Resourcing the Field

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** Resourcing the Field: Building New Systems
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October 8, 2025

In today’s Resourcing the Field newsletter, we examine some powerful approaches to build civic infrastructure systems, while advancing economic and racial justice goals.

We begin with an article on reparative capital ([link removed]) . This is often reduced to a financial question, which, as authors dana fitchett, Jessica Norwood, and Vanessa Roanhorse note, is true in part—low-interest loans with long terms certainly help. But beyond that, they write, reparative capital requires a shift of mindset, values, and systems—such as different methods of underwriting risk. Resourcing the field in short involves more than shifting money; it requires changing the paths by which resources flow.

The other articles reinforce this theme. Charlotte Ren, Chao Guo, and John J. DiIulio, Jr. suggest time banking ([link removed]) could be a powerful tool to meet the needs of a globally aging population. Such an exchange system of time and services not only generates more resources to meet community needs, it also creates a deeper sense of community itself.

Next, Alex Stone examines how to support new co-op businesses ([link removed]) . Because co-ops have multiple owners, co-op startups often are unable to get federally guaranteed small business loans. Meanwhile, existing federal programs are at risk. But established co-ops earn hundreds of billions in revenue a year and could afford to finance new co-op business development. Stone sets out how they might go about doing so.

Finally, Philippa Rizopoulos and Kesi Foster write about public schools that act as community hubs, which offer classes to students’ parents and other services. The “community schools ([link removed]) ” they write about are nearly as common as charter schools but get far less attention. These schools offer a powerful means to leverage existing school facilities to stretch resources further and build community at the same time.

As you read these stories, I hope you find some inspiration—and perhaps get a few ideas on how to meet needs in your communities.

Steve Dubb

Senior Editor

Economic Justice


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** Must-Read Articles
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What Is Reparative Capital and Why Does It Matter?

by dana e. fitchett, Jessica Norwood, and Vanessa Roanhorse

How can investor capital repair harm? Low-cost loans help, but more broadly, in Black and Indigenous communities, building wealth requires changing rules and systems.
Read Article ([link removed])
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Time Banking, Aging, and the Future of Care

by Charlotte Ren, Chao Guo, and John J. DiIulio, Jr.

The world’s population is rapidly aging. Time banking, a concept developed in Japan and the United States, offers a promising path to build peer networks among older adults.
Read Article ([link removed])
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The Case for a Co-op Mutualist Fund: Why Co-ops Should Invest in Themselves

by Alex Stone

Future federal funding for co-op development, which has always been limited, is now at risk. But co-ops have resources. Here’s how co-ops could self-finance their own development.
Read Article ([link removed])
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How Building with Community Can Transform Public Education

by Philippa Rizopoulos and Kesi Foster

Public education today faces multiple federal attacks. But at the state and local levels, a community-based model to build strong public schools for all is gaining ground.
Read Article ([link removed])

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Lead with purpose in 2026. ([link removed])

The Kellogg School Center for Nonprofit Management offers programs that prepare nonprofit leaders to navigate change and create meaningful, lasting impact. Email us at [email protected].

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Resourcing the Field is a biweekly newsletter focusing on how we resource the health, wellness, and sustainability of ourselves, our teams, and our impact. From philanthropy to mental health, financial planning to mergers, these are the hard, needed stories, tools, and insights to fuel sustainable workplaces and meaningful community impact.

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