There’s a new trend emerging that public officials find very appealing. Citizens should like the concept as well.
Charitable foundations and private-sector companies are now partnering with public entities to launch citywide, regional or statewide social impact initiatives of all types. Rather than a public-private partnership (PPP), the new trend is tied to a public-philanthropic private partnership (PPPP). There are a number of examples of astounding success.
King County, Wash., a Seattle-based charitable foundation, helped launch an initiative to improve the quality of life and raise the life expectancy of the city’s citizens. The story is quite unique because the foundation and the county initially raised $500,000 to launch the initiative, but now the project is supported by approximately $7.5 million per year that is invested annually by partners from both the public, philanthropic and private sectors. When collaboration like this occurs, the chances of success are off the charts.
Currently, cross-sector partnerships are recognized as perhaps the greatest solution to addressing economic and social problems. These collaborations benefit from the best attributes from each partner group. Often it is the philanthropic organization that initially funds a project, and then public officials contribute through hands-on experience and day-to-day work. The private-sector partner may offer expertise, community leadership, additional funding and project oversight.
The federal government has recognized the benefit of collaborations like this, and one of the largest contributors is the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Since 2010, HUD’s Sustainable Communities Initiative (SCI) has provided regional planning and grants that support affordable housing, economic and workforce development, transportation, building reuse and infrastructure investments. The agency offers funding for some 40 percent of the U.S. population through collaborative projects that involve government and community-based philanthropies.
One project that received funding was led by the Chicago Community Trust. The trust partnered with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for planning and development of a comprehensive system for tracking quality of life benchmarks in major counties in the Chicago area. After gathering and analyzing data, the information was used to launch a number of initiatives with the overall goal of improving quality of life for citizens in the region.
Another charitable foundation, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, partnered with a regional commission on a project called Granite State Future. The goal was to create a statewide framework for nine regional initiatives that were all working to preserve the natural landscape of the state while promoting economic growth, improving transportation, supporting climate change, endorsing energy efficiency and providing housing options.
A cross-sector partnership was established to provide affordable housing for the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, which is home of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. The Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation, Bush Foundation and Northwest Area Foundation created the PPPP and worked as partners to reach the goal.
The Boston Foundation leads an initiative called Success Boston. Its partners are the city of Boston and the Boston Public School System. The collaborative effort provides support and various options for students who want to earn a degree at a college or university. The goal is to achieve a 70 percent college completion rate among Boston Public Schools for young adults by the time they reach age 25. The partners provide transition coaching and academic preparation sessions for students. College completion rates have now risen past 50 percent.
Cross-sector partnerships between charitable groups, local businesses and public entities are accomplishing admirable outcomes. Hats off to a trend that benefits all partners, citizens and the public at-large.