Mission
Ithaka Housing’s mission is to help people escape the cycle of poverty and homelessness, secure stable long-term housing, and achieve a self-determined vision for their lives. For more than four decades, Ithaka Housing has supported individuals and families facing significant barriers to housing stability through transitional housing and trauma-informed services. By pairing safe, affordable housing with individualized case management, Ithaka helps residents build the skills and stability needed to move toward permanent housing and long-term independence.
The Details
For many long-standing nonprofit housing providers, sustaining operations over decades requires difficult financial tradeoffs. Ithaka Housing has historically operated with a very lean budget. In recent years, rising operating costs, aging scattered-site properties, and increasing service demand have placed additional strain on already tight resources.
When new Executive Director Clint Knox stepped into leadership, Ithaka began a focused process of refinement and adjustment to changing conditions. Central to this work was strengthening the Advancement Matrix, Ithaka’s internal framework for tracking resident progress across housing stability, employment readiness, financial health, daily living skills, and long-term goals. AJS worked closely with leadership to help integrate the updated Matrix more consistently into grant proposals, reports, and funding narratives, allowing funders to clearly see resident movement through the program rather than relying on simplistic success measures.
Ithaka’s work is defined by the complexity of the populations it serves. Families in crisis, seniors with limited resources, and men rebuilding their lives after incarceration often experience non-linear progress and require intensive, trauma-informed support. The Advancement Matrix became a critical tool for demonstrating this progress and aligning Ithaka’s work with funder priorities focused on measurable impact and accountability.
As a result of this refined approach, AJS supported Ithaka in securing several significant grants, including a $100,000 Department of Local Affairs Infrastructure Grant and a $50,000 award from the Colorado Springs Health Foundation, one of the organization’s more substantial grants. This funding marked a turning point, signaling renewed confidence from funders and providing meaningful support for core operations.
AJS continues to partner with Ithaka Housing as a strategic grants consultant, helping the organization navigate a changing funding landscape while remaining grounded in its forty-plus-year mission of dignity, stability, and community.