Collaboration and Learning for Community-Driven Change

What does it look like when a philanthropic family commits—seriously and over decades—to both audacious risk-taking and genuine community ownership of neighborhood change? This session examines how one family foundation moved from traditional grantmaking to a long-term strategy centered on economic development and neighborhood revitalization through its operating foundation, the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation (JCNI), ultimately transferring full governance of JCNI to community leadership. Drawing on the Jacobs Family Foundation’s experience, attendees will come away with hard-won insights on governance, family legacy, community ownership, and candid reflections on nearly 30 years of deep community investment.