The RI Foundation wants your big ideas

The Rhode Island Foundation is seeking community input to inform state leaders as they determine how to spend $1 billion federal stimulus funds.

Make It Happen: Investing for Rhode Island’s Future is a Rhode Island Foundation-led initiative to develop recommendations to state leaders for spending $1 billion in broad new stimulus funding the state is projected to receive from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Now, through July 15, 2021, they’re looking for broad community engagement and idea generation.

With the support of the Economic Progress Institute and the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council, the Foundation’s Make it Happen Steering Committee has developed a set of guiding principle, in alignment with federal guidance, regarding the intended use of ARPA dollars.

They’ve assembled an Idea Generation Toolkit to guide you as you brainstorm on your own or as you convene a conversation with friends, neighbors, relatives, or colleagues to develop your big ideas.

Submissions are due by 5 p.m. on July 15, 2021.

The committee’s guiding principles are:

o Equity – Recommended investments will address the root causes and conditions of systemic inequalities based on race, gender, disability, economic status, and other historically marginalized or oppressed communities which predated and were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

o Sustainability – Recommended investments will deliver enduring change and solutionsthat enhance the resilience of impacted communities.

o Impact – Recommended investments will transform economic opportunities and quality of life, and build community assets for impacted communities for the short and long term.

o Process – Recommended investments will reflect both broad input from impacted communities and public stakeholders, as well as solid data and research.

Informed by the guiding principles, and recently released federal guidance regarding the use of ARPA funds (see Resources for a fact sheet on federal guidance), the Make It Happen Steering Committee is encouraging community groups, and individuals, to engage in generating and submitting ideas to the committee via this toolkit. All submissions from the community will be shared in full with the Committee, and reviewed and categorized by subject matter.

Later this summer, the Committee intends to host facilitated forums throughout the state to offer an additional opportunity for community groups and individuals to work together to give feedback and dig into submitted ideas, as well as to help prioritize ideas for the use of ARPA funds. With the support of the Economic Progress Institute (EPI) and the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC), the Foundation’s Make It Happen Steering Committee (see Resources for listing of committee members) has developed a set of principles in alignment with federal guidance regarding the intended use of ARPA dollars. The principles will serve as guidelines as the group considers ideas and formulates recommendations to share with state leaders.

Finally, after analyzing the public’s input, additional policy research, and data collection, the Make It Happen Steering Committee expects to share a final set of recommendations with the community, and state leaders, prior to the end of September.

So, what’s Your Big Idea?

Rhode Island has the opportunity to leverage once-in-a-generation federal funding to strengthen our communities and make people’s lives better.

As part of the American Rescue Plan Act,the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds provide significant financial resources aimed at addressing the pandemic’s economic impact and at laying the foundation for a strong and equitable recovery.

The Make It Happen Steering Committee convenes on a regular basis—drawing on its own experience and expertise—to dig into ways to use the state’s ARPA dollars to solve community challenges. While the Committee is full of knowledgeable individuals who represent the Rhode Island community, authentic community voices are also needed as part of their effort.

That’s where you come in.

When community members engage with each other to co-create solutions to their most pressing concerns, perspectives shift and voices carry further than they would on their own.

Begin your idea submitting, here. Comments are requested no later than July 15th to the Rhode Island Foundation.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfFiUI36U4X8dkz3RXaK6pQkYxCAV1JUewbhAUiH1TCX8g0hA/viewform