Moving the Needle: Central Florida Foundation and Horizon Goals

Abstract

This teaching case study is a pedagogical tool to develop the skills of graduate students in understanding how a community foundation adopts a new framework to galvanize their local community around key issues. The case is based on the decision of the leadership of the Central Florida Foundation (CFF) to adopt the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as a framework to understand community progress on key issues such as health, employment, and housing. The case describes the internal and external efforts by the CFF to apply the global SDGs to local issues and engage community partners in their efforts. Students are asked to identify why CFF’s approach to adopting the SDFs was successful and what is necessary to keep it sustainable. Students can gain insight into the building blocks of a successful approach to community change. The text contains information about the political, economic, social, and cultural environment in Orlando, Florida and the way that CFF engages in cross-sector collaborations to improve their community.