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I. Background

II. Role of Place-Based Funders

III. Community Building: Strategies and Tactics

IV. Community Voice in Planning and Implementation

V. Civic Infrastructure for Systems Change

VI. Questions

Webinar Overview

#caseychat

BACKGROUND

CASEY’S AND JACOB’S COMMUNITY CHANGE EFFORTS

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• The Foundation has worked in

the community change field for

more than two decades.

• Common thread: a focus on

making places better for the kids

and families living in them.

Casey and Community Change: A History

• More than a decade ago, the

Foundation designated two

cities as civic sites: Baltimore,

its hometown, and Atlanta,

home to UPS.

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The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Atlanta Civic Site

NPU-V

Our focus: five historic

communities less than a mile

from downtown Atlanta,

collectively known as

Neighborhood Planning Unit V.

Atlanta Civic Site: Agenda for Change

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Atlanta Civic Site: Community-Building Framework

Institutional

Accountability

Transparent Dialogue

Codesign and execute

communication activities

that allow funder and

community members to give

and get information and

feedback.

Participatory Planning

Design, model and promote

planning processes that create

spaces for residents to negotiate

priorities, identify common ground

and develop steps for ongoing

participation in decision making.

Community

Infrastructure

Resident Organizing

Support ad hoc, informal or

fledgling resident groups to

take action on issues of

community concern.

Organizational Capacity Building

Support existing or new community-

based organizations, groups and

networks to recruit and activate

constituencies, create campaigns or

action plans and attract resources to

carry them out.

Jacobs Family Foundation’s Southeastern San Diego Civic Site

Designated in 1992, 10 contiguous Southeastern

San Diego communities known as the “Diamond

Neighborhoods” were selected by the Jacobs Family

Foundation for funding, supported through the creation

of an operating foundation — Jacobs Center for

Neighborhood Innovation.

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Jacobs Family Foundation’s Southeastern San Diego Civic Site

• Community Characteristics

– 20 different ethnic groups

– More than 12 languages

– Limited cross-cultural

connections

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Jacobs Family Foundation: Agenda for Change

Agenda for Change: To implement a systemic

change approach to neighborhood improvement

that fostered resident-led work with emphasis

on generating sustainable community-owned

assets — sun setting in 2030.

“We believe in the creativity and innovation of residents to

change their own neighborhoods.” — JOE JACOBS

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Jacobs Family Foundation: Agenda For Change

Building Networks

• Safety

• Education

• Arts and Culture

Building Capacity

• Leadership

• Economic, Investment,

and Ownership Opportunity

• Governance

Building Relationships

• Resident to Resident

• Residents and

Neighborhood Institutions

• Residents and

Community Change

Agents

ROLE OF PLACE-BASED FUNDERS

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The Casey Foundation’s Atlanta Civic Site

prescriptive receptive

implementation capacity building

programming systems change

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• Model engagement and information-

sharing practices

• Build capacity and get out of the way

• Connect residents to each other and

community-based platforms

• Create dynamics of effective resident-

institutional partnerships

An Effective and Accountable Institution

COMMUNITY BUILDING

STRATEGIES AND TACTICS

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The practice of working with residents and community-

based organizations to strengthen civic life and support

community-driven responses to common challenges.

Community Building

Atlanta Civic Site: Tactics

Institutional

Accountability

Transparent Dialogue

neighborhood meet and greets

community forums

peer advocates

outreach

Participatory Planning

stakeholder engagement analysis

staff and resident working groups

community-led engagement

process design and coaching

facilitation

documentation

Community

Infrastructure

Resident Organizing

mini grants

sponsorships

training

coaching and planning

technical assistance

resource partners

Organizational Capacity Building

grants

sponsorships

training

coaching and planning

technical assistance

resource partners

To What End?

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COMMUNITY VOICE IN PLANNING AND

IMPLEMENTATION

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Jacobs Family Foundation: Capturing Practice Building Relationships

Relationships are the cornerstone of

resident-centered community building.

Four Building Blocks:

1. Create multiple ways for people

to engage and contribute

2. Build trust and capacity

3. Communicate often and in many ways

4. Build the foundations for long-term work

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Jacobs Family Foundation: Capturing Practice Building Networks

Building networks is a way to join stakeholders to address

comprehensive needs of the community, shift Foundation lead

role and empower participants.

Jacobs Networks:

• Safety – Unsafe Places; included District Council

Office, San Diego Police Department and Gang

Commission; schools, and residents

• Education – Reading By 3rd Grade; included

San Diego Unified School District; Up for Ed, YMCA,

Young Audiences, Groundworks and residents

• Arts and Culture; included community-based and

outside cultural organizations and residents

CIVIC INFRASTRUCTURE

FOR SYSTEMS CHANGE

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Jacobs Family Foundation: Capturing Practice Building Capacity

Beyond the process of organizing residents, building

their relationships to their community, and involving

them in networks and network projects, ongoing

engagement is essential for capacity-building.

Fostering three key attributes among

community residents can drive systemic,

resident-driven community infrastructure

enhancement:

1. Leadership

2. Economic, investment,

and ownership opportunity

3. Governance

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Above: Market Creek Plaza and the

Joe & Vi Jacobs Center today.

Right: “Before” photo of the area.

Jacobs Family Foundation: Market Creek Plaza Residents Planning, Building and Owning Neighborhood Change

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Jacobs Family Foundation Advancing Resident Ownership of Neighborhood Change

• Transition Planning Elements:

– Board-resident retreats

– Setting vision, work and

measures

– Determining who governs

– Mechanisms for transferring

ownership

“For change to be sustaining, residents must own the decisions,

actions, and assets in their communities.”

— JOE JACOBS

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At www.aecf.org:

• Community Building to Drive Change

• Community Building in the Atlanta Civic Site

At www.jacobscenter.org/media.htm:

• Connecting Community Learning Exchange

(report and toolkit)

• Community Development Initial Public Offering

(evaluation synthesis report)

• Community Engagement Learning Series

– Resident Compensation for Participation

– Arts as a Civic Engagement Strategy

– Community Contractors Program

Resources

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For additional information…

Moki Macías: media@aecf.org

Reginald Jones: info@jacobscenter.org

Questions?