How Monahans built its own broadband network

The Haitian nonprofit Life of Hope had faced chronic rental instability for years before developing a financing strategy using federal funds, bridge loans, and private donations to finally secure permanent ownership of a facility. Since purchasing a warehouse to house the organization in June 2024, the organization has solidified itself as a permanent pillar in the local Haitian community, providing English classes, cultural programming, and other community services to more than 60,000 people, serving as a model for other Haitian nonprofits.

A group of women known as the Mamacítas Cibernéticas are conducting outreach in Sunland Park, New Mexico, to gauge the digital literacy needs of locals — particularly older Hispanic women. They’re using that information to lobby lawmakers for computer training programs to help bridge the digital divide.

Philly Community Wireless addresses the digital divide in the area by developing a community-owned, Wi-Fi mesh network. The community-owned structure means the network doesn’t rely on power lines or subscribers but instead runs on partnerships and grants, providing people with free internet access. Antennas for the network can broadcast within a 100 to 200-foot radius and there are currently 30 Wi-Fi access points throughout the city.

A community land trust in Fresno's Tower District used a combination of CDFI financing, foundation grants, and donations to acquire its first commercial property, bringing an indie bookstore to a neighborhood where high rents previously made that impossible. The land trust has also produced a new community park and favorable city zoning changes, demonstrating how CLTs can extend beyond affordable housing to support broader community development.

The free, public WiFi network LinkNYC addresses the digital divide exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. LinkNYC replaces old payphone kiosks and provides high-speed WiFi hotspots and allow for phone calls, device charging and access to social services and local information.

A village in the UK didn't have access to internet, so the community joined together to build the infrastructure for broadband in their area. Although "building resilient, fibre-fed networks in rural areas" wasn't easy or cheap, it has made a difference, especially during the pandemic, in helping the community feel less isolated.

Access to the internet is an important tool to addressing inequity at the scale of the community and the individual. Detriot’s Equitable Internet Initiative is a coalition of media, tech, and community-based organizations working to bridge the digital divide in underserved neighborhoods.

Minnesota's Office of Cannabis Management entered into compact agreements with tribal nations in 2025, allowing tribes to operate cannabis dispensaries beyond reservation boundaries. Seven tribally owned off-reservation dispensaries are now open, with more planned. These dispensaries are serving as significant job sources as Waabigwan Mashkiki, White Earth Nation's cannabis company, has created 200 jobs alone in one of the state's poorest counties. Other states including Virginia and Wisconsin are now looking to Minnesota's framework as a model for their own tribal cannabis policies.

Community-oriented heat pump group-buying programs work together to secure discounts of 10–20% on heat pump installations. Organized by companies, nonprofits, and local governments, group-buying programs have led to participants saving thousands of dollars and more people participating in climate-forward development.

The Austin Cultural Trust is helping preserve the city’s music venues and cultural arts spaces by helping them obtain long-term leases to buy their land outright. The Trust is run by Rally Austin, a local nonprofit that has since dedicated $19 million and secured 67,000 square feet of cultural space, supporting various venues throughout the city.