Infrastructure is a basic need, not a "nice to have." IndyGo Foundation Executive Director Emily Meaux on why philanthropy has an opportunity to fund the transportation that makes other services reachable.
I recently read the piece "Quality of Place Drives Quality of Life: Evidence to Attract Support for Placemaking and Beautification in Central Indiana" by Jeff Bennett of CICF, which names something we aim to lift up every day at IndyGo Foundation: infrastructure is a basic need, not a "nice to have."
Sidewalks, curb ramps, and protected crossings. This is infrastructure for everyone—bus riders, pedestrians, cyclists, families, and people with disabilities. A walkable city is an affordable city, one where getting to work, school, or the doctor doesn't require the cost of owning a car.
Jeff's piece confirms what we've seen firsthand: infrastructure is the most difficult category for our Foundation team to raise funds for. Donors and funders have long prioritized direct service needs like food and healthcare, and rightly so. Those needs are important, but as we highlighted on Transit Equity Day earlier this year, philanthropy has a real opportunity to bridge the gap and to fund what makes those services reachable in the first place.
How often do we ask, "How are people getting there?"
At our Transit Equity Day event, Ahmed Young of the Indianapolis Foundation put it plainly: "How are you ensuring that participants can actually access your program? If you're not considering access, who are you partnering with to solve that?" Click here to listen to what our speakers and panel had to say on Transit Equity Day.
At IndyGo Foundation, we bring private investment to public infrastructure, helping accelerate the timeline for making Indianapolis a walkable, accessible city. Right now, we're focused on a Far Eastside project: updating and creating 53 ADA-accessible bus stops and six pedestrian crossings.
If this is a gap you'd like to help close, we'd love to talk. Reach out to learn more about the project and how you can be part of it – Emily.Meaux@IndyGoFoundation.org.