Session Organizer: Ed Egnatios, The Skillman Foundation

Poverty is alive and thriving. In the midst of a stalled national economy and heightened regional challenges, poverty is increasing throughout much of the nation. Recently, several funders have committed to confront poverty by developing a holistic combination of comprehensive, place-based, long-term strategies. Each approach is unique. But they share some common elements – community needs-responsiveness, empowered residents and on-the-ground grantmaking. This workshop reports on results – success, failures, and prospects for breaking the cycle of poverty – in four cities in the U.S. and Canada where a comprehensive change strategy is well underway. Innovations and challenges in San Diego, CA; Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Detroit, MI; and Minneapolis, MN will provide the catalyst for a robust conversation that will document key principles and lessons of community transformation in the early 21st Century.

Presenters:
Kate Wolford, President and CEO, McKnight Foundation (Moderator)
Jennifer S. Vanica, Jacobs Family Foundation
Tonya Allen, The Skillman Foundation
Sheree Meredith, Vice President, Hamilton Community Foundation, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada