As an operating foundation, we’re interested in getting our hands dirty, by working on the ground in real projects with real partners. We’re looking for opportunities where new ideas and approaches are being tested, where communities are putting “innovation in place.” We only get involved where our contributions are desired and appropriate.
We offer four types of assistance:
We are open to your project ideas, but because we are small, there are limitations on our staff and other resources. Regrettably, there are more good projects than we can take on.
In 2008 and 2009, the Foundation intends to focus primarily on projects that include an emphasis on “heart and soul” values of a community—identifying those historical, social and cultural values that are unique to a community, acknowledging them in the planning process, and taking steps to ensure that future plans and programs will maintain or fulfill these values. We are already working on a number of projects that include a focus on community character and values. We intend to issue one or more Requests for Proposals to invite projects and partners that focus squarely on identification and implementation of these kinds of heart and soul values in community planning.
Impact: How will the project help us accomplish the Foundation’s Mission?
Subject Matter: Is there a significant land use planning issue that is common across communities and regions such that any interventions/successes can be shared?
Urgency: Is the level of urgency so high as to prevent effective application of tools and techniques?
Value Proposition: Are Foundation programs seen as applicable, valuable and needed by potential partners and the Foundation?
Partnerships: Do the partners have the capacity and expertise to be mission-effective, to serve as project coordinators and to attract any additional resources needed to achieve the desired outcomes?
Learning: Is there an opportunity for learning, applying and/or testing theories about the land use planning system, and an opportunity to test the merits and efficacy of our own programs?
Geography: For Planning Action projects, is the project located in a small city or town or region in the Northeast or the Rocky Mountain West that is vulnerable to growth pressure and unsustainable development patterns? Projects that span several communities are preferred.
In general, we participate in projects initiated or led by other organizations, and we usually look to the partner to take primary responsibility for project design and management, with our support, especially as it relates to our particular role or interest. Where we do get involved, a Partnership Agreement outlines the Foundation’s and partners’ expectations and responsibilities. A Foundation staff person will be assigned to the project, and that person will be responsible for keeping track of progress regarding the Foundation’s role and mission impact.
As a learning organization, we believe project evaluation is a critical component of our work and that of our partners. Therefore, we seek to evaluate the impact of our projects and the Foundation’s strategy as a whole. Whether we are assessing organizational structure, program design, tool effectiveness or planning processes, our goal is to learn how to do things better and to bring this knowledge to our partners, the field and, ultimately, the communities they serve. For each project, we will work with project partners to build in a robust evaluation component.