So What? The Impact of Social Capital Created by the Ford Institute Leadership Program

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of social capital, defined in this context as the personal or community benefits that comes from social networks, that participants formed by being a part of the Ford Institute Leadership Program (FILP) a community leadership class sponsored by the Ford Family Foundation. FILP is a class designed to train emerging, existing and experienced leaders, and draws class members from individuals who live and/or work in the sponsored communities. The study asks the question, "What are people doing with the new or deepened relationships they formed because of these classes? ... Research was done via in-person interviews with participants in three case study communities: Ontario, Henniston, and Forest Grove, OR. The results of this research suggest that new connections are creating personal, professional, and community benefits, especially in increased access to resources. Findings from this study will be of primary use to the Ford Family Foundation, but would also be interesting and applicable to anyone interested in community development, rural studies, some sectors of sociology, and/or program evaluation.