The federal government has a central role to play in reversing the legacy of racial segregation and disinvestment that disproportionately harms low-income communities of color. Developed in a partnership between Urban Institute and PolicyLink, this blueprint aims to help federal agency officials, congressional staff, and policy advocates design a next generation of place-based policies and programs that catalyze lasting improvements for the benefit of current and future residents. It responds to the priorities of local practitioners to actively address racial inequity and injustice, bridge sectors and policy domains, respect and build community voice and power, deliver sufficient resources and lasting system reforms, and promote continuous learning. The guidelines offered here apply lessons from past programs and reflect input from a policy working group made up of civic leaders working in communities across the country.

This is the sixth and final in a series of briefs that describe the changes, insights, and lessons when arts and cultural strategies are deployed in service of comprehensive community development and planning. During ArtPlace America's Community Development Investments initiative, six participating organizations which had not previously focused on the arts developed creative placemaking projects and cultural strategies that could help them more effectively achieve their missions. PolicyLink conducted a research and documentation project to measure the progress, immediate outcomes, and impacts of those projects.

This final brief reflects on the journeys of the six organizations and presents a framework and observations on the support systems required for integrating arts and culture strategies and practices into community development organizations. 

Explore more about our research and documentation project and view the other briefs at communitydevelopment.art/strategies.

As a part of its commitment to equitable and responsive grantmaking practices and elevating community voices, the Convergence Partnership introduced streamlined and transformative grantmaking application and reporting requirements with its 2020 Covid rapid response grants. The Partnership did not require grantees to submit any final written reports. Instead, grantees were offered the option to have their work documented through locally produced podcast episodes. Based on our experience with the podcast series, the Partnership developed this guide to inspire other funders to similarly reimagine conventional grant-reporting norms and to support communities to tell their stories in their own words. It highlights the Partnership’s rationale; offers practical do’s and don’ts to support similar efforts; details the step-by-step approach that the Partnership followed; and shares helpful podcasting resources. 

The nation’s first comprehensive racial equity blueprint for federal agencies, For Love of Country: A Path for the Federal Government to Advance Racial Equity provides resources, tools, and a plan for federal agency leaders to implement President Biden’s historic executive order on advancing racial equity.

Geared toward staff working within federal agencies, For Love of Country: A Path for the Federal Government to Advance Racial Equity also includes tools that are applicable for equity advocates across the nation working inside and outside of government, including:

• Several key roles the federal government can use to shape racial equity
• The transformative potential equity presents for key socioeconomic outcomes
• Guiding principles that can serve as a common foundation for the work across the federal government
• A starter tool for conducting and refining an initial equity assessment
• A tool for agencies to develop a strategic vision and action plan to advance equity, and guidance on how to launch this journey

Download the executive summary.
Download the accompanying user guide.

The nation’s first comprehensive racial equity blueprint for federal agencies, For Love of Country: A Path for the Federal Government to Advance Racial Equity provides resources, tools, and a plan for federal agency leaders to implement President Biden’s historic executive order on advancing racial equity.

Geared toward staff working within federal agencies, For Love of Country: A Path for the Federal Government to Advance Racial Equity also includes tools that are applicable for equity advocates across the nation working inside and outside of government, including:

• Several key roles the federal government can use to shape racial equity
• The transformative potential equity presents for key socioeconomic outcomes
• Guiding principles that can serve as a common foundation for the work across the federal government
• A starter tool for conducting and refining an initial equity assessment
• A tool for agencies to develop a strategic vision and action plan to advance equity, and guidance on how to launch this journey

Download the executive summary.
Download the accompanying user guide.