The Neighborhood Fund: 20 Years of Connecting People, Changing Communities

Outlines the premise and strategy behind the initiative, as well as the history, key components, and lessons of the fund for driving positive community change through grants, leadership development, coaching, and partnerships.

• The Neighborhood Fund requires substantial institutional investment to have optimal results. This includes resources for grantmaking and time commitment of staff and advisory committee. Tweet
• The Community Foundation’s commitment to the Neighborhood Fund has been a powerful force for culture change within the organization. It has influenced us to look at the assets of a community in all we do. Our minds and ears are more open. We are more proactive and creative in “connecting dots” that are relevant to grassroots leadership development and neighborhood change. Tweet
• The growing movement toward place-based funding provides natural synergy for a neighborhood-based small-grants program. Tweet
• Placed-based small grants can provide a compelling vehicle for a donor who prefers to be close to grant recipients and see first hand the results they achieve and the challenges they face. Tweet