Inspiring Places Initiative

What are the public spaces that calm you? Energize you?Connect you with friends and neighbors? What makes themso attractive for you? Everyone needs these places in theirlives. However, many communities and neighborhoods lack themor have amenities that are under-invested. What can we do toensure that everyone has easy access to the vibrant publicspaces they deserve?

What is this initiative?Inspiring Places is CICF’s commitment to engage our community in creating andmaintaining public places that are both physically inviting and inviting for civic activity.

We are committing to this multi-million dollar initiative from 2005-2010. The commitment isbeing made by CICF, its affiliates Legacy Fund Community Foundation and The Indianapolis Foundation,and some of its internal partners and donor-advised funds.

Our goal is to help active citizen groups transform underused spaces into high quality community amenities.These public places include parks and public plazas, historic business districts and cultural districts, and thegreenways and pedestrian/bike trails that connect them. They could be located in small cities and towns,inner-city neighborhoods, or suburban communities in Marion and Hamilton Counties. Some may connectto places in surrounding counties. Communities may already be using beautification and development pro-grams, public art, or festivals to enhance their public places.

What does CICF mean by Inspiring Places?We believe all of the following characteristics are necessary for a vibrant public placei:1. What’s there – the quality, uniqueness, beauty, safeness, accessibility, and pedestrian friendliness of

the built and/or natural environment.2. Who’s there – a broad range of people interact there.3. What’s going on there – the place has energy and encourages a variety of uses (high-quality

experiences, active commerce, relaxation, street life, etc.), whether informal or formal.4. Ownership – there is an organization that actively encourages ongoing investment.5. Connectivity – ideally the place is connected by sidewalks and greenways to the residents it serves and

to other vital places.

A well-defined place is more than a location or space – it has deep meaningand a distinct character – it has evolved over time and is anchored in the values,

ideals and activities of the people who live there. – www.placemaker.ca

Why is this important to our community’s future?Generous donors and visionary leaders have bestowed central Indiana withhigh-quality natural, cultural, and built public places. At their best, theseunique resources have proven themselves to:l Break down economic, physical, and cultural barriers between peoplel Act as economic and cultural anchors to their surrounding neighborhoodsl Catalyze community energy and build a sense of community identity and

mutual ownershipl Encourage healthy lifestyles and civic engagementl Inspire and aid tourism and other economic development initiativesl Lead to enhanced national recognition for central Indiana’s quality of life

Unfortunately, most places and amenities don’t realize their full potential as communityassets. They face:

l Low and uneven usage – Local studies show we are a region of “casual users” of our cultural amenities. Less than 20 percent of our region’s residents frequently attend arts and cultural destinations, and the numbersdrop as income and education attainment levels decrease and/or family sizesincreaseii. Many other public places face similar low usage rates. Residentsnote that they don’t feel personal connections with our amenities, and perhaps then don’t see them as places to spend their limited leisure time.

l Sustainability challenges – Faced with limited or declining tax revenues,counties and cities are increasingly relying on private donations to build,maintain, and program public parks and spaces. Only two central Indianacounties (Morgan and Johnson) meet national benchmarks of 55 acres of recreation land per 1,000 people. Indianapolis only has 15 acres per 1,000 people, and Hamilton County has only 11.5iii.

l Economic changes – For places to thrive in the 21st century, they need to actively engage people on a human scale, and be physically connected to their home, work, and social lives.However, land development policies and the changing economy have widened gaps betweenwhere people live and where they can play and be inspired. Urban neighborhoods, rural areas,and older suburbs already face economic challenges, and newer developments without amenities will face those challenges in the future.

What does CICF propose to do?For more than 80 years, thousands of donors have honored CICF and its affiliates and partners withtheir philanthropic gifts, ideas, and energy. Their grantmaking funds have given us the opportunity tolearn from the most successful not-for-profits and civic leaders creating and sustaining places.

Our initiative will in turn honor those not-for-profits, civic leaders, and donors, and catalyze commu-nity energy around the momentum they have built. Through the end of 2010, CICF will play theroles of:l Public champion – shining a spotlight on the importance of these issues and the civic leaders

and organizations already engaged in them. And, advocating for and inspiring increased invest-ment of time and money by the community and other funders.

Garfield Park, Indianapolis

l Connector – learning from great ideas, and brokering relationships and ideas across communities and systems. Also, adding talent, ideas, and relationships through our own staff, board, partners, and donors.

l Investor – filling gaps or speeding progress directly through millions of dollars in grants. And, helping people understand the transformativepower of their philanthropy in these issues.

An early (but not exclusive) testing ground for our initiative is the CulturalTrail, a planned pedestrian and bicycle path in Indianapolis. It will connect the five Cultural Districts, engage the many cultural resources of the regional center, and provide a central hub for the nationally acclaimedIndianapolis Greenway trail system.

Will CICF make grants for this initiative?We welcome your ideas for our investment through our existing competitive grant processes. Note that in the first couple of years, we will prioritize projects that: a) already have local volunteer involvement, b) do notrequire our funds for significant acquisition costs, and c) work to achieve multiple characteristics outlined in“What does CICF mean by Inspiring Places” on page one. Most of the grants will be in Marion and HamiltonCounties in Indiana.

Submit an application by visiting the Grants section of our Web site at www.cicf.org. You can download ourGrantseeker’s Guide and Application Form to see how your ideas fit our different funds’ guidelines. If youdon’t have access to the Internet, call 317.634.2423 for these materials.

At this time, CICF does not have specific funds allocated for this initiative, but stay tuned to our Web site as we launch more specific grant opportunities in the future.

How will CICF evaluate its progress?By 2006, CICF will establish measurable criteria for progress in three categories:1. Inspiring actions – the investment of grants, staff time, and space in marketing materials by CICF,

its affiliates, and partners.2. Inspired philanthropy – the level of investments of time and money by other key stakeholders in

the community (local government, foundations, and significant donors).3. Community results – four to five leading indicators (statistics) of

on-the-ground progress to which we are contributing.

We welcome your ideas on the indicators that have the most meaningto our community, or tell us about how other organizations aretracking their results.

Proposed CulturalTrail rendering.

Hoosier singer Jennie DeVoe performs herunique blend of acoustic and soul at theIndiana State Museum's “Summer Sounds”concert series. Photo provided by the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites.

615 N. Alabama Street, Suite 119 l Indianapolis, IN 46204 l317.634.24231405 E. Broad Ripple Ave. l Indianapolis, IN 46220

515 E. Main Street lCarmel, IN 46032 l317.843.2479www.cicf.org

How can I get involved or find out more?Most importantly, we urge you to get involved in your own neighborhood. Donate volunteer time, cash, goods and/or services to local projects that help families achieve success.

Visit our Web site at www.cicf.org and click on “Community Leadership” to find stories of great local projects,links to key resources, opportunities for learning sessions and site visits with CICF staff, statistics, and more.You can also let us know about successful programs for families and sign up to stay informed about progresson our initiative.

Contact Tony Macklin, director of philanthropic services, at 317.634.2423 or e-mail tonym@cicf.org for moreinformation.

i Thanks to the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Family Strengthening Coalition for this frameworkii Indiana Coalition on Housing and Homeless Issues, “Status of Working Families in Indiana 2004”iii Corporation for Enterprise Development, “State Asset Development Report Card”iv United Way of Central Indiana, “Community Assessment 2003”v U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, “2003 National Survey on Drug Use & Health”vi The Heritage Foundation, “Family and Marriage Issues 04”vii United Way ibid.