Journal on Anchor Institutions and Communities

Posted by Anchor Institutions Task Force on November 14, 2016

Welcome to the first issue of the Anchor Institutions Task Force’s (AITF) Journal on Anchor Institutions and
Communities. The idea for creating this publication emerged to help advance the growing movement to
encourage anchor institutions to deepen their engagement in community and economic development, as well as
to help contribute to a greater comprehension of the ways in which anchor institutions can strengthen their
neighborhoods, municipalities, and regions.

AITF conferences have brought together leaders of anchor institutions and other partners, representing higher
education, health care, government, philanthropy, business, and other fields. Speakers at AITF conferences
discuss how anchor institutions can contribute to their communities in education, economic development, and
health, among other areas. They provide examples of how their institutions have been collaborating with local
stakeholders on initiatives that harness institutional resources to grapple with challenges facing communities.
They highlight successes, reflect on challenges, and speculate about considerations for the future.

This inaugural issue of the Journal presents an opportunity to further elaborate on some of the experiences and
insights highlighted by the speakers at the 2015 Annual Conference. In demonstrating specific ways in which
anchor institutions collaborate and contribute to community improvement, we can increase our understanding of
what it takes to build and sustain partnerships and leverage the various forms of capital that anchor institutions
can bring to help find solutions to critical local problems.

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