Initiative Descriptions

Promise Neighborhoods

Promise Neighborhoods, is a federally funded initiative, established under the legislative authority. The Fresno Promise Neighborhoods collaborative represents a body of concerned citizens that includes community-benefit organizations and human service agencies, school site and school district, institutes of higher education, law enforcement, and city and county entities – together – rallying resources, ideas, and human power to promote the success of Fresno’s greatest at-risk students and their families.

The Fresno-based collaborative is the only Promise Neighborhood initiative in the entire Central Valley – that has formed to develop and ultimately implement a collaborative, community plan to tackle these issues. In late January of 2011, an initial plan was produced and presented to focus groups of parents of the target neighborhood, in addition to additional experts for feedback. In late May, a final draft was produced with support from community members and school district representatives.

Promise Neighborhoods are forming all across the country to address educational and social inequities within high poverty neighborhoods. Regional, state-wide, and national foundations and funders have stepped up to the plate in an effort to align with the federal Promise Neighborhoods program.

The Program Staff has been a part of this local initiative from its inception. We will continue to provide the FRF Board with updates. This initiative enriches existing community work. It also is an opportunity to holistically address community challenges, such as workforce development, education, housing and health. In many ways, it demonstrates how the various sectors of community building have come together.

Learn more about Promise Neighborhoods.

CF Leads

Fresno Regional Foundation is partnering with the Packard Foundation, Marin Community Foundation, San Francisco Foundation, and Silicon Valley Community Foundation regarding a statewide initiative, focused on chronic absenteeism.

FRF Program Staff member Natalie Garcia has taken on the role of leading a local team for the Chronic Absence Network, which is a partnership of community foundations, local education-focused CBOs and educational institutions to study and address chronic absences in grades K-3. 

FRF is also submitting a Letter of Intent for the All-America City award. By submitting the letter, the foundation and its partners will have access to experts and technical assistance from the Annie E. Casey Foundation in the areas of school readiness, summer learning loss and school absence.

Both of these campaigns align with so much work already being done in the community, as well as other big initiatives like Building Healthy Communities and Promise Neighborhoods. This is a great opportunity to come together.

City of Fresno: The Lowell Project

The Downtown & Community Revitalization Department (DCR Department) was formed with the mission of revitalizing downtown Fresno and the neighborhoods of poverty surrounding the downtown corridor. The Lowell community was chosen for the following reasons: