About Advance Northeast Ohio
The mission of the Fund for Our Economic Future is to encourage and advance a regional economic competitiveness agenda. That agenda, initially developed in 2007, is called Advance Northeast Ohio, represents the values, beliefs, economic priorities and goals of our region as we work together to increase jobs, elevate incomes and reduce poverty.
Partners in Advance Northeast Ohio collaborate together to achieve a shared vision that Northeast Ohio will be the most economically vibrant region in the country.
The agenda was initially developed with the input of more than 20,000 residents who participated in the Voices & Choices regional engagement effort conducted by the Fund for Our Economic Future in 2005-06. The priorities identified by residents were aligned with in-depth economic research, which identified key factors in regional economic competitiveness. The Fund and partners in the public, civic and private sectors continue to collaborate to update the agenda and the corresponding strategies and initiatives that are being deployed to address its priorities.
Those strategies and initiatives are incorporated into a Regional Business Plan that the Fund developed with Advance Northeast Ohio partners in conjunction with the Brookings Institution. Elements of the regional plan developed with Brookings have been in place for years, and some elements are new initiatives. For example, a new initiative to expand small- to mid-sized manufacturers by boosting their capacity for product innovation is incorporated into the plan. That initiative, called the Partnership for Regional Innovation Services to Manufacturers, or PRISM, is being led by MAGNET, the region's manufacturing advocate.
In April 2011, the Fund and its partners presented that comprehensive plan to federal officials to encourage the federal government to develop policies and programs that target the specific needs of our region's economy. Multimedia downloads from the federal event hosted by Brookings Institution area available online.