’i and other local coalitions. In this setting, the orientation of the public health and human services sector is to view itself as a true partner to CBOs, and as an adaptive source of financial and other forms of support, based on the voices coming from within the community. In Hawai’i, the firm belief is that it is the community, after all, that holds the key to bringing together the public sector and CBOs in a way that is mutually sustainable and impactful.

management and business continuity plans for both short- and long-term strategies. Earlier this year, Grace Hill Settlement House and the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis merged to create greater impact in the community. Thus, both organizations were able to strengthen their com- munity program offerings efficiently by consolidating those with overlaps and utilizing their joint resources for referrals internally. Their merged Head Start program was recently awarded an expanded federal contract of $38 million over five years. Urban League President and CEO, Michael P. McMillan hopes this merger will be

the communities they serve—as well as providing increased unrestricted and administrative funding—are necessary. In addition, CBOs need the flexibility to respond to communities as they see needs arise. “Community needs don’t happen on grant cycles and timelines,” notes Mosley; “there has to be something in the process that allows for being nimble, agile, and allows engagement—the way people engage with us.” Second, CBOs might consider intentional partnerships for col- laboration with one another—even to the extent that they form mergers, plan acquisitions, or share opera- tional services. When well-suited organizations do so, it enhances risk

See COVID-19 on page 27

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