Director
Strong Start Project
INCREASING ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY EARLY LEARNING IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY
FOCUS
Most children in Santa Clara County don’t have access to quality early learning opportunities. I support a coalition working on local solutions to ensure that every child in our community has what they need to make a strong start.
STRATEGIC INITIATIVE: Shift Health Accelerator
Joint Initiative (Bobby Cochran, Jen Lewis-Walden, Matt Tinsley)
Right now, too many communities face unfair odds when it comes to their health, well-being and quality of life. Working alongside community leaders to make positive change is a better approach – and that’s what we do. We hold a values and impact-driven vision where communities and individuals are vested with the power and resources they need to improve their quality of life and achieve their full potential. We live our values that guide our work through shared leadership in partnership with communities. Shift Health Accelerator will simplify access to the money and expertise communities need to increase health, well-being and quality of life. In 2017, a group of community leaders came together to solve a thorny problem. In our years of work, we saw incredible non-profits and leaders striving mightily to solve society’s toughest challenges: from lack of access to healthy food to unsafe and unaffordable housing, from public transit that’s a barrier to keeping a job to neighborhoods with no sidewalks or parks for kids to play. At the same time, we knew dozens of funders who wanted to direct their investments to do good, but who lacked the local knowledge needed to support the organizations doing the best work. We have a plan to help them all do better at doing good. Shift Health Accelerator develops funding and collective organizing tools, expands networks of community leaders, and supports technical assistance – all to facilitate access to resources and expertise.
MORE ABOUT MATTHEW
I’m a convener and facilitator, helping our local early learning community use their expertise and experience to overcome these challenges.