Stories of Philanthropic Leadership in Advancing Regional and ...

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EQUITABLE PUBLIC INVESTMENTsuch as tires and garage doors. 18 “The population hasgrown from 500 seven years ago to 54,000 today,”according to Oscar Romo, coastal training programcoordinator with Tijuana Estuary. In Los Laureles,ICF is working on an erosion control and stormwatermanagement feasibility project.and leveraged these efforts to find partners on both sidesof the border, explains TSDF’s Young.Residential development sprawls onto the hillsides in eastern Tijuana.(Source: International Community Foundation).Funder InterestRaising Las Californias’ visibility as a priority issuecame from early work by ICF and other funders whowanted to know more about this rapidly-developingarea. With an emphasis on Baja California, ICF is ina unique position to fund Mexico-basedorganizations to work with San Diego/U.S. efforts onLas Californias. According to Emily Young, associatevice president, community partnerships at The SanDiego Foundation (TSDF), it provides U.S.-centricresources and support while ICF has an internationalnetwork to develop and implement projects. TheInternational Community Foundation is leveragingits grants in Mexico by working with U.S-basedfunders, partners, and agencies. In Las Californias,ICF has been able to double its investment with inkinddonations from government, explains ICF’sMcEnany. Meanwhile in Los Laureles Canyon, oneICF grant has turned into two, and possibly three.Regional/Neighborhood Equity ImpactsThe Conservation Biology Group and ProNatura (anational conservation organization in Mexico with fiveoffices throughout the country whose Ensenada officefocuses on the border region) were commissioned byICF and TSDF to collaborate on a research process thathas resulted in better working relationships, harmonizeddata for the region, and a conservation vision for theborder region. 19 The International CommunityFoundation took on an overall project management roleThe Las Californias Binational Conservation Initiative’s study area includes aToyota plant, nearby dam, and mountainous open space. This aerial imagereveals how a wildlife corridor that exists here could be easily lost. (Source:International Community Foundation).In Los Laureles Canyon, ICF and its partners areintervening at a critical time: ICF hired themunicipal planning agency of Tijuana (IMPlan) todo a baseline study of the Canyon, assess the risksfrom inadequate land use, and recommend possibleprojects to empower and educate. This diagnostic hasjust been completed. As an ICF report describes,“Phase II will focus on on-the-ground demonstrationprojects with the local community. ICF will selectthree to eight pilot projects that reflect therecommendations of the technical diagnostic.” 20The San Diego Foundation’s Young ideally wants tosee the collaborative work in Las Californias result inbinational protection of open space to protectwildlife linkages, quality of air and water resources,and ultimately the quality of life for bordercommunities. To this end, she hopes their effortswill help mobilize funding and other resources torealize change. Reaching these objectives wouldallow someone like Tijuana Estuary’s Romo torealize the possibility of turning Los LaurelesCanyon into a model for many other binationalurban areas faced with similar challenges, like thesister cities of Nogales, Ariz., and Nogales, Sonora,Mexico, and El Paso, Texas, and Cuidad Juarez,Chihuahua, Mexico.18“Coastal Managers Without Borders: Working on the Edge of America,”available at www.csc.noaa.gov/magazine/2004/01/mexico.html (2004).19www.consbio.org/cbi/about/pronatura.htm.20“Action item for the Tijuana River Watershed,” available atwww.icfdn.org/initiatives/llc/llc.htm.49Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities
The International Community Foundation, Tijuana Estuary, and IMPlan hosteda November 2004 community meeting in the neighborhoods of Los LaurelesCanyon to disseminate the results of their diagnostic and discuss future pilotprojects. (Source: International Community Foundation).ResultsThe creation of a joint effort to study and act inconcert toward improving the environment andaddressing related social issues is a significant resultof the early development of the projects. “We’re justbeginning to raise awareness of the importance ofrescuing open space in this region. Our partnersand grantees are working on zoning reforms and alandowner contact program in Mexico, as well asland acquisitions in San Diego County,” explainsRichard Kiy, president and CEO of ICF. Kiycontinues, “We’re extremely pleased with theinitiative’s progress in just two years.” The SanDiego Foundation’s Young states, “ICF and TSDFare now moving forward to identify possiblefunding partners to advance the critical work thatlies ahead to protect our shared resources in air,land, and water.”Even before an official diagnostic of Los Laureles wascompleted, Romo from the Tijuana Estuary begandiscussions about solutions and held workshops forresidents on how to build with discarded materialusing proper techniques. The Tijuana authoritiesreacted positively with mayoral support and thepeople in the Canyon did not feel threatened.Moreover, according to Romo, active conversationswith local authorities have bypassed officialcommunication protocol between state departmentsbecause information never trickles down. This hasled to more direct communication betweennonprofits and government agency representatives,which can often cut through bureaucracy withpersonal relationships. In Mexico, this kind of oneon-onecontact is critical for on-the-ground success.Romo also notes that the Los Laureles work caughtthe attention of Tijuana-based non-governmentalorganizations (NGOs) that were inspired by theinternational partnerships. The NGOs have used thepartnership as guidelines in their own endeavors tofurther progress with U.S. partners.A view of the storm drain that connects the United States and Mexico and theLos Laureles Canyon and Tijuana Estuary. (Source: International CommunityFoundation).Lessons LearnedRomo believes that ICF is good at supervisingprojects and supporting a dynamic process.However, Kiy admits that, “[international work]always takes longer then domestic work. Cultureand language coupled with barriers slow projects.”For example, Kiy references the fact that mayors inMexico can only hold one term of three years,which causes inconsistent municipal support and aconstant need to educate the incomingadministration. Viewing the San Diego/Tijuanageographic area as one region has helped theInternational Community Foundation play a keyrole in educating political officials,A view of sprawling development patterns in eastern Tijuana. (Source:International Community Foundation).EQUITABLE PUBLIC INVESTMENTPart III: Section 1: Promoting Equitable Public Investment 50
Page 1 and 2:
Stories of Philanthropic Leadership
Page 3 and 4:
Signs of Promise:Stories of Philant
Page 5 and 6: Funders’ Network for Smart Growth
Page 7 and 8: (II. B.)(II. C.)Turning Neighborhoo
Page 9 and 10: PART I:IntroductionThe Purpose of t
Page 11 and 12: social justice issues as they relat
Page 13 and 14: PART II:Perspectives on Advancing R
Page 15 and 16: peer work, we can reestablish a sig
Page 17 and 18: Annie E. Casey FoundationBaltimore,
Page 19 and 20: neighborhoods into healthy ones—g
Page 21 and 22: Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation
Page 23 and 24: Section 1:Promoting Equitable Publi
Page 25 and 26: I. A. BUILDING POWER AND GIVINGVOIC
Page 27 and 28: policy advocates. In 2002, Milwauke
Page 29 and 30: in Los Angeles, Ford’s Anthony no
Page 31 and 32: I. B. PROMOTING COALITIONSTO ADVANC
Page 33 and 34: Yet the interpersonal dynamics of c
Page 35 and 36: guidelines. “Many of the member o
Page 37 and 38: Funder InterestThe EPA supported th
Page 39 and 40: I. D. DEMONSTRATING THESTRUGGLE FOR
Page 41 and 42: Richmond, Calif.The second regional
Page 43 and 44: through policy reform at the local
Page 45 and 46: I. E. BUILDING COALITIONTHROUGH KNO
Page 47 and 48: organizing project, the Connecticut
Page 49 and 50: and businesses are quantified in a
Page 51 and 52: I. G. REVITALIZING WHILEASSURING DI
Page 53 and 54: In the late 1990s, the city of Albu
Page 55: I. H. A TRAVEZ DE LA FRONTERA:LAND
Page 59 and 60: I. I. MOBILIZING ACTION FORREGIONAL
Page 61 and 62: To meet all of these objectives, th
Page 63 and 64: efforts. And with each public plann
Page 65 and 66: pattern of disproportionate transpo
Page 67 and 68: Clinica de la Raza identify this cr
Page 69 and 70: Contact PeopleCarl AnthonyActing Di
Page 71 and 72: Section 2:Making All Neighborhoods
Page 73 and 74: II. A. REACHING BEYONDHOUSING TO IM
Page 75 and 76: A local resident receives the keys
Page 77 and 78: East Baltimore community and the Jo
Page 79 and 80: example, adjacent to the EBDI area,
Page 81 and 82: II. C. YIELDING REGIONALBENEFITS TH
Page 83 and 84: is using transit-oriented developme
Page 85 and 86: financing and innovative, forward-t
Page 87 and 88: The Row House Community Development
Page 89 and 90: II. E. COUNTERING THE PERFECTSTORM:
Page 91 and 92: funded community programs, includin
Page 93 and 94: housing developments and commercial
Page 95 and 96: owned enterprises, totaling $8.5 mi
Page 97 and 98: LOAN GUARANTEESSection 3:Connecting
Page 99 and 100: III. A. MAKING HOUSING ANOPPORTUNIT
Page 101 and 102: A new report from the National Hous
Page 103 and 104: The Straphangers Campaign was found
Page 105 and 106: Funder InterestThe Straphangers Cam
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or increase poverty. Whether direct
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The Regional Plan Association then
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multi-stakeholder effort composed o
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director with LISC. No one set of s
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12 western Louisville neighborhoods
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III. E. UNITING THREE STATESFOR ONE
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increased their personal wealth by
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summary evaluation of MSDI found th
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method alone was strong enough to m
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consistent body of work. The Counci
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3) Issues Need to be ConnectedThe f
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PART V:Glossary of TermsThe terms d
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Regional and neighborhood equity. A
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Tijuana River Reserve, California:h
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Sargent Shriver National Center on
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1500 San Remo Avenue • Suite 249
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