Opportunity Zones: Can Foundations Help Communities Get Ready?

Until the federal regulations for Opportunity Zones (OZs) are known, there is only speculation whether OZs will catalyze needed community infrastructure and economic development opportunities for the people who are residents and small business owners who live in these areas.  

 

To help illustrate who might actually benefit, the Council on Foundations will host a webinar to explore what roles foundations can play in this unprecedented, market-driven investment opportunity. Special guests from the National Governors Association and the Brookings Institution will join the Council’s congressional tax expert to kick off the discussion on how foundations might be players on both the investment aspect of the OZs and on the social impact side. A panel of regional philanthropy and Community Development Financial Institutions guests will share how they are thinking about this unique tax provision and what they are doing to get ready for alignment of philanthropic interests and education of their high capacity donors to co-invest with private equity investors.