Anchor Collaboratives: Building Bridges With Place-Based Partnerships and Anchor Institutions

Anchor institutions are nonprofit or public place-based entities, such as universities and hospitals, that are rooted in their local community by mission, invested capital, or relationships to customers, employees, residents and vendors. An increasing number of anchor institutions and partner organizations have joined to form place-based networks, or anchor collaboratives, to develop, implement, and support shared goals and initiatives that advance equitable and inclusive economic development strategies. This report looks at the key factors for anchor collaboration, the backbone organizations that comprise them, their funding structures, and more.