Introducing a new Francesco Collaborative Impact Strategy Circle, launching May 5
We are living through another season of concentrating economic power — in AI, in finance, in land, in institutional decision-making. Against that backdrop, community ownership models are showing meaningful signs of promise and staying power.
And yet meaningful capital from aligned institutions isn’t flowing.
That’s the question we want to sit with — together.
Francesco Collaborative is launching a new Community Ownership Impact Strategy Circle, a small, time-bound, volunteer-led group that will spend 3–5 months building shared landscape knowledge, asking hard questions, and making connections that help move this work forward.
Our first meeting is Monday, May 5.
Why now
A few recent signals that make this moment feel timely:
The business case is being made at institutional levels. The New York Federal Reserve, Nonprofit Finance Fund, and Justice Capital recently collaborated on a joint report — produced through the Fed’s Missing Markets Initiative — making the case for community ownership as an investment strategy. Download it at ownershipforsharedprosperity.com or read the NFF summary here.
Anchor institutions are paying attention. Hospitals in cities like Columbus, Ohio are investing in community-owned real estate as a social determinant of health — recognizing that ownership structures shape health outcomes in ways that clinical care alone cannot.
Proven models are reaching real scale. Community Purchasing Alliance has channeled over $14M annually to Black and Latino-owned businesses in DC — through the collective contracting power of churches and charter schools, not philanthropy. ROC USA has grown to 30+ states, helping tens of thousands of families preserve affordable housing through cooperative ownership.
New structural models are emerging. Subvert, Austin Robey’s artist-owned music platform cooperative, has pioneered a hybrid legal structure — a cooperative paired with a wholly owned public benefit corporation — where the cooperative holds 100% of the corporation’s voting shares. Investors can participate in the upside; the community retains governance. It’s a compelling proof-of-concept for how ownership and investment can coexist without community control being eroded.
The question for investors and foundations in our community: There are many models. Which ones are working? Which are ready for capital? How do we think about this as an allocation strategy?
What we’re trying to understand
The strategy circle will work through a set of guiding questions over its arc:
On the landscape: What are the leading community ownership models — cooperative, land trust, city-led, worker-owned, anchor institution partnerships — and how do they compare on depth of impact, scalability, and Catholic Social Teaching embodiment? Which models have crossed meaningful revenue thresholds ($1M → $10M → $100M), and what enabled that growth?
On capital flow: Why isn’t more capital moving to these models? What do investment committees actually need to get comfortable? Who has already said yes — which foundations, family offices, or RIAs (Candide, Capshift, Veris, Sonen, AlTi, Avivar, Align Impact, Glenmede, Bivium) have developed a community ownership allocation strategy? What have anchor institutions like University of Pennsylvania, Yale, and the Healthcare Anchor Network done with local hiring and procurement?
On strategy: Which cities have the right combination of anchor institutions, organizing infrastructure, and investor readiness to be the next breakthrough markets? What role can Francesco Collaborative play — as convener, connector, intellectual resource, or catalyst — in supporting allocators who want to move capital here but lack a trusted landscape map?
A tangible example: Community Purchasing Alliance
In November and March, we organized educational sessions around Community Purchasing Alliance (CPA) as a concrete example of community ownership in action.
CPA is a social-purpose purchasing cooperative — 100% owned by its member organizations — that pools the buying power of nonprofits, schools, and houses of worship to negotiate better rates on essential services and redirect savings toward mission. Since 2018:
- $246M in total contracts through CPA
- $125M directed to local businesses
- $80M to Minority Business Enterprises
- 15–20% average cost reductions for member organizations
- 85% of DC charter schools served
- Active expansion into Ohio and Massachusetts via a federation of local co-ops
CPA is not the only model. It is a concrete, proven example that anchors the broader question: What does community ownership look like when it works — and what would it take to see more of it?
How the circle works
Format: 3–6 facilitated sessions over May–October, approximately monthly. Mostly virtual, with a possible in-person gathering at the Francesco Collaborative Summit (December 1–3 at Duke University).
Before May 5, participants are invited to contribute to a shared working document with resources, questions, contacts, and landscape observations. Prompts include:
- Reports or research you’ve found compelling on community ownership
- RIAs, foundations, or advisors you know who have developed thinking here
- Fund managers, cooperatives, or social enterprises you think are doing standout work
- Questions you wish you had better answers to
Outputs over the arc of the circle:
- A shared landscape analysis — models, capital opportunities, leading practitioners
- Case study materials (potentially contributed to Executive MBA programs on impact investing at Georgetown and Michigan, led by FC members)
- A map of relationships and networks relevant to community ownership capital
- Targeted introductions within and beyond the Francesco Collaborative community
- A briefing suitable for sharing with foundations and family offices exploring allocation in this space
Who this is for
This circle is for people who:
- Are personally motivated by the idea of community ownership — economically, spiritually, strategically
- Have relationships, knowledge, or platforms that could help advance this work
- Want a structured, peer-supported way to go deeper on a theme they care about
- Are willing to give 3–5 hours over 3 months to shared inquiry and relationship-building
You do not need to be an institutional investor. Some participants will be. Others will be advisors, researchers, organizers, or faith community leaders. The value of the circle comes from the mix.
The May 5 meeting is intentionally small. We are looking for 5–8 people who are ready to do real work together.
Express interest below
If this resonates with you — or if you know someone who should be in the room — fill out the short form below. Felipe or Alissa (from Francesco Collaborative) will be in touch personally before May 5.
Francesco Collaborative convenes investors, fund managers, and movement leaders around economic transformation rooted in Catholic Social Teaching.