Community Organizations Reimagining Ecosystems (CORE)

Welcome to the CORE of the United States ;), where we bring together leaders and organizations from across the country dedicated to advancing social impact through their work as place-based intermediaries (PBIs).

 
 

About CORE

 

CORE (Community Organizations Reimagining Ecosystems) is a cohort initiative launched by the Social Innovation Forum (SIF) in 2021. Supported by a generous grant from the Fidelity Charitable Trustees' Initiative, CORE convenes 16 leaders from 8 organizations. Through our collective learnings, CORE has discovered that all eight organizations in our cohort are best described as Place-Based Intermediaries (PBIs).

PBIs are local or regional entities that address complex social issues and systemic inequities by building relationships and networks among diverse stakeholders—such as funders, nonprofits, local governments, businesses, and communities—to enhance social impact.

Together, we have developed a profound understanding of the pivotal role PBIs play in driving systems change from the ground up and vice versa.

 
 

CORE Partner Organizations

 

Visit the PBI Directory to learn more about each organization. If you would like to add your own PBI or suggest others, please contact Victoria Santamarina, Director of Coalitions, at victoria@radicalpartners.net.

To learn more about CORE’s work, you can also check out this Blogpost with 2023 Updates on CORE.

 

Our Achievements (So Far)

 

Built Community: Forged a tight-knit community of practice among 16 leaders from 8 organizations nationwide. 

Shared Learning: Facilitated collaborative learning that strengthens individual organizations and the collective impact of the cohort. Here are some of the resources we’ve built over the years:

Advocated for Change: Positioned itself at the forefront of advocating for increased awareness and investment in PBIs.

Documented Insights: Captured convenings visually, wrote two articles about the role of PBIs, and participated in external evaluation by Ideas42 affirming the effectiveness of our PBI models.

 
 

Our Vision for the Future

 

CORE’s leaders believe in the power of local communities to drive systemic change. By fostering deep collaboration and shared learning among PBIs, we aim to amplify the voices and impact of leaders and the local changemakers they work with and for grassroots leaders. Our vision is to catalyze a national conversation that acknowledges the critical role of PBIs in promoting equity and social justice, while building coalitions among funders, investing in the capacity of organizations, and engaging locals around the issues that matter the most in each region.

 

Watch the PBI Virtual Forum

 
 

To mark the culmination of CORE’s pilot phase and advance the work of PBIs, we held a PBI Virtual Forum on Wednesday, September 25th, 2024, at 12:00-1:30pm EST. This forum showcased our collective learnings, discussed the strategic direction for our next phase, and expanded the dialogue on the significant role of PBIs in national and philanthropic landscapes. The event also included a Q&A session and a panel discussion featuring CORE Cohort members and partners, who shared their experiences and insights.
Please press play above to watch the full forum!

 
 
 

Join Us

CORE invites more PBIs, funders, and social impact leaders to join us in envisioning a future together. Be part of the movement to drive transformative change and create more equitable ecosystems nationwide.

Check out (and add to!) the growing Directory of PBIs and contact Victoria Santamarina, Director of Coalitions, at victoria@radicalpartners.net, for more information on CORE and how to get involved.