Anchor Institutions: Another View

Posted by Carol Coletta on December 03, 2008

Two pioneers in the anchor institutions movement and I were in Philadelphia Monday night to exchange ideas on the challenges to anchors.  Hank Webber, now at Washington University but long at University of Chicago, and Ira Harkavy at the University of Pennsylvania have led ambitious initiatives on behalf of their institutions to link university assets to community needs (and thereby meet their own needs).   We were joined by Paul Brophy and Tim Armbruster who started and nurtured successful multi-institution anchor initiatives in Baltimore.  

Hank warned that, to be sustained, anchor institution initiatives should grow out of self-interest.  "Moral supposition is not enough to drive decision making at the executive level," he told the audience.  "That's a losting proposition, especially for universities and hospitals.  Instead, it is in the interest of local institutions to build local relationships."

He made clear the benefits anchors get from rebuilding local communities:

>> Creates an appealing environment to attract staff and customers, which is particularly important if you are competing for leisure time or competing for the most mobile human capital
>> Builds the local economy which is good for the local anchor institution
>> Generates support from local leaders, which is important to preserving the anchor institution's ability to grow and to raising money
>> Contributes to the institutional mission
>> Builds support in local community

There are also costs.  Community rebuilding requires human and financial commitment, it's not the work anchors know how to do, the work is hard, and most important, it represents a huge opportunity cost for top management.

Hank said leaders of anchor institutions avoid this work because they overestimate the costs and overvalue the reputational risk.

Engaging in anchor institution work is, essentially, a matching exercise -- matching an anchor's capacity with community needs.  "Anchor institutions have considerable capacity but not infinite capacity," Hank warned.  "So you can't do it all.  The question is, what can you really do?" 

More on my comments next.