July 2020 Newsletter

Change has been brewing in the philanthropic field for some time. For several years, foundations have been considering their status as anchor institutions in the communities they serve and exploring how endowments can be leveraged beyond a traditional source of grantmaking capital. Today the dual crises of COVID-19 and deep-rooted, systemic inequality have jump-started those conversations as philanthropy responds to rapidly changing circumstances.

LOCUS and its foundation partners are bringing their experience to the conversation through recent talks with CNote and the Indiana Philanthropy Alliance. This month, LOCUS team members Lisa O'Mara and Travis Green discuss how foundations are reshaping their culture and strategy to meet new goals for impact. Click  here  to access the conversation.

The Kansas Community Philanthropy Innovators Network (CPIN) is a LOCUS facilitated peer-learning cohort, in partnership with with the Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group, to help community foundations across the state take leadership in community economic development. Foundations participate as a team alongside chambers of commerce, business representatives, and other stakeholders through a series of convenings to learn about their local economies, explore tools like local investing, and develop action plans.

 

This month, LOCUS launches the third institute virtually due to COVID-19. To learn more about this initiative, reach out to LOCUS team member Travis Green .

Native CDFIs do great work bringing together partners, networks, and funding to help chang e the landscape of Native American communities and help Indian Country thrive and flourish.  Through its 2020 Capital Access Convening , the Oweesta Corporation convened fellow CDFIs and stakeholders virtually to dig into ways to build capacity and access to capital in a rapidly changing environment.

 

Alongside Christine Ryan of The California Endowment and the Native American Bank's Joel Smith, Program Director for the Community Investment Guarantee Pool (CIGP) Teri Lovelace led a session titled " Rebuilding Our Economy Post COVID-19: Guarantees ." Click here to access a recording of the panel and learn how financial guarantees like those used by CIGP can support CDFIs' pandemic recovery efforts.

A little over a year ago, the Opportunity Virginia team was formed to support community revitalization in the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Zones by encouraging impact investments and ensuring equitable access to resources. Their first annual report documents the team's creation of a productive OZ marketplace built to facilitate connections between investors, project sponsors, and community stakeholders throughout Virginia. Check out the full report here .

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