About the Knight Foundation: The Knight brothers believed that a well-informed community could best determine its own true interests and was essential to a well-functioning, representative democracy. The brothers pursued those beliefs, building and running one of America’s largest and most successful 20th century newspaper companies. Fort Wayne, Indiana was home to one of the Knight Newspaper companies. In the words of Jim Knight, “The Knight Foundation was formed to promote excellence in journalism and the success of the communities in which we worked.” The company was sold, and the foundation, ever evolving, carries on this work. Fort Wayne is one of 26 Knight Cities that were once home to a Knight Newspaper. The Knight Foundation works closely with local community foundations in their Knight Cities to help fund and foster continued growth in cities that were once home.
Knight Foundation’s Community and National Initiative Strategy:
Since its creation, the Knight Foundation has invested more than $841 million in community initiatives. They want their national network of learning to inspire the actions of residents in each of their communities and help build a better democracy and a successful future.
The Knight Foundation Fund invests in civic innovators who help cities attract and keep talented people, expand economic opportunity and create a culture of engagement. They believe that the design of places plays an outsize role in achieving these goals.
The Knight Foundation supports the development of engaged, inclusive, and equitable communities toward a more effective democracy. An engaged community is one where people participate in civic affairs, are attached to the place where they live, and are invested in their community’s future. Knight Foundation investments to promote more engaged communities include:
- Downtown and Neighborhood Revitalization: Making an area more livable, attractive, and economically vibrant by improving, developing, and restoring downtowns and neighborhoods.
- Public Spaces: Connecting people to the places where they live by supporting the programming, design, and construction of inclusive and equitable public spaces.
- Economic Opportunity: Attracting and retaining residents by advancing inclusive pathways to jobs and entrepreneurship.
- “Smart Cities” as Responsive Cities: Helping cities make decisions that are more responsive to residents as digital technology reshapes our lives and shifts how communities are informed and engaged.
- Knight Foundation also focuses on journalism, media, and civic engagement as secondary priority areas.
Knight has supported Fort Wayne’s work in revitalizing its riverfront and surrounding neighborhoods and creating a more vibrant downtown to attract talented people and accelerate economic opportunity. Knight invests in Fort Wayne’s core city vibrancy through supporting projects around entrepreneurship, the arts, and smart design.
To learn more, please contact:
Brad Little
President / CEO
260-969-3320
blittle@cfgfw.org
You can also contact another member of our Grants and Scholarships team.