2014 Urban Affairs Association Conference

Philanthropy’s intersection with comprehensive community development continues to grow as evidenced by the Obama Administration’s Promise Neighborhoods program, the increasing engagement of health care foundations in place-based initiatives, and the interest of the Federal Reserve in developing public-private partnerships to rebuild low-income communities. A recent survey identified approximately 60 examples of philanthropic support for comprehensive community development. Despite their shared desire to catalyze community change, these efforts vary by scope, approach, philosophies of change, and outcomes. As more foundations focus their resources on holistic place-based revitalization, it is worthwhile to consider the lessons learned from these cases. This colloquy will examine best practices based on innovations from the field as presented by practitioners and analysts. Reflecting the location of UAA’s annual meeting, this panel focuses on philanthropic support for place-based revitalization efforts in Sunbelt city neighborhoods that have not received the same attention as East Coast, postindustrial sites. Of particular importance will be lessons learned from case studies in Dallas, Los Angeles, and San Diego. Drs. Martinez-Cosio and Rabinowitz Bussell are co-authors of Catalysts for Change: 21st Century Philanthropy and Community Development (Routledge, 2013), one of the first comprehensive studies of private philanthropy’s role in community change initiatives. Joe Horiye is the V.P. for Community Development for the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation, a family foundation in San Diego that garnered headlines by offering an IPO to residents of an underserved community in order to share the profits of a shopping center it developed. Tom Dewar co-authored the seminal Voices from the Field III: Lessons and Challenges from Two Decades of Community Change Efforts with Anne C. Kubisch, Patricia Auspos, and Prudence Brown (The Aspen Institute, 2010).