Connecting The Dots: Preventative Homelessness

Read time: 3 min

👋🏾 Hey! I’m Sid and this is The Philanthropy Futurist, a weekly advice column preparing you for the future of the nonprofit sector. Each Friday, I tackle reader questions about measuring impact, driving growth, and managing your nonprofit.

This Week’s Newsletter at a glance:

• Connecting The Dots: Preventative Homelessness

• Philanthropy News From This Week

• Sid’s Book Recommendation

Connecting The Dots: Preventative Homelessness

This week’s newsletter is going to be a little different.

I’m excited to introduce a new series called Connecting the Dots, co-created with Anthony Conley. This series will be published every other month, covering timely topics across the nonprofit sector. Our goal? To connect the dots between the problems and the solutions— so we can think differently, act boldly, and build a better future.

You already know me, so to kick off the series, I figured… why not interview Anthony? It’ll him the chance to speak on a topic close to his heart— and it’ll give you the chance to get to know him better. Today’s focus: Preventative Homelessness

Anthony lives in Los Angeles (LA), where the fight for unhoused communities is layered and complex. There, you'll find people doing real, on-the-ground work and Anthony is one of them. Born in LA, Anthony moved to Rosemont, California at age 8, then returned to Los Angeles as an adult. His journey into homelessness work began in 2014, driven by a desire to address the systemic challenges facing his own neighborhood.

Early Days: A Journey to Advocacy

Anthony’s entry into the homelessness space started with his involvement in the Hollywood Studio District Neighborhood Council.

“Walking outside my apartment, every day I saw unhoused folks and I’m like… what can I do about it? And that’s how I discovered the neighborhood council system.”

Soon…Anthony was fundraising, hosting events, and partnering with nonprofits that served unhoused communities. This experience in community advocacy laid the foundation for the next phase of his career— at Covenant House California, where he focused on supporting youth as they transition from homelessness to independence.

Today, he serves as the Senior Vice President of External Affairs at Brotherhood Crusade, continuing his commitment to advancing equity and opportunity for unhoused and system-impacted youth across Los Angeles.

Role of AI in Preventing Homelessness

As our chat went deeper into homeless prevention, the conversation of technology naturally came up— specifically, AI.

“When I think about these AI tools, it reminds me of the movie Minority Report,” Anthony said. “In the film, they were stopping crimes— but in our case, we’ll stop people from becoming unhoused.”

This article shares more about how the LA County Homelessness Prevention Unit is using AI to predict and prevent homelessness. Personally, I found this so insightful— not just because the tech sounds cool, but because in the nonprofit space, most of the conversation has been about how AI will change how we work…yet not enough nonprofit leaders are talking about how AI can/will significantly increase our ability to solve the causes we support.

The opportunity here is massive! It’s possible the future that we all want to see is actually much closer than we think.

Entertainment’s Role in Shaping Perception

Speaking of films…Anthony also shared how the entertainment industry’s portrayal of homelessness is often all wrong.

He pointed out that nearly half of the homeless characters in films don’t speak at all. They’re simply background figures— seen or talked about, but not heard.

“How do we expect the public to see unhoused people…if that’s how we keep portraying them?” he said. “Hollywood needs to tell true, authentic stories— like housing instability— stories that are more relatable and that humanize the experience.”

For Anthony, shifting the narrative around homelessness is just as important as the work being done on-the-ground. He believes that challenging stereotypes and elevating the stories of those experiencing homelessness can/will lead to more compassionate and supportive policy decisions.

“These folks are just like us. They talk. They have aspirations. And they have dreams too.”

Top 3 Ways to Make Real Progress

When I asked Anthony what 3 actions could help move the needle and make a reasonable dent in the unhoused problem, here’s what he shared:

• Affordable Housing: “We need policies that allow people to re-enter the economic system competitively. That starts with fair rent and give people enough time and support to truly stabilize.” Anthony also mentioned how the current system limits hours worked and income earned, which keeps people stuck instead of building momentum

• Reinvesting in Youth: “We were all babies once. Let’s build sustainability by investing in young people now— so they’re not the ones facing homelessness later as adults. Youth are the future.”

• Using Your Voice: “Talk to legislators. Talk to policymakers. Share the stories of people in your community. If you have a voice, be a voice.”

Looking Ahead

As Anthony continues his work in California, he’s focused on building stronger, more integrated systems of support for youth and families across Los Angeles.

Before we ended our conversation, Anthony shared a word that stuck with me:

Ubuntu — a South African term meaning, “I am because we are.”

If there’s one takeaway from this first edition of Connecting The Dots, it’s this: We are in this together. Collective action matters. Be selfless. Be bold. Be a leader in support of your future world.

To follow more of Anthony’s journey, connect with him on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Until next time y’all ✌🏾

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Philanthropy News From This Week

• MrBeast partners with DoorDash, Tony Robbins, and more to feed kids & families

• Federal judge has ruled to block Trump's spending freeze

• Want to Connect With DAF Donors? New Research Offers Insights

• Donations in 2024 Increase but Don’t Keep Pace With Inflation

Sid’s Book Recommendation

Each week, I recommend a book or film that has impacted my life in a positive way. My recommendation this week is:

The Everyday Philanthropist by Dan Pallotta

This book is about redefining philanthropy to make it accessible and practical for everyday people, not just the ultra-wealthy. Dan Pallotta presents philanthropy as a strategic, impactful way of giving that goes beyond volunteering or donating goods— while helping readers understand the long-term impact of their donations. Learn more.

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