UNC DFI: Of the Public, For the Public

The mission of the School of Government is to improve the lives of North Carolinians through training, advising, and scholarship for public officials. However, when it became clear that a phone call or email exchange would not be adequate help for a local government trying to navigate the complex world of private development, faculty member Tyler Mulligan created the Development Finance Initiative (DFI). A common criticism of academic institutions is that the knowledge produced rarely yields real-world impact for the surrounding communities, but the 134 projects UNC DFI has worked on over the last eight years tell a different story. DFI’s service to the state is a story of hope for North Carolina’s future. Housed at UNC, DFI has partnered with geographically and economically diverse communities, from urban metropolitans to rural towns, and spanning 38 Senate (76%) and 66 House districts (55%) in North Carolina. DFI is investing time and expertise in the areas of North Carolina that need it most – those with limited resources. Since 2011, UNC DFI has collaborated with local governments across the state, whose collective populations total approximately 3.1 million North Carolinians. DFI partner communities have populations ranging in size from 110 in Seven Springs to 900,993 in Wake County, and median incomes ranging from $17,424 in Boone to $120,658 in Davidson. Of all communities served by DFI, the median population size is 8,461, the median income is $38,167, and the median percentage of residents living below the poverty level is 20.3%. Based on 2010 Census determinations, 49% of all DFI [...]