2018 Legislative Lunch Recap
In 2018, IPA hosted nine legislative lunches across the state. These gatherings convened 195 community leaders (average of 21.6 per lunch), including 147 foundation staff representing 95 IPA member organizations, 25 state legislators, and 23 Congressional staff.
Our goals for these meetings were simple:
- To further our members’ relationships with their elected officials
- To educate our elected officials about what foundations do and how we can work together to create long lasting change in our communities
- To identify key issues in our communities, and begin talking about ways to move them forward
While all communities in our state are unique, it came as no surprise that all regions are dealing with similar priorities and that these issues are connected to the overall health of communities and their residents:
- Education: Particularly the funding of Pre-K
- Workforce Development: Connecting classrooms with careers that don’t require college, increasing STEM education, mentoring, and reaching students early about career planning
- Substance Abuse/Health Issues: Addressing the opioid crisis, the stigma of addiction, and the availability of treatment
- Community Development: Increasing gap between income levels, rural vs. urban issues
- Quality of Place: Attracting and retaining talent
As IPA develops advocacy programming and learning opportunities, we, along with input from our Public Policy Committee and Board of Directors, will integrate these community issues into what information and opportunities we provide to our members in 2019 and in our strategic planning process.
A more detailed overview of these lunches can be found here.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact Becky Honeywell, Director of Member and External Relations, at 317.630.5200, X. 111 or bhoneywell@inphilanthropy.org.