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China's Venture Capitalists Start Making Deals, Amid Signs of Recovery

Yunan Zhang

March 31, 2020 |

The Information |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: China

China's economy has slowly begun to show signs of reopening and recovering, which has led some companies to begin fundraising. Consumer brands that saw an uptick in usage during the pandemic – such as an online grocery delivery startup, an online education tutor, and even an online makeup retailer – have so far been successful in their efforts to raise funds with investors saying that "in the current climate of uncertainty, they were more comfortable betting on the companies that are leading their industries."

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How design-build coops are creating a new economy in New England

Chad Small

February 29, 2020 |

Co-operative News |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Massachusetts

Design-build coops are employee-owned businesses operated under a democratic business model that "considers people, planet, then profit." These coops have steadily increased in New England resulting in workplaces that have a smaller pay-gap between the highest and lowest paid employees of a company, motivates employees who are invested in the long-term success of a company, result in companies better equipped to weather recessions and in turn, allow for more focus on green design models.

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Poor credit is a barrier to affordable housing. Lending circles are a tool for those in poverty

Nicole Hayden

February 14, 2020 |

Desert Sun |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Coachella Valley, California

Lift to Rise, a Coachella Valley nonprofit that pushes for housing and poverty policy change, launched a local lending circle program aimed at serving minority residents break the cycle of poverty. Partnered with San Francisco-based Mission Asset Fund, the lending circle helps those with poor credit or no credit at all to build up a spending history, have access to loans, create a savings account, improve their score, and more. Since 2008, Mission Asset Fund has partnered with more than 50 organizations across the U.S. to provide lending circles to more than 9,000 clients.

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Meet Pakistan's Barefoot Entrepreneurs

Adeel Ahmed

February 13, 2020 |

Pioneers Post |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Pakistan, Sindh

Pakistan's poorest citizens, who previously panhandled for their basic needs, were launched onto an entrepreneurial path by the Heritage Foundation Pakistan. Eight impoverished communities have been trained in the craft of glazed tile work and terracotta art to lift the participants out of poverty. The program also created a market of interdependence, so the villages can purchase goods from one another, freeing them from relying on cities for their livelihood.

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How Fines and Fees Reform Became a Priority for Cities Across the Country

Emma Coleman

February 06, 2020 |

Route Fifty |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Durham, North Carolina

From North Carolina to California, states and cities are taking a new approach to fines and fees – people are having their charges dismissed, warrants for minor offenses cleared, and many municipalities are actually saving money by spending less on collections. With a system that was built because it provided cities and states with revenue, there has been a realization that it disproportionately targets communities of color and often keeps people stuck in cycles of debt. With this national awakening, resources and networks are being created so other places can implement the same change.

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This Program Teaches Arts Organizations How to Scale Wisely

Zoe Sullivan

November 22, 2019 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Coaching in strategic partnership allows arts nonprofits to build their capacity. Based in Minneapolis, Artspace offers its capacity-building workshop program, Immersion, to nonprofits in several cities, in including Detroit and Memphis. The workshops connect local art organizations to specialists in real estate and financing, allowing them to build partnerships or find new space in which to operate.

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This Conservative City Built a $132 Million Park Using One Weird Trick

Zach Mortice

October 11, 2019 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

After falling behind in urban planning and innovation in the 1990s and early 2000s, Oklahoma City created a limited-time sales tax called MAPS to pay for capital projects, like the new Scissortail Park. The tax consisted of a series of one-cent sales taxes and has brought in over $1.5 billion and has helped fund convention centers, other urban green areas, and more.

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How Penn State Is Cutting Greenhouse Emissions In Half — And Saving Money

Dan Charles

October 04, 2019 |

NPR |

Multi-Media |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, State College, Pennsylvania

Enrolling administrators and financial planners in sustainable projects takes proving that investments pay for themselves. With the help of pressure from students and faculty, Penn State Universities administrators have adopted a long-term strategy to reduce the university’s carbon footprint and implement sustainable practices. Students produced the data that illuminated the university’s unsustainable practices; the numbers now show that their efforts are paying off.

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Mongolian nomads create shared funds and financial security

Sarah Trent Khaliun Bayartsogt

October 02, 2019 |

Devex |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Mongolia, Arvaikheer

Herders in Mongolia have resorted to cooperative shared funds to keep their pastures afloat, a sign of a slow tilt towards greater collaboration and trust in the area. The shared funds act as a way for herders to borrow and lend money among themselves, helping local communities build financial security in a time when climate change is negatively impacting their pasture land.

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This Lake Belongs to Everyone

Daniel J McGraw

August 24, 2019 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Euclid, Ohio

For years, much of the coastline along the Great Lakes has been privately owned. In an effort to stabilize cliff erosion off the coast of Lake Erie, the city of Euclid, Ohio, worked with property owners to acquire those waterfronts. Despite some initial skepticism, the city convinced the owners that turning over their waterfront property would save them money on erosion control and allow public access to the coast. This collaborative approach is being watched by other coastal cities as a potential model for shoreline management.

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