July 16, 2014

Grace Under Pressure: How to Build Engagement and Capacity for Action in Distressed Communities

For this webinar, we were joined by both a nonprofit and funder to discuss how to meaningfully engage under-resourced communities and “work in the trenches”. Representatives from Community Solutions and the Zilber Family Foundation discussed how they’re making lasting impact at the grassroot level. We examined the successes and failures of their work to build capacity and develop local organizations, engage residents and empower communities. Community Solutions is a nonprofit organization whose work to strengthen communities and end homelessness has been well-documented. In this webinar, we learned about their Brownsville Partnership, a network of local organizations and community members seeking to build on existing resources to solve the community's most urgent problems. The Zilber Family Foundation is a Milwaukee-based foundation committed to enhancing the well-being of individuals, families and neighborhoods, with a major focus on the Zilber Neighborhood Initiative. The Zilber Neighborhood Initiative is a 10-year commitment, made in 2008, to improve the quality of life for residents in low-income Milwaukee neighborhoods. Through this initiative, the Foundation provides grants to nonprofits in these neighborhoods for staff, operating expenses, organizing and planning, as well as funding for organizational development, technical assistance, and “early action” projects.