To support Chapman Partnership’s mission of providing comprehensive programs and services in collaboration with others that empower residents with dignity and respect to overcome homelessness, and achieve and maintain long-term self-sufficiency.
Program Area: Communities
To support Camillus House’s mission of providing compassionate care to individuals and families impacted by homelessness, hunger, poverty, and substance abuse.
The investments will boost Akron’s civic and economic growth by transforming the University of Akron’s Polsky Building into a downtown asset and strengthening steady state funding for arts organizations that support local artists.
AKRON, OH — As Akron continues its evolution into a vibrant community with a thriving downtown, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation is investing over $31 million to transform and rename the University of Akron’s Polsky Building into a hub for civic engagement and in support of key arts organizations and initiatives that empower local artists.
The University of Akron will receive $20 million to renovate the Polsky Building, to be renamed after the Akron-born Knight brothers, where the school will relocate academic and community programs for the benefit of Akron’s residents and members of the university community. Akron Art Museum will receive $7 million to incorporate digital and technical infrastructure, ArtsNow will receive $1 million to support the Akron Cultural Plan and the National Center for Choreography will use $1.5 million to establish the NCC Akron Choreography Prize. Additionally, Knight is allocating $1 million for a future Knight New Work Akron call for proposals in support of Akron-based artists using tech in their practice, and $750,000 for the Knight Digital Transformation Fund, a second open call to help local artists with operational technology.
“Real change in community is made possible by long-term commitment and clear-eyed vision,” said Alberto Ibargüen, president and CEO of Knight Foundation. “Since our founding in 1950, we’ve been committed to building a city of Akron where social and economic opportunities abound because all residents have a voice and are bound together by art and a culture of community. This latest set of investments is testament to our belief in Akron’s future.”
Here’s a closer look at Knight’s investments:
Revitalizing the downtown and the new Knight Building
Built in the 1930s, the Polsky Building is a former department store that has been owned and operated, for educational purposes, by the University of Akron since 1987. It is adjacent to Lock 3 Park, the Akron Civic Theatre, the Knight Stage and a revitalized Main Street corridor, all of which have greatly contributed to Akron’s ongoing improvements. Knight Foundation has been an active, anchor investor in that revitalization.
A total of $20 million from Knight will be used by the university to open the interior of the building to invite people into a new and dynamic space. The funds will create space for entrepreneurship, community collaboration, artistic performances and learning. The building will be fully equipped with state-of-the-art technology.
The redesigned building will be renamed after the Akron-born Knight brothers and will align directly with the university’s strategy to reorient its campus toward downtown, significantly increasing the community’s ties with the university and helping reshape the core of the city.
“This investment will transform a dormant building into a vibrant gateway that opens the university to Main Street,” said Kyle Kutuchief, director of Knight’s program in Akron. “As a University of Akron graduate, I have seen firsthand how the school is committed to the community. The new building, named after the foundation, will be yet another step in reinvigorating Akron, becoming a great civic asset for downtown and fostering more collaboration between the university and residents.”
Akron: Building through the arts
Knight’s new investments in Akron arts will allocate over $11 million to three local arts organizations and two open calls that fund artistic creation and tech integration. These multiyear grants in Akron will build and strengthen a foundation for further development, increase capacity and enable artists and arts organizations to strengthen ties to their communities, fostering meaningful connections between people and place—an integral component of Knight’s arts strategy.
The arts investments consist of:
- Akron Art Museum ($7 million) – To support the Museum’s overhaul of critical physical and technical infrastructure and the creation of a gallery space dedicated to the display of digital artworks.
- National Center for Choreography ($1.5 million) – To support the initial five years of the NCC Akron Choreography Prize, which will honor local artistic talent, and to establish an endowment for its ongoing operation.
- ArtsNow ($1 million) – To match contributions from a consortium of Akron-based arts funders in support of executing components of the Akron Cultural Plan, which was adopted by the Akron City Council in 2020 as a strategic roadmap for the arts in Akron. A portion of the funding will also provide technical support to the Akron Black Artist Guild.
- Knight New Work Akron ($1 million) – To support the commissioning of new works of art by Akron-based artists that use technology as a key component of the creation or experience. (Learn more about the concept of Knight New Work in its current iteration, which supports artists in Miami.)
- Knight Digital Transformation Fund ($750,000) – To launch an open call that will provide operational technology support to individual artists and emerging arts organizations in Akron.
Investing in arts and culture is central to Knight’s effort to build stronger, better informed and more engaged communities. In today’s interconnected world, artists and arts organizations are leveraging technology to strengthen ties with communities while fostering meaningful connections between people and place.
“Akron is a city that understands and recognizes the role the arts play in creating a community where people want to live, work and raise their families,” said Victoria Rogers, vice president of Knight’s arts program. “As technology has become a fundamental force in the creation, dissemination and experience of art it has become essential for artists and arts and cultural institutions to rethink the ways they connect to people, whether in person or through digital platforms. Enabling artists and arts organizations to experiment, enhance expertise and attract and retain audiences is precisely why we are investing in key arts organizations and launching programs that support innovation in the arts in Akron.”
A long history of community-building
Since 2012, Knight has committed over $81 million to build a more engaged Akron by investing in a wide range of programs that includes the revitalization of downtown to continue attracting residents, strengthening resident attachment to the city by creating economic opportunities through technology and the arts, empowering local leaders to help achieve a successful future for the city and supporting new uses of public spaces.
These latest investments come as Knight Foundation celebrates 72 years since its founding by newspaper publishers and brothers John S. and James L. Knight.
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About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
We are social investors who support a more effective democracy by funding free expression and journalism, arts and culture in community, research in areas of media and democracy, and in the success of American cities and towns where the Knight brothers once published newspapers. Learn more at kf.org and follow @knightfdn on social media.
Image (top) by Tim Fitzwater.
Macon is trending.
In August alone, Forbes published a detailed weekend guide of the city, concluding that Macon is “one of the South’s best kept secrets,” and after spotlighting great local sites and initiatives, Axios determined that Macon is “actually cool.” Earlier in the year, USA Today and The Washington Post respectively covered expansion of the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park boundary and potential upgrade of the Park’s designation to a national park and preserve (Georgia’s first). Kudos to the journalists and local partners like Visit Macon who are helping shed more light on Macon’s story — as a long term Macon Believer, I can’t even begin to express just how exciting this is!
Knight Foundation has believed in Macon for decades. I’m humbled to work alongside Beverly Knight Olson, daughter of Knight co-founder James L. Knight, while continuing the good work of my predecessor Beverly Blake, and see firsthand, the power of putting residents at the center of the decision-making process for their community. That’s why we’re so delighted about the well-deserved recognition of our community’s progress. Here’s just a snippet of why we believe Macon is so special:
An unmatched spirit of collaboration and planning
In Macon, we take pride in working together to achieve big things. Knight has been strategically working with philanthropies, organizations, residents and other community partners on a long-term plan to boost economic development, bring life to downtown and improve public spaces and parks that are welcoming for all.
- Our investments are centered around the implementation of the Macon Action Plan (MAP), a community-informed roadmap for guiding the development of Macon’s urban core. The Plan also receives generous support from the Peyton Anderson Foundation, and is made possible by the hard work of the Macon-Bibb Urban Development Authority, Macon-Bibb County, NewTown Macon, Community Foundation of Central Georgia and many other partners. It has helped draw over $260 million private and public investment to the urban core.
- Knight is particularly proud of the $87M state-of-the-art Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital, opened in February 2019, and serves as an anchor of downtown’s medical corridor.
- Since 2000, Knight has invested over $6 million to revitalize Beall’s Hill. Most recently, through a $1.6M collaboration with Macon Bibb, we’ve committed to increase affordable housing in the neighborhood.
- In addition to all-things-downtown, NewTown Macon is also responsible for the Knight-supported Downtown Diversity Initiative. The program trains entrepreneurs on everything from developing business plans to marketing tools with the ultimate goal of diversifying downtown business ownership. The organization also leverages Knight support for its Godsey Initiatives Fund – providing access to capital alongside robust coaching expertise.
- Mercer University has been a long term, invaluable partner in our community. In addition to our original collaboration in College Hill, we have more recently teamed up for the Center for Collaborative Journalism at Mercer University, Mercer Music At Capricorn and A Night of Georgia Music.
Tapping in to a rich culture
In Macon, we leverage our rich cultural heritage as a launchpad for a new generation with new ideas.
- The Otis Redding Foundation, run by Queen Zelma, Karla and other members of the family, is all about equipping the next generation of Macon musicians. (Check out this spotlight from The New York Times earlier this year.)
- Mercer University revitalized the historic Capricorn Studios, now serving not only as a museum but as an incubator for new, emerging and established talent.
- Knight has been a steadfast supporter of the Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative and specifically invested in an expert analysis to raise awareness on the regional economic benefits of an upgrade to National Park and Preserve status.
Macon’s Reimagining the Civic Commons team surveying the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail. 
Capricorn Studios, photo courtesy of Mercer University. 
First cohort to graduate from the Downtown Diversity Initiative, courtesy of NewTown Macon. 
Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park courtesy of NewTown Macon. 
Downtown Diversity Initiative Class of 2022, courtesy of NewTown Macon.
There are so many other stories of how organizations and individuals are building a better Macon. I’m thrilled to see local and national interest about what’s happening in our community and I anticipate even more of it. To learn a bit more about our support for what’s happening on the ground, I invite you to check out Knight’s strategy in Macon here, and to sign up to our newsletter here.
Macon is trending, but our city’s story is not just a trend. What is taking place here is a testament to cross-sector community collaboration, citizen engagement, an optimistic view for tomorrow….and I believe we’re just getting started.
I extend a hearty, personal open invitation for you to #VisitMacon and see what all of the hype is about! My bet is that you will leave with Macon on YOUR mind.
Lynn Murphey is program director for Knight Foundation’s Macon program.
Image (top): Poplar St., activated by MacParty, a Downtown Challenge grant. Photo by: NewTown Macon.
With a new investment from Knight Foundation, ISeeChange is using artificial intelligence to provide better data on the impacts of climate change to inform how Miami approaches the issue
Miami, Fla. — ISeeChange, an engagement platform that empowers communities to collect data on flooding, heat, pollution and potential local solutions, is leveraging a $685,000 investment from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to help develop enhanced climate mitigation strategies in Miami and boost accessibility of its services to local governments and partners.
ISeeChange uses an artificial intelligence-enabled model to cross-reference community-reported events in real time. With Knight’s new commitment, the platform will expand across Miami-Dade County, allowing residents to share data on the impacts of flooding and rising temperatures. ISeeChange will also create partnerships across government, academic and nonprofit organizations to work directly with residents on climate solution strategies. The platform will focus on applying data collection in communities that are often underserved.
“Among all of the cities we work with, the citizens of Miami are passionate partners when it comes to protecting their neighborhoods and ISeeChange is a bridge between these citizens and their local municipal agencies,” said Julia Kumari Drapkin, founder and CEO of ISeeChange. “Knight’s investment is critical because it allows us to work more closely together with Miamians to develop innovative strategies to mitigate the effects of climate change locally and ensure all solutions are informed by the people who are most negatively impacted.”
In Miami, the platform—which was first introduced in June 2020—has been integral in providing the city with flood data that was a basis for successful grant applications totaling over $20 million for stormwater mitigation projects in Miami neighborhoods like Edgewater, Little Havana, Wynwood and Allapattah. ISeeChange also provides real-time data to the City of Miami, which has helped devise lower-cost solutions to flooding, improve response times during storms and eliminate data silos across departments.
In cities like New Orleans, Boston and Ocean City, New Jersey, ISeeChange also works alongside local engineering firms, health departments and nonprofits to model and track flooding, indoor urban heat and housing conditions, helping to inform cooling standard policies and design stormwater infrastructure.
Knight’s investment is part of its Smart Cities program, which aims to harness the application of digital technologies, like ISeeChange, to improve how communities respond to, connect with and engage residents. In Miami, Knight has invested over $60 million in nurturing the local tech and startup ecosystem to create lasting change for the future of the city. In May 2022, Knight served as title sponsor for Aspen Ideas: Climate, investing directly toward the smart application of technology to promote innovative solutions to tackle the effects of climate change.
“Digital technology and the vast data currently available in cities enable us to achieve out-of-the-box solutions. When and where cities deploy new public transportation routes, build urban tree canopies to cool buildings or plan to build electric vehicle infrastructure are decisions that rest on the hidden technological infrastructure of our cities,” said Lilian Coral, director of Knight’s national strategy and technology innovation program. “One key element that makes ISeeChange stand out is that it highlights the central role that residents can play in improving their communities, especially in areas most negatively impacted.”
ISeeChange fosters civic engagement through the use of digital technology, and it enables residents to meaningfully take part in such a timely issue like climate change, which undoubtedly impacts their community in a number of ways, from infrastructure to health and the economy.
“Based on ISeeChange’s experience to date, we are confident that this approach will continue to effectively inform impactful solutions and strategies that make a real difference in Miami,” Coral said.
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About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
We are social investors who support a more effective democracy by funding free expression and journalism, arts and culture in community, research in areas of media and democracy, and in the success of American cities and towns where the Knight brothers once published newspapers. Learn more at kf.org and follow @knightfdn on social media.
To support the River Edge Behavioral Health Center’s $20 million Capital Campaign for the new Recovery Center.
To support the establishment of the Miami-Dade Innovation Authority (“MDIA”), a nonpartisan initiative to accelerate adoption of technologies that improve community outcomes in climate resiliency, health and financial inclusion in Miami-Dade County, especially by local government.
To expand StoryCorps’ One Small Step, an initiative that brings community together with different political views in recorded conversations, to three Knight Cities.
To support United Way of Central Carolinas (UWCC) in building the capacity of resident-led organizations to deliver programming and services in the West Side of Charlotte.
To use commercial parking management and information technologies to provide information and tools about parking management strategies in San Jose in a publicly accessible, transparent manner so that people can work to shape nonpartisan policy and planning to build a more vibrant city.
To support Macon-Bibb Bicentennial Celebration in 2023.