This document discusses models of asset-based community development from Europe and beyond, including community foundations, development trusts, and community land trusts. It provides examples of these models from various countries and regions. The key benefits of asset-based community development models are that they are locally driven and sustainable, addressing economic, social and environmental issues in communities. However, challenges include accessing start-up capital and developing necessary skills. The document questions how these approaches could be applied and what might facilitate their development in the context of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
2. THIS SESSION WILLâŚâŚ
⢠Explore:
ďDifferent Community Trust models from across Europe:
Community Foundations, Land Trusts, Development
Trusts, Transition TownsâŚâŚ.
ďWhat asset based community development does?
ďWhy asset based models of community economic
development?
ďFunding: whatâs different?
ďBenefits, opportunities and challenges
ďWhat does this mean in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan?
3. WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?
⢠An asset based approach to
community/economic development including:
ďCommunity Foundations
ďDevelopment Trusts (DTs)
ďCommunity Land Trusts (CLTs)
ďCommunity Development Finance (CDFI)
ďOther models: Transition Towns/cashless
economies etc.
4. A SHORT HISTORY
⢠First Community Foundation: Cleveland Ohio â 1914
⢠UK â origins in 1970âs
⢠Post Soviet Foundations â 1991 onwards
⢠Development and Community Land Trusts
ď Origins in the âenclosure of the commonsâ C18th/C19th;
industrialisation and transfer of âcommon/shared landâ to private
ownership
ď C19th movement; land trusts to house industrial workers (model
villages â Cadbury family in Birmingham/Joseph Rowntree in York) and
Commonâs Preservation Societies (parks and woodlands)
ď US origins in 1960âs and Institute of Community Economics
5. COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS
: MISSION AND MODELS
⢠Mainly US and EU model (European Foundation Centre
established 1989: 23 in Germany, 5 in Turkey, 4 in Russia, 3
Ukraine)
⢠UK/European model differs from US â greater reliance on
Foundations created by individuals (Bill Gates)
Vary in:
ď income (few thousand ÂŁ/$) to multi-million investment/endowment
portfolios
ď scope/scale (some with paid staff â others â volunteer
origins/continued reliance on volunteers)
ď population coverage across Europe: from (rural) â few thousand
population Birmingham/Black Country â 2.25 million
6. COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS;
MISSION
Mission:
Co-ordination of funding/resources for maximum community
benefit
ď Combining corporate giving, philanthropy, individual giving
and âthrough fundingâ (eg EU/Government and aid funds)
ď Developing âmatched fundingâ models to enhance
effectiveness (UK Challenge model)
ď Attract international corporation sponsorship (usually only
in counties/areas where corporations are operating
(www.alcoa.com) - Hungary
ď â100 Clubsâ
7. COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS:
ADVANTAGES
ď Strategic co-ordination of funding â âco-ordinated philanthropyâ
ď Maximising impact and effectiveness: donor and beneficiary
ď Transparency in decision making
ď Beyond âpre-setâ government/aid/grant giving agendas
ď Local intelligence (what works) and âefficiency/impactâ advice
ď Funding innovation: new projects and approaches beyond âthe
establishedâ
ď Long term relationships between donors, Foundations and
beneficiaries â a developmental relationship â not fund and monitor
ď INITIAL EVIDENCE: surviving the economic climate better than
âtraditionalâ funders (despite decline in corporate and
individual/philanthropic giving and corporate sponsorship
8. COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS
EXAMPLES: 1
⢠UK â Birmingham and the Black Country Community
Foundation: disability, access to education and
training, environment, family support - in 2010-11 grants of
ÂŁ1.8 million to 511 groups
⢠Poland â 32 Foundations with combined assets of $508
million (network founded 1998)
⢠Priorities
ď development of local communities
ď youth involvement
ď senior citizens
ď corporate community involvement
ď social enterprise
9. COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS:
EXAMPLES: 2
⢠Romania â 2 Foundations: Cluj & Oderheiu Community
Foundations: Example -Youth Bank- youth
engagement, education and cultural activities (15,000 ROM);
mainly volunteer based
⢠Ukraine â collective assets of around $500,000: focus on
people trafficking, rural-urban migration, cancer, media
reform
⢠Hungary: well developed â but some very small/volunteer
based groups (Ferencvaros Community Foundation â 2009 â
start up phase to 2011 â income 32,000 euros)
⢠Networked model: Poland â Slovakia (Association of Slovak
Community Foundations)
10. USEFUL WEBSITES
⢠Charles Stuart Mott Foundation: www.mott.org
⢠Alliance Organisation (Eastern Europe)
www.alliancemagazine.org (but subscription only)
⢠European Foundation Centre: www.efc.be
⢠Global Fund for Community Foundations:
www.globalfundcommunityfoundations.org
⢠Community Foundations Network:
http://ukcommunityfoundations.org
⢠NOTE- quality and currency of information on
Community Foundations variable (assets/activity etc)
11. COMMUNITY LAND AND
DEVELOPMENT TRUSTS
⢠Promote community ownership of local assets;
initiatives range from;
ďAffordable housing schemes
ďManaged workspace and employment training
ďGreen energy programmes (from power generation, to
recycling)
ďLand management (forestry) and food production
ďVillage shops/the âpub is the hubâ (Culture House model in
Eastern Europe?)
ďOrâŚown your local football club!!!
12. WHY ASSET BASED
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT 1
⢠Principles: Community Foundations,
Community Land/Development Trusts;
ďAre locally driven, controlled and accountable
ďMeet local needs (flexible and responsive)
ďAddress economic, social and environmental
issues (social benefit)
ďInvolve partnership solutions across sectors
ďAre sustainable (beyond grants/aid/policy
changes) â âin perpetuityâ
13. WHY ASSET BASED
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT 2
⢠Practical:
ďCuts to international aid â ending of a âgrantâ culture
ďCuts in the EU to government support for NGOâs and
community services
ďWorking âbeyond the state and the marketâ
ďReaction to globalisation â and/or World Bank interest in
asset based community development (Africa)
ďReaction to privatisation of local economies and services
14. SIZE, SCOPE AND NUMBERS
⢠Range from small scale, one off, initiatives to multi-
million ÂŁ programmes
⢠Can involve paid staff or rely on volunteers
⢠Mixed finance models: trading/grants/loans etc
⢠The numbers: 54 Community Foundations in UK
⢠Just over 100 Community Land Trusts (240 in USA)
and 150 Development Trusts
⢠458 Transition Towns globally
⢠Context - over 172,000 registered charities in
England and Wales
15. OTHER MODELS
⢠Transition Towns: promote local economic
activity (non-corporate) in terms of food
production, âshoppingâ and energy supply
⢠Alternative âcashâ systems â Totnes ÂŁ,
⢠Brixton £ and Local Exchange Trading Schemes
(LETS)
⢠The Anarchist solution: Denmark, Slovenia etc:
occupation of disused State buildings to set up
alternative economic systems
18. FINANCE MODELS
Community Foundations/Asset Based Development requires a
different financial/business model:
ď Start up/feasibility grants/money â yes but;
ď Loans (commercial or Community Development Finance
Initiatives) as well as grants
ď Asset transfer (no/low/commercial) cost
ď Community shares
ď Endowments
ď Remittances (ÂŁ23billion UK â payments back to country of origin â ÂŁ123
billion Russia/US to Georgia)
ď Community bonds
ď Cross-subsidy
ď Crowd funding
20. OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES
⢠Beyond âpolicy change and aidâ
⢠Sustainable community ownership
⢠Finance â within the community â not âflowing
outâ of communities
⢠But
⢠Access to start up and working capital (poor
communities)
⢠Skills required
⢠Sustaining commitment
21. WHAT DOES THIS MEANâŚ..?
⢠Some key questions:
ďWhat are the opportunities for these approaches
in your context?
ďWhat might the challenges and barriers be?
ďWhat might help/facilitate the development of
these approaches in your context
ďWhat is it feasible/possible to achieve?
ďOther questionsâŚâŚ?
22. COMMUNITY LAND TRUST VIDEOS
⢠http://www.communitylandtrusts.org.uk/See-
it-and-Believe-it/CLT_Films
⢠http://www.communitylandtrusts.org.uk/See-
it-and-Believe-it/rural-case-
studies/Lyvennet_Community_Trust
⢠http://www.communitylandtrusts.org.uk/See-
it-and-Believe-it/rural-case-studies/high-
bickington
23. FURTHER INFORMATION
⢠www.tsrc.ac.uk
⢠www.communitylandtrusts.org.uk
⢠www.dtascot.org.uk
⢠www.locality.org.uk
⢠www.efc.be
⢠http://www.transitionnetwork.org
⢠Or contact
⢠a.j.mccabe@bham.ac.uk
24. AND FINALLYâŚ.
⢠Thanks to the Community Development
Journal for supporting this event.
⢠For access to free Community Development
Journal papers, reports, events and resources
visit http://www.oxfordjournals.org/cdjc
⢠For access to free Third Sector Research
Centre resources visit
http://www.tsrc.ac.uk/Research/KnowledgePo
rtal/tabid/840/Default.aspx