WHAT WE DO: 

The Aspen Roundtable on Community Change is a national organization that distills lessons about how to revitalize distressed communities and helps policymakers, practitioners, and funders develop and implement effective strategies for promoting vibrant, racially equitable communities in the United States and internationally. We research, consult and provide technical assistance to foundations, nonprofit organizations, corporations, communities, and government agencies. We convene national leaders in the community-change field, review community anti-poverty initiatives, and disseminate lessons to funders and practitioners about how to improve outcomes for low-income children, families, and communities in the following fields:

• Comprehensive community revitalization
• Child, youth and family development
• Racial equity
• Civic engagement and action
• Effective philanthropy
• Strategic planning, evaluation and learning

HOW WE DO IT:

The Roundtable develops knowledge through research on critical issues in the community change and racial equity fields. We distill lessons from convenings, and disseminate that information through publications, presentations, and leadership seminars. Our method of knowledge building is a constant cycle of researching, learning, and sharing; bridging the gap between research, theory and practice. 

CUTTING EDGE RESEARCH /KNOWLEDGE BUILDING

The Roundtable’s exploration of innovative learning strategies led it to develop the “theory of change” approach to evaluating community change initiatives and building evidence about their effectiveness.  This path-breaking methodology has become a standard approach in designing, managing and evaluating interventions in a wide number of policy domains.

Over the years, the Roundtable has used the theory of change approach to explore and assess community change strategies in areas like neighborhood safety, education, employment, economic development, and housing, and to examine the role that community-building strategies play in improving social, economic and civic outcomes for children, youth, families, and neighborhoods.  Our signature series, Voices from the Field, periodically assesses the state of the community change field and distills lessons for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers.    

The Roundtable has also applied the theory of change approach to its ground breaking racial equity work, developing a practical guide for designing strategies to close chronic racial disparities. This process is used in all of the Roundtable’s racial equity Seminars, and many of our Seminar alumni are applying their theories of change in their communities. Using our  community change model, we explore new, more equitable conceptions of policy and practice through research and convenings, Our most recent volume offers strategies for reducing the severe racial disproportionalities in the criminal justice system.