Maria Rivera
Central Falls mayor
Leading one of the most densely populated cities in America on a small operating budget, I’ve quickly learned to appreciate the importance of fostering new partnerships. I believe there are always new, untapped opportunities around the corner for organizations to further engage and make a difference in their own communities.
Public-private partnerships undoubtedly help advance a municipality’s needs, build pride in neighborhoods and deepen an organization’s impact. In Central Falls, public-private partnerships bring so much vibrancy to our city – from building a much-needed community center to a beautiful, new community garden on a once-vacant, foreclosed lot.
As a business or organization leader, you have a wealth of new ideas and perspective. Have a new program idea? Have supplies to donate or a team of volunteers? Want to fund a small project that could lead to big progress?
It starts with your engagement. My advice is to reach out directly to a municipality. We always have new initiatives and projects that need investment!
In our small city, we’ve used our size to our advantage – often demonstrating that small, dense, diverse municipalities can be amazing locations to test or invest in pilot programs before scaling them. We’ve even found ways to better support our community beyond our residents, such as our small businesses, helping them overcome language or technology barriers.
Seek out partnerships, and consider offering your expertise, resources or support. It starts with simple outreach to a municipality, and you are well on your way to making an impact.