Foundations & Nonprofits

Shelbyville, Tennessee, courthouse. Aeria photo

Bridge Bedford (TN) – Shelbyville 2075: Legacy in Motion—An Investment Blueprint

Challenge Shelbyville is advantageously located in central Tennessee between the booming metropolitan hubs of Nashville and Huntsville. The community boasts a robust manufacturing base, rich cultural traditions like the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration, and valuable natural assets along the Duck River. However, accelerating regional growth has triggered infrastructure constraints […]

Council for South Texas Economic Progress (COSTEP) and Rio-South Texas Education and Community Development Foundation (RSTEF) – Joint Board Retreat

Challenge The Rio South Texas region stands at a critical juncture of binational opportunity and ecosystem evolution. As partner organizations working in tandem, the Council for South Texas Economic Progress (COSTEP) and the Rio-South Texas Education and Community Development Foundation (RSTEF) share a unified mission: ensuring residents acquire the skills

Greater St. Louis, Inc. (MO) – Advanced Manufacturing International Horizon Scan: Case Studies & Industry Intelligence

Challenge Supported by the Build Back Better Regional Challenge (BBBRC), St. Louis is addressing decades of economic underperformance and population stagnation through a transformative vision for building a dynamic and inclusive advanced manufacturing ecosystem. Led by Greater St. Louis, Inc. (GSL), a regional coalition is operationalizing the STL 2030 Jobs

Detroit Workforce Funders Collaborative (MI) – Philanthropic Collaboration for a Racially Equitable Workforce System

Challenge Long-standing efforts to create a more equitable workforce development system in Detroit and Southeast Michigan shifted drastically as national discussions about social justice and racial equity issues intensified in the late 2010s. The shift brought increased leadership, capacity, and support from the public and private sectors for transforming the

City of Muskogee Foundation (OK) – Muskogee Forward

Challenge Faced with more than three decades of stagnant population trends and lagging income and educational attainment, Muskogee, Oklahoma, was at a crossroads. Despite the area’s many assets, which included a strong base of private and public sector employers, desirable market access, and a committed group of leaders, Muskogee failed

Iron County Economic Partnership (MO) – Invest in Iron County

Challenge A rural community just outside the orbit of St. Louis, Iron County was negatively impacted by the breach of the Taum Sauk Reservoir in December 2005. Despite receiving settlement monies in 2011, County leaders struggled to implement a coordinated response to the area’s challenges which included stagnant population trends,

El Paso Community Foundation (TX) – Borderplex Regional Marketing Framework

Challenge Comprised of three cities in two countries (El Paso, Texas; Las Cruces, New Mexico; and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua), the Borderplex region offers a number of advantages for business and talent. To promote these advantages—which include a young and diverse population, a multi-modal transportation network, six international ports of entry,

Gulf Coast Community Foundation (MS) – Opportunity Analysis

Challenge Following the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010—the largest maritime oil spill in US history—the state of Mississippi was awarded $750 million to help offset economic damages in coastal communities. In 2018, the Mississippi legislature passed a law (Senate Bill 2002) committing 75 percent of the remaining BP

Jackson County Economic Development Foundation (MS) – Strategic Innovation Plan

Challenge Jackson County, Mississippi—one of the leading industrial centers along the Gulf Coast—has shown remarkable resiliency in the face of numerous challenges to its economic stability, including major storm events and economic upheavals associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The leadership’s commitment to economic growth has paid dividends, as evidenced by

MATT Foundation – Bordernomics study

Challenge Cross-border trade plays an essential role in the economy of the ten states that fall along both sides of the US-Mexico border. As growing anti-trade sentiment in the US threatened long-standing global trade agreements, including NAFTA, The Mexicans and Americans Thinking Together (MATT) Foundation commissioned a study in 2017

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