– Sponsor ComNet19 conference app ($25,000) – Allow Communications Network to sponsor and distribute “Let’s Hear It” bi-weekly podcast on foundation and nonprofit communications ($10,000) – Support ComNet local network, including Miami chapter ($10,000)
Program Area: Communities
Applications are now open for Knight Foundation’s summer internship program, which offers competitive, paid 10-week internships for college students and recent grads.
A former Knight intern turned Knight employee, Jen Vliet, talks about her experience as an intern in summer 2017 and her current role as an assistant in Akron for Knight’s Community and National Initiatives program.
What were your responsibilities as an intern for the Akron program team? How did your internship experience help you gain a better understanding of Knight’s work?
As an intern in the Akron office, my main responsibility was to discover a way to connect students at The University of Akron with downtown Akron in hopes of attracting and retaining talent.
Downtown Akron is one of the 26 communities where Knight invests, and the university’s campus sits just three blocks from downtown. Although very close in proximity, students are rarely seen in downtown enjoying its amenities. This is due to a number of factors, such as limited restaurant and retail options, lack of knowledge on amenities in downtown, poor lighting and the perception that the area is unsafe.
In order to attract and retain talent here in Akron, we needed to expose young adults to the amazing amenities and opportunities that the city has to offer. I came up with the idea of doing walking tours.
In partnership with Downtown Akron Partnership, a grantee of Knight Foundation, we provided free walking tours that began on campus and led into different business districts of downtown for every tour. We coordinated with small businesses to participate as destinations along the tour. Business owners were able to talk about their business and even provided students with treats and/or free coupons to come back.
We got students, faculty and staff involved in the tours and exposed them to the amazing amenities that downtown has to offer.
In addition, I also attended Reimaging the Civic Commons (RCC) meetings and served on the Communications Committee to help generate ideas on how to share the stories of Summit Lake residents, as well as share the work that was being done.
My internship helped me gain a better understanding of the neighborhoods that make up Akron. Akron is one city with many neighborhoods, and I think that is one of my biggest take-aways from being an intern. Every neighborhood has a story, and they’re all important pieces of the city’s larger story.
As an intern, I gained an understanding of Knight’s inclusive culture, its heart to support their communities, willingness to try new things, and the support they provide their grantees.
Did your experience at Knight relate to your studies in school?
In some ways yes, but not directly! I graduated with a degree in integrated social studies education. The internship related to my field of study because I became very educated about the history of Akron as a whole. I learned about the bustling rubber industry after WWII and the effects of the industry’s exodus. I learned why neighborhoods matter, how our city has been shaped, what led to disinvestment and population decline, and so much more. I believe everything mentioned above is important to educate students and adults in Akron about the history of their city and why it matters.
How did you end up working for Knight Foundation in Akron? What are your responsibilities as an assistant in the community and national initiatives program?
My name got thrown into the applicant pool from a previous mentor of mine when I was a student. He has a relationship with Kyle, the Akron program director, and mentioned my name for a potential summer internship. During that time, I had recently started a nonprofit program and gained experience in nonprofit work and became very involved in the community. From there, I stay connected to Knight’s work and the community. When the program assistant position opened, I was made aware and applied.
My responsibilities are to work with Kyle to support and promote the city of Akron, our grantees, and advocate for the people and places that make Akron, Akron. Those duties vary from administrative work, serving on committees and attending external community events.
What was the most valuable part of your internship experience?
The most valuable part of my internship experience was getting to meet so many people that truly care about this city and where it is going. I was exposed to parts of Akron that I didn’t even know existed and got to see the people, the work, and the strategies that went into the planning of the spaces. Although I did not grow up in Akron, it truly was great to see how much people love this place. I was included in conversations then about things that are currently in the process of taking place.
Any advice for our future interns?
Put yourself out there! Knight’s internship provide you the opportunity to work with and be surrounded by experts in a variety of fields. Don’t hesitate to ask to schedule coffee meetings to ask questions and get to know other people on the team. Everyone is very willing to chat and provide insight. Create networks and try to soak everything in!
What’s the first thing you do in the morning when you get to work?
I plug in my laptop and open up my emails. Since I am part-time and in the office for part of the day, I like to catch up on emails first so I am up to speed. That usually leads into future tasks for the day.
How has your role at Knight transformed since becoming an intern?
When I was an intern, I was included in on calls, plans, tours of the city, etc. Now as a program assistant, I still get to do all of these things, but I am now informed on a deeper level. I’m included in conversations and meetings that I was not previously involved in. I am also exposed to a lot more behind-the-scenes work of how grants are given, the cycles it takes to get them to the grantee, and more administrative tasks when it comes to our processes.
What is one of the most enjoyable parts about being a part of the Knight team?
Being a part of a work culture that encourages teamwork, open arms, and questions from the top down. I truly admire and appreciate the care the whole team gives to each individual staff member and the willingness to support everyone regardless of their positions. I’ve always felt welcomed and like I’m a part of the team, even when I was an intern.
Tell us one fun fact about yourself:
I love playing sports and board games!
Interested in applying to Knight’s internship program? See openings and details here.
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Open call seeks ideas that find new ways to collect and use data to build stronger, thriving and more engaged communities, now through Dec. 13.
MIAMI — November 13, 2019 — The John S. and James. L. Knight Foundation today opened a call for ideas that explore how the widespread digital collection of data can be harnessed for greater civic engagement and stronger communities. The call, which is open for applications through December 13, offers recipients a share of up to $1 million in funding.
The push over the last decade to open more data for private use has made unprecedented data available—but it has not consistently enabled the use of these data. Instead, the onus is on residents to have the technical expertise to collect, analyze or put data to use. Knight’s call seeks to capture the full potential of data, which can help residents better understand and improve communities, serve as a spark for civic dialogue and conversation, and enable citizens to hold governments and other institutions accountable.
“We have more data available that ever before — but the growth in data hasn’t made it easier for communities to put these data to use,” said Lilian Coral, Knight Foundation director for national strategy and technology innovation. “We think the potential is boundless for new approaches that enable residents to harness data and make their communities stronger and healthier.”
The opportunity is open to individuals and organizations with transformational projects operating in any of the 26 communities where Knight invests. Successful project ideas include, but are not limited to:
- New ways to collect and analyze data that support civic engagement to strengthen the community and address community challenges.
- New approaches for displaying, interpreting and communicating data to serve, empower and engage residents.
- More ways to bring residents together to discuss and use data for civic and social purposes.
- Efforts that help residents improve their ability to analyze and use data for civic engagement.
The new call for ideas is part of Knight Foundation’s Smart Cities work, which seeks to support stronger, more engaged communities by enabling the voice of the community to be reflected in the design and use of technology. Last year, Knight announced a major $5.25 million initiative to put residents at the center of self-driving vehicle pilot projects across the country. For the past two years, Knight has partnered with Niantic, the makers of Pokémon GO, in communities across the country to experiment with how technology like augmented reality can support civic engagement and connection.
To apply or learn more, visit kf.org/opendata. Interested applicants can also register for a virtual information webinar on November 20 at kf.org/opendatainfo.
CONTACT: Roshni Neslage, Communications Officer, Knight Foundation, [email protected], 305-908-2623
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About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Knight Foundation is a national foundation with strong local roots. We invest in journalism, in the arts, and in the success of cities where brothers John S. and James L. Knight once published newspapers. Our goal is to foster informed and engaged communities, which we believe are essential for a healthy democracy. For more, visit kf.org.
On November 13, Knight Foundation opened a new call for ideas exploring transformational ways data can be used to build stronger, thriving and more engaged communities. Knight’s Lilian Coral shares details below. See the press release here and view a recording of our informational webinar here.
Imagine, at the main intersection near your home, seeing freshly painted crosswalks and new signals alerting vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians of oncoming traffic. Last year, the neighborhood was concerned because of multiple accidents in the area.
Impressed that the city has finally done something about this issue, you ask Siri to let your local council member know you support efforts to improve pedestrian safety. You get an alert on your phone, thanking you for your feedback, and soon after see a Facebook notification about the planning department’s virtual town hall meeting to reimagine the blighted corner down the street. Since you have ideas to add more outdoor activities, you decide to participate.
This vision relies on the power of open data. That intersection was identified based on collision and injury data. Signals collect data about riders and usage patterns. Resident feedback can be collected from different platforms or services — public or private. That feedback then needs to be shared — as points of data — with the planning department, or shared through applications connected to Siri.
When digital devices like our phones make our lives easier, they do that through the robust, seamless exchange of data. Much of that data is harnessed to improve commercial services — our food orders, ride shares, and the social media sites where we connect with family and friends.
But this is just the tip of the iceberg. The power of data — especially “open” data, made available by government and, in some cases, private companies — also extends to the possibility of better informing and engaging residents, encouraging them to participate in more civically-focused activities.
It’s in this context that Knight Foundation is issuing an open call for ideas that advance the concept of open data and civic engagement to encourage a new set of transformative approaches for using, understanding and taking action with public data. Selected recipients can earn a share of up to $1 million in funding for their ideas and projects.
If we meet people in digital spaces, can we advance new approaches for sharing, displaying, interpreting and communicating with data? What are some alternative ways to collect and analyze data to inform smarter, more collaborative decisions? What are the user-friendly ways to serve, empower and engage residents, and help them build stronger, more thriving communities?
The idea of public access to open data is not new. In addition to government, more private enterprises are actively publishing open data. For example, Uber Movement’s Open Data portal provides anonymized data from more than 2 billion Uber trips for noncommercial reuse. This volume of data, while technically “open,” is not actually accessible to nontechnical experts. Many residents are not “citizen scientists,” and efforts to train them to become more data savvy are slow and force them to earn the right to engage civically in a digital age.
But the vision for doing more with data, including seamlessly engaging with government, is alive and well. Burgeoning examples of civic data use that doesn’t rely on technical expertise — but meets residents where they are — show the potential for significant community impact.
By working with organizations already focused on using data to engage communities, and concentrating funding on a critical mass of projects in a narrow set of communities, Knight Foundation can gain insights on successful practices that move communities closer to a vision of participatory, inclusive and engaged communities.
Our new open call on data for civic engagement is part of Knight’s broader work in Smart Cities, which seeks to support stronger, more engaged communities by enabling the voice of the community to be reflected in the design and use of technology.
Whether it be accident and collision data, park scores, walkability, housing density, local government information or demographic information—all of these data points have the opportunity to radically change the way residents interact with neighbors, government and their community. If we want to accomplish our goals with open data, we must unlock its use for millions of Americans who seek to participate in their community and make more informed decisions that engender equitable, inclusive and participatory communities
Lilian Coral is Knight Foundation director for national strategy and technology innovation. Follow her on Twitter @lcoral.
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Mecklenburg County, Knight Foundation kick off funding for $135 million initiative to improve lives and strengthen community through libraries
Image: Rendering of new Main Library design. Design Architect: Snøhetta; Architect of Record: Clark Nexsen; Rendering: LMNB Copyright: Snøhetta
Charlotte, NC – November 7, 2019 – The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation today unveiled the design of a new, technology-forward main library as it launched The CommonSpark, a $135 million public-private partnership to ignite change within the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library system.
Mecklenburg County committed $65 million to the project, and the Library Foundation invites all who believe in the power of libraries to join the comprehensive campaign. The John S. and James L. Foundation invested $10 million to help make the Main Library a model for the 21st century, an inviting public space for all Charlotte residents, equipped with the latest digital technology.
“The Library is so important to the community because it provides access to opportunity, to education, to learning that people wouldn’t get anywhere else,” said Dena Diorio, Mecklenburg County Manager. “I’m most excited about the vision for this 21st century library.”
The CommonSpark campaign and the design of the new Main Library were revealed at the Library Foundation’s annual Verse & Vino fundraising event on November 7, 2019 at the Charlotte Convention Center. The new facility is slated to open in 2024 on the site of the current Main Library at 310 North Tryon Street in uptown Charlotte.
“Time and time again our Library Foundation is a difference-maker, raising support for the Library, broadening awareness of its activities and contributions, and growing its friends, fans and partners,” said Library CEO Lee Keesler. “The private funds the Foundation is raising to complement public funds from Mecklenburg County will transform an architecturally distinctive, state-of-the-art, technologically advanced new main library from good to great.”
“Informed and engaged communities are vital to healthy democracy, and libraries vital to informed and engaged communities,” said Alberto Ibargüen, Knight Foundation president. “The new Charlotte Mecklenburg Library will be open, inviting, and focused on digital – it will meet people where they are and be relevant to their lives.”
Since 2002, Knight Foundation has invested $1.5 million in the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, including $250,000 in the process of envisioning the 21st century urban library, a critical early step in the planning for the new Main Library.
Together with support from Mecklenburg County, today’s announcement from Knight Foundation brings the CommonSpark campaign to 67 percent of the overall project goal.
COMMUNITY-DRIVEN CAMPAIGN
The CommonSpark campaign addresses an integrated set of needs:
- New Main Library: a tech-forward civic destination and gateway to reimagined North Tyron Street corridor
- Support Services Center: to maximize public space in the new Main Library, many behind-the-scenes functions will move offsite
- Technology, Innovation and Programming: throughout the Library’s 20 locations
- Endowment for the Future: funds generate a permanent source of revenue for evolving needs
- Annual Library Operating Support
The CommonSpark campaign committee consists of more than 60 civic leaders, led by volunteer co-chairs Charles Bowman, Market President at Bank of America; Rob Harrington, Partner at Robinson Bradshaw; and Holly Welch Stubbing, Executive Vice President and In-house Counsel at Foundation For The Carolinas.
Campaign co-chair Charles Bowman says, “This campaign is building toward a vision for our city. My dream is that we become the most literate city in America. That would be a defining moment. We talk about our brand and we have so much here in Charlotte – but what if you could say to people ‘I live in the most educated, literate city in America.’”
The project is directly aligned with community priorities and opening doors to opportunity. The CommonSpark campaign co-chair Holly Welch Stubbing explains, “This project appeals to the philanthropic community because it includes an amazing set of opportunities to connect to career pathways, post-secondary success, entrepreneurship, writing and creative thinking, civic engagement, connection to our history…you can find your giving strategy in this building.”
The Library Foundation anticipates engagement in the campaign and individual investment at every level, from all parts of the community. Co-chair Rob Harrington observes, “The Library is not just a public building, it’s the community’s building. Everyone has an opportunity to participate in this campaign and help make our Library all it can be.”
More information can be found at www.foundation.cmlibrary.org along with news, a project overview and frequently asked questions. Questions about the CommonSpark campaign and how to make a gift should be directed to Karen Beach, CFRE, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation Deputy Director at 704-416-0802 or [email protected].
About Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation
The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation exists to help the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library improve lives and build a stronger community. Created as a non-profit 501(c)(3) in September 2012 in partnership with Foundation For The Carolinas and Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, the Foundation supports Library services, expands the Library’s collection of print and digital materials, enhances programming for all ages, invests in innovative initiatives and strives to grow its endowment for future generations. For more, visit foundation.cmlibrary.org
About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Knight Foundation is a national foundation with strong local roots. We invest in journalism, in the arts, and in the success of cities where brothers John S. and James L. Knight once published newspapers. Our goal is to foster informed and engaged communities, which we believe are essential for a healthy democracy. For more, visit kf.org.
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Media Contacts:
Melanie Baron
Marketing & Communications Specialist
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation
(704) 416-0804
Email: [email protected]
Lauren Dickinson
Communications Officer
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
305-908-2694
Email: [email protected]
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Image: Rendering of new Main Library design. Design Architect: Snøhetta; Architect of Record: Clark Nexsen; Rendering: LMNB Copyright: Snøhetta
Today, Knight Foundation announced a $10 million investment in a new library for downtown Charlotte—the first private contribution in a $135 million campaign to create a state-of-the-art public space that can serve not just as a repository for books, but as a true commons for all the city’s residents.
At Knight, we have long recognized the power of libraries to support more informed and engaged communities. Libraries are not just sleepy citadels of knowledge. They are vibrant spaces where we come together to access information, share experiences and collaborate to build a stronger community. The best libraries are a commons, a meeting place of equals that we own and share together.
Charlotte is about to take a bold leap in challenging our ambition for just what a library can do. The reimagined New Main Library, set to open in 2024, will evolve from a traditional temple to books into an iconic and inspiring space that becomes a true 21st century public commons. It will be a tech-forward gathering place and civic destination for Charlotteans to come together, connect and engage in the life of the city. It will provide a best-in-class technology infrastructure that improves the experience for patrons and residents and creates new ways to engage with the community.
“The best libraries are a commons, a meeting place of equals that we own and share together.”
The new library will expand the spectrum of services for visitors, moving them beyond just access to information, to the opportunity to participate and shape civic discourse. The design of the building and technology will blend seamlessly to improve the patron and resident experience, providing tools like digitally streamlined social services, a community media lab, mobile access to information and engaging audiovisuals. Patrons will participate in self-guided and collaborative learning and workspaces that connects people from different backgrounds to the information they need.
In the words of Knight President Alberto Ibargüen, “The library is modern. It is open. It is inviting. And it is focused on digital. That’s the way of the future. And that’s where we want to be.”
The $10 million investment is Knight’s largest commitment to date in Charlotte. And it’s a fitting one, coming at a key time for the city.
Charlotte is soaring, bringing in new people, ideas, investment and prosperity. It is also a challenged city, struggling with intensifying economic stratification and inconsistent opportunity.
In this vital time, the New Main Library can serve as a forum for Charlotteans to chart a course towards a prosperous and equitable city. With technology at the forefront, this project will play a transformational role in the development of our city, while serving as a model for libraries of the future.
On a personal note, as a native Charlottean, the library has played an important role throughout my life – from studying and checking out music to starting a business and taking my kids to the library. I’m thrilled it will evolve to remain a transformative institution for generations to come.
Charles Thomas is Knight’s director in Charlotte. You can follow him on Twitter at @cthomasclt.
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To support a community planning process and overall plan for the 5 Points/Streetcar Corridor of Historic West End.
To build a street-view augmented reality platform for engaging residents in conversations around the history, present and future of a particular neighborhood.
To preserve Jack Knight’s former home in West Akron as the new headquarters for the Summit County Land Bank.
Public spaces are essential in any community because they provide the space for residents to gather, play, learn, dream and connect. Knight invests in public spaces and the public life of cities to foster engagement and attachment to place. We believe great public spaces don’t just happen—they require creative leadership and engaged neighbors to plan, design, program and operate. This was a key topic of discussion at the inaugural Knight Public Spaces Forum held in Philadelphia this summer.
Forum attendees—275 in all—came from across North America to share their experiences and learn from peers. These artists, planners and designers, librarians, neighborhood champions, local government leaders, recreation and parks representatives, and technologists represent the expanding and inclusive field of practice that is driving public spaces today. Through community workshops, sessions and informal discussions, participants spent two days exploring how they can engage others to advance the role of public spaces in fostering more informed and engaged communities.
The forum also provided a platform for Knight to expand its commitment to public space leadership. During the program kick-off, seven proven, innovative public space leaders were named Knight Public Space Fellows. Each fellow received $150,000 in flexible funding that will provide them with the space and freedom to unleash their creativity. They will also have access to opportunities to work with and learn from each other and to elevate their work to a wider audience. We believe by giving these individuals resources, flexibility and a network—powerful innovation can occur.
Here are our top five insights from the forum:
- Develop community engagement as an ongoing strategy for your public space work. Several speakers discussed the need to rethink engagement strategies. Engagement with residents and other stakeholders should be an ongoing strategy, not simply a one-time goal to meet. This is best achieved when the focus is on building trust and sustaining authentic relationships with your community.
- Make equity the foundation. Ensuring that public spaces live up to their full potential as places for all means that principles of equity must be embedded from the start. Setting equity as the foundation means reconsidering every aspect of planning, designing, programming and managing public spaces to achieve fairness in process and outcomes.
- Take time to look up and out. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day aspects of managing public spaces, but it’s also important to look ahead at the trends and forces that will impact public spaces in the future. In Philadelphia, we were able to look up and out – in person— at various world class projects including Bartram’s Garden, Centennial Commons and Cherry Street Pier. Moreover, attendees identified several areas that intersect with public spaces—climate change, slow growth cities and smart cities—for further exploration.
- Prioritize opportunities for peer exchange. While attendees and speakers used the forum to share research, toolkits and other resources driving their work, they also noted how important it is for this field to come together for in-person learning. As this field continues to grow and develop, sharing resources — policy frameworks, messaging guides, outreach tools — for what works and identifying knowledge and resource gaps is that much more essential.
- Leverage both data and storytelling for reporting. Engaging storytelling is a necessary, but sometimes overlooked, element in building community support public spaces. One way to tell more meaningful stories is to bolster the narrative with data points that resonate with community members as well as local officials. It’s not enough to measure and report on outputs. Instead, the focus should be on measuring what matters to the community in an effort to demonstrate how a public space can further those goals.
Interested in learning more? View presentations and resources from the Knight Public Spaces Forum and watch Instagram Story updates live from the event. Learn more about Knight’s public spaces work here.
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Lilly Weinberg is director of community foundations at Knight Foundation.
Lynn Ross is the founder and principal of Spirit for Change Consulting, LLC; she is Knight Foundation’s lead consultant for its work supporting Reimagining the Civic Commons and the Knight Public Spaces Forum.
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To landscape a pocket park along the Towpath Trail near downtown and prepare it for longterm maintenance.