AITF Presents: Trusted Democratic Partnerships

On Thursday, November 2, representatives of over 30 anchor institutions convened in New York City to participate in the AITF Event: Trusted Democratic Partnerships.

The all-day event brought together newcomers to anchor work as well as experienced practitioners in the field to discuss pertinent issues and opportunities for local, multi-institutional partnerships. The event opened with an address by the AITF Chairs followed by three panels:

Multi-institutional Anchor Partnerships and Trusted Democratic Partnerships focused on Public Safety in Newark, NJ with the Newark Public Safety Collaborative and the Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District, Economic Development in St. Petersburg, FL with the St. Petersburg Anchors Collaborative, and Health in Toledo, OH with Nationwide Children’s.

Community-based Strategies involving Schools and Other Anchors featured the Netter Center for Community Partnerships, University of Pennsylvania, and the West Philadelphia Cultural Alliance in Philadelphia, PA, Montclair State University, St. Paul's Community Development Corporation, and The Paterson Alliance in Paterson, NJ, and the University of San Diego and San Diego Foundation in San Diego, CA.

Leadership, Anchor Institutions, and Building Trusted Democratic Partnerships featured the 2023 Cohort of AITF Anchor Fellows.

Each session engaged panelists and attendees in dialogue that centered on AITF strategic priorities. These conversations raised key themes such as leadership and community engagement that are essential to successful partnership. A recording of the event is available here:

Link: Event Recording

Passcode: m?fmfT8D

AITF would like to thank all individuals and organizations that helped to put on the event, including the Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice in New York, NY where the event was held.

AITF Anchor Partnerships Database

Over the past two years AITF has been conducting research on anchor partnerships. These are sustained collaborations involving at least two anchor institutions working together with other partners on initiatives in a specific local context. Local procurement, equitable hiring, and housing access are some of the common priorities for such partnerships. AITF has compiled various data on these collaborations into the Anchor Partnerships Database.

Link: AITF Anchor Partnership Database

If your institution is represented in the catalog of anchor partnerships and there is a need to update any of the information presented, please contact Jason West (j.west@margainc.com). As this is a tool in development, feedback is welcome.

Engagement with Civil Society – experience from Latin America (Event)

December 6, 3:00 - 4:30 pm CET



Join the Magna Charta Observatory in association with the Global Cooperation for the Democratic Mission of Higher Education as they host a webinar to share first-hand perspectives from Latin American countries so that the experience of Latin America can become part of the global conversation around the democratic mission of the university and the way it may best engage with its local community and civil society.



Full Professor, Measurement & Evaluation in Schools (Job Opportunity)

Binghamton University, a premier public, highly ranked research university, seeks to fill a tenured faculty position in the area of measurement and evaluation with expertise and/or interest in assessing outcomes of K-12 schools, especially in the area of community schools.



On the Park Bench - Author's Forum: Climate Resilience for an Aging Nation (Event)

November 28, 12:00 pm EST



Danielle Arigoni will discuss her new book on how communities with aging populations can prepare for climate change. Congress for the New Urbanism's Lauren Mayer will moderate. Webinars are archived on the CNU website.

Northwestern Commits $100M to Evanston - from Inside HigherEd

October 31 - Northwestern University is the latest institution of higher education to invest in the public budget for its locality. The centuries-old school will make $100m in direct payments to the City of Evanston as part of a 10-year commitment to supporting community development.

Richmond partners with LISC to put $100 million towards affordable housing crisis - from NBC12

October 31 - This past spring Richmond city leaders declared an affordable housing crisis. In response, the Local Initiatives Support Corporation is partnering with the City of Richmond to mobilize millions of dollars to combat the related issues of low housing supply and high rent costs.

How Businesses Can Better Support Rural America - from San Fernando Valley Business Journal

November 21 - The San Fernando Valley Business Journal discusses recent research by The Conference Board pointing out that only 5% of large philanthropic grants go toward rural areas of the United States despite the fact that they account for 20% of the population of the country. Corporations can step in to mobilize resources to better support rural communities, including by investing in rural anchor institutions.

BlacSpace Cooperative weaves solidarity to solidify Black arts, cultural presence in Oakland - from Shareable

October 18 - Cultural organizers in Oakland, CA are forming arts cooperatives to preserve Black presence in a rapidly changing city where forces like gentrification are forcing many Black people and other people of color to relocate. BlacSpace Cooperative exemplifies the latest efforts by artists and arts organizations to foster anchor institutions that solidify the permanence of Black people, art, and culture.

Break down barriers to partnerships to change the lives of millions, say NHS Confederation and the ABPI - from Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry

November 24 - The NHS Confederation has published a new report on collaboration between integrated care systems and the pharmaceutical industry, alongside a directory of more than 100 successful such partnerships. The research suggests that reducing practical and logistical barriers to partnership can improve health outcomes in localities.

City council to vote on loans to help Birmingham-Southern College stay open? - from CBS42

November 22 - City leaders in Birmingham, AL are endeavoring to support one of the city's academic anchor institutions. The Birmingham City Council will vote on two loans totaling $5 million for Birmingham-Southern College. “Keeping an anchor institution open allows for continued growth within the footprint of the neighborhood where residents and/or non-residents come and work every day and leave, and there are other small businesses around these anchor institutions,” says Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin.