July 16, 2014 EPIP Webinar | Grace Under Pressure: How to Build Engagement and Capacity for Action in Distressed Communities For this webinar, we were joined by both a nonprofit and funder to discuss how to meaningfully engage under-resourced communities and “work in the trenches”. Representatives from Community Solutions and the Zilber Family Foundation discussed how they’re making lasting impact at the grassroot level. We examined the successes and failures of their work to build capacity and develop local organizations, engage residents and empower communities.

1. GRACE UNDER PRESSURE: HOW TO
BUILD ENGAGEMENTAND CAPACITY
FOR ACTION IN DISTRESSED
COMMUNITIES
EPIP Webinar
July 16th, 2014
EPIP Host: Michael Barham
Panelists: Community Solutions and the Zilber
Family Foundation

2. 2
Emerging Practitioners in
Philanthropy (EPIP) is a national
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professionals and social
entrepreneurs who strive for
excellence in the practice of
philanthropy.

3. 3
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Connect
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leadership skills
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emerging,
transformative
thoughts in the
social sector

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5. Announcements
• Next Webinar – save the date
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• Wednesday, July 30th, 3pm ET
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• epip.org/events

6. Housekeeping
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for panelists
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• Complete the post-webinar survey!

7. Today’s Panelists
Community Solutions
• Corinne LeTourneau, Director, Policy
• Nupur Chaudhury, Program Manager, Community
Planning and Health
• Jacqueline Kennedy, Coordinator, Community
Mobilization

8. Brownsville:
Building Capability, Agency,
Possibility and Hope
7/22/14
page 8 /

9. Our approach focuses on two, high-leverage areas:
• We work nationally and internationally to transform approaches to housing
stability for particularly vulnerable homeless populations. Our efforts
function across three continents and more than 235 communities to bring
better data, smarter service systems and greater cost-efficiency to the global
fight to end homelessness.
• We coordinate collaborative, place-based efforts in communities of
concentrated poverty to facilitate the turnaround of whole neighborhoods
from the bottom up. This includes better coordination of existing health,
housing and employment services, as well as planning and architectural
innovation to transform and reimagine the physical environment.
WHAT%WE%DO%
VULNERABLE%PEOPLE%AND%HARD0HIT%NEIGHBORHOODS%
Strategy Ovrvew
Reimagining Public Space
Architectural renderings of our
proposal to reactivate unused
space and create jobs by
retrofitting public housing in
Brownsville, Brooklyn

10. Brownsville,%Brooklyn
Community)District:)16)
Census)Tracts:)910)and)912)
Total)popula:on)(2010):)86,468)
Square)miles:)1.9)
Demographics:)
! 78)%)African)American)
! 17)%)Hispanic)
! 5)%White,)Asian,)other)
84.3)%)Renter)occupied)housing)
Transporta:on:)No.)3,)A)and)L)trains)
Brownsville

11. Brownsville,%Brooklyn%
%The)Dominant)Narra:ve
– )48%)of)Brownsville)residents)receive
)income)supports))
– 36%)of)Brownsville)families)live
)below)the)poverty)line)
– Has)the)highest%concentra:on)of
)public)housing)in)America,)with)18
)NYC)Housing)developments.)
– 79%)of)Brownsville)children)are)born
)into)poor)families)
– Violent)crime)rate)is)over%3%Jmes)the
)city)average)
– One%out%of%every%12%youth)ages
)16W24)are)imprisoned)or)jailed:)The
)highest)rate)in)New)York)City)
7/22/14page 11 /

12. Brownsville,%Brooklyn%
%Building)on)Brownsville s)Assets)
7/22/14page 12 /
The Brownsville Partnership (BP) is a network of organizations and residents working together to
build on existing assets to create solutions to Brownsville s most pressing challenges.
Placemaking/Physical
Revitalization
Connecting Vulnerable
Residents to Needed Services
Building partnerships to
tackle difficult issues
COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION/ENGAGEMENT
BACKBONE

13. 7/22/14page 13 /
! Establishes)vision))
! Recruits)and)convenes)partners)
! Sets)clear,)collec:ve)and)measureable):me)
bound)goal(s))
! Secures)agreements)among)partners)needed)
to)achieve)vision)
! Collects)and)organizes)relevant)data))
! Advocates)for/monitors/improves)public)
spaces))
! Provides)process)improvement)support)for)
collec:ve)group)around)achievement)of)
common)goals)
! Maintains)regular)(at)least)monthly))
communica:ons)with)partners;)organizes)and)
shares)a)monthly)common)calendar)of)all)
events)
• Mobilizes)residents)to)par:cipate)in)
neighborhood)improvement)process)
• Links)residents)to)opportuni:es)
• Improves)func:oning)of)neighborhood)services)
and)is)guardian)of)neighborhood)safety)net)for)
vulnerable)residents)
• Maintains)regular)(at)least)monthly))
communica:ons)with)residents;)organizes)and)
shares)a)monthly)common)calendar)of)all)
neighborhood)events)
• Supports)regular)public)events)and)ini:a:ves)of)
partner)organiza:ons)
• Holds)regular)public)mee:ngs)to)inform)and)
residents))
Backbone/Quarterback%&
%MobilizaJon/Engagement%%
BACKBONE
COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION/
ENGAGEMENT

14. Today’s Panelists
Zilber Family Foundation
• Susan Lloyd, Executive Director
• Erin Frederick, Senior Program Officer
• Gina Stilp, Senior Program Officer

15. Grace Under Pressure: How to build engagement and the
capacity for action in Milwaukee neighborhoods
July16,2014"

16. Zilber Neighborhood Initiative
! Context
! Rationale
That an infusion of resources—information, expertise, and networks of relationships
—can support and accelerate local action and lead to lasting improvements in
conditions in neighborhoods and the circumstances of people’s lives
! Approach
Committed funder with a long time horizon
Community partner + Quality of Life Plans = ongoing resident engagement
Operating and project support + hands-on assistance = capacity building
Intermediaries, cross-community projects, funder collaboration = field building
! ZNI implementation
Lindsay Heights (2008)
Clarke Square (2008)
Layton Boulevard West neighborhoods (201o)

17. Lindsay Heights
! First settled by Germans in late 1800s, and by the
1920s Lindsay Heights had became a hub of the city’s
African American life, culture and business
! By the 1970s disinvestment, redlining, failed freeway
project, among other factors, left the area highly
distressed
! 110 square blocks, over 2,700 households, of which
46% include young people
! 86% African American
! Half of households live in poverty
! Housing vacancy rates of 20-25%
! Neighborhood contends with serious health
disparities, low levels of educational attainment, and
higher crime rates as compared to the city as a whole
! Walnut Way Conservation Corp. coordinates QLP
implementation
! Building networks of residents and strong
organizations focused on youth programs, family
health and wellness, commercial development and
physical improvement projects to improve
neighborhood conditions

18. Clarke Square
! One of the most diverse neighborhoods in
Milwaukee, located on south side, 66% Hispanic,
13% African American, 15% European American
! Employment opportunities in industry once
drew people to the neighborhood
! Labor unrest and industrial decline during 1960s
and 70s drove many employers out leading to
high unemployment and disinvestment in the
neighborhood
! 35 square blocks, over 2,400 households, 36% of
population under the age of 18
! 32% of households live in poverty
! Housing vacancy rates of 11%
! Neighborhood contends with low levels of
educational attainment, and higher crime rates
as compared to the city as a whole
! Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative
coordinates QLP implementation
! Has strong social and human service
organizations but neighborhood development is
a relatively new approach for this neighborhood

19. Layton Boulevard West
! Located on south side of Milwaukee, comprised
of three neighborhoods, shares a boundary with
Clarke Square, 66% Hispanic, 22% European
American, 5% African American
! Employment opportunities in industry once
drew people to the neighborhood
! Labor unrest and industrial decline during 1960s
and 70s drove many employers out leading to
high unemployment and disinvestment in the
neighborhood
! 135 square blocks, over 6,800 households, 33%
of population under the age of 18
! 27% of households live in poverty
! Housing vacancy rates of 7%
! Faces challenges from poverty, unemployment,
and foreclosed homes
! Layton Boulevard West Neighbors coordinates
QLP implementation; one of City’s strongest
community development organizations
! Some parts of the neighborhood are considered
“middle market”

20. To find out more about the Zilber Neighborhood Initiative
check out znimilwaukee.org
July16,2014
Susan Lloyd, Executive Director
Erin Frederick, Senior Program Officer
Gina Stilp, Senior Program Officer

21. 7/22/14page 20 /
Lessons%of%the%Brownsville%Partnership%
Key Takeaways:
• Build trust daily: acknowledge, respect and foster new leaders
• Align administrative data to community interests and desires
• Use a partnership approach to tackle issues

22. Taking%a%collecJve%approach%to%neighborhood
%based%problem%solving%
7/22/14page 21 /
Hosting Coffee Klatches100 Day Rapid Results Project in
Brownsville Houses
Community Engagement around physical
streetscape improvements
Lessons Learned:
• Build trust daily: acknowledge,
respect and foster new leaders
• Align administrative data to
community interests and desires
• Use a partnership approach to
tackle issues. Strengthen the role
of the backbone
Challenges:
• Funding:
• No key funding stream for
Backbone/quarterback
• Difficult to fund resident
engagement
• Research and data evaluation
difficult to fundraise
• Resident Engagement:
• Building individual agency
and capability
• Developing emerging leaders
• Rebuilding social networks
• Measuring the impact of
resident engagement
• True Partnership is logistically
difficult

23. CHALLENGES? LESSONS LEARNED?

24. Q & A