Raising Student Voices Webinar

Posted by on July 15, 2013

Friday, July 19
1:00 PM EST

Speakers
Lisa Davis, Ford Foundation
Dan Apfel, Responsible Endowments Coalition
Steve Dubb, The Democracy Collaborative
Sponsored by Mission Investors Exchange

Five years after one of the worst financial crises in the US since the Great Depression, communities continue to suffer. Wealth inequality is at some of the highest levels since the founding of the country and growing more rapidly than any other industrialized nation. Increasingly, the effects of this inequality are recognized as going beyond social injustice to significantly imperiling American democracy and the potential for economic recovery.

As permanent place-based “anchor” institutions, colleges and universities are well positioned to be critical drivers of development. In the area of investments, however, institutions could be doing much more to directly support low-income people, small businesses, and sustainable community economic development.

Join the Responsible Endowments Coalition, The Democracy Collaborative, and the Ford Foundation on Friday, July 19 to present the results of our joint study, Raising Student Voices: Student Action for University Community Investment. In our study, we find that when a range of actors from the university and from the community work together, it is more likely that a long-term community investment will occur with the community’s needs prioritized.

With a focus on investing through community development financial institutions (CDFIs), the report recommends that student campaigns work in close collaboration with alumni groups, community organizations, college administrators, and national higher education networks to move university community investing to scale and ensure long-term sustainable investment in the community.

Please join us for this presentation and discussion to follow. We welcome your insights and feedback into our research.

RSVP to annie@endowmentethics.org by Monday, July 15. Details to follow.

http://www.endowmentethics.org/recs-new-report-explores-students-role-in-university-community-investing/