Proposal: Launch a community-based action-learning lab to accelerate innovation and application of systematic approaches to civic stewardship. Approach: Applies systematic methods in the civic context that are now used in successful organizations to increase local ownership for ambitious goals, and to foster innovation and collaboration for achieving them. Opportunity: Spur progress on our most persistent and costly socio-economic and environmental problems by cultivating a national network of neighborhood-based civic stewardship initiatives. A critical mass of neighborhood efforts in 300 U.S. cities can save hundreds of billions in annual government costs, while fostering “collective efficacy” and wellbeing in communities nationwide. Why now: Recent developments in measures (spurred by the proliferation of “public data”), social media (e.g., neighborhood websites), and monetization (e.g., social impact bonds) are “disruptive innovations” that create ripe opportunities for quantum change.

1. Civic Stewardship: Achieve societal change via vital cities & communities
Cities have a large and growing influence on societal outcomes
Communities are elemental, catalytic components of cities
We can achieve breakthroughs via new forms of community-institution collaboration
William M. Snyder – wmsnyder@gmail.com – www.civicstewardship.com – Overview

2. Communities & institutions converge in cities, which lead change worldwide
2008
3:34_
“The age of nations is over:
The new urban age has begun.”
…get cities right, and we
can get the world right…¹
2
Cities are
• 50% of global population,
70% by 2050
• Economic engines: 100 U.S.
metro areas produce 70% of
GDP; 400 worldwide account
for 50% of global GDP
• Social change agents
• Forcesfor creativity & culture
• Nexus of institutions &
communities
• Networked across nations,
spurring shifts worldwide
¹Paraq Khanna, Global Governance Initiative, Foreign Policy, 2010. BenjaminBarber, in “If Mayors Ruled the World” (2013), argues that inter-city networks—suchas
the C40 on climate change and Cities for Mobility on transportation—are best positioned to disseminate effective combinations of policies, programs, and practices.

3. Capable communities are crucial for civic breakthroughs
From 1970-2010, trillions in policy-driven investments have not improved targeted results¹
We need greater integration of institutional policies and programs & community practices
Integrated solutions call for synergistic partnerships among communities & institutions
Influencing factors in proportion² Policy efficacy depends on Practices
Importance of practices for results
²For example,anumberofstudiesshowthattheinfluenceofsocio-behavioralfactorsonhealthoutcomesis
about 40-50%,with“technical”factorssuchas accesstotreatmentsmuchlower(afterconsidering the
additionaleffectsofgenesandtheenvironment);seeRobertWoodJohnsonFoundationreport,2014,pp.4-5.
¹ See illustrativereportsonincomeinequality,
drop-outrates,incarceration,homelessness,
andhealthcosts. 3

4. Community strategy: Activate “neighborhood effects” to shift local practices
4
Neighborhood factors shape neighbors’ attitudes & behaviors and affect policies & programs
Peer Groups
Family InfluenceRole Models
Collective EfficacyLocal Organizations
Social Norms Social Networks
Place IdentityBuilt Environment
Norms &
Practices
Neighborhood Effects
Policies &
Programs
Products &
Services
¹In Great AmericanCity: Chicago and the EnduringNeighborhoodEffect, Sampson documents the influence of communities on outcomes such as health and safety, via
“collective efficacy” and related factors, 2012). Galster describes a range of social influences—called“neighborhoodeffects”—that drive local outcomes (2010, pp. 2-3).
See also Sampson et al. 2002, for review of researchon neighborhoodeffects. Researchon “social determinants of health” cites related factors, such as social isolation,
culture, behavioral norms, organization access,and built environment (WHO, 2003). Framingham Heart Study ResearchMilestones (e.g., 1960, 1967, 1978, 2007, 2008)
highlight the influential role of social cohorts. See also researchby David R. Williams et al. 2009, on social determinants and health outcomes.
¹

5. Block stewards support neighbors, organize groups & cultivate community
Engage & Inform
 Meet with neighbors, build relationships & conduct surveys to learn about their needs and aspirations
 Inform residents about services and opportunities, and track outcomes
Organize & Innovate
 Help residents with shared interests to connect for mutual support, problem solving, and innovation
 Support groups to organize local coalitions, organization partnerships, and neighborhood initiatives
Cultivate Community
 Foster a community mindset and associated norms and practices
 Embody an ethic of care and responsiveness, and model neighborliness in action
5
MOMS Partnership
Community Mental
Health Ambassadors
Cease Fire
Interrupters
Boston Children Thrive
Parent Partners
Block stewards are funded,trained residentspassionateabout improving community wellbeing¹
¹Resident engagement leaders (aka “ambassadors,”“champions,” “parent leaders,” “outreach workers,” “promotoras,” and “block captains”)
address a variety of issues, including early childhood, maternal mental health, family wellbeing, and public safety.

6. Enable communities with a platform of civic stewardship capabilities
6
Communities of practice share ideas & practices and influence policy by
connecting communities and institutions citywide
Social Media provides news,
updates & information; facilitates
connections & collaboration
Funding model provides funds &
incentives for local efforts that
achieve measurable goals
Neighborhood coalitions set
goals, supports initiatives, and
reports on progress
Block stewards collect & share
information; connect people; and
organize events
Shared vision & values for learning, connecting & aligning
Knowledge base on outcomes, programs, policies, and practices (health, etc.)
Measures of outcomes and
influencing factors motivate action
and guide solutions
Participatory problem-solving
groups and “innovation circles”
create solutions & lead initiatives
¹For further descriptionand examples, see Appendix slides on stewardshipcapabilities.
Civic Stewardship
Capabilities¹

7. Civic stewardship promotes “community-led collective impact” citywide
Communities and institutions partner to integrate policies, programs, and practices
7
Media
MethodsCoalitions Block Stewards Measures
Monetization
Communities of
PracticeKnowledgeBase
Policies
Programs
Practices
Institutional collective
impact requires robust
community partnerships
to achieve outcomes
Connected communities
accelerate spread of best
practices & create critical
mass for institutional shifts
Scalable platform of civic
stewardship capabilities
supports collective learning,
innovation & action
¹Several sources highlight the importance of community partnershipfor “collective impact”: ArecentarticlefeaturedbytheCollectiveImpactForumasserts:“Collective
impact efforts must always have the community in their line of sight” (2015: 14; see also 5-7). And a comprehensive review of place-based initiatives in the U.S.
argued for a “nested” approach to integrating institutional policy-making and community engagement: “In a nesting scheme, neighborhoodinitiatives fit together
within larger system reforms in a mutually reinforcing way” (Placed-BasedInitiatives in the Context of Public Policy and Markets, E. Hopkins, 2014: 20; blog summary).
Issues: Health, Housing,
Education, Employment,
Local Economy, Safety,
Built Environment, etc.
Key

8. Funding model: Partnership generates a virtuous cycle for mutual gains
8
Stewardship increases institutional efficacy while building community capacity
Improves Programs
& Reduces Costs
Provide Programs
& Fund Platform
Supports via peer groups,
social networks, role
models, etc.
Institutional
Providers
Community
Stewardship
Engaged
Neighbors
Community
Wellbeing
Communities promote:
• Information via surveys,
conversations & social media
• Participation via outreach,
referrals & support
• Innovation via feedback,
“innovation circles” & trials
• Retention by incorporating
successful norms & practices
• Dissemination by stories,
research & peer support

9. Communities offer an array of fundable stewardship opportunities
Health² Employment Education Housing Safety
Indicators
Asthma
• Hypertension
• Cancer screening
• Diabetes
Youth employment
•Adult employment
•Income levels
•Local economy
•Early childhood
•Kindergarten ready
•Third-grade reading
•H.S./Collegegrad.rate
•Defaults/ Evictions
•Displacement
•Dilapidation
•Energy costs
•Violent crime
•Property crime
•Perceivedsafety
•Incarceration
Neighborhood
Annual Goal
(1,500 pop.)
Reduce pediatric asthma
for 20 kids (of estimated
80 with asthma)
Increase youth employment for
20 youth (of about 200 in
neighborhood who are seeking
employment)
Financial benefits
of reduced costs
• Monetized societal value ~
$750/year/child = ~$15,000
per year (reductionsinmedical
costs & lostwork days)
Income value ~$15,000/youth;
potential long-term societal value
~$200K-500K/youth
“Pay for Success”
for community
stewardship
• Funding: $500+/child with
reducedasthmaemergencies
• Funding: $5,000+/year for
neighborhood-wide efforts
that increase asthma
screening and early
treatment rates
• Double enrollment in effective
youth jobs programs
• Increase participation and
retention rates
• Funding: $1,000+/youth newly
trained & employed
Opportunities
for institutional
partner learning
& innovation
• Increase impact of
preventative programs on
clinical results via improved
design and participation
• Identify new program
opportunities for screening
and early treatment
• Improve design of job-application
process as well as skill-
development and job-training
opportunities
• Scale approach to neighborhoods
citywide; engage broader set of
partner institutions across sectors
Communities and institutions can identify areas where partners will “pay for success”¹
IllustrativeIllustrative
9
TNT
²See Outline of community health action-researchfor more on framing the funding opportunity and healthcare applications
¹Community entities and business organizationsmay also partner on surveys and market development for mutual gains.

10. Action-learninglab: TNT neighborhood in Codman Square/Dorchester/Boston
• Active neighborhood association for over 15 years
• Anchored by a local organization with resident leadership, for information, coordination & advocacy
• TNT “Neighbors United” coalition is adopting a civic stewardship approach to move to the next level
• Low-income community with associated challenges: crime, drop-outs, illness, evictions, etc.
• One of nearly 40 “distressed” census tracts in Boston²
• TNT neighborhood demographics
• 525 Households, ~1,500 pop.
• 75% Black, 20% Hispanic
• 30% below poverty line
• 30% without H.S. degree
• Crime 2x Boston rate (2010)
Piloting civic stewardship in a self-identifiedsub-neighborhoodof Codman Square called TNT¹
10
TNT
²MapshowsBostonneighborhoods(inblue)thathaveexperiencedhigh“distress”levels(poverty,crime,foreclosures,etc.)fordecades(J.Jennings,2009, p.4)
¹Pilot is in the Talbot-NorfolkTriangle Neighborhood

11. http://vimeo.com/114074675
Neighborhood stewardship in action: TNT youth employment pilot
11
Youth leaders surveyed the neighborhood to find ways to increaseyouth employment
https://youtu.be/RnOewPqjH_E
http://vimeo.com/114074910
Youth surveyed 150 peers in the neighbor-
hood to identify gaps & opportunities
Youth participated in “innovation circles”
to improve programs & design new ones
Opportunity: Many youth seeking employment are unaware of
jobs programs or have trouble completing the application process
Youth Hub response
• Started a campaign to raise awareness about jobs
• Organized job fair to help youth to fill out apps. & meet employers
• Leading a peer-group job readiness course to build skills
• Building a youth jobs website and social media tools
• Cultivating a “youth membership community”
• Surveying employers to identify their needs and capacity
Q #71: Commenton your experience with the following youth employment agencies:
ABCD / SummerWorks
I’ve never heardof this I’ve heard of it,
but never applied
I’ve been placed in
more than 1 job
I’ve been placed in a jobI’ve applied, but never
been placed in a job
10
20
30
40%
0
Youth designed and organized a job fair
to connect peers & employers for new jobs
See also descriptions of Youth Hub in a brief overview and a conference poster.

12. The civic stewardship initiative (CSI) scales along multiple dimensions
12
Expanding from focus on youth employment to a broader scope of civic issues
Connecting with other neighborhoods in areas of shared interest (e.g., employment & health)
Building capabilities and institutional partnerships for a citywide stewardship platform
___________

13. Local gathering places can scaffold civic stewardship
13

14. Facebook interactions across cities worldwide (source)
14
“By making communities of our cities we take a giant stride toward world community,
and in the end lasting peace will come when…world community has been achieved.”
-- Lawrence Hayworth, The Good City
Core values
Learning about the issues and innovative solutions…even when these challenge long-held basic assumptions
Connecting with diverse others to build trust and reciprocity…even those with conflicting interestsandideologies
Aligning to shared goals for the greater good…even when this involves personal change andlocalaccommodation
Vision: Social movement for thriving communities & vital cities