Connect Capital

The multisector place-based teams in Connect Capital (2018-2020) used the Capital Absorption Framework to lay the groundwork for attracting and deploying capital at scale to achieve community goals—and expand and advance their local community investment systems.

In Appalachia, Coachella Valley (CA), Miami, Milwaukee, Richmond (VA), and Seattle, Connect Capital teams worked to achieve community dreams.

They used the Capital Absorption Framework to bring together residents, nonprofits, government, and philanthropy to strengthen collaborative networks, increase resources for community investment, initiate housing and climate-resilient investments, and contribute to transformative changes in policy and practice. Their work is ongoing, and its impact will continue to play out well into the future.

CCI Resource Library

Search our publications, tools, and other resources to assist you with transforming your community’s investment systems so all residents can flourish.

Investing in Communities

Capital Absorption is an approach to community investment, not a formula. Equipping teams with capital absorption, racial equity, leadership, and collaboration skills will achieve different outcomes in different local contexts. In Connect Capital, those outcomes included: 

A new regional investment entity that will bring financial resources to help existing organizations support the region’s transition to an equitable and sustainable economy. 

A housing catalyst fund that will increase affordable housing units and counter residential segregation. 

The county-wide Affordable Housing Framework that aims to create or preserve 210,000 affordable homes and is grounding the work of one of our 3C teams.

An urban resilience district that will support climate adaptation and equitable development in two diverse neighborhoods

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Units of affordable housing

Seattle’s team successfully advocated for the city to acquire land for affordable housing and other community-supportive services.

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Housing assistance

Housing Assistance: During the pandemic, the team in Coachella Valley, California, distributed housing assistance, helping over 17,000 households and 68,000 people with low incomes in Riverside County with rent and utility bills.

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Grant

The Appalachia team structured a new investment fund, recruited a governing board, hired an executive director, secured a $2.5 million grant for initial capital and operating funds, and closed on the first $19 million for their fund .

Connect Capital Teams

Six teams across the country participated in Connect Capital. The tailored curriculum included peer-learning communities, specialized meetings for team leads, and technical assistance (TA) and coaching. Teams also received funding for staffing, organizational capacity, and TA.

Central Appalachia

Coachella Valley, California

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Richmond, Virginia

Seattle, Washington

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Testimonial

For a deeply place-based initiative like Invest Appalachia, it’s been invaluable to have a national partner like CCI. Our participation in the Connect Capital program was a formative phase of Invest Appalachia’s development.

Andrew Crosson, Invest Appalachia

Program Partners

The Latest from Connect Capital

News, stories about our work, and more. For general press inquiries, please contact [email protected].