We are thrilled to share an article in the current issue of the Foundation Review, “The Art and Science of Place-Based Philanthropy: Themes from a National Convening.” The article was authored by Giannina Fehler-Cabral, Senior Research Associate at Harder + Company Community Research; Jennifer James, Senior Vice President at Harder + Company Community Research; Hallie Preskill, Managing Director at FSG; and Meg Long, President of Equal Measure.
Philanthropic and public-sector organizations have for many years invested in place-based initiatives to address deep and persistent poverty in communities around the country. For place-based work to be successful – and ideally sustainable – communities need strategies that go beyond grantmaking. These strategies include a long-term commitment to a particular community and development of ongoing relationships with multiple community stakeholders.
In this article, the authors share insights from funders, evaluators, and community partners engaged in place-based work around the country. They discuss how place-based initiatives have evolved to address systems change and describe the funder’s role in place-based work and the intersection with evaluation. The article is particularly useful for public and private funders who strive for an authentic collaboration in place-based initiatives.