“As a scholar examining brownfield revitalization and redevelopment issues, it was very gratifying to employ my research to help Brantford deal with its “real world” problems. I was also delighted to see the positive relationship that has developed between the Brantford Community Foundation, the University, the local government and the community”

––Dr. Christopher DeSousa

“The outcome of having a committee with members of widely divergent viewpoints, achieve the agreed upon outcomes was very exciting and inspiring to watch.”

––Laura Bouchard, executive director, Owen Sound & Area Community Foundation

“The expert offered “how-to” exercises on how to develop a smart growth plan. This very practical advice along with a handy guide was very well received by zoning and planning officials.”

––Barb Willyard, executive director, The Community Foundation for Northeastern Michigan

“Park district staff gained knowledge of techniques and products that will help reduce the impact of this (building) project on the watershed, and made contacts with experts that are expected to help make this building an example of innovative watershed planning in practice.”

––Kim Stone, trustee, Highland Park Community Foundation

by Sheila Leahy, consultant to the Great Lakes Community Foundations Environmental Collaborative

Over the past two years, 12 shoreline community foundations in the Great Lakes basin have had an impressive impact on democracy and civil discourse concerning environmental matters. With support from The Joyce Foundation, community foundations heightened residents’ understanding of and engagement in issues and policies related to water quality, shoreline protection and brownfield redevelopment. Through a three-day Expert in Residency program that consisted of educational lectures, small forums, media coverage and workshops, the community foundations reached thousands of shoreline residents in the United States and Canada. Their efforts helped advance grassroots democracy in their communities while creating a constituency of citizens who can help shape environmental public policy now and in the future.

The Joyce Foundation funded Expert in Residence grants through the Great Lakes Community Foundations Environmental Collaborative (Collaborative). The Collaborative is administered by the Council of Michigan Foundations. Community foundations that received grants include:

• Ontario Canada: Brantford, Grey Bruce (formally known as Owen Sound & Area)
• New York: Central New York (Syracuse), Rochester
• Michigan: Holland/Zeeland, Huron, Manistee, Muskegon, Northeast (Alpena)
• Illinois: Highland Park
• Indiana: Legacy (Merryville)
• Wisconsin: Oshkosh

With a $2,500 Expert in Residence grant, each community foundation retained an expert or team of experts to help them work on an environmental issue or a suite of issues dealing with one of three priorities: land use, water quality or brownfield redevelopment. The residency programs were, by design, up to three days long so that each community foundation could structure a series of activities and events to engage nonprofits, civic and business leaders, and local and regional policymakers. The three-day agenda was prepared by the community foundation in consultation with their expert and typically moved along a track of education, discussion, and strategy development.

A great deal was learned through the Expert in Residence programs:

Environment is an Important Issue at the Community Level

The Expert in Residence program helped confirm that the environment is a front burner issue at the community level. This finding was borne out by the fact that the residency events were, for the most part, very well attended. In some communities, the residency programs drew several hundred people and close to 400 in one community. In another community, over 100 people came out to participate in a residency on a snowy evening. Community foundations worked hard to attract a diverse and strong showing for their events and their efforts were rewarded. The credibility of the community foundations helped attract people from all sectors of the community and, in many cases, region. Community foundations employed a more personal approach to engage policymakers by using the connections of their trustees to make personal calls.

Moreover, the community foundations received exceptional press coverage with both pre and post media coverage of the residency events and activities. Front-page stories announced the residency events and reported on the results. Several local newspapers did one on one interviews with the experts––in some cases feature articles that extended for two pages.

Communities Hungry for Environmental Leadership

Communities are eager for someone to assume a leadership position on environmental issues. Community foundations were surprised at how eager nonprofits, businesses and government representatives were to help organize the residency program. In many cases residents were suspect of previous environmental discussions because they were dominated by entities with “an axe to grind”.

The community foundation, however, offered a neutral, unbiased mediating party. In addition, many of these same partners provided financial and in-kind support to make the residency program a reality.

Participants in the residency events have encouraged the community foundations to carry forward the findings from the residency programs––to stay connected. In several cases, task forces of citizens have been developed to help advance the work started through the residency programs. One organization agreed to serve as the clearinghouse for information that it will share in an e-newsletter and agreed to publish the region’s first environmental directory.

The fact that many citizens, who attended the residency events, came forward to support the foundation’s environmental endowment can also be seen as a vote of confidence for the community foundation’s leadership.

Influence on Grantmaking Priorities

Participating community foundations have found the residency program to be a helpful tool in gathering needed intelligence regarding environmental issues in their community and grantmaking strategies for addressing the issues. As a result, the grantmaking guidelines for these foundations include the opportunity to influence public policy. For example, Highland Park and Legacy Foundations will both be funding projects that include helping municipalities adopt and successful employ policies to use more native plant landscaping, while Central New York will be funding collaborations of groups working to improve watershed management.

Provided Leverage

The foundations were successful in leveraging additional resources for the residency programs. They raised funds from government agencies, other foundations and corporations. Also, they leveraged in-kind support from agencies and nonprofit organizations. The media coverage noted above played a vital role in helping to raise their visibility and leverage the interest of and investment by new donors through the residency programs.

The new partnerships with environmental nonprofits, government agencies, and university departments initiated by the residency program will last well beyond this effort and is one of the most important residuals from this initiative.

Conclusion

The experience of these 12 community foundations confirms that community foundations can impact local and regional public policy. With the help of one expert for example, community residents came to understand the impact that current planning and zoning objectives have on the assets they value. The expert facilitated an exercise whereby residents suggested changes to the current planning and zoning laws that would better protect these assets. As part of the three-day residency, these changes were presented to and discussed with local planning officials.

In another community the residency program had an immediate effect on the city’s landscape ordinance. City staff charged with revising the ordinance participated in the residency program and will apply the practical advice of the experts to a new ordinance that will require more use of natural landscaping in multi-unit buildings.

Speaking in Holland, Michigan, expert-in-residence Jim Prachett noted that about 90 percent of the sustainable development strategies he had shared are against local ordinances. “It’s time to rethink them.” Prachett said.

The quality of the experts that participated in the residency programs is impressive. With their help, communities engaged in thoughtful discussions and debates that will have a lasting effect on environmental issues and environmental problem solving. The experts helped community foundations effectively address key environmental issues in their communities, often building a spirit of collaboration where there was none. Thousands of people throughout the Great Lakes region have been directly affected by participating in the residency activities and many more have been indirectly impacted by media coverage or follow-up activities.

The residency programs confirmed that community foundations offer a critical neutral forum for constituents with diverse interests to come together in a spirit of cooperation. When exercising such leadership, community foundations can engage citizens and elevate issues for public discourse in a thoughtful and constructive manner.

For more information on the lessons learned from the Expert in Residence program visit the website of the Council of Michigan Foundations (www.cmif.org) and look for the Great Lakes Community Foundations Environmental Collaborative.