$100 million in investment didn’t start with a pitch deck. It started with neighbors mapping a 40×40 block in East Oakland and asking: what if this land belonged to us?

At Blueprint and in partnership with Full Spectrum Labs, we’ve worked alongside coalitions like Richmond Our Power, Cooperation Richmond, and the Black Cultural Zone to translate grassroots vision into fundable strategies.

Their success shows a truth investors can’t ignore: community-led capital planning attracts resources at a scale traditional philanthropy rarely achieves.

What is the 40×40 Vision?

A coalition of local organizations came together to reclaim a 40×40 block in Deep East Oakland. They didn’t start with financial engineering. They started with community priorities: housing, cultural hubs, local businesses, and land retention

How they scaled to $100M+ in commitments

1. Community Governance First
   They built trust through a “People’s Advisory Council” that gave residents a real say in decisions. Investors saw legitimacy in that governance.

2. Family of Funds Infrastructure
   Rather than one large fund, Richmond leveraged loan funds, field-of-interest funds, and community stewardship trusts. Each vehicle matched a different capital source

3. Storytelling as Strategy
   The coalition told a compelling narrative: “Rise East” wasn’t just a plan, it was a movement. That story mobilized philanthropy and city partnerships

4. Anchors and Allies
   Organizations like Urban Tilth, Cooperation Richmond, and BCZ CDC anchored specific projects — from farms to commercial corridors — showing funders tangible impact points.

The Richmond case proves that when communities organize their own governance and capital strategy, investors don’t have to imagine impact. They can see it, fund it, and join it.

At Blueprint, we help funds and coalitions package their vision with the same clarity Richmond Our Power achieved, making $100M-scale investment a reality — not a dream.

Want to translate your ecosystem’s vision into investable strategy? Book a Blueprint session.