Place Matters

The initiative is based on the recognition that social problems are not evenly distributed throughout our region but, instead,
concentrate in a limited number of geographic places – making it hard for the children and families in those places to have a high quality of life – and that social problems are tightly interconnected. Based on these recognitions, the funding collaborative is preparing to make concentrated investments in three neighborhoods of our region with high levels of poverty and social disorder –but also with strong local leadership and a commitment to change.

The selection of neighborhoods for inclusion in the pilot initiative was based on a lengthy process involving research and reflection. While many neighborhoods in our region have high levels of need, the co-investors knew they would be able to engage in concentrated investing in only a handful, perhaps no more than three. To show the power of the Place-Based Investment approach, the co-investors identified places with assets for change:

• High-capacity institutions (social service agencies, community development corporation, etc.)
• A fairly high degree of citizen leadership
• A widespread feeling that “it’s time for change”
• Capacity for cooperation among and between groups
• Other funders willing to invest in the neighborhood
• A sizeable population

The three neighborhoods the co-investors have selected for the Pilot are Avondale, Covington, and the Price Hill cluster
of neighborhoods.

Place Matters