Comprehensive community development is an approach to creating places of opportunity for all. It is community-driven and data-driven, with a spotlight on equity and seeking out the voices of residents throughout planning and implementation. And it’s one of NeighborWorks America’s guiding principles, embedded in the organization’s strategic plan.

Philanthropy is increasingly tasked with solving complex community challenges like the need for more affordable homes, equitable access to economic opportunity and stronger mental and physical healthcare services. As these issues become more urgent, how can grantmakers help communities drive actionable change? 

In mid-May, demolition began on the Umeya Rice Cake Factory, known for making sweet Japanese rice crackers in California's Little Tokyo. The family-owned business has been a mainstay in Los Angeles – interrupted when President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, which placed Japanese families like the Hamano family in internment camps during World War II.