A REPORT ON CITIZEN-BASED GROWTH MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATIONS

From the beginning of the growth management movement in the United States, citizen-based organizations have provided the movement's principal leadership. The last decade has witnessed the rapid expansion of the number and influence of citizen groups dedicated to promoting smart growth and the creation of more livable communities have expanded rapidly. Cumulatively, these groups have shaped a broad growth management agenda at the national, regional and local levels. Their work has generated new interest by the public in the social, economic and environmental costs of sprawl and urban disinvestments. They have moved the issue from technical planners' discussion to mainstream news media.

In the summer of 2000, 1000 Friends of Florida, with the support of Glatting, Jackson, Kercher, Anglin, Lopez, Rinehart, Inc. (Glatting Jackson) initiated a survey of 39 citizen-based growth management organizations nationwide. This survey was completed in October of 2000 and the report summarizing the results of the survey demonstrates a remarkable record of accomplishments by these organizations, underscoring the powerful role of private sector leadership in shaping public policy and the communities in which the organizations operate.

Founded in 1986, 1000 Friends is one of the country's leading citizen-based growth management organizations. 1000 Friends of Florida initiated the survey to demonstrate the growing role of citizen-based growth management organizations and to provide for an exchange of information among the organizations, and, in doing so, to strengthen their individual and collective responses to create more livable communities.

The survey questions were designed to provide information on:

• Organization purpose and age
• Primary ways goals are accomplished
• Principal constituency groups and board composition
• Primary issues, both current and emerging
• Program areas, both current and anticipated
• Useful data and methods used to introduce new ideas
• Relationships with other organizations, both public and private sector
• Unique roles of the organization
• Budget and Funding

The report is divided into three sections: Summary Tables, Responses of the Survey Participants, and Appendices. The Appendices include a summary list of survey participants, a map of citizen-based growth management organizations and a copy of the survey questionnaire

For additional information, contact Vivian Young at 1000 Friends of Florida (850-222-6277).

Prepared for: 1000 Friends of Florida, with the support of Glatting, Jackson, Kercher, Anglin, Lopez, Rinehart. Prepared by: Jean Scott, Strategies for Livable Communities

SUMMARY OF PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Purpose:
The purpose of a majority of the organizations is to promote responsible, balanced growth through changes in public policy.

Geographic Scope and Location:
The largest concentration of the organizations is in the eastern region of the United States, with the second largest in the western region. The majority of the organizations (28 of 39) has a statewide geographic scope. The balance are regional.

How Goals are Accomplished:
The organizations included in the survey primarily accomplish their goals through a combination of research, education, coalition building, and technical assistance.

Date Founded:
The 1990's saw an escalation in the number of organizations, particularly in the later part of the decade when 15 of the 39 organizations surveyed were formed.

Constituencies:
The majority of organizations have constituency groups and boards of directors made up of diverse interests. Some of the organizations also include representatives of the public sector and of other non-profit organizations.

Techniques to Engage Constituent Groups.
All the organizations use a broad range of techniques to engage their constituent groups, including print and electronic communications, education, special events, and participation in projects.

Current Issues and Programs:
Current issues and programs fall into the general categories of: natural resource protection, mobility and enhances transportation choices, targeted investments to promote growth management goals, social justice, reinvestment in central cities, strengthening land use policies, capacity building, and regional planning.

Emerging Issues and Anticipated Programs:
Emerging issues and anticipated programs focus on the areas of affordable housing and social equity, techniques to make compact development more acceptable, connections between tax policies and land use, tools to address property rights concerns, public investment strategies that reinforce land use goals, and use of visualization tools and technology to communicate ideas.

Unique Roles of the Organizations:
Unique roles played by many of the organizations in the survey group include their ability to act outside of government, provide a source of independent expertise, look at issues from multiple perspectives, enable more informed decisions, and create broad-based actions.

Budget Size:
The majority of the organizations have a budget in excess of $250,000. Almost one-third of the organizations have a budget of $1,000,000 or more.

Funding Sources:
Funding for the organizations is fairly well distributed between major donors, general membership and foundations, with lesser support from government. Foundations make up an important part of the organizations funding, with all but 7 receiving 50% or greater of their funding from foundations.