Anchor Institutions Task Force News
January 2026
AITF Updates
Values in Action
This is an important year for AITF, as we continue to explore the theme, Values in Action. The need for us to pursue this theme last year was sparked by the urgent need to explicitly demonstrate values-driven work involving anchor institutions in the face of adversity. AITF’s values to commit to place and community, democracy and democratic practice, collaboration including cross sector collaboration, and social justice and equity including racial justice and racial equity have been central to AITF’s work since our inception in 2009.
Anchor Fellows
Our Anchor Fellows Program continues to be a vital component of AITF’s work. The Fellows have been provided an immersive learning experience designed to strengthen their pathways as anchor leaders into the future. Our latest cohort is about to begin their annual experience. As you know, we rely on AITF members to nominate future prospective Fellows. We are pleased to announce our latest call for applications in order to identify the 2027 cohort. Many of our Fellows have become active participants in AITF, and their voices and experiences are influencing the evolution of the anchor field.
Publications
Our Leadership Guide series has been making informative and stimulating contributions to our understanding of the role of anchor institutions in strengthening communities through democratic partnerships. We produced the third volume in the series last year. We are now seeking essays from AITF members on leadership matters relevant to anchor institution-community partnerships. We require these essays to take into account AITF’s Values in Action theme. Please let us know if you wish to submit an essay. We hope to release volume 4 at the end of the year. Also let us know if you wish to have your and your partners’ work featured in a future Member Profile in this newsletter. The profile will return in the next newsletter. This is a significant way in which we will highlight the Values in Action theme in practice at the community level throughout the year.
Download the AITF Leadership Guide, Third Edition
AITF Subgroups
Overall, we look forward to engaging with you over the course of 2026. Remember that there are many ways to be involved in AITF. Our Subgroups have been among the most vital forms of activity in AITF. As we have continued to experience some difficult barriers to progress in the field, Subgroups have been spaces for mutual encouragement, learning, and sharing. These discussions have generated stories of resilience and helped shape many aspects of AITF’s work. Finally, stay tuned for some noticeable advances in AITF’s approach to storytelling, as we are beginning a new series of discussions to enhance how we tell the story of the contributions of anchor institutions to the communities in which they reside.
Learn More About AITF Subgroups
Resources from the Field
Longevity Innovations in Higher Education Summit and AFU GN North American Regional Meeting
The Age-Friendly University Global Network will host the Longevity Innovations in Higher Education Summit at Arizona State University from March 11–13, 2026, convening senior higher education leaders from across North America. The gathering will focus on how universities are responding to population aging and demographic change by advancing age-inclusive, intergenerational strategies across the full life course. The agenda highlights institutional innovations such as midlife transition programs, university retirement communities, and cogenerational initiatives, with opportunities for peer learning, collaboration, and shared planning around longevity-driven institutional growth.
Public Safety Anchor Institutions Explained
Vera Institute of Justice’s fact sheet “Public Safety Anchor Institutions Explained” outlines the concept and role of public safety anchor institutions (PSAIs), defined as government agencies or offices responsible for coordinating comprehensive, non‑enforcement approaches to public safety. The resource describes how PSAIs bring together multiple agencies to manage alternative response services, establish data infrastructure for cross‑agency decision‑making, and prioritize community engagement and accountability. It also highlights examples of alternative 911 response teams and violence prevention offices as part of a broader public safety ecosystem.
Do Anchor Institutions Support Regional Economic Resiliency? Evidence from Penn State University
Researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia analyze how large research universities like Pennsylvania State University influence regional economic performance during downturns, using the State College, PA metro area as a case study. The study finds that State College experienced smaller increases in unemployment and stronger employment growth in education and health services during past recessions compared with the rest of Pennsylvania, suggesting a stabilizing effect from anchor institutions. It also notes that heavy reliance on these institutions can create vulnerabilities during severe disruptions, such as reduced campus activity during the COVID‑19 pandemic.
Cultural Capital: Dispatches On Impact Investing in the Creative Economy from Upstart Co-Lab
Upstart Co-Lab examines how impact investing in the creative economy supports place-based economic and community development, drawing on examples from investors, cultural enterprises, and cross-sector initiatives. The resource highlights opportunities for anchor institutions to engage with creative sectors, align capital with community priorities, and strengthen local economies through cultural investment.
News and Articles
Anchor Institution Mission empowers local communities in equitable, lawful ways
UC Davis Health’s Anchor Institution Mission (AIM) integrates local hiring, purchasing, workforce development, and community investment into institutional operations in the Sacramento region. The initiative is structured to operate within state and federal anti-discrimination requirements and includes workforce pathways that support employee advancement while addressing economic factors linked to health outcomes.
Center For Inclusive Growth Launches BUY NEW HAVEN: Businesses, Anchor Institutions Buy More Goods Locally
The Center for Inclusive Growth has launched BUY NEW HAVEN, a program aimed at increasing local purchasing by businesses and anchor institutions through procurement guides, toolkits, workshops, and a vendor database. An initial resource focuses on integrating local artists into procurement, and city and community leaders are quoted on efforts to strengthen local economic participation through institutional purchasing.
Ireland | Feeding Ourselves, breaking new ground for the local food movement
At a recent Feeding Ourselves Local Food Symposium in Dublin, more than 140 participants including agricultural producers, researchers, and representatives from universities and health institutions engaged in discussions on advancing local food systems. The gathering highlighted efforts by anchor institutions such as Trinity College Dublin and St. James’s Hospital to integrate community wealth building and public health into local food provisioning.
Food as Medicine: How Cleveland Clinic Is Nourishing Community Health
The American Hospital Association highlights how Cleveland Clinic’s “food as medicine” strategy addresses food access and nutrition as part of community health. In the Fairfax neighborhood of Cleveland, the health system used its anchor role and local data to attract a full-service grocery store where none had existed for decades, expanded partnerships with vendors and community organizations, and developed programs that promote healthy eating both within the hospital and across the community. The approach combines clinical nutrition, education, and place-based engagement to support long-term well-being.
Governor Moore Announces More Than $19 Million to Communities for Year Two of ENOUGH Initiative
Maryland Governor Wes Moore announced more than $19 million in funding for the second year of the ENOUGH Initiative, a place-based effort to reduce child poverty through community-led solutions and cross-sector partnerships. The announcement highlights continued support for high-poverty communities across the state, leveraging state grants and philanthropic contributions to expand access to jobs, education, health care, and safe neighborhoods. The initiative’s collaborative network includes local organizations, government agencies, schools, nonprofits, and health care institutions working together on neighborhood-driven strategies to address economic and social barriers.
Stony Brook University Receives Grant from Santander US Bank to Help Build Workforce Skills for First Generation Students
Stony Brook University and Santander US Bank launched a two-year workforce development program for first-generation and Pell-eligible students focused on building career-ready skills. The partnership positions the university as an anchor institution advancing equitable workforce pathways and developing a scalable model for supporting student economic mobility.
ACORNS 467: 2025 End of Year Review: Culture is Our Compass
IFACCA’s ACORNS 467: 2025 End of Year Review reflects on culture’s role in economic and social development, highlighting international dialogues that underscore the creative economy’s contributions to sustainable growth. The review notes increased visibility of cultural financing, recognition of cultural and creative industries as economic catalysts at global forums, and efforts to improve data measuring cultural contributions, suggesting insights on how institutional actors and community partners might integrate cultural value into broader development strategies.
Research & Publications
The Value of Economic and Community Development Anchors
This article highlights how anchor institutions can strengthen local communities through visibility, engagement, and strategic economic and community development
Minority-Serving Institutions as Entrepreneurial Universities: Evidence from an Underserved Region
This article examines how social infrastructure shapes community resilience during crises, highlighting how institutions can mobilize local resources and networks to support equitable outcomes.
Incentivising university senior leadership to invest in community engagement: reflections on the experience at the universities of Birmingham and Swansea
This chapter highlights how universities act as urban anchor institutions by shaping economic and social stability through local engagement, employment, and partnerships.
View Marga Inc's AITF Publications
If you have updates about your work, resources, or articles that you would like to share with the AITF network, please email Mala Coomar at mala.c@margainc.com.
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