COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Fundamental and lasting transformation of low-income communities requires integrated, comprehensive approaches rather than singlefaceted solutions. Holistic community development programs build healthy neighborhoods and help residents create wealth and preserve their assets.

Recognizing that families and communities need support in a variety of interrelated areas, the Foundation funds comprehensive community development organizations built around a strong core of the wealth-creation strategies on which the Foundation focuses—i.e., home ownership, enterprise development, quality and affordable child care, and access to capital.

Avenue Community Development Corporation This Boy Scout troop, their classmates and relatives along with AmeriCorps members worked on landscaping this property owned by Avenue CDC. The volunteers worked to create safe and beautiful community green space. Heron supports Avenue CDC with general support grants.

The Foundation gives priority to programs that are tracking the impact of their comprehensive approaches on increasing wealth in low-income families and communities.

In addition, the Foundation supports technical assistance providers and practitioner networks or associations that assist community development organizations engaged in relevant wealth-creation strategies to build management and program capacity, and to improve and demonstrate impact.