Stories of Philanthropic Leadership in Advancing Regional and ...

LIVABLE NEIGHBORHOODS/STRONG REGIONSengagement process resulting in six priority areas seenas central to addressing a range of regional andcommunity development issues: arts and culture,civil society, environment, health and human services,science and technology, and organizational success.“The board of governors fundamentally understandslong-term community improvement,” theFoundation’s Diaz explains. He continues, “We needto understand two things. What are the regionalneeds? And how do you grow the assets of thisinstitution to support the groups that can addressthem?” In the last several years, the Foundation hasbeen able to attract significant resources from theFord Foundation and the Annie E. Casey Foundationfor its financial literacy work and The James IrvineFoundation in support of its arts and cultureinitiatives. To some, leveraging additional resourcesthat benefit local communities is the most importantcontribution a community foundation can make. TheFoundation strives to build a clear understanding ofthe region’s largest issues, using data and engaging thecommunity in collaborative planning and executionof grantmaking that produces viable solutions.Through its Understanding the San Diego Regioneffort, the long-term goal of the Foundation is todevelop publicly supported, results-oriented plans ofaction to improve the quality of life in San Diego.The San Diego Foundation’s goal is shared by manyof its partners, as seen with Price Charities’ CityHeights Initiative. In 1976, Sol Price and his son,Robert Price, founded the Price Company, whichintroduced Price Clubs, the forerunner of thewarehouse club industry. Today, the Prices spend themajority of their time on philanthropic matters,including the operation of foundation programspromoting the charity’s philosophy of “proactivegiving.” Price Charities consists of threephilanthropic entities inspired by San Diego’s PriceFamily, including an advised fund of The San DiegoFoundation. “The Price staff is outstanding in whatthey do. They made a choice to connect to the backoffice and staff expertise here at The San DiegoFoundation. It is a good match,” the Foundation’sDiaz notes in highlighting the increasing cooperationwithin philanthropy in addressing regional issues.Similarly, the Jacobs Center for NeighborhoodInnovation (JCNI) follows a neighborhoodstrengtheningmission, although more deeply focusedon broad-based resident participation processes. TheJacobs Family Foundation established JCNI in 1995in the belief that the key to making deep and lastingcommunity change is to partner with nonprofits andcommunity stakeholders. In 1998, JCNI made thedecision to locate and focus its work exclusively inthe Diamond neighborhoods to underscore itsoverriding principle behind Market Creek Plaza: inorder to sustain neighborhood revitalization,residents must own the planning, implementation,and,ultimately,the assetsresultingfromrevitalizationefforts.Through thebroad experience of ownership, residents can buildthe skills, networks, and leverage necessary to createand sustain broad community change that fulfills thecommunity’s desires for growth as a regionaleconomic center. In partnership with the localcommunity residents, this regional philanthropiccommunity is collaborating for local change in asensitive and strategic manner.Regional/Neighborhood Equity ImpactsAs a consequence of Understanding the San DiegoRegion, The San Diego Foundation is well-poised tothink about long-term issues with some confidence.Its median grant size has grown, as the Foundation isable to invest more deeply in institutionsinstrumental to community change. Volunteersidentify and highlight innovation from the field.Each Working Group contributes to a coordinatedstrategy through a committee that has representativesfrom all of the working groups. This capturesimportant synergies, such as when the EnvironmentalWorking Group lent its support to conclusions of theHousing Working Group, easing historical tensionsbetween the two arenas of allies. “There is muchmore going on in San Diego than people realize,”The San Diego Foundation’s Diaz adds. “Thisprocess allows us to identify people getting it done,addressing regional and neighborhood equity,and to invest in their commitment.”In the case of the City Heights Initiative, the bulk ofPrice Charities’ investment is focused on majordevelopment projects on the main thoroughfares.Price Charities is attempting to bring various fundingsources and agencies together to seed both large-scale85Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities