STORYTELLING FOR GOOD
Stories are powerful: Our brains are literally wired to take in and preserve stories. Done well, stories often drive us to take action. So how do you tell stories well? There have never been more ways to reach an audience, but it’s harder than ever to really get their attention. Enter Storytelling for Good.

INVESTING IN THE INDIGENOUS ARTS ECOLOGY
First Peoples Fund presents research, data, and stories about the work of culture bearers and artists and the critical role they play in  communities highlight the value of Native cultures and the need to be included in discussions and decisions among tribal leaders, policy makers, funders, and state and federal government.

CREATIVE PLACEMAKING ON VACANT PROPERTIES
A report that explores the use of arts and culture strategies on vacant properties including the role these strategies play in revitalizing distressed communities, including outcomes around property investment and community building. Learn key takeaways and lessons learned from communities that engage in this work.

WHAT ARE THE PARADIGM SHIFTS NECESSARY FOR THE ARTS SECTOR TO NURTURE THRIVING INSTITUTIONS OF COLOR? 
Yancey Consulting asked the question whether sustainability is the true intent. Is the desire for organizations to “maintain [their] own viability” or be “able to be supported with the basic necessities or sufficient funds”? We found that sustainability is the start but not the end. Findings are intended as critical steps in creating a more equitable environment for historically disinvested arts and culture organizations to thrive.

ART MAKING CHANGE
Cultural placekeeping guide for arts agencies, arts and culture organizations, and artists— Produced by CERF+ In collaboration with South Arts.

PERFORMING ARTS CENTER: DOES UPTOWN CULTURE STIMULATE DOWNTOWN VITALITY?
Performing arts centers have been touted as a strategy for revitalizing downtowns by increasing activities that bring in residents with higher incomes, tourists,arts employees, educated workers, and housing. Despite their popularity, civic leaders have encountered issues. This dissertation compares downtowns with and without performing arts centers.

NATIVE AMERICAN CREATIVE PLACEMAKING
That "Placemaking was always known to Native Americans" undergirds a new "Native American Creative Placemaking" report from HAC which examines some Native American creative placemaking efforts while offering a first of its kind interactive map. The paper also notes funding sources and emphasizes that placemaking “offers Native people on opportunity to reconnect with their traditional ways of life” as an antidote to injustices including forced assimilation, trauma in boarding schools, and extreme poverty.

PLACEBASE PRODUCTIONS
There have been a host of studies in recent years regarding the powerful connection between the arts and community development. Placebase Productions creates site-specific theatre on the conviction that this connection is real. If you are eager to explore how the arts are energizing untapped potential in small communities you can find some recent studies here. 

NARRATIVE PROCESSES IN URBAN PLANNING
A case study on a town suffering from the effects of jobs losses and outmigration that occurred when labor intensive farming transitioned to the machine. A theater project has led to purported claims of community revitalization, new relationships, personal empowerment; the coproduction of an emerging and diverse community identity; and institutional and economic development.

ART, EQUITY, AND PLACE
Fundraising for your project is highly competitive, driven by relationships and a documented track record of achievement. More often than not, organizations will have to pay for their first project out of existing funds to get it going. This edition features stories of community developers, residents, and artists using creativity to help address complex neighborhood issues.