Quotes: 
What others are saying about Community Visions, Community Solutions...

“A must-read for grantmakers, individual donors, or any philanthropic professionals who hope to see community change in their lifetime.”
—Elwood Hopkins, Director, Los Angeles Urban Funders, Los Angeles, CA

“Community problems require comprehensive, integrated, sequential, and sustained approaches that will improve systems. Funders, however, continue their fragmented 'silver-bullet' responses. The questions raised in this book will be useful to any foundation that hopes to increase the effectiveness of its resource allocations, whether or not that leads to collaboration. Any leader, whether in a foundation, a nonprofit organization, or a public agency, should read this book and ponder 'what might be' in more effective community problem solving. A very useful addition to the literature.”
—Eugene Wilson, Senior Vice President, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Kansas City, MO

“As funders attempt to enhance the community's problem-solving capacity, services integration, and human and financial resources coordination, this book will be invaluable. It offers a litany of best practices for achieving these enhancements within an era of enormous social and technology changes.”
—Paula Allen-Meares, Dean and Professor, Norma Radin Collegiate Professor of Social Work, University of Michigan School of Social Work, Ann Arbor, MI

“This book provides a rich base for conversation, reminding funders of our role in modeling behavior and keeping our eye on the goal. The frank examination of the dos and don'ts of collaboration and community work is especially helpful. This is important to consider when delving into collaborative projects!”
—Jane Moore, Vice President, Resource Development, United Way of Greater Toledo, Toledo, OH

“In a clear and concise manner, Community Visions helps funders look at investing in a new way for more impact. This book can help foundations examine their policies and procedures as a stimulus for doing business in an enlightened 21st century style.”
—Patricia Deinhart, Community Liaison, Northwest Area Foundation, Saint Paul, MN

“Funders and other community leaders can and should solve problems—by using collaboration as a tool, releasing the highest aspirations of the group, and remaining open to new ideas. Authors Connor and Kadel-Taras help funders understand the dynamics and the process of community problem solving and become a responsible part of the solution. Their examples of funders' experiences, their focus on solutions, and their 'prompts' on how to 'get there' are especially helpful. A great tool for funders who want to take a role in solving community problems at the most comprehensive level.”
—Richard K. Rappleye, Vice President, Field Services, C.S. Mott Foundation, Flint, MI

“This book provides a compelling approach for how funders can be more deliberately involved in creating collaboration and community problem solving.”
—Dahnesh Medora, Director of External Relations and Research, The Tides Center, San Francisco, CA

“A helpful guide to restructuring funding to be more system focused, and to encouraging the means for true collaboration to occur. This book shows that community problem solving is really being done and is possible without being too demanding.”
—Diane Kaplan Vinokur, Associate Professor, School of Social Work, University of Michigan and Director, University of Michigan Nonprofit & Public Management Center, Ann Arbor, MI



Table Of Contents: 
Chapter 1: Funder Frustration: Having an Impact
Fractured Problems, Fractured Resources
Fractured Outcomes
The Power Dilemma
The Cloak of Collaboration
Getting from Here to There

Chapter 2: Strategies for Funding Solutions
Fund Communities
Fund Systems
Be the Change You Wish to See

Chapter 3: How to Support and Sustain Community Problem Solving
Characteristics of Support
Practical Support Services
Tapping the Full Potential of a Supportive Infrastructure
Funding a Supportive Infrastructure
Strategic Benefits of the Community Support Organization
Strategic Disadvantages fo the Community Support Organization
Funders as Community Support Organizations
Community Support Organization Dos and Don'ts
An Emerging Need

Chapter 4: A Process to Lay the Groundwork for Change
Know the Present
Encourage Aspiration
Identify Infrastructure Requirements

Conclusion: Our Aspiration for You
Appendix: Community Governance Strategies
Index