INVESTMENT EFFICIENCY
Karl Dakin
Capital Coach | Stakeholder Investor Campaigns | Design, Stage, and Manage or Support | Reduce Time, Money, and Risk of Raising Funding | Increase Probability of Success! | Opportunity Management
RCI Community Funds (RCI) is planning to establish a series community investment funds to revitalize, catalyze, and impact selected communities. Its goal is to place funding strategically into real estate and local businesses to generate sustainable economic growth for underserved and economically distressed communities that have been ‘left behind.’
?We have adopted the word ‘disinvested’ which we think better describes the situations in which communities have found themselves. Other labels sometimes imply that the community did something wrong or is somehow responsible for where they are. We have found that larger macroeconomics plays a greater role while we intend to plant ‘economic seeds’ using a community fund that can grow and counter, offset, or ignore macroeconomics.
?Knowing that money is scarce and that every community must compete within a world market, RCI seeks to invest money in a community with the highest possible efficiency. We have all seen programs with great aspirations that have failed to achieve their goals. And, too often, it seems that everyone is talking about making a change without getting their hands dirty working at the street level in collaboration with the community.
?A key to efficient investing is to create an economic cascade. This means that an investment is selected and money deployed where it appears that each investment dollar is a domino that topples forward causing more local economic impact.
As an example, the design for each RCI fund calls for investment in businesses that, in turn, place their workers in residences in which RCI has invested, to occupy commercial space in which RCI has invested, and to support community space in which RCI has invested.
?At a higher level, the intent is to enable workers to build wealth in their homes, businesses to build wealth in their space, and institutionalize community spaces with sustainable financial operations. Collectively, this builds wealth in the community which serves as the foundation for future growth.
?Investments will be made thoughtfully when faced with choices between those with greater local impact and those with less local impact. Those investments that tip over more dominos within the community will be given priority.
?Finally, it is not necessary to make a startup or stand-alone investment when it is possible to place an investment with a partner who is already working with and in the community. Giving an existing project or program more resources may help it achieve success or accomplish a higher level of success and contribute to the dominos falling.?
SEE OUR NEW WEBSITE
?RCI has established its website – https://www.rcicommunityfunds.com We will be adding to this site and adding information on our work and the work of others who are supporting community investment.
?JOIN OUR GROUP
?We have established a ‘Group’ on LinkedIn as a forum for discussion and sharing information on rebuilding communities - https://www.dhirubhai.net/groups/14502175/.
We invite people who can team with us to become part of our community.
?CALL FOR COLLABORATION
?RCI is currently reaching out to people, organizations, and programs with whom its leadership team has worked to begin building a national collaboration of partners that can develop best funding practices, share knowledge, and accelerate community revitalization.
?Anyone interested in joining in this effort should contact:
Karl Dakin
??COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION AT WORK – COMMUNITY LIFT, MEMPHIS, TENNESEE
?In 2008-09, two of Memphis’ largest foundations and the area’s community development corporation (CDC) industry created a comprehensive public/private strategy to address community deterioration, poverty, and often disjointed approaches to problem-solving. This work was orchestrated through an intermediary to work with institutions—the government, philanthropic and faith-based communities—as well as business owners and residents to channel resources and build capacity - ?Community LIFT.
?Completed in 2009, GMN: A Blueprint for Revitalization plan is meant to accomplish several goals, namely to:
·?????? Revitalize Distressed Neighborhoods
·?????? Build the Human Capacity of those in Distressed Neighborhoods
·?????? Improve Economic and Residential Vitality in Distressed Neighborhoods
·?????? Improve Quality of Life of Citizens
?LIFT officially launched in 2011 with founding supporters The Assisi Foundation, Community Foundation of Greater Memphis, National Bank of America Foundation, and City of Memphis Division of Housing & Community Development. To date, LIFT has garnered over $7 million in national and local funding to benefit Memphis neighborhoods.
领英推荐
?CALL FOR SUCCESS STORIES
?If you have a success story on community revitalization that you would like to share with others through this newsletter, please contact:
????????? Karl Dakin
????????? [email protected]
??SHOW ON LINKEDIN LIVE
??Join Us for the Next LinkedIn Live Show of RCI Community Funds!
RCI Community Funds hosts a weekly show on the topic of Community Revitalization. Each week a guest will share their knowledge and experience on this rebuilding communities.
?You are invited:
??? Date: August 22, 2024, ?? Time: 8 a.m. MDT
?Register now to be part of our interactive audience:
?What to Expect: ??? Community Engagement
?Featuring Speakers:
?LAST THURSDAY, RCI Community Funds hosted another Community Revitalization show. With Bill Huston and I as hosts, Jeff Dangremond was our guest where we discussed impact investing in communities. Jeff provide background on the definition of impact investing, a profile of people who act as impact investors and how investing in communities achieves impact.
You may view a recording of this show at:
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??We look forward to your participation and engaging with you on this exciting journey toward community revitalization.
?RCI MANAGEMENT TEAM
?RCI is led by Stephen Shaff, Bill Huston, Jeff Dangremond, Aaron Shalom, and Karl Dakin, who collectively hold over 150 years of experience in community engagement, organization, and fundraising. For detailed information on the management team’s background, see here.
The management team boasts a robust network of experts across various disciplines and leaders experienced in prior community revitalization and economic justice projects. This extensive network acts as a dynamic repository of knowledge, documentation, and financial data, serving as a foundation for the team's strategic planning and execution. Leveraging these connections, the team is uniquely positioned to implement a scalable proposed funding model with precision, drawing on proven strategies and insights from past successes.
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Investment Advisor | Crowd Investor
7 个月Think globally and invest locally!
Founder of CrowdMax
7 个月RCI Community Funds, Benefit LLC's strategy is innovative and targeted. Having created businesses and still living in a disinvested communities I understand that at the microeconomic level the community residents are already spending money for goods and services. The money exists and is being spent, but the larger macroeconomy is extractive. These urban communities are consistently described as food deserts, retail deserts, pharmacy deserts etc. These community members are eating, purchasing goods and services and medicine the reality is all of those dollars are leaving the community as investments into the communities where the purchases are being made.
Capital Coach | Stakeholder Investor Campaigns | Design, Stage, and Manage or Support | Reduce Time, Money, and Risk of Raising Funding | Increase Probability of Success! | Opportunity Management
7 个月Which investment in a community may be made first to achieve the greatest impact?