Policy Committee Guidelines and Strategies for Round Last revised October, 2010

p2 Role of the Policy Committee for the Round  Oversight of policy within the organization  Track major policy trends and vet potential big ideas  Engage key policy partners

October, 2010 p3 Oversight Role of the Committee Provide guidance to committees/working groups on how to consider supporting policy work Harvest policy learnings from all activities in all committees (including from Integration Initiative cities) Develop appropriate dissemination strategy for the harvested learnings Determine whether to do more/go deeper? If so, how? Propose and advance policy ideas independent of the committees and working groups that fills a specific gap in the field and serves the mission of the collaborative

October, 2010 p4 Guidance to other committees and working groups Policy work is most appropriate when a multiple number of the following characteristics exist: Has potential to reshape substantially the playing field on issues of programmatic importance Takes advantage of unique characteristics and strengths of our collaborative Drives private markets to work on behalf of low income people Addresses issues simultaneously (e.g. transit and housing) Further engages key policy partners identified by Policy Committee

October, 2010 p5 Policy toolbox High-impact convenings: Leverage the influence and unique convening power of Living Cities to drive new relationships and policy reform. Example: May 2008 board meeting with chief of staffs of presidential campaigns helped established ties and ensuing close relationship with White House Boot camps : Opportunity to unite local, state, federal, philanthropic and private sector leaders around a new paradigm and set of catalytic funding. Example: Spring 2009 green boot camp led to a retrofit framework adopted by the White House and by the Department of Energy as part of a major cross-city grant program Project on Municipal Innovation (PMI): Direct access to 35 chief of staffs representing the nation’s largest cities and counties through quarterly calls, 2 day face-to-face sessions, and other ways to engage them yet used (e.g., visits to Washington, DC, multi-city innovation labs). Example: Summer 2010 convening brought cities together to discuss issues of philanthropy-based economic development led by board member Ronn Richard

October, 2010 p6 Policy toolbox New investment vehicles: New approaches to pool grant, loan and public sector dollars to advance policy issues and address local barriers. Examples: The original co-funding relationship; HUD/NCDI; Catalyst Fund, The Integration Initiative and newly created Transit Oriented Development ‘virtual pool’ Policy reports/briefs: White papers that reflect collective knowledge to advance policy. Example: White papers on green and foreclosure articulated our perspective and policy learnings and established intellectual credibility for our work Partnerships with Government. Work closely with local, state and/or federal governments on best practices, administrative/regulatory reforms, and local/state/federal alignment. Example: Through American City Agenda partnered with state of Ohio and city of Cleveland to develop a city-state reform policy agenda Legislative advocacy: Living Cities does not have a tradition of supporting specific legislation and would likely require board approval. Example: Through Living Cities funding support, Center for American Progress has developed legislative proposals to improve LIHTC due to current credit crisis

October, 2010 p7 Process for identifying big ideas Ideas can be brought to committee at any time by anyone/committees/working groups Policy Committee/Executive committee/Board charge committee staff with vetting ideas Ideas discussed/vetted at quarterly Policy Committee meetings unless more timely response required; although if there are not viable ideas in a particular quarter none will be brought to the Committee Final recommendations made by the Policy Committee to Executive committee/Board

October, 2010 p8 Guidelines for Vetting Big Ideas Has potential to reshape substantially the playing field on issues of programmatic importance (people, place & opportunity)

October, 2010 p9 Purpose of Policy Partners Provide timely and critical assessment of larger policy trends relevant to our work; and exposes Living Cities to emerging thinking Provide evidence, credibility, ballast, and access to help advance policy proposals surfaced from working groups and committees Provide diversity in terms of political affiliation, geographic diversity and issue expertise Living Cities supports their work as part of broader ecosystem of policies we are committed to but may not directly focus on (e.g. reengineering GSEs)

October, 2010 p10 Selection process for policy partners Policy Committee staff propose partners and justification to committee Policy Committee selects partners and allocates budget amounts as appropriate