Social Impact Report 2014-15

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BUILDING LIFTING SOCIAL IMPACT REPORT 2014- 2015

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When asked what they would like to see in their neighborhood, here’s what a few community members had to say...

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TABLE OF CONTENTS VISION, VALUES, AND GOALS. . . . 2 Our Community. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 How We Work. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 OUR IMPACT WORK . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Neighborhood Innovation District. . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Community Engagement. . . . . . . 8 Shared Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Education and Career Pathways . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Creative Industries and Social Enterprise . . . . . . . . 16 Jacobs Presents Performances and Cultural Experiences. . . . . . 18 Transforming Space to Place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 MEASURING SUCCESS. . . . . . . . . 22 PARTNERS AND FUNDERS . . . . . 26 OUR JOURNEY CONTINUES. . . . . 30

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Greetings, On behalf of the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation, I am pleased to report that we have made progress this past year and are moving forward as a fiscally strong organization. To accomplish this, we partnered with a range of stakeholders and pushed a bold agenda to help foster a thriving place to live, work, and enjoy. Key to this was advancing major elements in our three-year strategic plan, and we were pleased with the level of resident participation that helped chart this course for our work. We remain committed to robust community engagement and are putting digital technology to greater use to interact with and hear from the dynamic and diverse voices in Southeastern San Diego’s Diamond Neighborhoods.

Also this past year, we regained momentum on our redevelopment work. By working closely with the City of San Diego and our local councilmember, we were able to achieve milestones on three projects: the opening of Walgreens, the start of restoration efforts on Chollas Creek, and breaking ground on Trolley Park Terrace, a 52-unit affordable housing project. These projects provide residents with greater access to amenities that improve their quality of life and progress us toward meeting our goal of developing the Jacobs Center’s remaining 50 acres over the next eight to ten years. We are now working to develop a Redevelopment Master Plan to guide future projects and achieve a cohesive and vibrant town center.

Additionally, we have pioneered San Diego’s first Public-Philanthropic Partnership with the city to streamline the development of this land and encourage economic equity in the area.

We are moving toward transforming the community into a Neighborhood Innovation District built on physical, economic, and networking assets. We know that for this community build-out to be successful, we must also develop the capacity of local enterprises and support wealth-building opportunities. Our land assets, which are in close proximity to the Euclid Transit Center, are a strong core for us to build on and drive economic growth. We must also develop the skills of residents so they can fill the jobs offered by the innovative industries our region is home to. Jobs with family-supporting wages and opportunities for career pathways are essential to sustaining prosperity in a community. Laying the foundation for a more equitable local economy and supporting our work in this area are both part of our Community Economic Opportunity Plan, which ensures investments in the community are maximized.

This report provides more detail about our role as a community partner forging innovation in community development. We remain committed to working together to achieve our common goal of a thriving and vibrant community.

Thank you for your continued support.

Reginald Jones

President and CEO

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The mission of the Jacobs Center is to foster a thriving community envisioned and realized by its residents.

VISION

VALUES AND

GOALS

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he Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation is a place-based philanthropy focused on community revitalization in the Diamond Neighborhoods, a historically underserved community in Southeastern San Diego.

The MISSION of the Jacobs Center is to foster a thriving community envisioned and realized by its residents.

The VISION of the Jacobs Center is to be part of a caring community, where people are responsible to each other, where all cultures are embraced, where sustaining resources are in place for a vibrant economic and philanthropic life, and where residents work together to create the future they envision.

OUR COMMUNITY Located in the heart of San Diego’s 4th Council District, the Diamond Neighborhoods are home to nearly 88,000 residents and include

Without easy access to quality services and amenities in their community, residents are forced to go elsewhere to spend their paychecks. the communities of Chollas View, Emerald Hills, Lincoln Park, Mountain View, Mount Hope, North Encanto, Oak Park, South Encanto, Valencia Park, and Webster. What was formerly a predominantly African American community has shifted to a mix that now includes 53% Latino, 21% African American, and

13% Asian and Pacific Islander residents. Within area schools, the percentage of Latino students is even higher. This shifting population base is also younger than the rest of San Diego, with an average age of 29, signaling the need to engage the next generation of community leaders.

In 2014, residents spent a billion dollars outside of their district.

Diamond Neighborhoods Overview RACE/ETHNICITY

53%

Hispanic or Latino (of any race)

9%

White alone

21%

Black or African American alone

13%

Asian alone Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander alone Two or more races

2%

2%

V I SI O N , VA LU E S, A N D G OA L S |

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Without easy access to quality services and amenities in their community, residents are forced to go elsewhere to spend their hard-earned paychecks. One example of this is the distance residents in the Diamond Neighborhoods must travel to a grocery store compared to the rest of the region. In the Diamond Neighborhoods, 5.7% of the population lives more than one mile from a grocery store, compared to 3.2% of San Diego County’s population.

This is one contributing factor to the community’s status as a food desert.

HOW WE WORK Over the past two decades, the Jacobs Center has evolved from a traditional grant maker to a nonprofit strengthening organization to an active community partner. Today, we serve as catalyst, convener, connector, facilitator, funder, and strategic advisor in order to have

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| VISION, VALUES, AND GOA LS

the greatest impact improving residents’ quality of life. Through a network of nonprofit and forprofit partners, we are creating assets that will become economic engines for the community when the foundation sunsets in 2030.

When gaps exist, we fill the role of incubator, but only with a clear exit strategy that ensures sustainability of the program or initiative beyond our sunset.

Using these partnerships, we are doing physical redevelopment and facilitating programs that create pipelines to higher-wage jobs.

By working closely with the City of San Diego this year, we were able to regain momentum on our redevelopment projects, providing residents with greater access to community amenities.

Additionally, we open our center to other foundations, organizations, and educational institutions to share our learning and our experience in place-based work.

Today, we serve as catalyst, convener, connector, facilitator, funder, and strategic advisor in order to have the greatest impact improving residents’ quality of life.

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By functioning as a catalyst for collective action, our role is to lay the foundation for the Diamond Neighborhoods to become a destination for innovation, arts, and culture.

OUR

IMPACT

WORK

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THEORY OF CHANGE: NEIGHBORHOOD INNOVATION DISTRICT To achieve true revitalization and create economic equity in Southeastern San Diego’s historically underserved Diamond Neighborhoods, we selected the Neighborhood Innovation District model as the most fitting approach to our community development work. This decision came as we realized the work we were already doing fit this new model being piloted across the country. Innovation districts have existed for years and are used to drive economic growth, social justice, and inclusion in a community. They appear in places like Silicon Valley, Boston’s Waterfront, Philadelphia’s University City, Pittsburgh’s Urban Innovation21, and 22@Barcelona.

We plan to implement the principles of other successful innovation districts at the neighborhood level.

A Neighborhood Innovation District is a geographic area

within an existing community where institutions and companies can cluster and collaborate with local entrepreneurs, educational institutions, and innovators. Built on physical, networking, and economic assets, it is walkable and transit-oriented and typically has mixed-use developments that combine retail, office, and housing spaces. Residents are supported so they have the skills to continue to generate economic opportunities for themselves, their families, and the greater community.

Neighborhood Innovation District The success of a Neighborhood Innovation District hinges on the creation of three interconnected elements:

PHYSICAL

assets, such as our infrastructure and redevelopment projects

NETWORKING assets that encourage collaboration, support, and capacity building

ECONOMIC assets, like specialized industries and opportunities to cultivate higher-wage jobs O U R I MPACT WO R K |

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NETWORKING ECONOMIC

N E I G H B O R H O O D I N N O VAT I O N D I S T R I CT

NEIGHBORHOOD INNOVATION DISTRICT ELEMENTS IN ACTION Last summer, we worked alongside residents and stakeholders in the community to develop our Strategic Plan for 2015-2017. We identified key imperatives related to our redevelopment and programmatic work as well as our internal operations. Each imperative is accompanied by a set of strategies that increase our success in these areas over three years. The Strategic Plan takes the elements that build a Neighborhood Innovation District and puts them into action.

By functioning as a catalyst for collective action, our role is to lay the foundation for the Diamond Neighborhoods to become a destination for innovation, arts, and culture. We plan to build off current assets in the community, including a transit-accessible location near downtown San Diego, Chollas Creek, which runs through the heart of the community, and the Diamond’s informal designation as one of San Diego’s cultural districts.

All of the area’s natural assets are interwoven into the physical, economic, and networking elements we are working to build.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Our long-standing commitment to community engagement knits together residents and smaller organizations in cross-sector networks. This also includes hosting national convenings on subjects that advance our community development work and the field of place-based philanthropy. Additionally, we are using new digital platforms to engage residents.

Strategic Planning Process This past year, we convened 40 community residents to work alongside our team on our threeyear Strategic Plan. During this planning process, residents expressed that the most effective way we could work with them was as a convener, facilitator, and

connector to other community programs and initiatives and as an incubator for ideas. The final plan was shared at a Town Hall attended by 300 residents and community leaders.

Living Room Conversations In an effort to engage residents in an ongoing dialogue, we began a series of living room conversations. The goal was for our executive leadership team to meet with residents and listen to their thoughts, questions, and ideas regarding the revitalization of their community. We have found that residents feel more comfortable sharing their honest feedback in these types of small group settings.

Redevelopment Community Working Group This year, we organized a group of residents and stakeholders to serve as advisors in our redevelopment work. Our Redevelopment Community

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| O U R IMPACT WOR K

Working Group meets monthly to discuss the residents’ vision for revitalization and to provide critical feedback on specific components of our physical redevelopment work. In 2016, this group plans to design a Land Use 101 workshop as part of our Community Learning Series to equip other residents with a better understanding of the process for physically transforming a community.

panel. March recounts Lewis’s experiences during the Civil Rights Movement and provides valuable lessons in nonviolent activism and youth empowerment.

With many communities across the country still struggling with social and racial issues today, the messages of hope that March offers were especially meaningful for the residents of the Diamond Neighborhoods.

Congressman John Lewis Comes to Southeastern San Diego

This group of Spanish-speaking residents work together to develop leadership in the Latino community. In 2014, the Jacobs Center hosted a National Night Out event in partnership with the San Diego Police Department that brought together 300 residents. This local event is part of the annual National Night Out community-building campaign that promotes police-

In July 2015, we partnered with the Elementary Institute of Science to host legendary civil rights activist and respected member of Congress John Lewis at our venue to discuss his award-winning graphic novel series March. Nearly

800 residents, community leaders, and elected officials came to hear Congressman Lewis and his collaborators Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell speak after their 2015 Comic-Con

Platicando Con Mi Gente

community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie.

O U R I MPACT WO R K |

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NETWORKING ECONOMIC

N E I G H B O R H O O D I N N O VAT I O N D I S T R I CT

In 2015, this event transitioned to full management by Platicando Con Mi Gente. More than 400 people attended the event and 38 booths provided information on a range of community services.

Leading up to the event, we trained the group’s leadership on event planning, fundraising, volunteer recruitment, communications, and relationship building with elected officials and their administrative offices.

The facilitation and leadership training we provided can be used to enhance all aspects of their advocacy work.

Chollas Creek Cleanup Stewardship In July 2015, the community expressed a desire to actively participate with us in the cleanup of Chollas Creek, which runs through the heart of the Diamond Neighborhoods. We provided financial support for materials

and helped recruit volunteers via our community outreach team and communication channels. Fifteen community volunteers served on a planning committee for the cleanup. On the day of the event, 88 volunteers arrived ready to get their hands dirty and remove debris from the creek. Due to this level of resident enthusiasm, the Jacobs Center plans to create a stewardship program to do regular cleanups that bring residents together to maintain the beauty and health of Chollas Creek.

Community Investment Fund The Community Investment Fund, a group of resident investors in the Jacobs Center’s Market Creek Plaza shopping center, celebrated a huge milestone at the end of 2015. The Jacobs Center transferred nearly $100,000 to the group, allowing these residents to take charge of their own destiny and determine

Chollas Creek Enhancement Project

EUCLID AVENUE

WALGREENS

MARKET STREET

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how they want to “plant their

dollars in the community.”

The group worked to grow the fund, and the Jacobs Center assisted with assuring the funds were deposited into federally insured investment accounts. The Community Investment Fund is now looking to the development of the Diamond Neighborhoods as an opportunity to invest in and grow the community.

SHARED LEARNING Our work is about taking risks and turning challenges into opportunities. Every community conversation, workshop, town hall meeting, and survey has been a “hands-on” learning experience that not only informs our work, but can also inform the many fields striving to understand and create the dynamics of sustainable revitalization and equity.

Our resident-driven work leads us to collaborate with some of the brightest minds in philanthropy, community engagement, and place-based work and evaluation.

Our goal was to identify best practices and strategies to bridge the gap between offline and online organizing.

Community Learning Series This year, we launched our Community Learning Series, which offers workshops, typically at no cost to residents. The first effort in the series was our

Parent Leadership Learning Series. We partnered with UC San Diego Extension and the Diamond Educational Excellence Partnership to offer a free eightweek course that empowered local parents to be active partners in and advocates for their children’s success in school. The course was offered in English and Spanish.

Seventy parents completed the series and received certificates from UC San Diego Extension.

Some parent graduates went on to join advisory committees for their child’s school and the San Diego Unified School District.

O U R I MPACT WO R K | 11

N E I G H B O R H O O D I N N OVAT I O N D I S T R I CT

NETWORKING ECONOMIC

Jill Raney, founder of Practice Makes Progress, and Mike Spear, Director of Business Development at Classy, present on using data to strengthen and increase impact at the Digital Organizing Summit.

Digital Organizing Summit In April 2015, we hosted some of the country’s brightest minds in digital organizing and traditional community engagement at a Digital Organizing Summit. Our goal was to identify best practices and strategies to bridge the gap between offline and online organizing. A report on the challenges, opportunities, and recommendations discussed at the summit will be shared with others around the country and will lead to the creation of tool kits to inform effective digital and on-the-ground organizing.

The Jacobs Center will incorporate the recommendations and effective practices from the summit into its own community engagement work.

Place-Based Evaluation Convening In 2014, we received a multi-year grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation for $175,000 that will be used to generate a landscape scan of existing research and shared learning opportunities in place-based philanthropy with a resident focus. This includes

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community engagement and outreach, survey development, and compiling existing research. Part of this funding went toward “Is this a Better Place? The Art & Science of Place-Based Evaluation,� a gathering of national funders, evaluators, and community leaders working in place-based research and evaluation, hosted by the Jacobs Center in partnership with the Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions and Neighborhood Funders Group in October 2015. The goal of this convening was to create an

ongoing dialogue and shared understanding about the importance of evaluation in place-based initiatives.

Fundraising and Grant Mentorship Our development team often acts as fundraising mentors for other community-based organizations.

From passing along grant opportunities to reviewing applications to forming strategic collaborations, we know that helping our partners secure the funding needed to fulfill their missions means greater chances of sustainability for

all the work we do together to improve the community.

This year, our development team assisted the United African American Ministerial Action Council with grant advice that helped them secure funds for their gun exchange program, a partnership with the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, and City of San Diego Police Department.

EDUCATION AND CAREER PATHWAYS Creating the foundation for community leadership and economic success means supporting the education of youth, from learning their ABCs to completing their college degrees.

We link schools to communitybased organizations in order to increase student achievement, create alternative learning environments, and develop future community stewards.

Knox Middle School Native Habitat In 2015, the Jacobs Center facilitated a program between Groundwork San Diego and Knox Middle School that offers students hands on activities in STE[+a]M education (science, technology, engineering, art, and math). In November, 500 students visited Groundwork San Diego’s Earth Lab, also located in the Diamond Neighborhoods, on nine distinct field trips. The field trips included activities related to identifying and understanding native plants and animals, creative engineering, watershed ecology, and creating art. These activities were in preparation for phase two of the project where the students and Groundwork San Diego will build a 6,000-square-foot habitat on the campus of Knox Middle School.

This lab is planned to serve 500 students per year and integrate as an applied project into 15 Next Generation Science Standards (five per grade level).

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Full STE[+a]M Ahead Summer Youth Program In 2014, the Jacobs Center worked with UC San Diego Extension to develop a summer youth program for students who live or go to high school in Southeastern San Diego. Built on the national STE[+a]M education model that combines science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math, this program offers hands-on activities and weaves in leadership-development skills so that students see themselves as positive changemakers in the community. This year, we partnered with UC San Diego Extension, the Elementary Institute of Science, Project New Village, the AjA Project, the San Diego Futures Foundation, and Groundwork San Diego to engage students in urban agriculture, food justice, and photography. Through hands-on

activities, students were able to see how what they are learning in school is applied to careers in the real world. Forty-five students completed this year’s program, more than double the previous year’s number. For the past two years, we were proud to incubate this program, which next year transitions to the Elementary Institute of Science with support

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from UC San Diego Extension. This two-year pilot is an example of the role the Jacobs Center is playing as we build the capacity of others to sustain the momentum.

Diamond Educational Excellence Partnership (DEEP) This collaborative of community leaders and organizations is improving educational outcomes for children living in the Diamond Neighborhoods. DEEP’s work is focused on ensuring that these children transition smoothly through critical junctures in the education pipeline, from cradle to career. Its initial focus is on ensuring that students in its partner elementary schools read

proficiently by the end of the third grade. In pursuit of this goal, DEEP partners provide local schools with principal and teacher professional development opportunities, capacity-building for parents and other providers of early childhood care, and summer learning programs and book clubs. At the end of the 2014-2015 school year, 82% of third graders

at all three partner schools combined achieved proficiency in foundational reading skills and 44% demonstrated reading comprehension at or above grade level.

DEEP’s goal is ensuring students can read proficiently by the end of third grade.

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NETWORKING ECONOMIC

N E I G H B O R H O O D I N N OVAT I O N D I S T R I CT

CREATIVE INDUSTRIES & SOCIAL ENTERPRISE Training and pathways to creative careers are essential to improving economic success for families and businesses in our community.

We use social enterprise models to deepen the economic impact, support community programs, and train and prepare residents for today’s in-demand careers.

Writerz Blok Our urban art powerhouse, Writerz Blok, is a social enterprise and one of the nation’s first graffiti art parks. Young leaders offer professional and affordable graphic design and screen-printing services. This

enterprise engages youth in positive entrepreneurial activities that provide pathways to creative careers and generate revenue for its programs. In 2015, in partnership with Lincoln High School, Writerz Blok offered students integrated programming that furthered their learning in graffiti and graffiti art, design, and history by providing practical hands-on experience that can be transferred to creative careers.

The Jacobs Center is supporting curriculum development and capacity building, with the ultimate goal of developing a sustainable revenue model for Writerz Blok and its young leadership.

Writerz Blok engages youth in positive activities that provide pathways to creative careers and generate revenue for its programs.

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Catering, Hospitality, and Workforce Training We use our venue as a full-service event space for community residents while providing workforce training. Located only minutes from downtown San Diego and adjacent to the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System’s Euclid Transit Center, the Joe & Vi Jacobs Center is easily accessible from anywhere in the region and provides beautiful indoor and outdoor gathering spaces that can accommodate meetings, conferences, concerts, theater performances, festivals, quinceañeras, and weddings.

This year, we welcomed more than 106,000 people through our doors. The majority, nearly

76,000, attended events at our venue. Another almost 31,000 people attended nearly 400 meetings in our community room, which is available at no cost to the community.

The catering and events that happen at our venue are an opportunity to build a bridge between the Diamond Neighborhoods and San Diego’s highly desirable $8 billion hospitality industry. While we have always strived to hire and train residents to work in our on-site culinary and hospitality endeavors, we recently partnered with social enterprise Kitchens for Good to formalize on-the-job training and job placement for residents with a passion for food and service.

“It’s like a second family here. Everyone helps motivate me to succeed in school and provides support and encouragement. This job helped me save money to buy a car to get to SDSU and earn my degree.”

– FERNANDA FLORES Kitchens for Good

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NETWORKING ECONOMIC

N E I G H B O R H O O D I N N O VAT I O N D I S T R I CT

JACOBS PRESENTS PERFORMANCES AND CULTURAL EXPERIENCES Our Jacobs Presents series is transforming the Diamond Neighborhoods into an arts and culture destination. This series brings performing arts and cultural celebrations to the community, including our annual Día de los Muertos festival, done in partnership with Chicano/a community group Izcalli, and the Lao Community Cultural Center’s Lao New Year Festival; hit recording artists, including the

internationally acclaimed Soweto Gospel Choir, the renowned “Accordion Rebel” Celso Piña, and the phenomenal Black Violin; and local performing arts organizations, including the San Diego Symphony and The Old Globe. The series makes it easy for residents to experience highquality free or low-cost events right in their neighborhood.

Additionally, Jacobs Presents offers the rest of the region the opportunity to visit the Diamond Neighborhoods and support the local economy.

Proceeds go toward supporting performing arts and culture events in Southeastern San Diego’s Diamond Neighborhoods.

Gill Sotu, Artist-in-Residence

Artist-in-Residence As part of our work to establish the Diamond Neighborhoods as an arts and culture district, last year we welcomed Gill Sotu as our artist-in-residence. Sotu is a prolific poet, musician, DJ, host, and writer. He uniquely weaves all elements of his artistry into impactful performances that inspire, provoke thought, and evoke soul and laughter. During

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| OU R IMPACT WOR K

his two-year residency, Sotu will engage the community through various projects, including an original play and spoken word opera, a graffiti art and spoken word festival in partnership with Writerz Blok, and a talent show for local rising stars. He also plans to develop a curriculum for youth poetry, spoken word, and playwriting.

Arts and culture can transform a community and its people. The Jacobs Presents lineup is as stunning and diverse as the community it serves.

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PHYSICAL NETWORKING ECONOMIC

N E I G H B O R H O O D I N N OVAT I O N D I S T R I CT

TRANSFORMING SPACE TO PLACE Ideally, each type of asset in the Neighborhood Innovation District serves multiple purposes in order to maximize impact. Our projects and initiatives provide a physical benefit and a stronger workforce, and are establishing the Diamond Neighborhoods as an emerging destination for arts and culture.

We use these largely physical assets as a tool and central focus of our work.

Redevelopment Projects This year, we were able to accelerate several of our redevelopment projects and get back on track toward building out the remaining approximately 50 acres that the Jacobs Center owns. The redevelopment successes we have had this year provide residents with greater access to amenities and

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services that improve their quality of life. We were proud to reach four milestones in a matter of six months. We celebrated two groundbreakings, one in March for the restoration of Chollas Creek, and the other in July for Trolley Park Terrace, a 52-unit affordable housing project. We also welcomed two new businesses to the Diamond Neighborhoods: Rita’s Italian Ice opened in Market Creek Plaza in February, and Walgreens opened in May near the corner of Market Street and Euclid Avenue.

We partnered with both businesses and the South Metro Career Center to host hiring events so that residents could apply for and gain jobs in their own neighborhood.

Moving forward, we will prepare a Master Redevelopment Plan to guide and prioritize future developments to transform the neighborhood into a vibrant and thriving town center.

Chollas Creek Gateways Public Art We were honored to receive a $30,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to support public art projects as part of our restoration of Chollas Creek. The grant will be used to contract artists and design teams to develop gateway concepts for Chollas Creek. These public art pieces will complement the entire creek restoration effort and help us meet our larger goal of using creative placemaking to transform the greater community.

Community Economic Opportunity Plan (CEOP) A major step in laying the foundation for a stronger and more equitable local economy was our completion of a Community Economic Opportunity Plan. This plan will ensure that investments in the Diamond Neighborhoods are maximized to provide economic opportunities and enhance livability by including elements that focus on local hiring, procurement policies, youth career pathways, and infrastructure improvements.

This past fall, we held focus groups and stakeholder interviews to collect feedback on the plan.

Representatives in affordable housing and from labor unions, minority contractors, and residents provided input. During the public comment period, we received feedback online, at stakeholder sessions, town hall meetings, and at living room conversations. The plan will integrate with our Town Hall Master Plan and build-out.

Job Creation Our workforce development efforts have focused initially on job opportunities connected to our redevelopment work.

We’ve worked with communitybased organizations to host hiring events that resulted in nearly 100 permanent jobs in construction, retail, maritime, and clean energy. The Jacobs Center spearheaded the organization and marketing of these hiring events.

They were held in the Diamond Neighborhoods, many at our venue, making applying for jobs more accessible for residents.

O U R I MPACT WO R K | 21

The redevelopment successes we have had this year provide residents with greater access to amenities and services that improve their quality of life.

MEASURING OUR

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SUCCESS

EVALUATION THAT DRIVES EVOLUTION The key to moving the needle on positive change in a community is evaluation that drives evolution.

There are several metrics we use to measure the success of our revitalization work and ultimate goal of creating a Neighborhood Innovation District rooted in community ownership.

Through a strong partnership with UC San Diego Extension, we have undertaken a robust data collection process to inform our work. To date, we have convened local community partners so they can connect and share their existing data, conducted surveys to gather input on infrastructure needs and desired developments, and made providing input more accessible by using social media and other digital platforms. In

2016 we will conduct a “Pulse of the Community” survey to establish a baseline for the quality of life in the Diamond Neighborhoods.

Some of the indicators of success that we plan to explore and measure are the • number of jobs created • number of new businesses • number of new housing units built • total value of our real estate assets built • amount of retail sales leakage in the area that has been decreased • number of effective local community networks • establishment of a designated cultural district with a strong sense of place

ME A SU R I N G O U R SU C C E SS | 23

2014-15 Measurement & Evaluation

Below is a summary of significant outputs and outcomes that advance our mission.

ECONOMIC JOBS, TRAININGS, & TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

100

123,000

550

Visitors to the Venue – Helping Drive Sales at Local Businesses

Permanent Jobs Created

Community Economic Opportunity Plan established

Participants in Career & Skills Trainings/ Workshops

Culinary Arts and Hospitality Workforce Training

program implemented

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

Diamond Education Excellence Partnership

82% 44% 64

3rd Graders Achieved Proficiency in Foundational Reading Skills 3rd Graders Demonstrated Reading Comprehension at or Above Grade Level Teachers Participated in Professional Development Courses

Writerz Blok Courses 18 Participants 300 Interns 6

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| M E ASUR ING OUR SUC C ESS

63

Full STE[+a]M Ahead Graduates

Knox Middle School Earth Lab

500

Student Participants

PHYSICAL REDEVELOPMENT

3 32.7 million

$

REDEVELOPMENT VALUE

PROJECTS ADVANCED 1 Walgreens – first drug store in the neighborhood 2 Chollas Creek Restoration – creating a focal point for the Town Center 3 Trolley Park Terrace – 52 affordable housing units

Public-Philanthropic Partnership initiated with local government

Performing Arts & Conference Venue with onsite catering

NETWORKING Through community engagement and outreach, formal and informal networks are being built.

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Strategic Planning Process Resident Participants

Parent Leadership Learning Series

Redevelopment Community Working Group

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Resident Participants

70

Graduates

ME A SU R I N G O U R SU C C E SS | 25

PARTNERS AND

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FUNDERS

Thank You, Partners Arts and Culture AjA Project California Arts Council Californians for the Arts CHE’LU, Inc. City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture Culture Shock Dance Troupe Indian Fine Arts Academy Izcalli La Jolla Playhouse Lao American Coalition Lao Community Cultural Center National Endowment for the Arts The Old Globe

Pillars of the Community United African American Ministerial Action Council (UAAMAC)

Operation Samahan Health Centers

Economic

PASACAT

100 Strong San Diego

Samoan Community Council of San Diego

ACCION San Diego

San Diego Art Institute

Southeastern Diamond Business Improvement District

San Diego Dance Theater San Diego Museum Council San Diego Regional Arts and Culture Coalition San Diego Symphony Orchestra Community Engagement and Capacity Building Alpha Project AWARE Community Assistance Support Team

San Diego Urban League

Education Boys & Girls Club of Greater San Diego – Encanto Branch City of San Diego Fourth District Seniors Resource Center Diamond Educational Excellence Partnership (DEEP) Elementary Institute of Science Encanto Community Recreation Center Fred Finch Youth Center

Meadowbrook Apartments Family Resource Center

Groundwork San Diego – Chollas Creek

Meals4Hunger

Jackie Robinson Family YMCA

Neighborhood Unity Foundation

Legal Aid Society of San Diego, Inc

Project Reach

Mind Treasures

RISE San Diego

Mountain View/Beckwourth Branch Library

San Diego Ambassadors

Mountain View Recreation Center

Faith Based

Oak Park Branch Library

Bayview Charities

Pazzaz – Educational Enrichment Center

Metro United Methodist Urban Ministry

Project New Village

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San Diego Youth Action Board

Safety

San Diego Youth Development Office

Commission on Gang Prevention and Intervention

SAY San Diego Somali Youth United UC San Diego Extension

San Diego Police Department SDPD Southeastern Division

Valencia Park/Malcolm X Branch Library

Workforce

Government

Cal-SOAP

Black American Political Association of California – San Diego

GRID Alternatives

City of San Diego City of San Diego Fourth District Council Office County of San Diego Redevelopment Civic San Diego Chelsea Investment Corporation The City of San Diego – Community Parks II Division Encanto Neighborhoods Community Planning Group Rady Children’s Hospital – Safe Routes to School Southeastern San Diego Planning Group

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Black Contractors Association

Harmonious Solutions San Diego Renewable Energy Society San Diego Workforce Partnership Second Chance South Metro Career Center Strategic Advisors Professor Phillip L. Clay, PhD, MIT Urban Planning Linda Fowler, Founder & President, Regionerate, LLC Dr. Gina Gianzero, Director, Diamond Educational Excellence Partnership (DEEP) Ghebre Selassie Mehreteab

Thank You, Funders Arts and Culture City of San Diego Council District Four, Various Projects City of San Diego Creative Communities San Diego Program Spoken Word and Graffiti Art Festival County of San Diego Community Enhancement Program Jacobs Presents Norm Hapke Jacobs Presents Las Patronas Writerz Blok National Endowment for the Arts, Art Works Program, Public Art National Endowment for the Arts, Our Town Program Public Art – Creek Trails Civic Engagement

United Way of San Diego County Diamond Educational Excellence Partnership General Operating Support Jacobs Family Foundation Redevelopment City of San Diego Community Creek Restoration Civic San Diego San Diego Foundation Gathering Place State of California Department of Toxic Substances Control Brownfields Cleanup State of California Housing and Community Development Catalyst Sustainable Communities Program Gold Award Catalyst – Innovative Homeownership

SANDAG Community Based Outreach

State of California Integrated Regional Water Management – Prop 84 Round 1, Creek Restoration

Development

State of California Integrated Regional Water Management Prop 84 Round 2, Creek Restoration

California Transportation Commission (Caltrans) Infrastructure Improvements SANDAG Infrastructure Improvements

State of California Natural Resources Agency Urban Greening Program 1 Creek Restoration

U.S. Department of Agriculture Development

State of California Natural Resources Agency Urban Greening Program 2 Creek Restoration

Education/Youth

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Trolley Park Terrace (affordable housing project)

Rod Dammeyer Diamond Educational Excellence Partnership E & E Industries Diamond Educational Excellence Partnership

Shared Learning Annie E. Casey Foundation Shared Learning Phase II

The Legler Benbough Foundation Diamond Educational Excellence Partnership

Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions

Parker Foundation Diamond Educational Excellence Partnership

Neighborhood Funders Group

San Diego Gas & Electric Full STE[+a]M Ahead

Pacific Western Bank Catering Training

San Diego Women’s Foundation Diamond Leadership Group

San Diego Gas & Electric

The California Endowment

Workforce

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Where Do We Go From Here?

We are moving into the next year with clear goals in sight and a foundation in place to support innovation, creativity, and economic equity.

We look forward to completing and implementing our Redevelopment Master Plan.

This plan will guide future developments to ensure they are done in a cohesive manner and encourage sustained investment and economic opportunity.

To support these efforts we have spear-headed a PublicPhilanthropic Partnership with the City of San Diego, the first of its kind in our region.

This partnership incentivizes investments by streamlining the review and approvals process for development projects. It also includes workforce and economic development components to expand the community’s access to economic prosperity. In addition to our own redevelopment efforts, the Community Investment Fund, a group of resident investors, is also looking to the development of the Diamond as an opportunity to plant and grow their funds in their community.

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Beyond the physical transformation of the community, we plan to develop initiatives and identify partners to support the growth of emerging community leaders so that they can advocate for their neighborhoods.

Additionally, we will focus any technical assistance and education efforts on building skills residents can directly apply to the revitalization of their community such green energy.

We are entering an exciting time in our work and look forward to continuing our journey alongside the residents of the Diamond Neighborhoods.

We are entering an exciting time in our work and look forward to continuing our journey alongside the residents of the Diamond Neighborhoods.

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With every redevelopment project under construction, with every resident who secures a good-paying job, and with every student who is supported to complete his or her education...

...we move past others’ misconceptions of this community and define a new positive identity for the Diamond.

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I became the Chairman of the Board of the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation at an exhilarating time in its history. We are implementing the vision of countless community residents, a vision that my family has been honored to support. The vision of thriving neighborhoods, where residents take ownership of their future by effectively managing their problems, resources, and decision-making, is inspiring.

Looking ahead, we plan to support the Diamond Neighborhoods so that its residents can control new forms of social, community, and financial capital in order for the community to rise to any challenge that comes its way – whether social, economic, or otherwise.

Why do I believe in this community and its journey? Nearly 20 years ago, my family was inspired by the residents of Southeastern San Diego and decided to make an investment in the Diamond Neighborhoods. Do we believe that our investment alone can yield the kind of thriving community that I describe above?

The clear answer is NO. We need strong partners who also believe in this vision, economic equity, and inclusiveness in the prosperity of the broader region.

This community’s assets will only be as strong as the individuals who manage them, but these individuals must always hold the interests of the community as paramount. The reality of the work we build together will have a real impact on this community’s health and well-being over the course of the next decades and even generations. This vision can only be realized, however, if the systems we build use the language of data and numbers. These figures will help the community understand what is happening around them and will prove whether or not their work, or the work of their leaders, matters. Collecting and analyzing data not only increases our learning, it ensures we are focused on the right outcomes and hold ourselves and our partners accountable for achieving them.

We must use evaluation to drive our evolution.

Now is a critical moment for moving our work forward. With the Neighborhood Innovation District model identified as our theory of change, I believe achieving a vibrant and thriving community is closer than ever. With every redevelopment project under construction, with every resident who secures a good-paying job, and with every student who is supported to complete his or her education, we move past others’ misconceptions of this community and define a new positive identity for the Diamond. We are fortunate to be the team to work toward realizing this vision alongside dynamic and inspiring residents.

We invite you to join us in this extraordinary journey.

Andrew Hapke Board Chair

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JACOBSCENTER.ORG JOE & VI JACOBS CENTER | 404 Euclid Avenue | San Diego, CA 92114