Stories

Race

  • A Stronger North State: Pursuing a Vision of an Equitable North Carolina

    North Carolina has a surging statewide policy and civic engagement infrastructure fighting for fair legislative maps, voting rights, policies that advance economic opportunity, and public investment in programs that benefit families of all wealth levels. Blueprint NC is the “state table” that knits together nearly 50 organizations to align strategy and share resources. These member groups are...

  • Community Economic Development in South Carolina: Our History, Our Progress, Our Future

    In 1994, the South Carolina Association of Community Development Corporations was established by four local community development corporations to advance the interests of their industry. But the state’s community economic development industry truly got its start when residents rallied to help each other rebuild after devastation. The organization has since renamed itself South Carolina...

    Bernie Mazyck
  • Community Economic Development is Social Justice at Work

    All too often, economic development excludes community members from the decisions affecting where they live, strains local resources and siphons financial returns to outside developers with no accountability to the community. There is a better way, one that provides communities with the infrastructure and support they need to access capital, address their needs, grow thriving businesses, build...

  • Building, Sharing and Speaking Truth to Power

    With her retirement on the horizon, MRBF Deputy Director Gladys Washington delivered the keynote address to the Greater New Orleans Funders Network 's annual convening on October 22, 2019, which happened to be her birthday. Her remarks are as follows:

    Thank you for having me here today for this convening of visionaries working toward a better Louisiana. The unity among...

    Gladys Washington
  • Making the Invisible Visible: the State Priorities Partnership

    Last month, Executive Director Justin Maxson delivered remarks at the State Priorities Partnership 's Summer Leadership Institute. SPP is a network of more than 40 independent, nonprofit research and policy organizations across the country, coordinated by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities . They equip lawmakers, journalists, advocates, nonprofits and the public with research and...

    State Priorities Partnership