Community Science assisted the Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF) in determining what they and other funders have learned and are experimenting with in order to create community changes that provide opportunities for children and their caregivers. The results of this internal foundation learning process identified the foundation’s own strategy in the future. Staff from all levels of AECF participated in workgroup meetings – developed and facilitated by Community Science – for the last six months. A learning agenda was created that involved discussions with foundation staff on what they had learned from their own initiatives followed by discussions with outside experts or other funders to discuss their views and experiences with key community change initiatives. Community Science also reviewed written materials and interviewed key people working on leading new generation federal and foundation initiatives. A framework for community change and a set of action principles was developed based on the reviews of AECF, other initiatives as well as the research literature on community change across several disciplines. This foundation wide learning process culminated in a retreat where strategic options for future community change work were developed based on evidence from the research and the practical experience of other funders. (2011)
