DOI
10.9707/1944-5660.1721
Key Points
Traditional approaches to place-based philanthropy, including comprehensive community initiatives (CCIs), are characterized by four design features: 1) a centralized stakeholder group that serves as the primary nexus for the foundation’s engagement; 2) an extensive planning process on the front end; 3) the planning group’s initial strategy serves as the basis for the foundation’s investments throughout the initiative; and 4) foundation staff play a largely transactional role in reviewing proposals, awarding grants and monitoring progress. This linear, structured approach to community change has had only limited success over 30 years of foundation practice.
In response, a growing number of foundations have been experimenting with a more emergent place-based model. In this approach, the projects pursued by local actors evolve over the course of the initiative. Foundation staff cultivate this work and are deeply engaged with a wide range of local actors rather than focusing on a single planning entity. This article summarizes evaluation data from six foundations that have worked in this way: The California Endowment, the Clinton Foundation, Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, The Ford Family Foundation, The Colorado Trust, and The Colorado Health Foundation.
The available evaluations indicate that the six initiatives have each stimulated a broad range of local actors to step out into new work. In many communities, their work is expanding and diversifying the base of local leaders and setting the stage for more fundamental forms of community change. These actors are creating more effective systems and are beginning to reorient local institutions to be responsive to all community segments. In a few instances, the evaluation reports point to at least the beginnings of a shift in local power dynamics. In some communities, the culture is shifting in ways that promote resilience, inclusivity, and equity.
The results are discussed with regard to both the extra value that foundations add by operating in a cultivating mode and the question of how much communitywide impact they can achieve with even the highest functioning place-based initiative.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Easterling, D. (2025). Emergent Models of Place-Based Philanthropy: A Review of Six Foundations’ Initiatives. The Foundation Review, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.9707/1944-5660.1721
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