Stories of Philanthropic Leadership in Advancing Regional and ...

LIVABLE NEIGHBORHOODS/STRONG REGIONSfoot, two-story “green building” with a rooftopgarden and solar energy modules that houses retailspace, employment offices, a day care center, and abridge that connects it all to the elevated trainstation. It will allow local residents to be eligiblefor low-interest location efficient mortgages andwill reduce their need to use a car on a regularbasis. Rebecca Riley, a consultant to theCommunity and Resource Development Unit atthe Ford Foundation, believes the success behindBethel lies in asking good questions. Says Riley,“Mary Nelson began to wonder if a big box storewith acres of parking did not make sense in asuburb, then why would it make sense for an urbanneighborhood?”The Bethel Commercial Center connects by bridge to the Chicago TransitAuthority’s Green Line. (Source: Bethel New Life).In 2002, Bethel received the “Families Count”Award of $500,000 in unrestricted funds from theAnnie E. Casey Foundation (AECF) because Bethelpromotes stronger family situations for children.Bethel was recognized for the totality of its workbecause, “The whole was greater than the sum ofits parts of helping families get on a path tosuccess,” according to Miriam Shark, seniorassociate with AECF. “You can’t do work in [thearena of] CDCs without noticing Bethel.” Shecontinues, “The award is a seal of approval” forBethel. Funds were used as the glue for theongoing work of the commercial center.Bethel’s other site—the comprehensive Beth-Annecampus—has met the expectations of TheRetirement Research Foundation, “because itimproved the quality of life for seniors wishing toremain in the community by focusing onindependent and assisting living options oncampus, a range of center-based and home servicesfor community elderly, job training for home careworkers, and exploring policy innovations,”according to RRF’s Hennessy.Bethel New Life is also a grantee of the FordFoundation. In its summer 2004 report, Fordhighlighted Bethel’s success and stated that, “BethelNew Life is transforming Chicago’s West GarfieldPark neighborhood through a combination ofstaying power, persistence, and infinite hope. Bytaking advantage of under-utilized communityresources and emphasizing environmentallyconsciouspolicies and practices, Bethel New Life isa national model for the way communitydevelopment groups can promote healthyneighborhoods while effectively linking them totheir larger regional context.” 38A rendering of the future look of the Bethel Commercial Center. (Source:Bethel New Life).Lessons LearnedAccording to the foundations interviewed for thisreport—partners familiar with the faith-basedleadership of Bethel New Life—funders interestedin funding highly effective communitydevelopment corporations should demand, andexpect to, experience: risk taking in creative38“Ford Foundation Summer 2004 Report,” available atwww.fordfound.org (2004).77Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities