2023 Summer Issue of Urban Land - 34

PHILANTHROPIC IMPACT
Institutional Donors Back ULI's Our
Cities, Our Future Fundraising Drive
Foundations have given over $10 million to bolster the Institute's
efforts to help communities across the United States.
PATRICK J. KIGER
In northwest ArkAnsAs, the town
of Cave Springs started out more
than a century ago as a stop along
the old Kansas City and Memphis
Railway. It has a cozy downtown of
historic buildings with antique shops
and restaurants and lush green space
all around, and offers easy commuting
access to jobs in nearby Bentonville.
As a result, its population
has tripled over the past decade to
about 5,500, making it the fastestgrowing
city in the state, according
to Wes Craiglow, executive director
of ULI Northwest Arkansas.
But the growth of Cave Springs
and other small cities in the region
has challenged local governments
that have to handle planning and
zoning. However, ULI Northwest
Arkansas, which is assisting by providing
technical expertise, has an
important benefactor to turn to for
support. " We approached the Walton
Family Foundation and said, 'We've
got this concept,' " Craiglow says.
Thanks to the foundation's commitment
to fostering inclusive growth
and access to employment centers,
services, and amenities, " we are able
to advance best practices in land use
management and city planning for
these places, through our technical
assistance panels, " he says.
Ultimately, with the help of the
Walton Family Foundation's backing,
ULI will be able to partner with the
small cities to develop requests for
proposals (RFPs) and work with a
nationally prominent planning firm to
create the documents they need to
manage their growth.
That is just one of the recent ULI
efforts that have been made possible
34
URBAN LAND SUMMER 2023
by major philanthropic institutions'
generosity. While individual donors
have been a powerful driver behind
the ULI Foundation's Our Cities, Our
Future campaign, which aims to raise
$100 million to tackle the world's
most pressing land use challenges,
five prominent foundations also have
played a vital role.
Along with the Walton Family
Foundation, benefactors such as
The JPB Foundation, the JPMorgan
Chase Foundation, the Kresge Foundation,
and the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation cumulatively have
contributed more than $10 million to
support various ULI programs.
Their willingness to support the
Institute's mission has made possible
the launch of important initiatives in
areas ranging from climate resilience
and decarbonization to increasing
the supply of housing and improving
diversity and equity across the real
estate industry.
For the institutions, these contributions
are a way of leveraging the
Institute's national and international
network of experts in various fields
and local connections, and in the
process optimizing the impact of
their philanthropic dollars. ULI is
proud to center social and racial justice
considerations in each project.
Here are descriptions of the five
foundations' giving, and the impact
of that generosity through the ULI
programs they have supported.
The JPB Foundation
The JPB Foundation directs its giving
to three program areas: " promoting
opportunities for people in poverty,
advancing medical research, and
enabling a healthy environment. "
The JPB Foundation's funding for
ULI to date has focused on increasing
equitable access to parks and
green space and enhancing climate
resilience in communities, with a
In July 2022, ULI staff and members convened in Denver for a two-day
retreat as part of the Cohort for Park Equity program, which aims to
advance equitable access to parks, open spaces, and trails.
ULI
2023 Summer Issue of Urban Land

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