The Upside: Growth, Potential and the Future of Fairfield County

Dear Friend,

Imagine if we came together to create a more competitive, resilient, and inclusive economy in Fairfield County — one where everyone has a fair opportunity to reach their full potential.

What would achieving this vision mean for our region’s tax base, our work force, and our quality of life?

Thanks to a new study — The Upside: Growth, Potential and the Future of Fairfield County — we now know the answer to that question.

The study — which we developed in partnership with the Urban Institute, and DataHaven — found that if opportunity gaps were closed in Fairfield County, the region’s annual GDP would rise by $15.6 billion.

Think about that number — because it’s big.

That’s a $15.6 billion increase in economic activity that would bring more resources for our schools, more and better-quality housing, improved health, and increased revenue for local and state government.

So, what’s holding us back?

For too long, Fairfield County has been hamstrung by a lack of a county-wide infrastructure and limited strategic regional investments. This, in turn, has contributed to a region that has the nation’s second highest rate of income inequality and a dwindling number of anchor businesses and locally headquartered corporations.

Given the speed of change that is underway in our nation, it’s tempting to hold back and wait for conditions to settle before we begin investing in our community’s future.

But we cannot afford to wait. Instead, we must take matters into our own hands.

Regional collaboration is an antidote to global uncertainty.

We cannot control what happens outside of Fairfield County’s borders, but we do have power to chart our own destiny where we live and work.

And the Upside study’s results make it clear what we all stand to gain by committing to creating a stronger and more inclusive regional economy. We now have a data-driven blueprint to create a new path forward that would benefit everyone.

The study provides clear data to support the idea that inclusive growth is smart growth.

Quite simply: we don’t grow by leaving some people behind.

Building a thriving region that works for all isn’t a nice thing to do — it’s a necessary thing.

When we advance opportunity for all, we grow the pie — making it possible for more people to benefit and thrive.

The findings of The Upside build a strong case for our long-term strategy of mobilizing our community to fuel economic growth and inclusion.  We have the potential to be a region to where we all prosper and can access the American dream.

In the coming weeks and months, we’ll be bringing together business leaders, lawmakers, nonprofits, and community members to turn insight into action.

I invite you to start by first reading the report (download here) and then accepting our invitations to partner in creating a strategy for capturing the economic opportunity that is within our grasp — one that becomes an example for other regions across the U.S.  Let’s build an abundant future in Fairfield County where prosperity is increased and shared.

To request a presentation of The Upside report, click here.

In Community,

Mendi Blue Paca
PRESIDENT & CEO
FAIRFIELD COUNTY’S COMMUNITY FOUNDATION