The Promise Neighborhoods Institute at PolicyLink commissioned these tools from the Finance Project in order to provide communities building Promise Neighborhoods with assistance in creating budgets and finance plans.

• Sustaining Community Revitalization: A Tool for Preparing Budgets for Promise Neighborhood Initiatives
  By Laura Martinez and Jenifer Gager Holland

The Promise Neighborhoods Institute at PolicyLink commissioned these tools from the Finance Project in order to provide communities building Promise Neighborhoods with assistance in creating budgets and finance plans.

• Sustaining Community Revitalization: A Tool for Mapping Funds for Promise Neighborhood Initiatives
  By Matthew H. Joseph and Lori Connors-Tadros

Authored by Mark Friedman, “Turning Curves: An Accountability Companion Reader” is a companion resource to “Trying Hard Is Not Good Enough.” Promise Neighborhoods can use this resource to strengthen their capacity to: implement a Results-Based Accountability framework, use data to improve outcomes, and learn how to use Results-Based Accountability to achieve collective impact.

Authored by Mark Friedman, “Trying Hard is Not Good Enough” details the Results-Based Accountability™ (RBA) framework. Results-Based Accountability (RBA) is a disciplined, data-driven approach to move from talk to action and improve outcomes for children and families, at the local, regional, and national level. Promise Neighborhoods can use this approach to: accelerate their achievement of Promise Neighborhoods results, measure the success of their strategies and utilize these measurements to improve performance, and move into highly aligned action to execute a cradle-to-career continuum of services and supports. 

Authored by Patton Stephens, this tool describes the stages involved in creating a container for results. Promise Neighborhoods can use a “container to achieve results” to accelerate their achievement of Promise Neighborhoods results, create a shared accountability to results, and increase partner buy-in. 

This study assessed whether proximity to a supermarket modified the effects of an obesity intervention for participating children aged 6 to 12 years with a body mass index (BMI) at or above the 95th percentile. Authors found that living closer to a supermarket is associated with greater improvements in fruit and vegetable intake and weight status in an obesity intervention. 

In 2013, Virginia Community Capital (VCC) launched the Virginia Fresh Food Loan Fund to enhance access to nutritious foods in Virginia’s inner cities, small towns, and rural communities. As a community development financial institution (CDFI), VCC supports small businesses and community development projects by offering flexible capital, investment opportunities, and advisory services.

This report is volume 3 of USDA’s food hub technical report series and provides modules, best practices, and financial benchmarks for different stages of business development for food hubs to assess their own financial viability and assist in making strategic business decisions to maximize profits and control costs.