Articles by

Carol Coletta

  • Article

    Getting smarter together: lessons from grantees

    Published July 31, 2013 by

    Knight Foundation Philadelphia Grantee Gathering from Knight Foundation on Vimeo. The only way we learn as a foundation is through the work of our grantees. If our Knight Philadelphia grantees remember only one thing from my interview with Sandy Shea at the recent gathering at the Barnes Foundation, I hope it's that. It is asking a lot of our grantees to be brutally honest with us about where they believe their work is succeeding and where they feel progress is lagging, but it is exactly what we need to hear.  It's the only way we get smarter together.   The grantee convening in Philadelphia marked what I hope will be one of many similar gatherings within our communities and across our program areas. As I watched grantees from arts, tech and journalism trade secrets on topics from media relations on a shoestring budget to fundraising from the ground up, I was struck by how much we could learn from each other. These lessons go beyond grant dollars and reveal Knight’s true intent: to create spaces for sharing ideas and resources, as a way to strengthen our communities. They also offer an opportunity for all of us to be more forthright, so to speak, and have an even exchange. 
  • Article

    Exploring how cities deal with disruptions in tech and government

    Published July 29, 2013 by

    The following is cross-posted from NextCity.org. Today Next City launched The Shared City, a new daily blog about the rise and consequences of the sharing economy, in which social and governmental systems play new roles to enable less individual consumption and more collaboration. The column is supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, where Carol Coletta is vice president for community and national initiatives. I talked with Carol by phone last week to discuss this new column and why this topic interests us both so much. Below is an edited version of our conversation. Diana Lind: The Shared City column is going to look at how cities are dealing with disruptions in technology and government that are resulting in a stronger sharing economy and shared responsibility for shaping cities. Why do you think this is an important conversation to be having right now? Carol Coletta: Sharing is an extremely timely issue. In tough economic times, people can use their resources more efficiently or generate some extra income by sharing goods and services. Given the world’s environmental concerns, sharing is a way to "live more, own less." It can also be useful in instances when the government can’t provide all the services it used to provide.  Where we pitch in  by providing our own service and actually enjoy providing that service,  sharing can enhance our quality of life and the neighborhoods around us. Let me ask you: Why are you interested in the shared city and in the sharing economy?