Stories of Philanthropic Leadership in Advancing Regional and ...

Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable CommunitiesThe mission of the Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities is to inspire, strengthen, and expandphilanthropic leadership and funders’ abilities to support organizations working to improve communities through betterdevelopment decisions and growth policies. The Network brings together foundations, nonprofit organizations, and other partnersto address the range of environmental, social, and economic problems caused by poor planning and development decisions.Members of the Funders’ Network include corporate, private, and community foundations and intermediaries. For moreinformation about the Network, visit www.fundersnetwork.org.Regional and Neighborhood Equity ProjectThe Regional and Neighborhood Equity Project (RNEP) is a project of the Network led by an action-oriented steeringcommittee of funders working to ensure that regional and neighborhood equity is advanced through the smart growthmovement. The project works to broaden outreach to new constituencies; frame the issues; network funders and practitionersto strengthen relationships; improve grantmaking practices to demonstrate progress; and build competencies among key actorsto sustain lasting progress.Just as environmental issues exist within bioregions, economic development extends beyond cities to regional economic clusters,and social issues cut across neighborhoods within regions. The future of residents of low-income neighborhoods is tied to regionalsocial, political, and economic factors and requires strategic analysis, engagement, and impact at the regional and neighborhood• Improving access to economic opportunity and qualityeducational resources regardless of age, race, class, gender,or geographic location;• Giving children and families of all races and classes the bestpossible environment in which to live;• Reducing social and economic disparities amongindividuals, social groups, neighborhoods, and localjurisdictions within a metropolitan area;• Building healthy, mixed-income neighborhoods with sufficientaffordable housing distributed throughout the region;• Fostering strong civic engagement and responsive institutionsto ensure that all residents have political power and a voice inthe major decisions that affect their lives; and/or• Providing low-income residents with the opportunity tobuild assets and become beneficiaries of reinvestment andpositive change in their communities.level. The project defines regional and neighborhood equity as strategies and efforts that focus on:Regional and Neighborhood Equity Project Steering CommitteeThe Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities gratefully acknowledges the members of the steeringcommittee that leads the Regional and Neighborhood Equity Project (RNEP) for their hard work and commitment to theseissues. Their guidance, input, and thoughtful comments helped turn this report from an idea to a reality. Without them, thisreport would not have been possible:Carl Anthony, Acting Director, Community and Resource Development Unit, Ford Foundation (RNEP Chair)Sharon Alpert, Associate Program Officer for Environment, Surdna FoundationDan Bartholomay, Program Director, The McKnight FoundationConsuella Brown, Program Officer, Grand Victoria FoundationMariano Diaz, Senior Vice President, Community Partnerships, The San Diego FoundationChristine Doby, Program Officer, Charles Stewart Mott FoundationDavid Harris, former Director, Regional Policy and Florida Philanthropy, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthurFoundation (former RNEP Co-Chair)Earl Johnson, former Associate Director, Working Communities, Rockefeller FoundationRenu Karir, former Program Officer, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation (former RNEP Co-Chair)Roger Kim, former Program Fellow, Environment, The San Francisco FoundationElizabeth Lynn, Senior Program Officer, McCune FoundationBrian Moore, Program Director for Foundation Initiatives, The Gifford FoundationAurie Pennick, Executive Director, The Field Foundation of IllinoisRebecca Riley, Consultant, Community and Resource Development Unit, Ford FoundationArlene Rodriguez, Program Officer, Environment, The San Francisco FoundationScot Spencer, Manager of Baltimore Relations, Annie E. Casey FoundationLorne Steedley, Program Associate, Annie E. Casey Foundation