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.
The German state of Bavaria and the Australian state of Queensland are teaming up to work on a host of cutting-edge projects, including artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, clean energy,...more
Cyprus is aiming to be an example of "ecological living and sustainable development" in the years to come, and the first Green Agenda Cyprus Summit will be held there on May 20. Speakers at the...more
The House is set to vote Monday on a bill that would make it harder for noncitizens to vote in federal elections. The SAVE Actshort for Safeguard American Voter Eligibilityis the brainchild of...more
The House is set to vote Monday on a bill that would make it harder for noncitizens to vote in federal elections. The SAVE Actshort for Safeguard American Voter Eligibilityis the brainchild of...more
When Heidi Allison and her husband, Larry Rhoades, opened Nate's Place a year ago in Oxnard, Calif., they had one goal: to help at-risk teens and young adults stay on the right track with sobriety...more
Lisette Nieves was the first Puerto Rican woman and the first Brooklyn College grad to be a Rhodes scholar when she graduated from the college in 1992. Now she's the president of the Fund for the...more
A group of 30 Nobel Peace Prize winners gathered at the Vatican this week to talk about promoting peace, and one of them had a message for today's "profit-centric" society: It's time to create a "...more
"To be a great investor, you have to be open-minded and look for misunderstood opportunities." That was Christopher Pan's advice to Ohio State University's graduating class on Sunday, and he's...more
Chris Pan's commencement speech at Ohio State has been called "cringe-worthy" and "the worst Ohio State commencement speech ever"but the social entrepreneur and 1999 Ohio State graduate wants to set...more
"It is a night that shines a light on some of the best and brightest women in business." So reads a press release on the winners of the 2024 IMAGE PwC Businesswoman of the Year Awards in Ireland,...more
Social Entrepreneurship
Spotlight
3 Social Enterprises Earn Honors at Social Enterprise Award
Three social enterprises were recognized at the 2013 President’s Challenge Social Enterprise Award for their major contributions to society. SATA CommHealth and Bliss Restaurant landed Social Enterprise of the Year titles, while Bettr Barista Coffee Academy bagged the award for Social Enterprise Start-up of the Year.