Federal Reserve Bank
of San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank
of San Francisco

Community Development Innovation Review

The Community Development Innovation Review focuses on bridging the gap between theory and practice, from as many viewpoints as possible. The goal of this journal is to promote cross-sector dialogue around a range of emerging issues and related investments that advance economic resilience and mobility for low- and moderate-income communities.

  • Minority-Owned Enterprises and Access to Capital from Community Development Financial Institutions

    Mels G. de Zeeuw, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta; Victor E. da Motta, Sao Paulo School of Business Administration

    Small businesses are pivotal to local economic development in the United States. Among small businesses, minority-owned enterprises (MOEs) are noteworthy because they create a significant share of the jobs in majority-minority neighborhoods nationwide. MOEs are relatively more likely to encounter constraints in obtaining access to capital from financial institutions. Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) provide […]

  • Guest Foreword

    Michael C. Eggleston, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

    While CDFIs are integral to community development finance, there is still much we don’t know about their impact. In June 2008, the CDFI Fund at the U.S. Department of the Treasury hosted a research conference to enhance understanding of the CDFI field. Over the next 12 years, the overall amount of these financial institutions, asset size and […]

  • Just How Risky? Comparative Institutional Risks of Mission-based Depository Institutions (MBDIs)

    Gregory B. Fairchild, Darden Graduate School of Business, University of Virginia; Megan E. Juelfs, Institute for Business in Society, Darden Graduate School of Business, University of Virginia

    We examine the relative institutional failure risks for three sets of bank depositories: Community Development Banking Institutions (CDBIs), Minority Depositories (MDIs) and what we term Non-Mission Depository Institutions (hereafter, NMDIs). CDBIs have primary missions of community development and serving underserved populations; MDIs are typically led by minorities and serve minority populations (a single institution can […]

  • Transforming Community Development through Arts and Culture

    This issue of the Community Development Innovation Review explores the power of arts and culture to transform the practice of community development. Published in partnership with ArtPlace America and PolicyLink, this issue takes a deep dive into the lessons learned from the Community Development Investments program and offers reflections from industry leaders on the implications for the broader community development field.  The diverse range of authors includes artists, community developers, bankers, and researchers, and their collective voices frame a rich conversation on how openness to the creative process can help community development organizations better achieve their mission of expanding opportunity for low-income communities.

  • Arts and Culture from the Inside, Not Just on the Outside

    daniel johnson, Significant Developments

    On its journey to integrate arts and culture into its core operations and connect more deeply with visitors and area residents, the Jackson Medical Mall discovered that its staff was its most impactful cultural asset.

  • Dialogue on Organizing and Strengthening Social Fabric

    Grant Sunoo and Dominique Miller, Little Tokyo Service Center; Tom Faber and Joseph Claunch, Zuni Youth Enrichment Project; Facilitated by Lorrie Chang, PolicyLink

    An exploration of how strengthening the social fabric and promoting the cultural identity of communities can advance progress toward youth development and neighborhood preservation.

  • Leading Change: Reflections from Chief Executives of CDI Organizations

    Carol Gore, Cook Inlet Housing Authority; Dean Matsubayashi, Little Tokyo Service Center; Primus Wheeler, Jackson Medical Mall Foundation; Joseph Claunch, Zuni Youth Enrichment Project; Jamie Gauthier, Fairmount Parks Conservancy; Kristie Blankenship, Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership; Facilitated by Jamie Bennett, ArtPlace America

    Leaders reflect on what motivated them to incorporate arts and cultural strategies into their agencies, how it changed their approach to leadership, and the differences it made for their communities.

  • Introduction

    Lyz Crane, ArtPlace America

    When the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco published its first volume on creative placemaking five years ago, there was still a lingering fear in many people’s minds that the term and concept would be another trend du jour among both the arts sector and community planning and development sector alike. And yet, over the […]

  • The Connection between Public Space and Cultural Resources: Reflections on our work in Strawberry Mansion

    Martha O’Connell, Keir Johnston, Ernel Martinez, and Linda Fernandez, Amber Art and Design

    Community-driven, arts-based facilitation, in partnership with community development organizations, can grow in impact. A holistic process rooted in the arts helped transform an underutilized park into a community space that fosters dialogue and relationship-building.

  • Creating Process for Change

    Michael Rohd, Rebecca Martínez, Soneela Nankani, Sara Sawicki, and Shannon Scrofano, Center for Performance and Civic Practice

    A theater script that reflects on creative process and shares lessons learned from working with community development organizations and arts practitioners across fields and geographies.