What we do

Promise Neighborhoods are addressing generational legacies of structural racism, poverty, and community disinvestment. They ensure children and families most in need access critical government and private sector funded services and supports.

Across the country, Promise Neighborhoods have seen significant improvements in reading and math achievement scores, high school graduation rates, school finance system reform, and dramatic improvements in job training and career prep for young adults. The Camden Promise Neighborhood in New Jersey tripled the proportion of third- and fourth-grade students in target schools performing at or above grade level in mathematics. In Mississippi, the Deer Creek Promise Community increased graduation rates from 81% to 94% in Leland, 9th best in Mississippi, since services began in 2017. In Kentucky, Knox Promise Neighborhood achieved a 10% increase in age-appropriate functioning/ kindergarten readiness and 7% increase in attendance.

Throughout the pandemic, Promise Neighborhoods demonstrated their ability to be responsive and rapid emergency response networks, and provided critical community support. California Promise Neighborhoods dispersed over $50M in family relief funds, rental relief, and utility relief during the pandemic, and distributed over 255K food boxes and warm meals. In addition to these outcomes, a key strength of the Promise Neighborhoods initiative is sustainability. Promise Neighborhoods communities have continued to do the work even after their federal funding has expired. These communities include the Jackson Triangle, the first neighborhood served by Hayward Promise Neighborhoods (California); and Clay County Public School, Jackson County Public School, and Owsley County Public School – the three neighboring school districts served by Partners for Rural Impact (Kentucky), which operated the nation’s first rural Promise Neighborhood. Within the Jackson Triangle community, high school graduation rates rose from 71% to 81% from 2011-2016. Graduation rates reached an all-time high of 86% in 2020. In Clay County, Jackson County, and Owsley County public schools, the percentage of children ready for kindergarten increased from 16% (80 of 492) in 2012 to 49% (214 of 439) in 2021 – a rate that nearly matches the state average of 52%.