The National Council on Aging (NCOA) delivers the resources, tools, best practices, and advocacy our nation needs to ensure that every person can age with health and economic well-being.
Vision
A just and caring society in which each of us, as we age, lives with dignity, purpose, and security
Mission
Improve the lives of millions of older adults, especially those who are struggling
Goal
Impact the health and economic security of 40 million older adults by 2030
PolicyLink is a national research and action institute working to redesign this nation so that it governs for all.
To realize this future, we are focused on awakening a shared consciousness that embraces the humanity of every person. We are shaping government to deliver results for all. And we are aligning the full force of our public, private, and civic resources to make this vision real.
We bring this focus on outcomes, consciousness, and resources to the domains that can accelerate transformation at scale:
The Kresge Foundation is a private, national foundation that works to expand equity and opportunities in America’s cities through grantmaking and social investing in arts and culture, education, environment, health, human services and community development, nationally and in Detroit, Memphis, New Orleans and Fresno. In collaboration with our partners, we help create pathways for people with low incomes to improve their life circumstances and join the economic mainstream.
Village to Village Network is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members. Through its programs, services and resources, the national Village to Village Network empowers Villages in formation, energizes functioning Villages, serves as a Village commons to connect its members, and champions the Village model as a leading best practice for healthy and vibrant aging. Village members remain connected to their communities, with reduced isolation, increased independence and enhanced purpose of life.
NACTO’s mission is to build cities as places for people, with safe, sustainable, accessible, and equitable transportation choices that support a strong economy and vibrant quality of life. Communicating a bold vision for 21st century urban mobility and building strong leadership capacity among city transportation officials. Mobilizing cities to lead the way on transportation policy at the local, state, and national levels. Raising the state of practice for street design that prioritizes people walking, biking, and taking transit. We are motivated by the potential for transformative change through urban design and transportation policy.
This belief emerges from the conviction that transforming streets is not only possible but necessary to address climate change and structural inequalities. We’re imaginative in our approach, knowing that achieving meaningful change requires different ways of thinking. We do not rest on past successes or ideas; we are always looking to iterate and improve. We approach the status quo with inquisitiveness and creativity, and we are motivated to confront deeply entrenched norms in the spirit of achieving our mission.
Better Block Foundation: Develop open-source media to help cities, community groups, and emerging leaders create rapid prototyping; Create opportunities for communities and their leaders to gain exposure to and training from urban planning experts, civic innovators, and architects; Facilitate community engagement through input and information, employing charrettes, and neighborhood meetings and workshops about the value of rapid prototyping to enhance public life; Host and organize study tours to benchmark successful examples of sustainable initiatives around the world; Create new and improve existing modeling tools though experimentation with innovative technologies and scientific solutions
Porchfest is a music festival held on the porches of the Fall Creek and Northside neighborhoods of Ithaca, NY. Porchfest is free and open for anyone to attend or perform. Performances take place on porches, and in yards and driveways, in a celebration of our vibrant creative community. Porchfest began in 2007, inspired by some outdoor ukulele playing and a conversation between neighbors Gretchen Hildreth and Lesley Greene. They came up with the idea for it that day and gathered 20 bands to make it happen in September of that year. The number of bands has increased every year since then, with 230 in 2025.
The AARP Public Policy Institute (PPI) is the focal point of public policy research, analysis and development at AARP. PPI develops creative policy solutions to address our common need for financial security, health care, and quality of life. Founded in 1985, PPI publishes policy analyses and provides updates on a range of topics, including current AARP priorities and emerging issues that affect older adults now and in the future.
Based on the #WeaveThePeople event and subsequent conversations with weavers, the Weave project now combines in-person gatherings with online tools and spaces with the goal of reaching 10 million weavers over the next decade. Today, the Weave project supports weavers in three ways: 1) Connect weavers through events, training, and an online community. 2) Lift up the critical role of weavers as trusted social leaders, even when they don’t have titles or many resources, by providing them with funding, speaking opportunities, and sharing their stories. 3) Inspire more people to live a weaving way of life that values relationships as highly as their own achievements.
We at Quadrivium look for initiatives that address the root causes of problems and where single actions can create multiple positive outcomes. We prioritize the potential for lasting impact over safe bets. And we seek opportunities where our investment or leadership will make a real difference. The Foundation currently has five main focus areas, with many topics being interrelated: Democracy, Technology and Society, Scientific Understanding, Climate Change and Ocean Health
Since its founding in 2018, the Foundation for Social Connection Action Network, formerly the Coalition to End Social Isolation & Loneliness, has been advocating for policy change that addresses the adverse effects of social isolation and loneliness. The Action Network represents some of the most influential consumer groups, patient advocates, health plans, community-based organizations, behavioral health groups, and private sector innovators in the United States, all who share a mission to create a more socially connected nation. Our mission is to convene and activate diverse stakeholders to design and advocate evidence-informed public policies that address social isolation and loneliness and advance social connection for all.
We believe that an integrated public realm has the power to transform society! With a holistic approach and dedicated public space survey methods, we uncover the true qualities and pitfalls of public space and their impact on civic life. It is this deep, place-based knowledge that informs our strategic and design solutions, creating the conditions for public life to thrive. Our Place Activation services support businesses and organizations in driving positive change within neighborhoods and communities. We help direct urban investments for the greater good by revitalizing districts and campuses to foster inclusion, community well-being, and enhance cultural and economic vitality. Our collaborative approach begins with an in-depth study of local history, identities, and needs to inform meaningful cultural programming, placemaking initiatives, and retail strategies. As pioneers of people-first urbanism, we help you build trust in cities, contribute to social infrastructure, and lead a new era of corporate urban citizenship.
The Foundation for Social Connection Action Network (F4SCAN), formerly known as the Coalition to End Social Isolation and Loneliness (CESIL), has the mission to bring together a diverse set of national organizations, including consumer groups, health plans, healthcare providers, technology innovators, patient advocates, and more to develop and advocate for federal policy solutions to address the epidemic of social isolation and loneliness. Our efforts span a wide range of activities – developing and advocating for federal and state policy solutions, leading public awareness activations in Washington D.C. and across the nation, and incorporating the latest research into our policy platform. Through partnerships, the Action Network elevates the latest advancements and innovation in this field to national and international prominence. These collaborations feed into our advocacy and activation efforts, helping our members continue their invaluable work.
We are a nonprofit organization that mobilizes partners and the public to embrace the arts as a proven path towards improved personal and public health. Rooted in medicine and science, we develop applications for utilizing creative arts expression as a remedy to national health issues. Through collaborative partnerships and innovative programs, we serve communities by providing arts-based programs and resources that improve wellbeing. The creative arts offer a powerful lens to better understand ourselves, each other, and the world. Art draws us inward, allowing us a chance to improve personal health through individual reflection, expression, and action. Creativity also acts as a catalyst to promote interpersonal engagement that strengthens community connections and wellbeing. We utilize the arts as a public health tool to improve America’s health and wellbeing.
Focused Community Strategies: Alongside Neighbors, we are creating transformation through Neighborhood Engagement, Mixed-Income Housing, and Economic Development. Through Training & Consulting, we equip other organizations to bring transformation to their neighborhoods. Mixed-income housing is the foundation of a thriving neighborhood. FCS creates home buying and rental opportunities for residents across the income spectrum. We revitalize properties, build new ones, and own rental homes in the community to create a balanced housing inventory. FCS operates small businesses in order to provide jobs, spur on the local economy, serve as a community hub, and increase access to resources for all residents. These endeavors work to undo systemic under-investment in neighborhoods like ours and increase all neighbors’ access to resources. Our neighbors wanted a local grocery store that offered fresh food. Together, we made it a reality and created Carver Market. We’re a space for neighbors, conversations, for sipping your favorite latte with your favorite people. Community Grounds is a positive “Third Space” for growing, relaxing, and enjoying a darn good cup of coffee. We believe in the transformative power of neighboring. We support local leadership and align with them to strengthen and unify the neighborhood through programs, partnerships, and developing the next generation.
Enterprise is organized around three central goals: to increase housing supply, advance racial equity, and build resilience and upward mobility. To achieve these goals, we operate across three divisions — Solutions, Capital and Community Development — that unify and leverage a family of purpose-built affiliates to execute our work. Our Solutions division operates a 501(c)(3) nonprofit nationwide with programmatic, policy, advisory, and capacity-building arms at the national, state, and local level, working in more than 700 communities and in collaboration with thousands of partners in the nonprofit, public, and for-profit sectors. Our Capital division comprises several subsidiaries: a 501(c)(4) nonprofit that invests and asset manages a range of tax credits and equity; a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that is one of the country’s largest publicly rated Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI); and an equity interest in Bellwether Enterprise, through which we also provide access to conventional mortgage products. Our Community Development division operates a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that is one of the largest nonprofit owners and developers of affordable homes in the Mid-Atlantic and is the sixth largest nonprofit affordable housing provider in the U.S.
COSCDA supports the common interest and goals of states, with major emphasis on community development, affordable housing, local economic development and state-local relations. COSCDA advocates for the interests of states with federal policy makers. We analyze proposed legislation and budget initiatives, help states share information about best practices and produce a variety of newsletters. In addition we also offer COSCDA members technical assistance on a variety of community development and housing related issues. My desire is to provide our members and visitors with the latest information on these important issues. Additionally, we strive to take advantage of the latest technology to make constant improvements in the look and navigation of our site – resulting in greater utilization by our members. I trust that your visit will be informative.
As an alliance, we mobilize support for community development organizations’ work to create stronger, healthier, and more prosperous communities. We believe that a stronger community development field leads to thriving communities across the country. Local community development organizations work in low- and moderate-income communities to develop affordable housing and commercial space, support small business development, and provide social services. We represent the community development field in Washington, D.C. with the federal government and major philanthropic organizations. The relationships we build and fortify anchor our advocacy work, gaining support for community developers and their communities. We Engage Private Funders to Support Community Development: We educate banks, private foundations, and corporations about the value of community development, providing data on its impact and potential. By introducing new funders to our field and bolstering the support of existing funders, we expand resources for community developers across the country.
Community Catalyst partners with more than 300 local and state organizations across 45+ states. We are working with partners and community leaders across the country to develop and drive bold policy and practice change ideas — from public health to coverage to payment reform — that will fundamentally change the health system. In all we do, we embrace that the health system can only be reimagined if the people who are harmed the most today are at the center of designing the solutions for tomorrow. We also work closely with other national organizations to advance shared goals. We strongly believe that it is only by working and building power together that we can make deep and lasting health system change that responds to all communities. Community Catalyst partners with local and state organizations to ground policy and practice change goals in community perspective and leadership, build campaigns to advance those goals, and grow organizational reach and impact as a part of our shared power building work. The System of Advocacy approach is collaborative, dynamic, and anchored in an emphasis on listening, sharing information and resources, and facilitating learning.
Our network builds bridges across the St. Louis region’s community building sector. Our capacity building supports our member organizations and their partners so that they can do their best work. Our advocacy champions policies that strengthen our civic muscle. Our storytelling celebrates what it takes to make our St. Louis communities great places to live. CBN supports, connects, and celebrates organizations working to champion St. Louis region communities, especially those most impacted by systemic disinvestment. We envision a St. Louis region where neighborhoods that have been historically marginalized, especially minority neighborhoods, have equitable access to the resources and opportunities available to our area’s most privileged neighborhoods.