Reports on a 2-year national initiative sponsored by the Pew Partnership to identify, document, and disseminate information about successful efforts to address tough challenges in communities across the United States. The 19 Solutions for America sites represent a broad range of communities, from major cities and smaller urban centers to rural settings, as well as a diversity of issues involving community economic development, community health, workforce development, civic engagement, and the well-being of children, youth, and families. The most important finding was that many working solutions are already in place. Among the additional lessons that policymakers, program and funding personnel, and researchers can take away from the Pew initiative are that: (1) the most successful solutions involved players committed for the long haul; (2) greater collaboration translated into a broader base of support and greater success; (3) small investments frequently had big payoffs; and (4) success must be measured in terms of outcomes, not just inputs, and also measured broadly to take into account positive spillover effects. The hub-and-spoke model involving collaboration between researchers and local service providers proved a reliable mechanism for stimulating dialogue among community stakeholders and improving program operations. CONTENTS Acknowledgments Introduction: Solutions for America The Nineteen Solutions Sites The Hub-and-Spoke Research Design Themes and Findings: What Makes a Solution? Solutions for America as an Intervention Lessons and Recommendations Conclusion Bibliography Program Staff and Research Teams
