Doing Good. Well. launches Kensington Health and Housing Collaborative - with Kensington based partners NKCDC, HACE, Merakey , Philly Unknown, GALAEI and Hispanic Community Counseling Services September, 2025

Doing Good. Well., together with New Kensington Community Development Corporation and our respected Kensington-based partners, are pleased and humbled to share information on the proposed work of the newly formed Kensington Health and Housing Collaborative. Following the recent multi-year co-creating Kensington planning process (KensingtonPlan.org), we are now in position to operationalize some of the resident priorities identified in the plan. Our underlying view guiding the formation of the Collaborative is that complex social issues are most acutely experienced – and solved – in neighborhoods. Moreover, an understanding of the deeply held traumas which so often underlie present-day challenges is essential for solution design. Our theory of change and impact is that meaningful improvements to complex social issues must be trauma- informed, participatory in development, and comprehensive in scope.

This initial Doing Good. Well. (DoingGoodWell.org) supported Collaborative of six (6) organizations has developed a pilot implementation strategy to jointly address housing insecurity and trauma. The proposed implementation plan includes trauma specialists, housing specialists, and organizations with specialization in root-cause assessment, workforce development, medical assistance, mental health support, family and childcare related issues.

Historically, we have been addressing housing insecurity, mental health and food insecurity from downstream points. For example, an individual may come into a Housing Counseling program needing eviction prevention resources (money), and receive counseling, a check, and perhaps a referral to services such as workforce development to improve their situation. The reality, however, is that many people experiencing adverse circumstances contributing to housing insecurity are also impacted by cumulative experiences of personal trauma, which impede or prevent them from successfully accessing needed support and thereby mitigating the cycle of housing insecurity.By ensuring that we actively shape our interactions with individuals in a trauma-informed manner, we can provide a more comprehensive level of services and support, and deliver these more effectively to the resident population. We believe that this approach will drive more significant, measurable, and enduring improvements in housing stability for the Kensington community.

Through the new Collaborative we will be able to connect with those at greatest risk of housing insecurity. This access will be achieved through traditional channels, such as Community Development Corporation Housing Counseling, along with the newly added reach of all the Collaborative partners, who have direct access to and from the LGBQT+, SUD, and other high-risk constituent communities. With individuals in need identified, and with efforts underway to resolve their housing situation, our Collaborative partners will connect individuals and families to an ever-expanding group of trusted partners to provide additional supports aimed at addressing the upstream, root causes of their housing insecurity. We have identified Mental Health supports, Food insecurity and Nutrition, Substance Use Disorder and Workforce Development as key obstacles to maintaining safe and stable housing, and have developed a strategy for partner organizations to address these needs in a coordinated, measurable and impactful manner.

Look for additional information in the coming weeks about each partner organization in the Collaborative and regular updates on the impact and outcomes of our collective work.

More about Doing Good. Well. (DGW):

Doing Good. Well. recognizes that social issues are multifaceted problems requiring comprehensive approaches, bringing together “an assembly of thinkers and doers – a group of experts and organizations driven to solve problems and tackle issues, albeit from very different angles.” Rather than working in isolation, DGW creates collaborative portfolios of trusted nonprofits with proven track records, led by subject matter experts who coordinate joint performance goals, shared budgets, and transparent outcome reporting to donors. DGW transforms philanthropy from a fragmented, short-term funding model into what one donor described as “social investing” – applying the same strategic, diversified approach used in financial investing to create lasting social impact. By engaging philanthropists and providing them with a portfolio of organizations, each tackling critical issues from different angles, DGW enables greater positive and longer-lasting impact while addressing complex problems like homelessness, gun violence, food security, and educational inequality. This approach not only provides nonprofits with steady incomestreams that allow them to redirect resources from fundraising to mission work, but also attracts new philanthropic dollars from donors who previously may have lacked a clear pathway for fulfilling their giving intentions.

Why Support Doing Good. Well. :

This innovative model offers supporters the opportunity to maximize their philanthropic impact by funding proven collaborations rather than individual organizations working in silos. Donors gain transparency into how their contributions create measurable change, nonprofits can focus their expertise on solving problems rather than chasing funding, and communities benefit from coordinated efforts that address root causes rather than just symptoms. As demonstrated in places like Kensington, Philadelphia, where coordinated community action reopened a closed train station in just eight days, strategic collaboration can create outsized impact when organizations work together toward common goals.

Doing Good. Well is a registered 501(c)(3) and eligible to receive contributions from Donor Advised Funds and other giving vehicles. More information at www.doinggoodwell.org and by contacting co-founder, Vik Dewan at

vik@doinggoodwell.org