Connecting Communities: Building Community Capacity to Harness Opportunity Zones 2.0 Investments
October 8 @ 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm EDT
Opportunity Zones (OZs) open the door to billions of dollars in potential investment for community‑driven projects — but dollars don’t automatically find their way into neighborhoods. Communities need trusted, well-prepared local partners who can leverage, facilitate, and channel capital into projects that truly benefit existing residents.
With Opportunity Zones 2.0 on the horizon, many communities are wondering:
- What’s new this time?
- How has the program evolved?
- And what will it take to ensure that the next wave of incentives leads to real, equitable impact on the ground?
In this Connecting Communities session, we’ll start by grounding everyone in the basics of Opportunity Zones — what they are, what’s changing, and why those shifts matter. Then, you’ll hear from practitioners around the country who are already doing this work, from small towns to major metros. They’ll share considerations for preparing project pipelines, forming partnerships, and building the local capacity needed to make the most of OZ 2.0.
We’ll also dig into practical questions like:
- When does it make sense to launch your own Qualified Opportunity Fund, work with established social‑impact investors, or simply act as a matchmaker connecting investors with ready projects?
- What are the capabilities, relationships, and resources needed to effectively channel OZ capital into your community?
- How can new collaborative efforts determine the right role for different potential partners based on your community context?
Whether you’re from a community development corporation, local government, a nonprofit, or a community foundation, this session will offer concrete examples and actionable guidance for building the infrastructure needed to turn Opportunity Zone potential into tangible, equitable community impact.
Related resources:
Speakers
Alex Flachsbart
President and CEO
Opportunity Alabama
Mauri Ingram
President and CEO
Whatcom Community Foundation
Daffney Moore
Former Chief Opportunity Zone Officer
Jason Vargo
Senior Researcher
Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
Sergio Galeano (moderator)
Community & Economic Development Advisor
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
Presented by
Location
About Connecting Communities®
Real people. Real research. Real conversations.
Connecting Communities is a Federal Reserve-sponsored webinar series providing timely information on community and economic development issues. It complements Fed community development outreach initiatives conducted through the 12 regional Reserve Banks and Federal Reserve Board of Governors.
Have questions about the program? Contact us.
