The Full Frame Initiative

How can the arts bring about social change? This #WellbeingWednesday we're highlighting the partnership between Mural Arts Philadelphia and the city's Parks and Recreation Department. Mural Arts is working with children to install six murals in an effort to curb violence. These community-based art installations help create shared space and a launching point for additional efforts to center community, including asset mapping and listening sessions.

Don't miss our very own Tanya Tucker at Prosperity Now's #ProsperitySummit2024 as she presents with wellbeing champion Patrick McNeal from the Flint Neighborhood Action Council in a session titled “Community Wellbeing Mapping: New Data, New Stories, New Relationships.” The #ProsperitySummit2024 brings together thousands of professionals dedicated to ensuring that everyone has a clear path to financial stability, wealth and prosperity. We're excited to share about Community Wellbeing Mapping, our innovative, community-driven approach for collecting data and prioritizing wellbeing in decision-making. Attendees will get hands-on experience in gathering, interpreting and utilizing community data, as well as practical knowledge to apply the concepts and process to their own work. Don’t miss this transformative event! Use code “PNSpecial24” to save $150 on your ticket. Secure your spot now at summit.prosperitynow.org before it’s too late!

The "troubled teen" industry is failing our youth. Expensive residential programs often lack oversight, use harmful practices and prioritize profit over effective care. But there are alternatives: states like New Jersey that offer a system of care approach have been successful in keeping youth in their communities, improving outcomes and lowering youth suicide rates.

Mental health is not a crime. This #WellbeingWednesday, we're highlighting the work of our friends at the Sozosei Foundation to decriminalize mental illness and transform how we approach mental health care. In an interview with Nonprofit Quarterly, Sozosei Foundation's executive director Melissa Beck calls on funders to address root causes rather than seeking quick fixes. "The core message for philanthropy is to be brave," says Beck.

New research challenges the common narrative about youth mental health, showing it's about more than social media, individual resilience or clinical solutions. Global economic trends, climate change and technological shifts are weighing heavily on young people. What if the decline in youth mental health was a reflection of how access to wellbeing is distributed? We need to start thinking about the larger ecosystem contributing to youth mental health, which is why we're partnering with the Washington Health Care Authority to reimagine the statewide behavioral health system with wellbeing at the center. Together, we're looking beyond clinical and formal supports for young people, focusing on how the larger community can support and promote youth mental health.

What does procurement have to do with wellbeing? Simply put, it's about how city, state, federal and philanthropic decisionmakers spend money. When treated as a strategic lever, procurement can help to tackle the root causes that hold problems in place. National League of Cities highlights how New London reimagined the City's procurement process to align with wellbeing, with lessons learned and recommendations for cities seeking transformative change: ✅ Involving community members in the process ✅ Holding a shared vision of creating a fair shot at wellbeing ✅ Spanning boundaries across agencies ✅ Collecting data to shine a spotlight on systemic challenges

Since 2021, the City of New London, Connecticut, has partnered with FFI to shift how leaders and residents see problems, solutions and their own roles in building a city where everyone has a fair shot at wellbeing. This #WellbeingWednesday, we're excited to share more about how New London is shifting from business-as-usual to a vision for transformative change. Watch this video from a recent event where FFI joined the New London community to reimagine the future of the city. Among the diverse participants and many insights surfaced was a common thread: a fervent desire for transformative change. Stay tuned for updates about the exciting changes in New London. 

While TikTok gurus and the self-help industrial complex tell us that individual happiness is an emotional and financial imperative, maybe it's time to reframe the conversation. What if the key to fulfillment isn't in constant self-improvement, but in embracing our shared humanity and the messy, meaningful things that make us feel whole? What if, rather than easily quantifiable happiness, what people are actually chasing is a fair shot at wellbeing?

KFF released data about loneliness and social isolation, finding a strong correlation between feelings of loneliness, local support networks, physical and mental health, and wellbeing. These findings support the importance of social connectedness — one of the Five Domains of Wellbeing. We all need and seek relationships that allow us to give and receive information, emotional support and mutual aid; create a sense of belonging and value; and foster growth.

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to present on a panel at SXSW in 2025, Building Trust and Belonging through Inclusive Placemaking, with our partners at the Michigan Municipal League, PlacemakingX, and City of Pontiac, MI. But we need your help to get our panel voted in! Here's where you can vote ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gGccvpys Voting closes on August 18. You can learn more about how to vote here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gGccvpys