Cross-Sectoral

Started in 1999, the Making Connections Initiative is a 10-year project designed to promote and support local efforts to rebuild neighborhoods in 22 cities. The coalitions built include residents, community leaders, businesses, government officials, schools, faith-based groups, community development corporations, and other community-based organizations. Read more about Annie E. Casey Foundation, Making Connections Initiative...

A joint project of the National Vacant Properties Campaign and the Genese Institute, the Center for Community Progress works with government officials and nonprofit organizations to implement policy changes that encourage the reuse of vacant, abandoned, and under utilized properties. Striving to create strong communities by redeveloping these properties, the center accomplishes its mission by developing a national network of vacant property practitioners and experts, research dissemination, advocacy, and local capacity building through technical assistance and training work. Read more about Center for Community Progress...

The Ford Foundation's Economic Fairness and Opportunity program helps strengthen and increase the effectiveness of people and organizations working to find solutions to problems of poverty and injustice. Foundation grants and program-related investments support a wide variety of organizations pursuing community development objectives, including community development corporations, cooperatives, community land trusts, and community development financial institutions. Read more about Ford Foundation, Asset Building and Community Development Program...

LIFT works to address the issue of poverty and limited opportunity through a two part approach: first, by having trained volunteers assist low-income individuals obtain secure income, housing, health care, and education; and, second, by encouraging LIFT alumni to engage the issue of poverty in future careers across all sectors. LIFT currently runs centers in Boston, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington DC, having trained more than 5,000 volunteers who have assisted more than 30,000 individuals and families. Read more about LIFT...

Founded in 1975, Project for Public Spaces has helped over 2,000 communities in 26 countries improve their parks, markets, streets, transit stations, libraries, and other public spaces. The process used is a participatory one, based on surveying community members to develop projects, beginning with small-scale efforts, to meet their needs. One of the group's projects involves the promotion of public markets, in which public markets are employed to spur local community wealth building. Read more about Project for Public Spaces...

The Roundtable on Community Change was established in 1992 as a forum in which foundation sponsors, directors, technical assistance providers, evaluators, and public sector officials could meet to discuss the lessons that are being learned by comprehensive community initiatives across the country and to work on common problems they are facing. The website includes a number of reports on the issues and obstacles that such efforts face. Read more about The Aspen Institute, Roundtable on Community Change...

United Neighborhood Centers of America is a national association representing neighborhood-based community centers throughout the United States. Formerly known as the National Federation of Settlements and Neighborhood Centers, it was founded in 1911 by Jane Addams and other pioneers of the settlement movement. Many of these settlement houses have expanded to become large community centers, whose programs include youth groups, senior services, neighborhood development projects, and services for immigrant and migrant workers. Read more about United Neighborhood Centers of America...