Freedman Consulting, LLC

Last month, the California Council for Career Education published the “Community Input and Considerations for the California Master Plan for Career Education” document, a key milestone in implementing Governor Gavin Newsom’s executive order directing agencies to transform and strengthen California’s education and workforce pathways. Our team is proud to help facilitate the public-private partnership in coordination with leaders from the Governor's Office, including Elena Chavez Quezada and Michael Wiafe, MPP, which brings together funders, state leaders, and implementing partners on a monthly basis to discuss progress and collaborate on problem-solving. Funders who have provided critical support include the College Futures Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, the Strada Education Foundation, and the Stuart Foundation. The “Community Input and Considerations for the California Master Plan for Career Education” document represents the culmination of a regional design process led by WestEd. WestEd’s process leveraged ten convenings to engage over 800 stakeholders in identifying the systemic barriers that prevent Californians from gaining new skills, translating skills to workforce opportunities, and accessing rewarding, living-wage work. We are excited to continue supporting this systems-change effort!  

In a Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity interview last week, Freedman Consulting Senior Advisor Bill Nichols spoke to The 51st about the process of starting up a local, community-first newsroom. In the piece, they hit on important topics like learnings from other local publications, sustainable operations and fundraising practices, and avoiding burnout. Find their conversation below or here: https://lnkd.in/ekmDrxE4

We are excited to share that Pull Up Fund has partnered with DonorsChoose to launch a back-to-school campaign to give teachers and students in Prince George’s County, MD a boost as they embark on a new school year. The gift guarantees $500 to teachers who are first time users of DonorsChoose, and a 10x match offer (you give $1, Pull Up Fund gives $9) for eligible projects. Freedman Consulting is proud to support and advise Pull Up Fund and its commitment to young people in Prince George’s County. Pull Up Fund believes that a well-resourced classroom is key in setting up students for academic success and that teachers know best what their students need in order to thrive. This gift helps ensure that teachers are able to receive the resources they need to kick start the school year and set students up for long term success. A special thank you to Rianne Roberts and the DonorsChoose team for their expertise in delivering such a meaningful gift! You can learn more about the Pull Up Fund back-to-school campaign and how to donate here: https://lnkd.in/ePgSEHRn

This Spring, Freedman Consulting’s What Works Plus team and Invest in Our Future spearheaded Philanthropy’s 500/1500 Challenge to further implementation of federal climate and clean energy investments. The Challenge far surpassed its goals, tracking 1,722 recently philanthropically-funded education and awareness activities in places across the country, and 1,979 recently philanthropically-funded efforts to help stand up and implement projects. The Chronicle of Philanthropy published an article today highlighting the Challenge, “On Second Anniversary of Climate Bill, Funders Top Goals to Help Nonprofits,” linked below. The article mentions our new readout, available below, which includes: 🗺️ An analysis of key geographies and communities impacted by philanthropic investments 🤝 Spotlights on participating funders and activities ⚒️ Opportunities for philanthropy to help fill existing resource gaps and address evolving implementation needs. A congratulations to Sasha Beder-Schenker, Amanda V., Joey Rauch, and Lily Shen for their work on the effort, and a thank you to Invest in Our Future’s Jimmy Pearson for his continued partnership! Find the Chronicle of Philanthropy article here: https://lnkd.in/ehkChqZn

Freedman Consulting’s California Public-Private Partnerships team is proud and honored to support philanthropic partnership for this critical and impactful project, in coordination with Governor Newsom’s Senior Advisor for Social Innovation, Elena Chavez Quezada, Tribal Affairs Secretary Christina Snider-Ashtari, Deputy Secretary Loretta Miranda, and Emmy-award winning filmmaker Jake Kornbluth. The footage so far has been able to capture the incredible healing that takes place at the Truth and Healing Council Meetings and the stories of individual Native Californians across the state. The documentary will premiere at the same time that the Truth and Healing Council report and recommendations are released, which is expected to be in the Fall of 2025. This project has profound potential to facilitate a narrative shift in broader society about the true history of California and the resilience of Native communities. Find the documentary preview below, and please feel free to share it with your networks!

With the summer wrapping up soon, we are proud to celebrate our outgoing cohort of Phillip Bevington Policy & Research interns. Over the course of their time at Freedman Consulting, each intern partook in substantive learning experiences working at the intersection of policy, philanthropy, and politics. For the first of two highlight posts, we asked our outgoing class: “What was a highlight of your internship?” ▶️ Recent Cornell University Graduate Alexis Jones said: “The highlight of my internship was always feeling supported; knowing that the Freedman team wanted the best for my future, whether that was learning data management and data organizational skills or sitting in on executive funder committee meetings, meant the most to me!” ▶️ Rising Duke University Senior Minjee Kim said: “Towards the end of my internship, I got to sit in on a strategic planning session with a client. Being a part of discussions about their future direction was an exciting experience, and it was rewarding to see the tangible impact our work had on helping the client conceptualize and achieve their vision.”

Thank you to Mike Bartlett and McKinzie Harper McGuire from the National League of Cities, and to Brittany Stich from the U.S. Department of Labor, for inviting me to represent Freedman Consulting, LLC’s What Works Plus funder collaborative at their inspiring “Good Jobs, Great Cities” convening, which brought together 16 cities leading innovative work to prepare workers for good jobs made possible by historic federal investments in climate and infrastructure. It was such an honor to join David Etzwiler of the Siemens Foundation and Kermit Kaleba of the Lumina Foundation on a panel to discuss ways philanthropy, government, employers, nonprofits and labor can work together to maximize the impacts of federal funding to improve outcomes for workers.

Kudos to Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Greenwood Initiative for this major investment in historically Black medical schools! We are eager to see the catalytic effects that this bold decision will have on these institutions and their students for years to come.

Each month, Freedman Consulting’s Rachel Lau and J.J. Tolentino collaborate with the Tech Policy Press team to break down developments in one of the fastest-moving fields. Highlights in this month’s roundup include new Supreme Court decisions, KOSA and other legislation, and federal investments in public interest technology. Read more below about what happened in July, and find previous editions the monthly Tech Policy Roundup on our website here: https://lnkd.in/eag4aBpU

Join the Freedman Consulting team! We are hiring two new positions supporting the Bloomberg Cities Insights Unit to be based in either New York, N.Y. or Washington, D.C. Find more on the positions and how to apply below! ▶ We are seeking a skilled Manager for Program Research to research and support the development and design of new programs supporting city-government efforts to harness resources and develop innovation capacity. Ideal candidates will have 5-7 years of experience in strategy consulting, strategic research, program strategy, or other related field and a proven track record of leading and managing complex research and/or strategy projects. Learn more and apply today: https://lnkd.in/eUzeYi3N ▶ We are seeking a detail-oriented Research Analyst to uncover insights in local government innovation, conduct research, monitor trends, and support data-driven initiatives. Ideal candidates bring 2-4 years relevant experience in government or policy, philanthropy, consulting, public interest and strong proficiency in data analysis tools. Learn more and apply today: https://lnkd.in/eHQMRFCh