History & Evolution
History
In 2003, a Brookings Institution study identified a large demographic shift and widening economic gaps in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. “Because more than 60 percent of the cities’ foreign-born population arrived in the country in the last ten years, the Twin Cities face unique challenges in connecting these newcomers to the economic, political, and educational mainstream.” The report noted similar challenges for communities of color generally, concluding, “Without specific efforts to connect all residents to the Twin Cities success story, the gap will widen between those who are part of the knowledge-based economy and those who are part of the service economy.”
Established later that year as Payne-Lake Community Partners (PLCP), our initial focus was to connect communities of color and immigrants and to the economic, political and educational mainstream, and to accelerate investment and revitalization along two aging commercial corridors: Payne Avenue in St. Paul and Lake Street in Minneapolis. Successful early initiatives included support for entrepreneurs and small businesses, increased homeownership among immigrants and communities of color, commercial corridor revitalization and culturally sensitive community engagement.
Evolution
Our focus has continually evolved in response to changing needs and opportunities within Twin Cities urban communities of color and immigrant communities. In 2007, Nexus embarked on a strategic rethinking process to evaluate the impact of our previous efforts as well as to determine what specific future contributions Nexus should make to the revitalization of neighborhoods we provide support in. The strategic rethinking was informed by Nexus’ learning and insights gained from previous years work, the results of a three year evaluation, and input from community stakeholder interviews. That process informed Nexus’ transition from a focus on community development to a focus on building the skills, civic capacity, and the fundamental social institutions (families, block clubs, affinity groups, neighborhood collaborations, etc.) that are part of a strong community revitalization infrastructure.
Nexus utilizes a toolkit of revitalization strategies, including convening diverse community residents and leaders; acting as a cultural mediator between grassroots residents and mainstream funders and developers; community outreach and engagement; promoting civic participation; community organizing and education; as well as incubating model asset-building initiatives in the areas of workforce development, successful homeownership, successful entrepreneurship, digital technology access, and financial literacy. This toolkit positions Nexus as a community-building specialist. Our new name reflects both the organization’s broadened geographic scope and our unique role as a widely respected connector of complementary organizations and approaches.
Today, Nexus Community Partners works at the intersection of community building and community development, engaging communities of color and immigrant communities to achieve equitable, sustainable revitalization. Our mission is to support inclusive, place-based community building initiatives that expand community assets, build social and human capital, and result in more powerful and engaged communities.