Westside Future Fund’s Post

Real Estate is the way to change the “same ole same ole”. Great to see the impacts on others. #detroit #buildingbetterfutures #realestate

So for every new mayoral term, there is a question of how to focus on commercial corridors equitably and equally throughout the City of Chicago. Whether it was the recent Invest South/West (Lightfoot Administration) or Retail Thrive Zone/Neighborhood Opportunity Fund (Emanuel Administration) or Small Business Improvement Fund (Daley Administration). All of these programs have similar foundations and ideas to draw from. However, I would look to expand commercial development activities within the Special Service Area Program (SSA). Created in 1973, there are 57 active SSAs throughout the City from the far north side to the far south side and the far west side to downtown. The SSA Program are local tax districts that funds expanded services and programs through a localized property tax levy within contiguous areas. Some SSAs overlap Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts and other City incentive programs. So instead of creating or rebranding a new program, we could develop a master plan for each district with short-term (4 years), intermediate (8 years), and long-term (12+ years) implementation strategies. We, Far South Community Development Corporation, will be creating a new Master Plan for our SSA#45, since the recent expansion that added nearly 16 additional blocks, in 2024. Our goal is to "Reimagine Far South Halsted". Yes, you are correct that this is similar to "Reimagine LaSalle" but this should be part of a series of how to reimagine our corridors throughout the City and the SSAs are a great start to do "57 Reimagine Commercial Corridors". Of course, there will be projects outside of SSAs (i.e. Red Line Extension, ETOD at Metra and Pace routes, etc) or the need to possibly create similar districts in areas that do not have an SSA, but this would be a great anchor. We could not have been more proud over the years of the accomplishments and proposed opportunities of the SSA#45 district, which will be summarized in the 2024 Master Plan. Previous highlighted projects within the district, include the 72-unit Kennedy Jordan Manor Senior Housing by Sheldon Heights Church of Christ and the shuttered West Pullman Elementary School transformation into 60 apartment units for seniors and veterans by Celedon Holdings to the proposed $177 million Morgan Park Commons mixed-use development. Sometimes, but not always, we can build on and improve existing programs. #BringingCommunitiesBackInitiative https://lnkd.in/gbwty7mt

In our city, many nonprofits in town provide services to fight generations of financial disparity and discrimination led by Redlining. In this government-endorsed practice, maps color-coded neighborhoods based on race, effectively dictating who could access housing loans. Communities marked in red, predominantly non-white neighborhoods, were deemed "risky" for lenders. With this in mind, Texas A&M University-San Antonio approached us last year with the idea of creating a short documentary about the history of redlining in our city. Our 6-month project led us through the heartbeats and backstreets of San Antonio, unearthing stories of resilience, displacement, and transformation. It became more than just a film; it was a profound journey of appreciation for the indomitable spirit of this city's residents. Dive into this narrative and join us as we unpack the lasting impact of redlining on our community and, most importantly, the unwavering hope for a brighter, more inclusive future. Watch now; link in bio.

Two of the most important ways we can invest in children is through access to quality education and housing. I give it my best to practice what I preach, and here, by supporting the Lindbergh Schools Foundation who does a remarkable job investing in Lindbergh Schools students. If you've been thinking about a way a give, this is a worthy cause for our children. #education #investinginkids

The impact of heirs' property is particularly prevalent among Black communities, as well as other disadvantaged communities. Heirs’ property is also more concentrated where communities have lower incomes, low wealth, and low educational attainment. In AFN's new brief, HEIRS’ PROPERTY: ACTING TO PRESERVE WEALTH, learn more about how philanthropy can contribute to greater economic security in these communities impacted by heirs' property by supporting programs that tackle common heirs' property issues including predatory and coercive sales in areas with rising property values, challenges with maintenance and management, barriers to wealth generation, and land loss. READ THE BRIEF: https://loom.ly/uEbSNGI To supplement this report, join AFN for a live webinar on September 19 at 1:00 pm ET. REGISTER HERE: https://loom.ly/oHj8vxI JPMorgan Chase & Co. Wells Fargo Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation Communities Foundation of Texas The University of Texas School of Law Boston College Law School Mississippi Center For Justice City Bar Justice Center FINRA Investor Education Foundation Federation of Southern Cooperatives Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta Fannie Mae #HeirsProperty #RacialWealthGap #Philanthropy #Funders

Doing it right

Neighborhoods across Littleton came together in 2023 to host block parties, clean up litter, and run community improvement projects, all fueled by city grants. More than 50 neighborhood events received funding from the Neighborhood Grant program in 2023, helping neighbors get to know each other through block parties, National Night Out events, and community clean-up days. Six Community Improvement Grants were awarded, funding neighborhood-initiated projects like replacing deteriorating fences and retaining walls, and several projects to convert thirsty turf areas to water-wise native greenery. Littleton's Community and Neighborhood Grant program offers $500 grants for neighborhood gatherings and events, and grants of up to $9,999 for community improvement projects. The program has an annual combined budget of $50,000. Applications for 2024 will open in January. Click here for more information about Community Improvement Grants: https://ow.ly/NxUk50QiYRa Click here for more information about Neighborhood Grants: https://ow.ly/9bEi50QiYRb

A holiday update, for any connections that may be interested: Having grown from 20 newly minted high school grads and four communities just two years ago to 300 and 60 communities this past summer, the American Exchange Project is rather convincingly demonstrating that there's hope for depolarizing America, one high school at a time. In any case, it's great for the kids who participate in our exchanges, from Little Rock to Anchorage, Montana to Maine, the Bronx to Kilgore, Texas, as our website (https://lnkd.in/dUVpqcK) and the media coverage there attests, particularly the CBS Sunday Morning segment link and this shorter -- please forgive the industry lingo -- "sizzle reel": https://lnkd.in/e7DsqvVv But to scale AEP, we need to fund vastly more exchanges. Yes, we're in 50+ locations, but as I learned when researching the total to be reached, there are 19,500 incorporated communities in America.   We've gotten help from foundations like the Rockefeller Brothers fund and MacArthur, philanthropists like Mike Milken and Steven Spielberg, but we need way more support. And we need a whole lot more people to know about how we're helping communities send and host. So here's the pitch: that you share this and help us get your community involved. host a luncheon, dinner, cocktail party or other event to which you and we can invite people who might be interested. And/or donate, either by check to AEP, 38 Balcom Road, Sudbury MA 01776, or via our website. Remember, we’re a registered non-profit, so folks can contribute directly from their Required Minimum Distributions, reducing the taxable amount. That's what Jan and I do. For those of you wanting more detail on what we need to sign on a new community:  1. An Exchange Manager--a local educator who can run the program 2. The blessing of the principal to work in the high school 3. A community leader--a connected adult who can help us put together a great itinerary and connect to folks in the community 4. A host family coordinator--a local adult, usually a parent, who can recruit and assist with host families 5. A plan to raise funds in the community to help support the program, if possible The relevant contact: Jessica Golden (jgolden@americanexchangeproject.org) Thank you. Paul

As we celebrate 15 years of business, we are reflecting on the influential research reports that have changed the debate in SA. Our Empowerment Endowment report in 2017 showed that foundations established under BEE deals had been endowed R32.6bn to fuel education, community development and entrepreneurship. Read our analysis here: https://lnkd.in/eEQ-VDRr.

In 2023, the Community Foundation awarded more than $7 million in grants and scholarships. This funding, and the work it enables, is built on two of the core pillars of the Community Foundation's strategic work: to build community resilience, and to advance social and economic mobility for all of Northern Virginia's residents. You can read a few examples of how our 2023 CIF grantees are changing lives here: https://lnkd.in/ep74uBKz