Stories of Philanthropic Leadership in Advancing Regional and ...

REGIONAL OPPORTUNITYwas finally selected as the region where W.K. Kelloggwould develop its new grantmaking approach.The Delta had a number of assets that appealed tothe Foundation. It had identified factors that wouldcontribute to the success of its new effort andevaluated that its resources would be well invested.W.K. Kellogg also had previously granted support toa number of organizations in the Delta and so “[it]had a sense of the possibilities,” according to Taylor.Furthermore, the history of the civil rightsmovement continues to inspire and inform today’slocal organizations as they grow, expand, and explorenew ways to cooperate and create partnerships. Thiseffort is rooted in the local and regional values ofcommunity, faith, and family and is a driving forcebehind these organizations’ activities. Operating inthe Delta region of western Mississippi, easternArkansas, and northeastern Louisiana, W.K. Kelloggsaw the opportunity to build on the region’s sharedhistory and culture and create change by leveragingthe expertise of strong regional organizations. Yetmost importantly, according to Taylor, theFoundation’s decision to fund MSDI was based on“the sense of hope and positive vision” that bothW.K. Kellogg staff and board members saw in “somehumble and yet very inspiring human beings.”Regional/Neighborhood Equity ImpactsThe Initiative’s planning phase focused on thedevelopment of community and regional leadership.At the community level, the Initiative broughttogether community teams to participate in a planningand capacity-building process that resulted inimplementation grants for community economicdevelopment projects. These communities have sharedtheir evaluation reports and other documentation on aquarterly basis. Through the Delta Citizens Alliance, anew venture, they will work to transfer the knowledgethey have gained to other groups in the Delta,according to Bishop Alvin Walker, a member of theMSDI community team working in Monroe, La., anda participant in the Delta Citizens Alliance. BishopWalker believes that MSDI has greatly contributed toa climate of change in the Delta, noting that MSDIhas helped transform negative mindsets and worktowards breaking the “poverty mentality.” W.K.Kellogg representatives indicate that MSDI has hadfundamental impact in Delta communities. “Theparticipating communities are not going to be thesame anymore,” clarifies Taylor, pointing to the factthat residents have gained access to a broader circle ofstakeholders, resources, and ideas.Public markets like this one, established by the Northeast Louisiana DeltaCDC, help local producers and artisans earn income from travelers andtourists driving along busy Highway 65. (Source: Mid South Delta Initiative).At the regional level, in order to launch the regionalleadership coalition, W.K. Kellogg invited a diversegroup of stakeholders from the region to participateon an advisory coalition for MSDI, known as theDelta Initiative Advisory Coalition (DIAC). Thiseffort led MSDI’s communication, priority setting,activity, and outreach efforts. It dissolved in 2001 asthe Regional Leadership Initiative developed.Community groups credit MSDI’s regionalcollaborative approach with bringing positive changeto the Delta, indicating that the Initiative has helpedto reduce isolation, change mindsets, break downbarriers, and strengthen community. GloriaDickerson, regional program coordinator for theInitiative who is based in the Delta, adds that byemphasizing a regional approach, MSDI hasfundamentally changed the region’s approach toproblem-solving. As she explains, “Once you startlooking at the region, then you have to start thinkingabout systems change and policy change.”ResultsDescribed as “a learning laboratory for place-basedchange,” MSDI has achieved a number of tangibleresults in economic development, buildingleadership, involving youth, and breaking downhistorical barriers. 50 The Initiative’s grantee partnershave helped more than 1,400 families secure newhomes, launched 148 new businesses, saved orcreated 2,975 jobs, built or expanded 16 child-carefacilities, and involved 6,215 youth in MSDIprograms. 51 Furthermore, 400 Delta residents50“What We’ve Learned,” available at www.msdi.org/learned/.51www.msdi.org.111Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities