We previously announced this year’s AITF Thematic Small Conference – Local Solutions in Divided Times, which will take place on November 7 in New York City at the Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice from 10am to 3pm.

Registration for this event is now open. Register here for the 2024 AITF Conference.

This event will be held in person. Registration is also available for virtual participation where one will be able to listen to event live. As with prior events in this series, we will share a recording afterward.

We are very excited about the theme for this third event in our small conference series. These gatherings bring together teams of speakers among anchor institutions and other partners to share their work, successes, struggles and strategies going forward. The engagement of anchor institutions in multi-institutional partnerships in their localities target some of the great challenges of our times. These crucial issues are experienced locally across differences. This reality places anchor institutions in a strategic position to forge unity even in polarizing climates.

In our Subgroups, we have been discussing the ways in which AITF members are grappling with these dynamics and finding ways to transcend difference around concerns people in their communities share in common. The event will be an opportunity to elevate this line of thinking and discussion, and provide vital examples and ideas that can inform transformative strategies in multiple locations.

The conference will feature examples of how democratic collaborative initiatives involving anchor institutions are meeting public needs with constituents beyond politics, identity, culture, languages, race, and geography. We imagine most of our speakers will come from our membership. If you feel you and your partners have a compelling and relevant story to tell in this setting, please let us know.

In this month’s Member Spotlight, we are including an update on the efforts of the Newark Anchor Collaborative (NAC). As multi-institutional anchor partnerships continue to be among AITF’s strategic priorities, we continue to look to NAC as a very important and influential example of how numerous anchor institutions across multiple fields and sectors can come together to strengthen the locality in which they reside.

NAC & the Evolution of Anchor Collaboration in Newark

In 2022, Marga Inc. published a case study of the Newark Anchor Collaborative (NAC) highlighting the origins and early achievements of this innovative anchor partnership working to expand and enhance community and economic development equitably and inclusively in Newark.

NAC is a unique cross-sector collaborative that includes anchors from a range of sectors including arts and culture, higher education, healthcare, and private corporations. Since its inception, NAC has continued to apply a broad definition of an anchor institution*, seeking to be as inclusive as possible of the array of types of enduring and vital organizations in Newark’s organizational ecosystem. The collaborative now includes intermediary community development organizations and continues to expand in number, growing from a group of 7 anchors in 2017 to over twenty members. The cross-sector nature of NAC influences its unique approach to anchor work and helps to inform the group's strategic priorities.

In 2017, the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice published a multifaceted report on the worsening economic disparities between Newark residents and the commuting, corporate workforce. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka then announced the launch of the Hire-Buy-Live initiative as the focus of the Newark2020 campaign to bring about new prosperity for Newarkers. The initial work of NAC was focused on mobilizing anchor resources to achieve the targets associated with Newark2020.

Another priority for NAC since its inception has been the advancement of racial equity in Newark. In 2019, NAC identified racial equity as a signature program recognizing that the goals of NAC could not be accomplished without significant attention to racial equity. This emphasis has become increasingly focused and strategic through the Racial Equity Framework, which is now entering its third year. The Racial Equity Framework is at the center of an iterative process designed to gauge the progress of NAC institutions in operationalizing racial equity both internally and externally, taking into consideration the various sectors represented in NAC’s membership. The formative assessment tool looks at the hiring practices, internal culture and structure, and procurement and place-based strategies of NAC institutions through an equity lens to identify areas of strength for the partnership and new opportunities to advance commitments to equity. Through peer exchange in quarterly meetings of the Racial Equity Workgroup NAC members continue to drive this equity work forward. Individual institutions are able to implement learnings from each iteration of the framework in alignment with the common goals of the collective.

NAC is also a founding member of AITF's Anchor Partnerships Subgroup, and continues to learn from other anchor partnerships. NAC has increasingly become a valuable resource to the anchor field, especially as more anchor institutions pursue various forms of cross-sector collaboration with other anchors in their localities. NAC has begun to visit other anchor partnerships as well as host site visits for those wishing to learn from NAC's programming, structure, impact, and strategic direction. These visits provide another layer of depth to the peer learning at the core of Anchor Partnership Subgroup engagement.

Now that NAC has been an established entity for a few years, it has become a creative space for members, spawning several new partnerships on a range of issues among clusters of NAC members. The latest iteration of the Racial Equity Framework invited anchors to share more about their ongoing initiatives. NAC institutions are collaborating with a variety of organizational partners, including fellow NAC members, the Newark Mayor’s Office, and the broader Newark Alliance and the Newark Community Development Network. Joint initiatives focus on programs focusing on public health, public safety, workforce development, educational opportunity and attainment, local housing, and other areas. These partnerships capitalize on the diverse types of organizations involved with NAC, enabling anchor institutions to strategically leverage their unique resources alongside their peers. 

Looking ahead, NAC is exploring a dynamic new campaign to leverage the collective purchasing power of its significant membership and increase local hiring NAC plans to launch this new campaign in the fall of 2024 and has been working with members to identify individual and collective goals.

*AITF defines anchor institutions as enduring organizations that are rooted in their localities.

2024 NCCE Civic Engagement Administrators Conference: Hope in the Face of High Waters and Headwinds: Deepening Engagement in Challenging Times (Event)

June 13, 2024

Elon University



The Civic Engagement Administrators Conference (CEAC) is a gathering for the folks who do the work on the ground every day to develop, promote, and sustain community and civic engagement. CEAC 2024 will include reflection, networking, and facilitated conversations to help encourage and support community engagement professionals.

College Partnerships to Fuel Rural Development (Event)

Tuesday, June 11 at 2pm

The Chronicle of Higher Education will be hosting a virtual forum about the unique aspects of anchor collaboration in rural areas. Registration for the event is now open.



Considering Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILOTs) from Tax-Exempt Hospitals and Universities (Report)



The New School Center for New York City Affairs has published a new policy brief of interest to most cities that, like New York City, tend offer tax exemptions to nonprofit institutions like hospitals and universities. The report provides a rationale for considering direct payments made by these institutions to public budgets in lieu of taxes.

Economic Reliance on Anchor Institutions

The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia has published a report providing in-depth analysis into how regional economic change and a region's reliance on anchor institutions intersect. Researchers leveraged data from the Anchor Economy Dashboard published.



Activating place-based partnerships for equitable economic development: A Playbook for Anchor Collaboratives (Report)



The Healthcare Anchor Network has published a new resource for current and prospective anchor partnerships. This playbook details how groups of anchor institutions are building effective place-based partnerships together with community partners to improve individual and family well-being and build equitable local economies.



AITF Anchor Fellows 2025

AITF is currently accepting application for the 2025 Class of AITF Fellows, an annual fellowship program designed for emerging anchor leaders. More information on the AITF Fellows Program is also available here.



UC Davis Health ramps up work with small, diverse local businesses by 23% - from UC Davis Health News

April 29 - UC Davis’ concerted efforts to boost spending with local businesses have yielded significant results for diverse suppliers in the surrounding community. The progress is a key component of UC Davis Health’s Anchor Institution Mission for Community Health. The goal is to leverage the health system’s economic power and human resources to increase the economic vitality, health, welfare and well-being of its surrounding communities and residents. This includes actively hiring, investing and volunteering in Sacramento’s diverse and economically distressed communities.

City leaders announce new Philadelphia Reparations Task Force, hold public meeting for feedback - from NBC10 Philadelphia

May 24 - There is an expansive history of movements for reparations in the United States. Philadelphia is the latest U.S. city to embark on a new journey to investigate its own past and explore policy implications for the present and future. "The Philadelphia Reparations Task Force will address American slavery's lingering impact on the Black community,” said Councilmember Jamie Gauthier.

Over $125 Million State Funds Coming for Local Revitalization Projects - from Maryland Association of Counties

May 7 - Governor Wes Moore announced more than $125 million for several State-funded revitalization programs to support local housing, community and economic development, and other revitalization projects. These program areas are a common focus for anchor institutions and partnerships.

Lessons From a Downtown District That’s Bucking National Trends - from Next City

May 20 - While many urban centers have been experiencing disinvestment and widespread office vacancy, the Memphis Medical District is showing signs of revitalization. The Memphis Medical District Collaboration has played a key role in spurning growth in the downtown center.

Culture: a tool for strategic change in place management - from Institute of Place Management News

May 18 - In a recent news post for the Manchester Metropolitan University Institute of Place Management, Amy Lewis discusses leveraging culture as a tool for structural transformation. "Just as place management structures include a core cohort of representatives from local government, education, health, voluntary / social / community / faith organisations, business and anchor institutions and employers - so it should include creative thinking via local artists and creatives."