Community Partnerships and Investment
The St. Louis Fed's Community Partnerships and Investment team works to:
- Engage with and convene local experts to advance regional economic equity.
- Broker information to enhance decision-making.
- Build and support cross-sector networks and collaboration.
Learn about the Fed's role in the Community Reinvestment Act.
Meet the Team
Meet the members of our Community Partnerships and Investment Team.
What We Do
Engage with and convene local experts to advance regional economic equity
The Community Partnerships and Investment team connects with stakeholders across the Eighth Federal Reserve District. From meeting with grassroots organizations to financial and government leaders, our goal is to learn about trends in our communities by engaging with local experts. We aim to be a presence in our communities by hosting one-on-one conversations, convening groups on emerging issues and serving on advisory boards and committees—all with the goal of advancing economic equity in the communities we serve.
Broker information to enhance decision-making
For stakeholders who support low- to moderate-income communities, information can often be difficult to access and filter. As Community Partnerships and Investment staff, we leverage local relationships, access to research and knowledge of best practices to facilitate the flow of information among stakeholder groups. We also examine the flow of community and economic development capital at the organizational and neighborhood levels. We analyze data to highlight lending and investment patterns, and to highlight opportunities to increase equitable access to capital.
Cultivate and support cross-sector networks and collaboration
The team aims to transform the flow of capital by supporting funders’ efforts to collaborate and increase the impact of their strategic funding initiatives. We engage in cross-sector network building with a range of entities, including banks, credit unions, community development financial institutions (CDFIs), governmental entities, philanthropic organizations and emerging funders.
Key Initiatives and Research
Community Development Funders Forum: This forum convenes financial institutions, philanthropies and other key partners to strengthen collaboration, coordinate funding and develop coinvestment strategies to improve economic outcomes for historically marginalized neighborhoods and their residents.
Delta Philanthropy Forum: This forum is a collection of funders operating in the Mississippi and Arkansas Delta region, working collaboratively to strengthen philanthropy and improve economic outcomes. Since 2018, the forum has fostered relationships and dialogue to galvanize coordination and collaboration among funders in the area.
Grants in the Gateway: This report aims to help community and economic development (CED) practitioners, researchers and foundations understand the flow of grant-based funding in the St. Louis area. It maps regional dynamics in giving by examining differences between CED nonprofits and grantmakers in size, leadership and proximity.
