Resources

Getting your project, initiative or program off the ground and headed in the right direction takes time and energy. The following resources may help you plan and execute your vision.

Cowell Reports

Grantee Perception Report. Center for Effective Philanthropy, 2012

Leadership

Providing Assistance Beyond the Grant: S.H. Cowell Foundation.” Center for Effective Philanthropy, 2015

Families

California Family Resource Association advocates for public policies and resources needed for families and communities to thrive and succeed.

Center for the Study of Social Policy, for the Five Protective Factors Framework for Strengthening Families.

Family Resource Centers: Vehicles for Change / Centros de Recursos Familiares: Vehiculos Para el Cambio, a publication that defines and describes the key characteristics and activities of quality family resource centers (FRCs).

Family Resource Centers: Vehicles for Change, Volume II, refreshes the definition of FRCs based on their unique methods for service delivery and community change driven by relationships, reciprocity, and community development. This perspective serves to unite FRCs across the state as a “field of practice” and illustrates the environment necessary for FRCs to thrive.

Re-visioning Case Management: Partnering with Families and Communities to Create Meaningful Change is designed to spark discussions and encourage exploration of a comprehensive approach to engage families, organizations, and communities in ways that bring about meaningful and enduring change.

Reflections shares reflections of executive directors and program staff of Family Resource Centers statewide who have directly engaged with children and families over the last 10 years.

Education

In Lessons for Developing School and District Capacity to Transform Literacy Instruction: A Retrospective Study of the Canterbury Learning Collaborative, Ann Jaquith of the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education relates how a decade-long collaborative effort among school leaders in an urban neighborhood cast ripples of change and challenge across their 55,000-student district.

California Collaborative on District Reform joins district leaders, policymakers, researchers and funders in ongoing, evidence-based dialogue and activity to improve instruction and student learning for all students in California’s school systems. It publishes briefs on vital issues for district improvement such as implementation of the Common Core State Standards, strategies to turn around challenging schools, and ways to build organizational capacity through district-to-district collaboration.

Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching offers tools and inspiration for educators to improve their performance through disciplined inquiry and organizational learning.

Mindful Schools offers online training, consultation and resources for adults who want to learn the practice of mindfulness and to use the practice with youth.

The District Resource Center site at the Consortium for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) gathers insights, documents and data from a network of collaborating districts that are working to implement comprehensive, research-based approaches to SEL.

Turning Around a High Poverty District: Learning from Sanger is a concise, practical and inspiring summary of lessons from the extraordinary success of Sanger Unified, an 11,000-student district in Fresno County.

Understanding Language Initiative at Stanford University is focused on developing awareness of the vital role of language in understanding and expressing knowledge of academic content in the context of the Common Core State Standards.

Youth

California School-Age Consortium offers news, research, career information and a schedule of events and free training opportunities.

Central Valley Afterschool Foundation supports high-quality afterschool programs through training, communications, funding partnerships, and public awareness initiatives.

Chaplin Hall at the University of Chicago provides policy research that benefits children, families and their communities.

National Standards & Quality Indicators provides a common and shared framework to help school systems and communities identify what youth need in order to achieve successful participation in postsecondary education and training, civic engagement, meaningful employment, and adult life.

Partnership for Children and Youth provides advocacy, technical assistance and access to resources such as physical and mental healthcare, out-of-school-time learning and enrichment activities, mentoring and educational support. Its work is organized around three key initiatives: Out of School Time; Community Schools; and Advocacy and Policy.

Public Profit provides high-quality, cost-effective data management and evaluation consulting services to non-profits, governments, and schools.

Ready by 21 is a set of innovative strategies developed by the Forum for Youth Investment that helps communities improve the odds that all children and youth will be ready for college, work and life. 

Search Institute provides leadership, knowledge, and resources to promote healthy children, youth, and communities including the framework of 40 Developmental Assets, which are positive experiences and personal qualities that young people need to grow up healthy, caring, and responsible.