At PNI, we believe that the problems of distressed communities are complex; and that the solutions must match this complexity. In order to turn a curve on the 10 results and 15 indicators, each indicator must have the appropriate mix of solutions that include families, programs, policies and systems changes.

This “Peer Learning Tool” is intended to briefly highlight examples of promising solutions for achieving the Promise Neighborhoods results, as well as the competencies needed to implement them effectively and sustain the work over time, that were taken from communities utilizing the Promise Neighborhoods approach who were willing to share their experiences with their colleagues.

The tool is organized in two parts: one including promising practices related to the Promise Neighborhoods results and associated indicators, and another describing efforts to build the competencies necessary to achieve better results and scale the work over time. For a given result area or competency there is an entry that includes a brief description of the efforts of one or more Promise Neighborhoods in that area as well as a contact person who can be reached to learn additional details.

The Preferred Technical Assistance and Resource Provider Guide was developed by Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) for the Promise Neighborhoods Institute at PolicyLink (PNI). This guide is intended to be a resource to both PNI and the Promise Neighborhoods communities it is working to support.

Created by Bridgespan for the Promise Neighborhoods Institute at PolicyLink, this 2010 guide is designed to help you hone your decision-making process so that you can focus on the issues that matter most to your initiative’s success.

The Cape Fear region in North Carolina is experiencing a demographic transformation characterized by a diversifying younger population and a rapidly growing senior population that is predominantly White. To secure a thriving economy for the decades to come, the region must tap the economic potential of its growing young population. Building education and career pathways for all and ensuring young workers are prepared for the jobs of the future are key strategies for inclusive growth in the region. Download the profile and summary.

Media: Community, Business Leaders Discuss Inequalities and Growth (WilmingtonBiz.com) 

The Pine Ridge reservation, home of Oglala Lakota people, sits within a broader regional economic context whose primary sectors include tourism, agriculture, manufacturing, and retail.1 The Pine Ridge Reservation and the Rapid City Metropolitan area are interdependent economies that, to date, channel many economic benefits off-reservation. This Equity and Opportunity Assessment identifies key strategies to create greater vibrancy and equity in reservation-based economic activity—to increase prosperity and quality of life for both the Oglala Lakota people and the region as a whole.

This guide aims to describe the programs, policies, and practices that set families on a path to financial security while achieving prescribed Promise Neighborhoods results. The tool is also intended to connect Promise Neighborhoods to potential partnerships across the asset-building field. Many of the practices lifted up in this guide are designed to mitigate the negative outcomes associated with lack of academic and family supports, as well as the compounded effects of concentrated poverty and financial instability in communities.

Transit Oriented Development that’s Healthy, Green and Just asks a basic question about Puget Sound’s new light rail system – how do we ensure this massive public investment benefits all families? In Southeast Seattle neighborhoods the light rail has already accelerated gentrification and may lead to displacement of many communities of color into the suburbs. It’s not just a lack of affordable housing, though. Low-wage jobs keep family incomes down as real estate prices rise, creating pressure to leave. As it turns out, transit oriented development that ignores racial equity and job quality will short-change light rail’s potential environmental benefits

Filling the Financing Gap for Equitable Transit-Oriented Development describes the key components of a model system for equitable TOD, the most common challenges regional actors face in moving equitable TOD projects forward and a variety of strategies partners can use to address these challenges. The report includes recommendations for approaches to leveraging public and private funds, coordinating multiple actors, involving the community and managing issues around land use and assembly. LIIF and Enterprise co-authored the paper with support from Living Cities.