Our Initiatives
We’re shifting the St. Louis region’s approach to neighborhood development.
Our investment areas shift the region’s approach to neighborhood development. We prioritize equitable community development through our work in four key areas:
NEIGHBORHOOD INVESTING
Direct investments in neighborhoods
We generate trust-based, community-driven, and place-based investments focused on nurturing neighborhood leadership and power, growing capacity and sustainability of neighborhood anchors, supporting resident-driven neighborhood planning, green-lighting, catalytic real estate developments, and bolstering hyper local economies.
SYSTEM INVESTING
Investing in the local community + economic development system
We foster the creation of sustainable systems and structures from local government through regional intermediaries and networks by investing in their capacity and shaping practices that advance equitable neighborhood development.
INFLUENCE POLICIES + DECISION-MAKING
Convening thought leadership and testing innovative ideas to influence policies and decision-making
We identify, try, evaluate, and facilitate potential solutions to systemic issues facing predominantly Black neighborhoods.
REFRAME NARRATIVES
Reframing narratives to shift our collective understanding and awareness of St. Louis residents and neighborhoods
We replace the current, prevailing narratives of predominantly Black neighborhoods with narratives that inspire pride, engagement, personal agency, collaboration, community accountability, and public will by amplifying residents’ stories from the block to the world and challenging how media and other regional storytellers frame these communities.