Stories of Philanthropic Leadership in Advancing Regional and ...

East Baltimore community and the Johns HopkinsInstitutions, three members assigned by Baltimore’sMayor, and one representative appointed byMaryland’s Governor). Guiding EDBI’s day-tooperationsis a chief executive officer and president,Jack Shannon, as well as an Economic InclusionMemorandum of Understanding (MOU) with thecity of Baltimore. The MOU details the project’scommitment to inclusion in every aspect, fromprocurement contracts to equity ownership,outreach, and more.A rendering of the residential Rutland Square in East Baltimore.(Source: East Baltimore Development Initiative).In Phase I of the project, an estimated 275households will be affected. Relocations that beganin March 2004 are expected to be completed by theend of 2005. Residents, homeowners, and rentersreceive standard benefits afforded by the UniformRelocation Act and a unique set of supplementalbenefits and supports that were made available by$10 million in benefits equally funded by AECF andthe Johns Hopkins Institutions. The block-by-blockmovement of families also has specific benchmarks,according to EBDI’s Shannon. Beyond formalnotification to affected families, each householdgains a relocation counselor, family advocatemeetings, a new home inspection, and up to threeyears of follow-up and supportive services. Of themore than 100 families assisted, as of this writing, allbut seven chose to remain in the city of Baltimore.As construction is completed, relocated EastBaltimore families will be given the option to returnto their “old” neighborhood as either renters orhomeowners.Addressing the educational needs of the community,Johns Hopkins announced in June 2004 a freetuition program designed to provide Baltimore’s bestpublic school students with an opportunity to staynear home and study at one of America’s premieruniversities. Known as the Baltimore ScholarsProgram, this scholarship will begin with the classentering in the fall of 2005 and is open to studentswho attend Baltimore City public schools for at leasttheir last three years of high school, reside inBaltimore City for at least the three previous years,and gain admission as first-year, full-timeundergraduates in either the Krieger School of Artsand Sciences, Whiting School of Engineering, orPeabody Conservatory of Music at Johns HopkinsUniversity (JHU).Additionally, up to three part-time BaltimoreScholars will also be selected. The University willreach out to students, families, teachers, counselors,and principals to encourage application to the newprogram. In announcing the new scholarshipprogram, JHU president William R. Brody declared,“Baltimore is Johns Hopkins’ home, and Baltimore’sfuture is our future. The Baltimore Scholars Programis one more step the University can take to supportour city and especially our public schools.”Funder InterestThe Annie E. Casey Foundation’s president, DouglasW. Nelson, shares perhaps the most poignantexplanation for a commitment to underservedpopulations and communities:Americans want better outcomes. But to act onthat desire—to convert a public wish for publicgood into action—we must deepen awareness ofthe crisis affecting an unacceptably high percentageof this nation’s families. We must foster fair andaccurate understanding of the causes of thoseproblems, and we must awaken the confidencethat something can be done that makes adifference. Over the next decade we must combineour knowledge of particular ideas into a coherentvision for change that is commensurate with thescope of the child and family crisis that exists inthis richest of nations. No one understands theneed for this effort more than the families andchildren living in the downward spiral of despairthat defines too many of our neighborhoods. Intoday’s America, there is simply no justification fordenying any child a legitimate hope for the futureand a reasonable expectation of a successfulentrance to adulthood. In fact, with sufficientpublic will, political resolve, and imagination weLIVABLE NEIGHBORHOODS/STRONG REGIONSPart III: Section 2: Making All Neighborhoods Stable, Healthy, and Livable as Building Blocks for a Strong Region 70