The North Memphis Volunteers, Organizing, Inspiring, Cultivating, and Education (V.O.I.C.E.) Coalition, supported by SPARCC, is a community-driven initiative that addresses disparities and empowers residents. This case study explores the journey of The North Memphis V.O.I.C.E. Coalition, a collaborative table focused on 20+ neighborhoods in North Memphis. Comprised of residents, community-based organizations, and institutional partners, The […]

This case study digs into how SPARCC LA directed SPARCC resources towards the advancement of transit, housing, and economic justice. Through strategies like community land trusts, tenant protections, and small business preservation, SPARCC LA furthered its collective vision of ensuring low-income Los Angeles residents of color benefit from new investments in their communities. SPARCC LA […]

This case study examines how SPARCC’s support empowered a collaborative in Denver, Mile High Connects (MHC), to foster relationships, streamline collaboration, and drive forward equity-centered changes in the Denver metropolitan region. MHC worked to address displacement by focusing on advancing transit equity through community-driven development and community ownership. With SPARCC investments and support, MHC collaborated […]

This case study explores the work of Elevated Chicago (EC), a SPARCC Collaborative table, and its successful advancement of a variety of policy and capital strategies that support the health and resilience of Chicago residents. EC began their work by intentionally bringing together a diverse, well-rounded group of stakeholders to develop a work plan devoted […]

This SPARCC case study highlights how the Bay Area for All (BA4A) collaborative, brought about policy change and equitable community development through community-centered work, ultimately improving the Bay Area’s housing crisis. BA4A, a collaborative table formed under SPARCC, consists of various coalitions and organizations that shared expertise and resources to advance  the “3Ps of housing” […]

The following case study on the TransFormation Alliance (TFA) showcases SPARCC’s contribution towards systems change work in Atlanta. TFA’s story is an example of how leveraging SPARCC resources to engage community members and organizational stakeholders can lead to equity-centered planning and community power building to advance policies and capital projects. The case study digs into […]

In the fall of 2022, building on previous research, advocacy, webinars and grantmaking to supportcommunity ownership models, SPARCC convened a four-part series that brought together leadersfrom all six SPARCC metro areas for shared learning and support. Through workshops, peerpresentations, and discussion, the series sought to distill key aspects, challenges, and lessons fromthe field related to […]

By Sasha Forbes and Nick Collins At SPARCC’s inception, we knew policy—local, regional, and national—would be a critical component for long-term systems change. But that was met with the hard reality of the 2016 election, which put many policy advocates on the defense. Where we had high hopes for an administration to work with us […]

By James Yelen Just what exactly is “community ownership”? Depending on who you ask, the answer may differ, with some emphasizing how an asset or entity is controlled through decision-making and governance structures, others focusing on the proposed goal or benefit (such as permanent affordability), and still others interested in the degree to which community […]