Foundation Grants
Community Vital Signs
About Us
How Philanthropy Can Help Rebuild Main Street for a Post-COVID World
Foundation: Long Island Community Foundation, Rauch Foundation
For decades, suburban malls and online shopping had drawn customers away from the beating heart of communities — the shops where residents once congregated, conversed, and consumed. A recent study of 30 towns across Long Island, N.Y., commissioned by the Rauch Foundation found that nearly one in five businesses faced problems such as un-affordable rents, competition from online commerce, and hiring and maintaining staff — and that was before the health crisis hit.
More broadly, the study showed downtowns that rebounded quicker were generally destinations for good eats and libation and embraced innovative uses of streets and public spaces, which drew visitors and created a sense of community. Even when the pandemic is in our rear-view mirror, the challenges facing Main Street — especially in low-income communities — won’t disappear.
The research, while based on the experiences of Long Island towns, uncovered a three-part approach that philanthropic organizations in any region could use to collaborate with local government and businesses to improve and revive town centers.
Read the Entire Article
Selected Foundation News
A customized collection of news from foundations from around the Web.
If you're an aspiring entrepreneur in Kuwait, you may want to check out Zain's accelerator program. The telecommunications company launched the program 14 years ago and has since helped hundreds...more
"Having a purposeful job actually does transform someone's life," says Edwin Walsh, who runs a social enterprise in Australia called Assembled Threads. "You actually are moving someone from...more
A new scholarship fund in Canada will help high school students who want to further their education, the CBC reports. The Westlock Community Foundation in Alberta received a $26,800 donation from...more
Foundation: Lancaster County Community Foundation
In 2024, Lancaster County, Pa., will celebrate the 100th anniversary of a group of "visionaries" who "came together to shape a better future for Lancaster County," says Sam Bressi, president and CEO...more
Foundation: Citi Foundation
"To the youth, I urge you to be proactive, resilient, and persistent on your entrepreneurial journey," says the UN's resident representative in the Philippines. "Make your voices heard, take up...more
Canada is putting its money where its mouth is, with a $2.5 million investment in five projects in India meant to help the country's poor, the Toronto Star reports. "Many of these novel projects...more
If you're looking for a good time while raising money for a good cause, try golf. The Salvation Army in Virginia Beach held its annual " Swings Fore Strings" fundraiser on Saturday, hoping to...more
If you've ever dreamed of owning your very own Miami mansion, you'll want to get in touch with Eric Spofford. The real estate mogul and Instagram star will be hosting a one-day business intensive...more
"Many of us, at some point in time, have been told in our lives that we are unloveable. By our parents, partners, husbands, children, friends, or society," says transgender activist Zainab...more
Two young women in Bangladesh have been named as finalists for the Global Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the social entrepreneurship category, the New York Times reports. Zarin Tasnim...more
Social Entrepreneurship
Spotlight
Calgary Social Enterprise Offers High-Tech Services by People with Autism
Meticulon, a project of Autism Calgary Association in partnership with the federal government and the Sinneave Family Foundation, operates as a social enterprise that renders high-tech services provided by people with autism, leveraging their natural abilities at requiring attention to detail, repetition, and sequencing.