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The Truist Foundation Awards Purpose Built Communities $7 Million Grant

Atlanta-based national nonprofit Purpose Built Communities announced today at its 11th annual conference that it will receive a $7 million grant from the Truist Foundation over the next three years. As part of this funding, the Truist Foundation has also committed to becoming the official sponsor of the Racial Equity Ambassadors program, a central part of Purpose Built Communities’ approach to improving health outcomes, economic mobility and racial equity.

“Truist and the Truist Foundation share in the responsibility to create opportunities for upward economic mobility in communities that may have been historically overlooked,” said Bill Rogers, president and chief operating officer, Truist Financial Corporation, and chairman of the Board, Truist Foundation. “Accelerating the adoption and further integration of racial equity principles into the Purpose Built Communities’ Network Member leadership perfectly aligns with our purpose and the work we’re doing to put equity front and center internally and externally.”

The funding will advance the work of Purpose Built Communities and its Network Members, who are doing the heavy lifting on the ground with their neighbors and partners. Watch

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Interview with Senator Chris Coons

In this conversation, Logan Herring, Sr. talks to Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) about support for programs at the federal and local levels that help the work of community developers like the Purpose Built Communities Network. This conversation took place at the virtual Purpose Built Communities Annual Conference on November 17, 2020. Watch

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Virtual Tour of the Purpose Built Communities Network

Purpose Built Communities held a virtual annual conference in 2020 with its 28 network members. See and hear from Purpose Built Communities Network Members across the United States in a virtual tour. While we can’t all be together in person, we can bring all of our neighborhoods together online for a powerful, energizing kickoff to a first-of-its-kind gathering in our 11-year history. Watch

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The Makings of a National Place-Based Movement

The research is clear: for too many Americans, zip codes determine destinies. Is there a new movement taking place in community development, philanthropy, and policy that is responding to the overwhelming evidence of the importance of place in fighting poverty? Hear from Geoffrey Canada, Founder and President of the Harlem Children’s Zone; Othello Meadows, Managing Director, Portfolio Strategy & Initiatives at Blue Meridian; Carol Naughton, President and Interim CEO of Purpose Built Communities; and Kwame Owusu-Kesse, CEO of the Harlem Children’s Zone who are coming together to answer this question. From the Purpose Built Communities Virtual Annual Conference, November 17, 2020. Watch

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A Post-Election Analysis Jonathan Capehart

In this conversation, Mayor Shirley Franklin and Jonathan Capehart, Washington Post editorial board member and MSNBC anchor, discuss what changes will likely unfold in the aftermath of the 2020 election. What issues will result in policy making at the federal level? Will we defeat COVID-19? What can the movement for racial justice hope to achieve? Watch

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Bridging the Digital Divide – If Not Now, When?

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed how fragile our communities are if they do not have equal access to the internet. Infrastructure, Devices and Literacy are Key to Shrinking Digital Divide. As community quarterbacks, we are uniquely positioned to work with city government, school systems, internet service providers, and funders to provide the infrastructure, devices, and literacy necessary to help all members of our community participate in the 21st century economy and educational system. This session features leaders in the Purpose Built Communities Network who will share how they have been tackling this issue and share best practices. Through facilitated conversation, we will also look to weave and leverage our networks to find ways to bridge the digital divide for all of our communities. Panelists are: Norma Fernandez, Chief Executive Officer, Everyone On; Autumn Glover, President, PACT; Jacob Peters, Director of Operations, Bayou District Foundation; Angela Siefer, Executive Director, National Digital Inclusion Alliance; and Leon Wilson, Chief of Digital Inclusion & Chief Information Officer, Cleveland Foundation. Watch

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Moving Toward more Equitable Fundraising Practices

As we face the pandemics of COVID and racism, neighborhood-serving nonprofits are playing a vital role. And at the same time, we sometimes inadvertently perpetuate the very injustice we are trying to address. Our fundraising philosophies and practices often reinforce saviorism, poverty tourism, wealth hoarding, and tax avoidance. What does an equity-based fundraising system look like? How do work together as an effective ecosystem? In this provocative and interactive session led by writer and nonprofit advocate Vu Le, we'll try to answer these questions and come away with actions we can implement right away. Watch

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Community Partnership in Action

Community partnership is key to the success of any revitalization effort. When done effectively, social networks are strengthened, social capital is developed, and better decisions are made. This session will provide participants with insight from the field at-large and network member leaders putting ideas into practice. Participants will then have an opportunity to share with and learn from others as we, collectively, build our community partnership knowledge and skills. Watch