To empower the St. Paul community by creating a transformative event where residents connect with local influencers and innovators to access their dreams, showcase their talents and share knowledge to promote a more informed, involved and inclusive community.
Program Area: Community Impact
To increase community engagement along Biloxi’s coastline through a mobile exhibit that highlights the 1960s “Biloxi wade-ins”—a series of public demonstrations intended to desegregate beaches in coastal Mississippi.
To pilot an accelerator program for locally-based social ventures through support of the Radical Partners Leadership Development Fund at The Miami Foundation.
To pursue a strategic home for civic participation and engagement in Detroit by supporting the planning and development of a civic engagement initiative in Detroit, Vision 2021, that will educate, engage and mobilize residents in the non-partisan public decision-making of city life.
Macon, Ga. – June 27, 2017 – Navicent Health today announced $5 million in support for its new Children’s Hospital facility from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and Beverly Knight Olson, a Macon philanthropist and loyal supporter and volunteer at Children’s Hospital, Navicent Health for more than 25 years. Olson is a daughter of Knight-Ridder newspapers’ founder James Knight. The hospital’s new facility will be named the Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital, Navicent Health to honor her contributions.
“When you consider someone who in Macon epitomizes selflessness and compassion, the first name that comes to mind is Beverly Knight Olson,” said Ellen Terrell, chief development officer of Navicent Health Foundation. “We could not think of a more fitting person after whom to name our Children’s Hospital. A gift of this magnitude from Beverly Knight Olson and Knight Foundation will propel this campaign to the next level, and we know others will follow their lead to help make this new Children’s Hospital a reality for families in central and south Georgia.”
“When we think of the children who trust us with their care and the standard we charge ourselves to live up to, there is no higher bar we could set for ourselves. Beverly is deeply involved in the Macon community, and has been a faithful and active supporter of Children’s Hospital for many years,” said Dr. Ninfa M. Saunders, president and CEO of Navicent Health. “She was instrumental in establishing our Safe Kids Bibb County program, as well as our annual Golf Classic fundraiser. We are thrilled to name our new facility in her honor, not only for her generous financial support, but also for her many years of hands-on care for our children and their families.”
Olson is committing $1 million and Knight Foundation is investing $4 million in the new hospital.
Navicent Health is currently Macon-Bibb’s largest employer. With more than 45,000 visits projected annually, the state-of-the-art institution will attract new talent to Macon and serve as an important anchor in the community. It will contribute to downtown Macon’s transformation, adding to Knight’s previous investments in the city.
“Jack and Jim Knight were deeply committed to the success of the communities where they built their business and lived their lives. The Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital, named for Jim’s daughter, promises to bring new opportunities and talent to Macon, helping to build a stronger future for the city and the region,” said Knight Foundation President Alberto Ibargüen.
In June 2016, amid a climate that has seen a number of hospital closures and limited hospital expansion, Navicent Health announced its intent to construct a new Children’s Hospital facility, with plans to begin serving the region’s patients in 2019.
Since 1987, the nonprofit Children’s Hospital, Navicent Health has been committed to enhancing the lives of children through excellence in patient care, research and education. The only dedicated pediatric facility in central Georgia, and one of the most comprehensive in the state, it provides care in general pediatrics, pediatric critical care, neonatal intensive care and outpatient services. The hospital also serves as the primary teaching site for the Department of Pediatrics at the Mercer University School of Medicine.
Due to a growing demand for additional service options, Children’s Hospital, Navicent Health has outgrown its current facility, constructed in 1962 and designed for adult healthcare. Navicent Health’s vision is to construct a new facility in order to expand services in a hospital designed to meet the specific needs of children with illness or injury.
The new hospital, to be built on the current site at 888 Pine St. in downtown Macon, will be a larger facility with the latest equipment and technologies.
“Children are not small adults. Their health needs are different and are constantly changing,” said Dr. Josh Glenn, the hospital’s director of Pediatric Surgery. “With a proven track record of providing excellent care, we are faced with the need to replace the current facility. We are committed to comprehensive, excellent care delivered by highly trained, board-certified pediatric physicians and clinical staff. We look forward to providing care in a new, world-class facility.”
With gratitude to Olson and her generous support, Navicent Health continues to seek philanthropic support in order to make its goal a reality.
“Children’s Hospital, Navicent Health has always relied on philanthropic support, and we are grateful to our donors for their commitment to Georgia’s most fragile children. Each gift made to the Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital campaign will be an investment not only in the children of today, but for the generations to come. Whether it is a premature infant born at less than one pound or a teenager recovering from an automobile accident, donors make a significant difference in the lives of our precious children. My family and I have been pleased to support this wonderful organization for many years, and we invite our community to become a part of the growing legacy for children who have and will continue to depend on the specialized care provided by the Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital, Navicent Health,” said Olson.
The hospital adds to Knight Foundation’s previous investments in Macon. Since Knight made a $2 million investment to establish the College Hill Alliance in 2009, public and private sources have invested an additional $25 million in residential and commercial development in the area, a 2012 independent evaluation commissioned by the foundation found. Continued revitalization of the Beall’s Hill neighborhood and Historic Macon, improvements to Tattnall Square Park, the development of Mercer Village and Mercer’s Center for Collaborative Journalism are among the most visible outcomes of the initiative. These efforts have resulted in more than $97 million in private and public investment since 2009.
The construction of the new Children’s Hospital is one of a number of initiatives Navicent Health plans to undertake within the next five years in order to dramatically improve access to high-quality, reasonably-priced care within the region.
About Navicent Health
Navicent Health was incorporated on November 17, 1994, as a nonprofit corporation whose primary purpose is to coordinate the Medical Center, Navicent Health and other affiliated entities in their mission of providing a comprehensive continuum of high quality, reasonably priced healthcare services to the region. Navicent Health has 830 beds for medical, surgical, rehabilitation and hospice purposes. The health system includes The Medical Center, Navicent Health, a nationally recognized tertiary teaching hospital; Children’s Hospital, Navicent Health, the region’s only dedicated pediatric hospital; Medical Center of Peach County, Navicent Health, a rural critical access hospital; Rehabilitation Hospital, Navicent Health, the region’s oldest and most experienced rehabilitation provider; Pine Pointe, Navicent Health, which provides palliative and hospice care in homes and in its facility; Carlyle Place, Navicent Health, the area’s first continuing care retirement community; Navicent Health Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Navicent Health; as well as diagnostic and home care services. For more information, please visit www.navicenthealth.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 knightfoundation.org.
CONTACTS:
Megan Allen, Publications Coordinator, Navicent Health, 478-550-4380, [email protected]
Anusha Alikhan, Director of Communications, Knight Foundation, 305-908-2646, [email protected]
To support ten exemplary black men as BMe Community Geniuses and elevate them to demonstrate the value of diverse talent and inclusive civic engagement for a more prosperous Akron.
To support the citizenship application process and nonpartisan education of lawful permanent residents in Knight communities to increase the number of those residents applying for citizenship.
To engage Macon audiences by expanding interpretative exhibits at the historic Capricorn Recording Studios that will be a key component of Mercer Music at Capricorn, a two million dollar restoration initiative.
Philadelphia—June 23, 2017—The Delaware River Waterfront Corporation announced their plan to transform Philadelphia’s Municipal Pier 9 into the Cherry Street Pier, creating a multi-functional public community space for creative collaboration and civic engagement. The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation is investing $683,000 in the project to test a model for repurposing civic spaces to help cities increase economic opportunity and promote inclusion.
The approximately $4 million project will build on Delaware River Waterfront Corporation’s successful track-record of activating underutilized public spaces. It aims to create a hub for skill-building and innovation, while connecting Philadelphia’s growing community of entrepreneurs, makers and artists. To this end, it will open opportunities for dialogue, learning, collaboration and engagement centered on community issues and opportunities.
Cherry Street Pier will feature four zones of activity: The Hub, a food and beverage venue at the entrance to the pier; The Garage, a collaborative working space featuring shared offices and studios built out of repurposed shipping containers; The Platform, an open programmable space for pop-up retail markets, art installations and public events; and The Garden, an open-air park and café with views of the Delaware River.
“To remain relevant, civic assets and public spaces need to be more than gathering spaces; they must create value and provide amenities that engage the community and advance economic opportunity. We hope the pier will help meet these goals, serving as a model for transforming public spaces to support up-and-coming entrepreneurs, makers and artists, while driving excitement and connection amongst diverse residents,” said Patrick Morgan, Knight Foundation program director for Philadelphia.
Municipal Pier 9, the 93-year old warehouse owned by the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation features over 55,000 square feet of open space that has been vacant for decades. This unique, post-industrial site is conveniently located at Columbus Boulevard next to Race Street Pier, making it easily accessible to visitors who are taking public transportation, walking, biking or traveling by car.
The intention for the space, as articulated in the corporation’s Master Plan for Central Delaware, is for it to become a highly visible cultural and commercial anchor for the area. Rather than undertaking a complete renovation, Delaware River Waterfront Corporation has opted for a phased approach which will return the space to active use more quickly and build momentum for further investment as the project grows. The physical changes to the Pier structure and building shed were carefully chosen to be both economical and preserve its historical character.
“We’re thrilled to reintroduce this historic pier to active, public use, and to provide a unique resource for our city’s growing creative community,” said Joe Forkin, in-coming President of DRWC. “Cherry Street Pier is the latest example of the vision of the Master Plan coming to fruition, and will contribute to the ongoing resurgence of the Delaware River Waterfront.”
Support for the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation forms part of Knight Foundations efforts to leverage public spaces and civic assets, such as parks, recreation centers, libraries and more, to promote inclusion and foster vibrant, connected communities. Knight has made several investments in this area including the national $40 million Reimagining the Civic Commons initiative, initially piloted in Philadelphia.
For more information on this exciting new project and the Delaware River Waterfront please visit www.delawareriverwaterfront.com.
About the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation
DRWC is a 501(c)(3) created in January 2009, exclusively for the benefit of the City of Philadelphia and its citizens. The fundamental purpose of DRWC is to design, develop, program and maintain public amenities such as permanent and seasonal parks, trails, and streetscape improvements to transform the waterfront into a vibrant destination for recreational, cultural, and commercial activities for the residents and visitors of Philadelphia as is consistent with the goals of the Master Plan for Central Delaware. Daily programming throughout the entire year is changing the way Philadelphians see and converse about the waterfront, and is helping to create spaces and communities that connect residents and visitors to the waterfront.
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.
CONTACTS:
Jodie Milkman, Vice President for Communications, Delaware River Waterfront Corporation
(o) 215 629-3216, (c) 267-228-2004, [email protected]
Anusha Alikhan, Director of Communications, Knight Foundation
305-908-2646, [email protected]
To increase nonpartisan civic engagement in Milledgeville by piloting a mobile survey booth stocked with questions around nonpartisan local issues, oddball initiatives, and creative thinking.
To build leadership capacity and promote community engagement among city transportation officials in Knight communities with support for the NACTO Designing Cities annual conference and Leadership NACTO, a new fellowship experience.