They were a room full of young people, aged 16 to 22. Assembled by Reinvest Toledo, the youth were gathered to share something frequently missing from conversations about their future: their own perspectives.

What good do we want to do in the world? The question was the start of a one-year conversation with more than 100 organizations for the team at the John Henry Eldred Jr. Foundation.

It was an intensive period of talks with stakeholders across Northwest Ohio that resulted in the foundation’s Theory of Change. Created in partnership with the surrounding community, it’s a roadmap for the Foundation’s work that defines three areas of focus: housing stability, food security and youth education.