Stories of Philanthropic Leadership in Advancing Regional and ...

EQUITABLE PUBLIC INVESTMENTterms. We saw the value in PolicyLink bringing thelessons they have learned from other regional equityefforts, as well as the skill to help knit a diverse,cohesive coalition that can bring about policy changein the region.”Two other foundations have played key roles in theemergence of Action! as an influence in regionalpolicy development. As part of its grant toPolicyLink, the Fannie Mae Foundation fundedregional conferences to share the findings of theEquitable Development Toolkit. These conversationsbrought groups together to recognize theopportunity. The Hyams Foundation supplied earlyseed funding and scholarship support to futureAction! members to attend key national events thatframed their subsequent thinking.Going forward, the evidence of home-grownleadership for policy initiatives and constituencydevelopment will ultimately determine thebreadth and scope of philanthropic supportfor Action!’s efforts.Regional/Neighborhood Equity ImpactsAlthough early in the process, there are signs thatAction! will be able to achieve policy impact. Thegroup currently has legislation before theMassachusetts State House that would document thedemographics of residents of state-subsidized housingdevelopments—a critical missing piece ofinformation in the work to eliminate housingsegregation in Massachusetts. The group is alsobringing new advocacy energy towards the effort toinvest increased resources into the state’s affordablehousing trust fund, targeting an infusion of $100million over the next five years.Action! is working through administrative advocacyto integrate equity principles into theimplementation of a $30 million transit-orienteddevelopment fund. Action! has mobilized allies toengage the state in the development of its 25-yearvision for transportation planning and investment inan area of historically significant disparities from theperspectives of local equity advocates. Tocomplement that advocacy, the group is providingtraining to grassroots and other organizations longconcerned with transit issues but that have not hadthe experience or technical expertise with which toengage in the discussion.ResultsThe Action! process has brought several hundredorganizations across greater Boston together todiscuss the real steps needed to advance regionalequity. In short order, the group began to shape thepolicy discourse for the region, infusing equity intoan arena formally devoid of the topic. Throughpublic meetings, op-ed placements, engagement ofacademic and business interests, and direct advocacywith lawmakers, Action! is demonstrating new waysfor philanthropy to invest in improved communityoutcomes that serve all populations in the region.“We would like to seestatewide policyadvocates workingwith grassrootsadvocates to craftpolicy,” states Barr’sPuerto, “but not in away of ‘we have thispolicy, why not signon?’ We would loveto see an equalpartnership emerge.”Lessons Learned“We would like to seestatewide policy advocatesworking with grassrootsadvocates to craft policy, butnot in a way of ‘we have thispolicy, why not sign on?’We would love to see anequal partnership emerge.”— Mariella Tan PuertoTo be sure, progress is deliberate, and does not comeeasily. But even in engaging the challenges that facethe work, foundations and their community partnersare learning valuable lessons.The first lesson is that suburban communities andurban centers have common causes. When asufficient concentration of suburban leadershipjoined discussions of regional issues, it quicklybecame clear that several preconceptions of suburbanperspectives needed re-evaluation. Mutual concernsabout equitable housing distribution, the regionwideimplications of environmental justice oncommunity health, and the connection betweentransportation equity and workforce developmentcreated a sense of possibility that concerted statewideadvocacy is possible.Second, inherent tension exists between the inertia ofpublic institutions and the capacity of communitybasedorganizations to endure the extensivetimeframes of regional planning processes. Mostnonprofit organizations cannot afford to invest thestaffing required for a multi-year planning processand exit with negligible products to show for their55Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities