Stories of Philanthropic Leadership in Advancing Regional and ...

I. D. DEMONSTRATING THESTRUGGLE FOR REGIONALEQUITY: LEARNING FROMTHE FORD FOUNDATION’SENGAGEMENT IN CAMDEN,N.J., AND RICHMOND, CALIF.Funders Highlighted:Ford FoundationThe San Francisco Foundation“Camden and Richmond are marginalizedcommunities in very different regions, facing verydifferent regional equity challenges andopportunities.”— Carl Anthony, Ford FoundationIn both Camden, N.J., and Richmond, Calif., theFord Foundation’s approach to advancing a regionalequity framework is to support efforts designed toreform policies and practices that perpetuate social,racial, economic, and environmental inequalitiesacross cities, suburbs, and rural areas. The ultimateobjective of these regional equity demonstrationprojects is to bridge the gap between marginalizedpeople and places and the region’s structures of socialand economic opportunity. Work is supported insidecities to revitalize neighborhoods and urban marketsas key building blocks of a healthy region; to educateand organize civic capacity throughout the regionwith the capacity to reform local and state policiesand to advance social and economic equity; and, tolink the needs of low-income, racially-segregatedresidents with expanded opportunities throughoutthe region. The Camden demonstration strives toimprove and strengthen the housing market,workforce opportunities, and public and civiccapacity. The Richmond initiative focuses ondeveloping the capacity of community groups toaddress their needs at the regional level. This profiledemonstrates funders’ experiences in creating newmodels of regional equity while developing replicablelearnings based on regional and market differences. Italso shows how foundations can work together acrossissues to pursue complementary, holisticgrantmaking strategies.Project ProfilesCamden, N.J.Camden, N.J., is a distressed city, a declining inner-ringsuburb of Philadelphia in an older Rust Belt area, wheremany original economic functions (e.g., shipyards) of theindustrial economyhave disappeared.Legally bankrupt since2002, and unable toperform its most basicgovernmentalfunctions, the city ofCamden is in statereceivership. As aresult, the city willreceive $175 million instate funds over a fiveyearperiod, allocatedto a new entity, theCamdenThe Ford Foundationdescribes the Camdenwork as “Project-BasedRegionalism,” a strategy thatplaces equal emphasis onthe need to create value inCamden by focusing on itsexisting assets andinstitutions with the need toleverage state and regionalpolicy change.Redevelopment Authority (CRA). Camden is also set toreceive another major infusion of public capital as a resultof the Abbott v. Burke case, a recent state court decisionconcerning equity in school funding. Per Abbott,Camden will receive more than $400 million for newschool renovation and construction.The Ford Foundation describes the Camden work as“Project-Based Regionalism,” a strategy that placesequal emphasis on the need to create value in Camdenby focusing on its existing assets and institutions withthe need to leverage state and regional policy change.Ford’s implementing partner in Camden is TheReinvestment Fund (TRF), its regional partner is theNew Jersey Regional Coalition, and its research partnerCamden, N.J., is a distressed city, a declining inner-ring suburb ofPhiladelphia in an older Rust Belt area. Considered a “weak market” city,Camden is in state receivership. The Ford Foundation is conducting a“project-based regionalism” demonstration in Camden. (© Camilo JoseVergara, www.camden.rutgers.edu/~hfcy/intro.html).EQUITABLE PUBLIC INVESTMENTPart III: Section 1: Promoting Equitable Public Investment 32