Celebrating Progress
When we started down this path together in 2003, there were two chain restaurants for every locally owned restaurant. Phoenix was known as a sprawling sea of corporate brands, and young college graduates regularly said we had no culture, had no soul. Today, Arizona is filled with hometown pride, with local entrepreneurs leading the way.
Addressing Arizona’s most critical issues and measuring remarkable success.
Whether training and supporting thousands of entrepreneurs and small business owners to keep our economy resilient, securing millions of dollars in funding for rural and tribal communities, improving healthy food access for our most under-resourced neighborhoods, or implementing transformational and participatory environmental programs, Local First is leading the way on the most crucial issues facing our state.
2022 Impact
Here’s a look at just some of the progress we made in our five priority areas:
01.
Prioritize Entrepreneur Development and Small Business Support
Small businesses and entrepreneurs are the backbone of Arizona’s economy. Helping new and existing companies launch, grow and succeed is one of our highest priorities.
Distributed $52 million in state and federal aid
to small businesses in all 15 counties, plus $7 million in Back to Work grants to hire and retain employees.
Provided one-on-one consulting to 2,900 business owners.
We empowered local entrepreneurs to overcome any challenge from branding and marketing to government licensing and trademarks, from help applying for loans and restructuring debt to negotiating with suppliers and signing leases.
Incubated more than 70 food-based startups
in our community kitchens and were able to help 85 additional food businesses across the state begin operations through attending our restaurant Start-Up Boot Camp – including bagel and granola makers; vegan caterers; and multi-cultural food trucks and restaurants. Due to overwhelming demand, two more kitchen incubators will open in 2023.
Re-launched signature events
connecting Arizona residents, businesses and communities, including:
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More than 300 business leaders convened in Tempe to commit to building an economy that puts people first while protecting the planet.
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Buyers from grocery stores, distributors and restaurants met local vendors at our wholesale showcase of Arizona farms and food artisans that drew 200 attendees.
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More than 200 Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs discovered resources for their businesses such as accountants, lawyers, payroll servicers, printers and more all in one place.
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At our biggest event of the year, 15,000 attendees in downtown Phoenix enjoyed more than 200 locally-owned companies, food trucks, wine and beer purveyors and musicians celebrating what makes Arizona great. Plus, our volunteers diverted more than 60% of event waste to recycling and composting!
02.
Invest in Rural Development
Tribal and rural communities that enrich Arizona have different needs than the state’s urban centers. Our programs, in combination with our leadership of the Arizona Rural Development Council, are driving investment, resources and new ideas to all corners of the state.
Local First secured a $9.5 million governor’s grant
to create the Northern Arizona Good Jobs Network. More than 40 organizations across five northern Arizona counties will partner to improve economic opportunities for employers and job seekers alike.
Fuerza Local graduated its first class from rural Arizona.
Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs from Cottonwood and Sedona spent six months learning strategic and day-to-day best practices, networking with their peers and saving money to reinvest in their businesses along with a Local First matching grant of $1,000 per graduate.
Our Green Business Bootcamp expanded into the Verde Valley.
Businesses and nonprofits in Cottonwood, Sedona, Camp Verde and Clarkdale will learn how to reduce water, energy, waste and transportation by at least 20% and save money. A low-interest loan program is available to fund their projects.
The annual Rural Policy Forum convened more than 300 rural and tribal leaders, policymakers and other stakeholders
in Winslow to share success stories and explore solutions to the emerging needs and persistent challenges of rural Arizona.
Local First book highlight
A book outlining innovative efforts to increase community resilience and economic opportunity across rural America was published highlighting Local First. “Rural Areas in Transition: Meeting Challenges and Making Opportunities” contains a chapter by Founder and CEO Kimber Lanning about building a rural entrepreneurial ecosystem based on 15 years of successful economic development experience in rural Arizona.
03.
Increase Capacity in Under-Resourced Areas
Local First is building an inclusive and equitable economy by making sure no community, tribe or local business falls behind in Arizona because of a lack of resources or knowledge.
AZNavigator helped nearly 2,000 small businesses from under-resourced communities achieve their goals
in the program’s first full year. The partnership between 10 nonprofits — including StartUp Tucson, U.S.VETS Prescott, the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, StartUp Unidos, and One Community — assisted more than:
60 military veterans
200 rural entrepreneurs
560 entrepreneurs of color
800 women business owners
The Arizona Economic Recovery Center won $26 million for rural Arizona projects
ranging from small afterschool programs to massive infrastructure expansions and repairs. The center pairs grant writers at no charge with towns, tribes and nonprofits that don’t have the staff to seek grants on their own.
Yuma and Prescott opened new kitchen incubators using our Kitchen In A Box program.
Communities across Arizona can follow our how-to guide to open their own shared commercial kitchens to cultivate startups and reinvigorate their local food and dining scenes.
The We Rise Business Accelerator prepared 25 Black entrepreneurs
with the tools they need to compete economically and close the racial wealth gap, while Fuerza Local graduated 105 Spanish-preferred business owners from its business accelerator and executive leadership programs.
The inaugural Fuerza Local Business Directory
spurred new collaborations between Hispanic entrepreneurs and graduates of the business accelerator.
04.
Rebuild Arizona’s Food System
Having access to healthy and affordable fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy from local, sustainable and water-conscious farms is essential to the future of our state. Local First is spurring innovations along all stages of the food cycle to ensure Arizonans eat well.
The Good Food Finder was redesigned as an online educational hub, providing resources and information about Arizona’s local food system.
The website also offers the most comprehensive directory in the state with over 1,100 farm and food business listings, making it easy for you to participate in the local food movement or locate a farmers market, farm, dairy, or local food artisan in your neighborhood. Or access helpful guides to plant a garden in your own backyard.
A first-of-its-kind urban agricultural conservation easement
The Coalition for Farmland Preservation – in collaboration with the City of Phoenix, Central Arizona Land Trust, and other partners – successfully created a first-of-its-kind urban agricultural conservation easement to prevent residential development of Maya’s Farm and preserve the urban farmland. By purchasing the development rights, the land is also more affordable for the farmer, Maya Dailey, to purchase.
Maya’s Farm became a prototype for Local First’s campaign to preserve urban farmland and provide nutrition security for the community by growing local, accessible, healthy food. Learn more about the critical accomplishments of the Coalition for Farmland Preservation in building a localized food system and preserving our farmland.
The Feed Phoenix Initiative wrapped up after driving much-needed federal pandemic dollars to:
80 restaurants and farms to prepare nearly 400,000 meals and 15,000 bags of produce for Phoenix families over two years. This model became a high-water mark for partnerships between cities and nonprofits to push government aid into local food businesses to nourish their most vulnerable residents.
Did you know?
A women-led urban farm on a neighborhood corner in South Phoenix is growing over 14,000 pounds of fresh, nutritious fruits and vegetables for local families.
05.
Build Inclusive Environmental Resilience
Did you know that low-income business owners pay on average 30% more for their water and energy bills because their equipment is older and less efficient? Local First is educating these business owners AND providing access to funds for necessary upgrades to help battle changes in the climate.
Our sustainability programs helped 45 businesses reduce water, energy and trash use while saving money.
Those participating in SCALE Up receive hands-on training and assistance to discover environmental savings opportunities and implement changes. Businesses awarded our Green Business Certification tout their commitment to sustainability by following a self-guided checklist of best practices for maximizing energy, water and waste efficiency.
New “Keep Arizona Beautiful” license plates
designed by Local First Arizona, will go on sale soon. Proceeds support litter cleanups across the state.
The groundbreaking Green Loan Fund
is now offering Verde Valley and Maricopa County businesses up to $15,000 in financing at 3% interest for sustainability projects that reduce energy and water usage by at least 20%. Unlike traditional bank loans that require collateral and charge high interest, the Green Loan Fund, created in partnership with Vitalyst Health Foundation, bases its lending approvals on the businesses’ future projected utility and water cost savings.
Local First hosted the first Electric Vehicle Expo to highlight advancements in electric cars and battery power
while showcasing 15 local manufacturing firms and drawing more than 230 attendees. More companies are needed in the industry to meet the projected demand for electric vehicles over the next decade.
Local First Arizona 2022 Financials
(financials are represented as percentages of revenue or expense totals)
Revenue
Expenses
In This Together
It's been a journey already, but we're only getting started. Remember that local ownership equates to economic opportunity, and every small business is a family. As the state with the second highest wealth gap, the difference between our richest and poorest, our work building opportunity for all Arizonans couldn’t be more crucial to the future of our state.
When you donate, you join thousands of others who believe entrepreneurship is essential to closing the wealth gap. That an inclusive and equitable local economy starts with personal accountability to live up to the ideals of our values. Your donation will increase equitable access to thriving community-owned businesses and ensure all people feel a sense of belonging across Arizona.