What Kind of Community Development System Can Effectively Support Citywide Philanthropic Efforts to Promote Community Well-Being?

Abstract

How can the efforts of philanthropic agencies be better supported to promote citywide community well-being? To address this question, this article uses a citywide, engagement-driven initiative led by local practitioners that took place in Detroit between 2016 and 2019. This article is based on the initiative's two main outcomes, namely the identification of seven elements of an effective community development system and a vitality framework designed to measure community progress and success. The author of this article conducted participant observation, interviews, and a literature review, as well as site visits to, and case studies on, four best-practice cities, and then used the outcomes to validate the results of the initiative. Informed by the outcomes of the initiative and the research, the article suggests how best to utilize the seven community development system elements and the vitality success framework effectively to support philanthropy that promotes community well-being. This article focuses on theory-building in Detroit and calls for empirical research to further validate the findings. The article provides useful insights into the benefits of community-based research and citywide engagement as essential components of an effective community development system that can coordinate philanthropic practice more effectively to promote community well-being.