Open Source Solutions

The Open Source Solutions series highlights innovative community development ideas offered by experts from across the field.

2019

Evaluating Empowerment Economics: A Preliminary Framework for Assessing Innovations in Financial Capability

Posted February 20, 2019

“Empowerment economics” is a multigenerational and culturally responsive approach to financial capability developed by and for low-income Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) and other communities of color. This report offers a preliminary evaluation framework that is intended to make visible the innovative approaches and potential outcomes associated with empowerment economics.

2018

Addressing Social Determinants of Health Through Medicaid: Expanding Upstream Interventions with Federal Matching Funds and Social-Impact Investments under the 2016 Medicaid Managed Care Final Rule

Posted October 31, 2018

This Open Source Solutions paper: 1) explores trends driving Medicaid’s efforts to “shift from volume to value” and the implications for federal payment of non-clinical services; 2) examines whether prevention-based savings from the effective use of value-based purchasing would “slide” Medicaid Managed Care Organization (MCO) revenue by a corresponding amount; and 3) considers outcomes-based funding options for health-related prevention and social welfare programs.

The Community Reinvestment Act and the Creative Economy: Investing in Creative Places and Businesses as Part of Comprehensive Community Development

Posted October 29, 2018

This Open Source Solutions paper proposes greater alignment between CRA-motivated capital and the creative economy by highlighting the range of creative places and business activities which have benefited from CRA funding over time. Hopefully this will: 1) bring more attention to these types of projects among community stakeholders; 2) increase awareness of their potential CRA eligibility; and 3) lead to more CRA-motivated investment in the creative economy in the future.