Anchor Institutions Task Force News
Early October, 2025
AITF Highlights
We are pleased to announce the 2026 cohort of the Anchor Fellows Program:
Congratulations to these leaders! We look forward to working with you next year.
The Anchor Fellows Program was created in order to provide a next generation of anchor leaders sharing AITF’s values with additional tools, resources, mentorship and relationships. As the anchor movement has grown and evolved over the years, we have experienced many leadership transitions. As we continue to deepen the commitment of anchor institutions to the localities and regions in which they reside, it is more important than ever to ensure that we have leaders at multiple levels with a commitment to place, collaboration (including cross sector collaboration), democracy and democratic practice, and social justice and equity (including racial justice and racial equity). These values are crucial to harnessing the assets of enduring organizations in democratic and trusting community partnerships to solve pressing matters. As we know, in these turbulent and divided times, our most urgent global and national challenges are manifested at the local level. Anchor institutions are essential to navigating the complexities of our times in place, and it takes committed people within anchor institutions and in communities to enable this important role. The Anchor Fellows Program was created with these considerations in mind.
AITF Annual Event
During the November 6 annual event in NYC (10am to 3pm Eastern), we will hear from the 2025 cohort of Anchor Fellows, who will share their reflections on their learning from their discussions with and visits to seasoned anchor leaders as well as their vision for the future.
Our theme for the year, Values in Action will be addressed from multiple perspectives at the event. Speakers, many of whom have been actively engaged in AITF, will discuss their experiences demonstrating AITF’s values in practice, confronting challenges characteristic of our times and, in many cases, overcoming them.
There is still time to register for the event: 2025 AITF Annual Event
Member Spotlight
Please take a moment to review this issue’s Member Spotlight on the significant role of cultural anchors in communities, featuring the remarkable work of the West Philadelphia Cultural Alliance and the Paul Robeson House and Museum. Special thanks to Riley Jones, the newest member of AITF’s Advisory Council, for bringing this compelling work to our attention! Jones is Director, UACS-Cultural Partnerships, Netter Center for Community Partnerships, University of Pennsylvania and Advisor to the Paul Robeson House and Museum.
AITF Member Spotlight
West Philadelphia Creative Grantees along with the PRHM/Sachs Artist-in-Residence
Youth Docents from West Philadelphia High School during a weekly training at the Robeson House.
The West Philadelphia Cultural Alliance was formed in 1984 in order meet the need for more cultural institutions in Philadelphia neighborhoods. It was born in the aftermath of the MOVE bombing, when American citizens were bombed in West Philadelphia by the city government. In 1994, the Alliance bought the vacant home in which Paul Robeson resided at the end of his life. He passed away in 1976. Ultimately, the Paul Robeson House and Museum later came to be. The Alliance needed a physical space in which to carry out its mission, which was aligned with the vision and experiences of Paul Robeson, was known for his steadfast advocacy on issues of peace, justice, equality, and democracy; he also holds, to this day, a nearly incomparable record of intellectual, athletic, musical and thespian distinction. For his outspokenness, he was cast away from mainstream society and his immense contributions to the world were systematically edged out of the historical record.
The Alliance and the House were charged with translating the impact of a global figure into the local context of this community. Rooted in place, we endeavor to facilitate connection across ideological, racial and economic boundaries. Cultural anchors lean in every day to the messy, gratifying work of improving our world.
Democracy and Democratic Practice
The process that led to the creation of the Paul Robeson and its subsequent work reflected AITF’s value of Democracy and Democratic Practice. Upon acquiring the physical space, the Alliance engaged the local community and sought their advice on whether to renovate the property and use it for cultural events. The community responded positively to this idea. The Paul Robeson House and Museum ultimately emerged into an important local anchor that continues to be engaged democratically in West Philadelphia and eventually on a national level.
This is an important time to reflect upon the role of cultural anchors in a democratic society, and as practitioners of democracy. The United States, a continuous project aspiring to democratic goals, is met, now, with a genuine moment of existential crisis: the concerted effort to corrode the historical record. Cultural anchors are an antidote urgently needed to interrupt this process of disingenuous revision. Cultural anchors have always been, in a very real sense, repositories of our truths - chronicling both the marvelous and unconscionable events of human history. The Robeson House has done and is doing this through collaboration with community-based institutions higher education, artists, and young people. The House has also piloted examples that demonstrate the value of cultural anchor networks. All of this work is inspired by Robeson’s own unshakable devotion to the preservation of democracy in American civic life.
Youth Docents Program
The Paul Robeson House and Museum Youth Docents program is a useful case study of how cultural anchors convene cross-sector partners to advance community progress. Every year, the House invites six to eight high school students in West Philadelphia to undergo a semester’s worth of training to lead tours in the museum. The students engage in conversations with each other, senior community leaders, and program staff to learn about Paul Robeson, the Museum and other organizations in Philadelphia. They go on tours to other museums and cultural landmarks to see their city through a new lens. As the city develops new cultural districts, such as the New Freedom District in West Philadelphia, the House is elevating youth docents to be agents for collaborative action with these other cultural institutions that are looking to engage. Youth development is a natural platform for collaboration in cultural anchor work, passing on a vision for community stewardship to various generations. This work is done in close collaboration with the Netter Center for Community Partnerships and its university-assisted community schools (UACS), which has led to the development of a UACS-cultural organization partnership approach that is adaptable across West Philadelphia, Philadelphia and beyond.
West Philadelphia Creative Grants
Higher education has been a critical sector for cultural anchors in West Philadelphia. The Paul Robeson House’s partnership with the University of Pennsylvania has facilitated exposing the West Philadelphia community to new ideas, and resourcing community organizations and members so they can implement their own artistic visions. With generous support from the William Penn Foundation, and in collaboration with the Sachs Center for Arts Innovation at Penn, the House has granted $100,000 to 35 artists and arts organizations in West Philadelphia. An Artist-in-Residence (AiR) program fully embodies how cultural anchor partnerships can transform a community. In 2024, the physical structure was significantly renovated of our building, closing the house and museum for 9 months. The AiR activation, “free transform”, led by shanina dionna was the first set of programs that invited dozens of first-time visitors into the renovated space. Additionally, the West Philadelphia Arts Council in order to make all decisions regarding program structure and grant guidelines and inform on how to ensure that all funds were effectively directed to support West Philadelphians. This democratically functioning body was an innovation that artists in the West Philadelphia community had been hoping would exist for quite some time.
Robeson Alliance
The Robeson Alliance has been a core project of recent efforts to duly recognize Paul Robeson as a progenitor to the American civil rights struggle. The House organizes and remains connected to several organizations, cultural anchors in their own respects, which are affiliated with the Robeson history and legacy. A prominent partner in this regard is the Paul Robeson House of Princeton, which, along with the House, was awarded $1,000,000 for a joint commemoration of Paul’s 125th Birthday in 2023. The Robeson House of Princeton is deeply embedded in the Princeton community. This network of other anchors dealing with similar challenges has been crucial for cultural leaders and anchors in Philadelphia. It has created opportunities for mutual learning, across place, on how others are stewarding the Robeson legacy.
Cultural Anchors in This Moment
Cultural anchors have a unique responsibility to act locally while informing the direction of the country’s future. The federal funding landscape has shifted in a direction that intends to fund only those organizations who mollify the current Administration by abandoning their commitment to justice, opportunity, and truth. It is important for cultural anchors to play a central role in resisting these perverse incentives forcefully.
As an anchor in Philadelphia, the nation’s birthplace, the Paul Robeson House and Museum and other partners are considering how to organize locally to contribute to the 250th commemoration. This is especially true for a cultural anchor whose namesake understood the complicated and contested racial, economic, and social history and relationships that make the nation unique. Robeson’s life is, perhaps, an appropriate source of inspiration for other cultural anchors as well. In his signature rendition of “The House I Live In,” he concludes by powerfully singing: “especially the People, that’s America to me.” By keeping the People and their actual experience at the center, cultural anchors will not only survive, but be leaders in preserving and advancing the values at the heart of Paul Robeson’s legacy—peace, justice, equality, and democracy.
Resources from the Field
Pathbreakers podcast: Rip Rapson is leading Kresge into a new chapter
In the season finale episode of the Pathbreakers podcast, Kresge Foundation President and CEO Rip Rapson speaks on how the organization is working to embrace the changing role of foundations. Kresge Foundation has announced plans to relocate its headquarters to Northwest Detroit's Marygrove Campus, backed by a $180-million investment in the campus and surrounding neighborhoods.
What Role Do Anchor Institutions Play In Minority Business Community Engagement? (Video)
The Minority Business Success Experts have recently published a new video exploring the vital, multidimensional roles that anchor institutions play in supporting local entrepreneurs.
Go-Governance Tool for a Multiracial Democracy
Race Forward has developed a guide for designing and sustaining cross-sector collaborations that are rooted in racial justice. “The goal of this tool is to offer a guided set of considerations and resources to support leaders across government and community in the process of designing structures, relationships, and agreements that allow cross-sector collaborations to successfully unite their power to drive transformative, equitable results.”
News & Articles
Boulder Arts Blueprint Grant Review, Analysis and Recommendations - from City of Boulder
September 2 - The City of Boulder’s Office of Arts and Culture is in the midst of a two-year planning project for its longstanding grantmaking portfolio. In the Boulder Arts Blueprint, “bedrock” or anchor institutions comprise Tier 1 organizations as they are critical partners for the promotion and expansion of local arts programming and enrichment. The framework offers one example for how municipalities can engage cultural anchors.
S.F. already has a tangible, replicable model to address its housing crisis - from San Francisco Chronicle (Subscription)
September 8 - Improving access to affordable housing is a priority for many cities across the United States. Multi-institutional collaboration is central to this California city’s strategic approach to resolving an ongoing housing crisis. The Academic Village at UC College of Law San Francisco brings more than 650 affordable units to the urban area.
How Cities Are Using Workforce Development to Advance Economic Mobility - from National League of Cities
August 29 - Workforce development is a common focus area for many anchor partnerships, and research indicates that investing in programs at the local level can help promote economic mobility. In the U.S. cities of Jamestown, NY and Missoula, MT cross-sector partnerships are powering innovative solutions for training local workforces.
How MOSI plans to stage a comeback - from Axios Tampa Bay
June 23 - Tampa’s Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) is staging a comeback under CEO John Graydon Smith, who took over in 2022 after years of financial struggles and pandemic closures. MOSI is refocusing on local families, schools, and adults with new offerings like laser music shows, science-after-dark events, and even a restaurant and bar—aiming to become a vibrant community hub.
Community Foundation hosts town hall for new African American museum in West Palm Beach - from CBS 12 News
June 17 - A town hall hosted on June 13 by the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties spotlighted the African American Museum & Research Library (AAMRL) project at the historic Roosevelt High School site in West Palm Beach. The AAMRL aims to preserve African American history across South Florida and serve as a cultural anchor in the Coleman Park neighborhood—fostering pride, economic growth, and cultural vitality.
Equity calls for end to reliance on London workforce with regional theatre network - from AP Arts Professional
July 1 - Equity has urged Arts Council England to establish a federalized national theatre system, with publicly coordinated, and regionally based producing theatres, opera houses, ballet and dance companies, and variety venues. The system aims to reduce dependency on London's workforce, foster regional creative economies, and provide long-term institutional funding to support local job creation, artistic production, and touring across England.
OSU, Caddo Nation partnership to create bolster tribal economy, workforce development - from KOSU
July 10 - Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology (OSUIT) has teamed up with the Caddo Nation Economic Development Authority to launch workforce training programs this fall aimed at reducing unemployment and boosting tribal economic power. These customized trainings will focus on high-demand sectors and may even translate into college credits, smoothing the path to higher education for Caddo citizens.
Rethinking regionalization: Water utilities as economic development partners - from Brookings Institute
July 8 - Brookings highlights how regionalizing water utilities through shared services and partnerships can strengthen infrastructure while positioning utilities as economic anchors that create jobs, support workforce training, and boost regional resilience.
Anchoring Communities: How to Combat Displacement Through Asset Ownership - from Nonprofit Quarterly
July 16 - With gentrification and displacement on the rise, some communities are taking important steps toward self-determination. Case studies in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Durham help to illustrate how community-led organizations are forging partnerships with investors to obtain community-led funds that build capacity of local businesses so that they can stay anchored to their communities.
National affordable housing conference held in New Haven - from WTHN News
September 15 - In early September, advocates and city officials convened in New Haven, Connecticut for the national pro-homes conference YIMBYtown. Attendees to the three-day annual event grappled with some of the major obstacles to expanding affordable and secure housing.
Academic Journal Articles
Journal Article: Resendiz, E., Whitney, R. A., and Ponce-López, R. (2025). Mapping the actors: Anchor institutions and walkability projects in Southern Mexico City. Geoforum, vol(166), 104395.Link
Journal Article: Lacey-Barnacle, M., & Boucher, M. (2025). Community Wealth Building as a catalyst for just transitions? The role of anchor institutions in supporting co-operative and community-led decarbonisation in the UK and Canada. Journal of Energy & Natural Resources Law, 43(3), 449–472. Link