PolicyLink

PolicyLink
Name	PolicyLink
Type	Nonprofit think tank
Founded	1999
Founder	Angela Glover Blackwell
Headquarters	Oakland, California
Area served	United States
Focus	Equity, anti-poverty, community development

PolicyLink PolicyLink is a national research and advocacy organization focused on advancing economic and racial equity for people of color and low-income communities. Founded in 1999 in Oakland, California, it works through research, policy development, coalition building, and communications to influence federal, state, and local decision-making. The organization engages in campaigns, publishes analyses, and partners with community groups, policymakers, and philanthropic institutions to pursue systemic policy change.

History

PolicyLink was established in 1999 by Angela Glover Blackwell after her leadership roles in the Children's Defense Fund, Public Advocates, and work related to the California Department of Social Services and urban policy networks. Early work connected to initiatives linked to the Urban Institute, Brookings Institution, and civic coalitions in the San Francisco Bay Area while responding to national debates spurred by the Welfare Reform Act of 1996 and the policy agenda emerging from the Clinton administration. During the 2000s, PolicyLink collaborated with networks associated with the Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, and W.K. Kellogg Foundation and contributed to discussions at forums such as the World Economic Forum and conferences convened by the National League of Cities. In the 2010s, the organization engaged with campaigns connected to the Affordable Care Act, housing debates involving the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, and municipal efforts alongside groups like Oakland Community Organizations and coalitions related to the Black Lives Matter movement. Recent years saw PolicyLink contribute analyses used by legislators in the United States Congress, municipal leaders in Los Angeles, New York City, and regional coalitions in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Mission and Activities

PolicyLink's stated mission centers on achieving equity by leveraging research and advocacy to shift public policy and public investments. Activities include policy analysis for lawmakers in the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, technical assistance for local governments such as City of Oakland, capacity-building with community organizations like Faith in Action, and strategic communications in partnership with outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and broadcast entities like NPR. It conducts trainings drawing on models used by the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, policymaking frameworks seen in reports from the Economic Policy Institute and program evaluation methods aligned with the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Policy Areas and Initiatives

PolicyLink works on cross-cutting initiatives spanning fair housing linked to Fair Housing Act enforcement and municipal zoning debates in places like Minneapolis and Seattle; equitable economic development connected to workforce programs promoted by the Department of Labor and investments similar to New Markets Tax Credit frameworks; health equity initiatives related to implementation of the Affordable Care Act and public health responses coordinated with state departments like the California Department of Public Health; and climate resilience projects intersecting with planning by the California Air Resources Board and regional entities such as the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. Other initiatives address transportation equity tied to projects by the Federal Transit Administration, criminal justice reforms aligned with policy proposals debated in the Supreme Court of the United States context, and education equity linked to efforts by the Department of Education and advocacy networks such as Teach For America.

Research and Publications

PolicyLink produces reports, policy briefs, data analyses, and toolkits used by advocates, elected officials, and scholars. Publications have examined economic inclusion using labor market statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, demographic trends drawing on the United States Census Bureau, and poverty measures paralleling work by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Their research has been cited alongside studies from the Urban Institute, Brookings Institution, and the Russell Sage Foundation. PolicyLink has released frameworks on equitable recovery that have informed municipal recovery plans in jurisdictions like New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and eviction-prevention analyses used in legislative debates in California and New York State.

Advocacy, Partnerships, and Impact

Advocacy efforts include coalition leadership and participation with national networks such as National Low Income Housing Coalition, Jobs With Justice, and regional collaboratives including the East Bay Community Foundation. PolicyLink has partnered with labor unions like the Service Employees International Union and faith-based coalitions associated with groups such as United Way Worldwide. Its impact is reflected in policy shifts at municipal levels—ordinances on minimum wage in cities like San Francisco and Seattle—and in federal policy dialogues around infrastructure investment, equitable transit-oriented development, and inclusive procurement strategies debated within the United States Department of Transportation and appropriations processes in the U.S. Congress.

Funding and Governance

PolicyLink's funding has included support from philanthropic institutions such as the Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Annie E. Casey Foundation, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation as well as contracts and grants from government agencies and private donors. Governance is overseen by a board with leaders drawn from nonprofit, academic, and civic sectors, often connected to institutions like University of California, Berkeley, Columbia University, and nonprofit intermediaries similar to Enterprise Community Partners. Senior staff have included leaders with prior roles in municipal administration, foundation leadership, and civil rights advocacy connected to groups such as NAACP and ACLU.

Category:Think tanks in the United States Category:Organizations based in Oakland, California