Angela Hult – We Funded a Data Survey to Count People with Disabilities. The Results Were Stunning, and Helped Our Partners Change the Policy Landscape - Part 1

When the Kuni Foundation asked its nonprofit partners in Washington State and Oregon what they most needed, the answer was "data." Their partners knew that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in the two states were undercounted, and therefore public funding and services were inadequate. The foundation complied, and the results of the data study not only confirmed the gap but revealed, in a stunning way, a deep gulf between needs and services provided - including in housing designed for people with IDD, a key focus for the foundation. In this Podcast, Foundation President Angela Hult explains how she worked with grantees to package the data, and the diverse ways they shared it with policymakers in state and local government, and with affordable housing providers, to advocate for more funding for services, zoning changes, and other policy shifts. Angela shares some of the specific wins achieved by using the power of data to increase awareness about the needs and preferences of people with IDD, and to advance solutions.   

Angela Hult, President, the Kuni Foundation 

Angela’s career reflects her commitment to service and spans philanthropy, investor relations, global media, strategic communications, and social impact investing. She applies an entrepreneurial approach to developing impactful grantmaking and advocacy programs that advance cancer research and inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities throughout Oregon and Washington. 

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Read "Dispelling Fear and Anxiety About Advocacy For Your Foundation Board" by Angela Hult