Reinvestment Fund

?? We celebrated a huge milestone yesterday—Fund for Quality reached ten years of impact in expanding access to high-quality early care and education in Philadelphia. It was a fantastic gathering with partners, funders, community members, and of course, the childcare providers who are at the heart of this program. Our host, Pee Wee Prep graciously welcomed us to their beautiful new space in West Philadelphia, which exemplifies everything FFQ stands for. Over the past ten years, the FFQ has achieved these remarkable outcomes: ? 50 Childcare expansion locations ? 3,250 New Seats for Philadelphia children created and counting Thank you to everyone who made this celebration possible, including: -Our partner, PUBLIC HEALTH MANAGMENT CORPORATION (PHMC) -Our funders, William Penn Foundation and Vanguard's Stong Start for Kids Program -The Pee Wee Prep staff for event support and students for their lovely performance -The students at The Workshop School who crafted all our swag -Foodnastics, Inc. for providing delicious catering -Our honorary guest, Kevin Maguire, who has been instrumental in the success of the construction process for FFQ expansion projects -Photographer Victoria Wilcox for capturing the joy of the day -Reinvestment Fund childcare researchers: Jacob Rosch and Emily Dowdall And a huge thank you to our dedicated Reinvestment Fund FFQ staff—LaToshia D. , Karen Bustard, and Jacob Kurtz led by Sara Vernon Sterman—as well as all program consultants. Their hard work, passion, and commitment are the driving forces behind the success of this program. https://lnkd.in/eu4tSXR7

Small actions can create great impact. ?? We invite you to get to know us a little better by watching our 2023 Year in Review video. See the accomplishments we've reached together with our partners and investors and the 278 businesses and nonprofits we work alongside towards our mission—to ensure everyone has access to essential opportunities: affordable homes, nutritious food, healthcare, quality education, and thriving local businesses that support jobs. We’re proud to be a part of this diverse collective that continues to dismantle systems that perpetuate social and economic inequality together. Join our community, make an impact. You can find the full video here: https://lnkd.in/es_N6TDx ??

Missoula, Montana hosted a national, multi-city convening of 13 cities focused on building more equitable housing policies, practices and community development projects that can improve health in communities across the country. Funded by Reinvestment Fund's Invest Health initiative and organized by the Invest Health Missoula team (including leaders from government, public health, community-based nonprofit, and community development sectors) the convening was codesigned with other partner communities that came together to discuss the unique challenges and opportunities that small- to mid-sized cities face in combatting the housing crisis. “One of the things I have loved about my experience with Invest Health is finding how many other small and mid-size cities deal with so many of these same issues that we do, but everybody's tackling them in different ways," said Jennifer Palmer from the Invest Health team in Napa. “And the really advanced community engagement that Missoula is leading is the kind of stuff that we can take back." Invest Health is an initiative led by Reinvestment Fund with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. RWJF https://lnkd.in/em6EUUZx

The #InvestHealth collaboration between cities supported by Reinvestment Fund and RWJF was apparent in Missoula County this week during the #HousingForAll convening of 13 cities working at the intersection of health and community development. Cross-sector teams from Bloomington (IL), Eau Claire (WI), Framingham (MA), Grand Rapids (MI), Gulfport (MS), Iowa City (IA), Lansing (MI), Napa (CA), Peoria (IL), Providence (RI), Roanoke (VA), and Roseville (CA) explore what is working in more equitable community development and housing policy, program and practice to meet challenges with solutions and show how small to midsized cities are innovating. Congrats on a fantastic convening Lisa Beczkiewicz Missoula City-County Health Department, Susan Hay Patrick United Way of Missoula County, Kaia Peterson NeighborWorks Montana, and all partners! Together we go further. See local Missoula news coverage on the event - https://lnkd.in/eFr3PUt4

Tomorrow, join our President of Policy Solutions, Emily Dowdall and Mortgage Bankers Association of Eastern PA for a panel discussion on Special Purpose Credit Programs (SPCPs). SPCPs are a new tool to provide free down payment grants and other financing help for diverse homebuyers. The discussion will cover how SPCPs work, how they are different from traditional mortgages, and how they can help your clients access homeownership. Registration closes tonight: https://lnkd.in/ed4ZQgyg

? Sarah Leslie has joined our Equitable Food Systems team as a Program Associate. With extensive experience in sustainable agriculture and global food systems, Sarah brings both expertise and a passion for food and farming, believing that food can be a powerful force for healing across cultures, lineages, and identities. Welcome to Reinvestment Fund, Sarah! https://lnkd.in/epsyc6bb

Small actions can create great impact. ?? We invite you to get to know us a little better by watching our 2023 Year in Review video. See the accomplishments we've reached together with our partners and investors and the 278 businesses and nonprofits we work alongside towards our mission—to ensure everyone has access to essential opportunities: affordable homes, nutritious food, healthcare, quality education, and thriving local businesses that support jobs. We’re proud to be a part of this diverse collective that continues to dismantle systems that perpetuate social and economic inequality together. Click below to learn more. Join our community, make an impact. https://lnkd.in/dkMNMWw7

?? Grant Opportunity! The HFFI FARE Fund is Now Accepting Applications. Are you working to improve access to healthy foods in underserved areas? The Healthy Food Financing Initiative Food Access and Retail Expansion (HFFI FARE Fund) is offering flexible loans, grants, and technical assistance to support food retail and food enterprises working to improve access to healthy foods in underserved areas. Over the next five years, $60 million will be available for those who qualify. ? 2024-2025 Funding Highlights: ?? Up to $250,000 for implementation grants ?? Up to $100,000 for early-stage planning, predevelopment, and technical assistance ?? Loans ranging from $500,000 to $5,000,000 Join our informational webinars to guide you through the application process and share this opportunity with your networks! Learn more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/eMVrmyGz #HealthyFood #CommunityDevelopment #GrantOpportunity #HFFIFAREFund #FoodAccess #USDA #ReinvestmentFund

?? At Reinvestment Fund, we believe that art can inspire and invigorate the spaces where we work. We are so excited to share that our Atlanta office is now home to this vibrant mural! Created by local artist Aysha Pennerman, the imagery is grounded in the spirit of community with a nod to Atlanta's historic West End neighborhood. With iconic elements like the Atlanta University Center (AUC) and the city skyline, it also beautifully incorporates the core areas of our focus—education, housing, healthy foods, and higher education. This piece was commissioned as a collaborative effort by our staff to liven our new Atlanta office with something that embodies our vision for creating thriving, equitable communities. For us, it’s a source of inspiration, a reminder of our purpose, and a reflection of the vibrant community we are proud to be a part of. We hope Aysha's visionary work inspires you today as much as it does us day after day! ??

A great spotlight from the Council on Black Health on our Program Director for Social Determinants of Health, Jennifer Fassbender, where she shares insights on her mission to advance work that enables more equitable neighborhood conditions and improves health equity. ?