The D.R.I.V.E. Initiative (Developing the Region’s Inclusive and Vibrant Economy) is a 10-year investment plan to develop a sustainable economy for the residents of the greater Fresno region. Click here to learn more.

In May 2019, Governor Newsom’s office announced a new ‘Regions Rise Together” initiative designed to develop a comprehensive economic plan to benefit all parts of California, specifically the Inland regions. The DRIVE Initiative capitalized on this statewide momentum, with a diverse group of civic, community, and business leaders to develop a strategy for Fresno. The DRIVE Initiative launched on July 10, 2019 in Downtown Fresno to a Steering Committee of 300 participants. After a 6-week business planning procress, the draft plan was presented to community groups for input and feedback. On October 31, 2019 at the State Capitol in Sacramento, a coalition of DRIVE leaders presented the draft Investment Plan to Governor Newsom, and on November 7-8, the plan was presented at the 2019 California Economic Summit hosted in Fresno. In 2020, the DRIVE coalition created a race equity framework to guide the ongoing development of DRIVE iniatitives, and attracted investment capital for individual workplans. Click here to learn more about the history of Fresno DRIVE.

The goal of DRIVE is to create opportunities for all residents impacted by poverty to have pathways to opportunity and prosperity. We do this by creating an inclusive economy, building power within our neighborhood residents, and addressing policies that prevent our residents from economic stability and wellness.

We achieve our goal by creating an inclusive economy, building power within our neighborhood residents, and addressing policies that prevent our residents from economic stability and wellness.

We currently have a 38 member Executive Committee, a 14 member Race Equity Committee, and a 27 member Initiative Leaders Collaborative. However, we would eventually like the majority of Fresno residents to be involved in DRIVE and they can by being a part of our DRIVE Community Network. Click here to learn more.

Yes, each of our initiatives have a community engagement strategy as does DRIVE overall. We have residents that sit on our Executive Committee and as well as residents that are involved in various aspects of the initiative work.

DRIVE has various opportunities to learn about the initiatives as well as the Race Equity learnings that happen throughout the year. Visit our Contact Page and submit a message with your interest to be added to the DRIVE Community Network and receive the opportunities and updates.

Developing the draft DRIVE Community Investment Plan began with a community-wide inventory of existing initiatives directly relating to DRIVE’s 10-year vision and focus on economic development, human capital, and neighborhood development. In total, 125 initiatives were reviewed, categorized, and assessed for inclusion based on their alignment, momentum and community buy-in, impact, feasibility, and diversity of impact. The assessment process, based on national best practices and coordination efforts with external experts, resulted in 25 major investment themes, which were ultimately developed into 14 community investment initiatives. Click here to learn more about our complete portfolio of initiatives.

Fresno is currently one of the fastest growing regions in the United States with 20 percent population growth since 2000 and has historically been the largest city in California’s Central Valley. The Urban Institute’s 2018 research on economic mobility revealed that Fresno ranks 59th out of California’s 59 largest cities for economic and racial disparity, and our current economy doesn’t create the volume and opportunities needed to break the cycle of economic distress. While impressive progress has been made to combat these challenges in recent years, but there is more to be done. The DRIVE Initiative is a comprehensive and inclusive economic development plan that will guide public and private investments for the next decade.