JTGF Updates 
As the John T. Gorman Foundation directs its efforts to help children and families secure and maintain stable housing, it is also investing in solutions to Maine’s housing shortage through Program-Related Investments (PRIs). Drawn from the Foundation’s investment portfolio, PRIs provide critical support for partners and projects aligned with the Foundation’s mission and priorities. These … Read more
Implemented in Maine since 2023, ALICE (Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed) is a new measure of financial hardship designed to raise awareness of a key demographic – those who earn above the federal poverty level, but not enough to cover the costs of essentials like housing, food, and child care.
In a recent op-ed published in the Portland Press Herald, John T. Gorman Foundation President & CEO Nicole Witherbee highlighted the need to invest in, support, and expand promising strategies persistent issues facing children and families. Read the full piece here.
In our winter newsletter, we offer insights from Maine and beyond from those who are elevating parent voices in family-serving programs — a critical principal in the 2Gen approach.
A growing body of research details the interconnected health of children and their caregivers – especially in the first months after a child is born. While a long-running survey of mothers has provided valuable data during this formative period, relatively little is known about the well-being of fathers, who are a critical factor in family health. With funding from the John T. Gorman Foundation, the Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and the Maine CDC are now working to fill the gap with the Maine Fatherhood Survey.
In Maine, several John T. Gorman Foundation partners have valuable insights to share on centering parent voice. Across the state, these 2Gen leaders are working alongside parents to build programs that are making a difference for families and strengthening whole communities. We profile three of these efforts – Community Caring Collaborative, Moving Families Forward, and Zero to School Starting Strong – to highlight how they have shaped and evolved their programs around parent voice and the lessons they are learning.
Over the past decade, national 2Gen leader Ascend at the Aspen Institute has helped organizations across the country elevate the voices of parents and caregivers – using lessons learned from the families who have guided its own work. In this interview, we discuss best practices with Ascend Senior Program Associate Danielle Christenson, who works with a national cohort of parent advisors to the organization’s Postsecondary Success for Parents Initiative.
In a year shaped by uncertainty and shifting conditions, the Foundation responded to urgent needs while remained committed to strengthening the well-being of children and families.
The John T. Gorman Foundation is making updates to the timing and focus of the Direct Services Grant Program in 2026.
