Detroit LISC latest news

Detroit LISC Consulting Request for Qualifications

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 12:00:00 -0600

Detroit LISC invites local contractors to respond to the Request for Qualification (RFQ) for opportunities to participate in the Building Sustainable Communities work. LISC is in search of contractors to conduct Financial Management, Project Management, and Project Developer work with local community development partners in Detroit.

For more information and to view the full RFQs, please visit our Consulting Opportunities page.

All RFQs are due on April 29, 2013 by 5:00 pm.

Building Sustainable Communites work continues in Detroit

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:00:00 -0600

Now that the Quality of Life plans are complete in the three Detroit LISC Building Sustainable Communities (BSC) neighborhoods - Grand/Woodward, Grandmont Rosedale, and Springwells Village - the communities are ready for implementation. The staff from the BSC Convening Agencies - Vanguard Community Development Corporation, Grandmont Rosedale Development Corporation, and Urban Neighborhood Initiatives - met with Detroit LISC staff on Wednesday, March 13, 2013 to discuss the implementation of their Quality of Life plans.

To view the Quality of Life plans for each BSC neighborhood, please click here.

A new health center gives Southwest Detroit a reason to celebrate

Fri, 18 May 2012 12:00:00 -0600

With a vibrant celebration that featured mariachis and dances by children dressed in traditional Mexican outfits, Community Health and Social Services (CHASS) unveiled its new state-of-the-art health center in Southwest Detroit on May 2, 2012. Residents, dignitaries, and community stakeholders came together to celebrate the opening of a health center that will improve the quality of life for Detroit’s residents.

CHASS, a nonprofit organization in Southwest Detroit, opened the doors to its new health center with a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by Mayor Dave Bing, Congressmen Hansen Clarke and Gary Peters, members of the local media, and over 100 residents and partners. The grand opening culminated years of planning and fundraising, including a capital campaign to help raise the $17 million necessary to build the new complex.

Read the complete article at Our Detroit Online Magazine.

Grandmont Rosedale residents envision a plan for neighborhood success

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 12:00:00 -0600

Public meetings can sometimes be dull and humorless affairs, and other times they can be contentious. But Grandmont Rosedale’s community visioning meeting on March 17 at St. Paul’s Tabernacle was of another kind: friendly, businesslike, and focused on transforming ideas into results for their community. Approximately 150 Grandmont Rosedale residents attended the event, and many already knew one another. And when individuals rose to speak, they were listened to as though among friends.

The meeting was the first of several Quality of Life meetings convened by Grandmont Rosedale Development Corporation (GRDC) as part of Detroit LISC’s Building Sustainable Communities strategy being implemented in Grandmont Rosedale. Similar meetings have already been started in Grand/Woodward and Springwells Village. The goal of Building Sustainable Communities, the Quality of Life process, and of LISC’s involvement is to build and expand upon the community development activities and programs already in place, as well as to identify gaps where new neighborhood projects and programs might work.

Read the complete article at Our Detroit.

Community Development Spotlight: Grandmont Rosedale Development Corporation

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 12:00:00 -0600

During the first half of the 20^th century, Detroit defined in many ways the version of upward mobility we know as the American Dream. Work hard, the Dream said, and you will achieve success, a stable and secure life for yourself and your family.

But in the 1960s, something began to go wrong, not just in Detroit, but in the United States as a whole. Instead of factories surrounded by houses where the workers reside—the model on which Detroit was built—work became decentralized and diffused. Now, workers can be located anywhere, even overseas, where labor is cheaper. The model of upward mobility that financed, by means of a growing tax base, the growth of American cities has been eroding for a generation. So city governments are finding it increasingly difficult to function as they once did.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in Detroit, where the city government struggles to maintain the services residents have been accustomed to, including public education and police and fire protection. But as the city scales back its services, new organizations have grown in Detroit to supplement the city’s functions.

One of these organizations is Grandmont Rosedale Development Corporation (GRDC).

Read the entire article at Our Detroit.

COLORS Restaurant serves up more than just good food

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 12:00:00 -0600

For Detroit resident Robert, finding a job in this economy was difficult enough. But despite completing training programs in the health and medical fields, a criminal record effectively barred him from employment opportunities in those fields. He ended up working as a server at a seasonal restaurant with dangerous working conditions and sporadic hours. Robert needed an opportunity. Not just to find a better and more stable job, but to convince prospective employers that his criminal record did not mean he couldn’t be an excellent worker.

Robert found that opportunity through Restaurant Opportunities Center of Michigan (ROC-MI) and its new COLORS Restaurant, which is helping people like Robert get valuable training in the restaurant industry and connect with living-wage job opportunities.

Read the complete article at Our Detroit.

Springwells Village residents share ideas on neighborhood improvements

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 12:00:00 -0600

While many neighborhoods in Detroit have struggled over the past few decades, Southwest Detroit has remained one of the strongest in the city, due in part to the commitment of its residents. On Wednesday February 28, Urban Neighborhood Initiatives (UNI), Detroit LISC’s Convening Agency in Springwells Village, held the first of a series of Quality of Life (QOL) planning meetings with residents and partner agencies to identify what the community is committed to improving in their neighborhood.

Springwells Village, where UNI is based, is one of three Building Sustainable Communities (BSC) neighborhoods selected by Detroit LISC. The goal of the QOL planning meetings is to enable neighborhood residents and stakeholders to create a blueprint for how Detroit LISC and other partners will invest in Springwells Village. The February 28 meeting, which was attended by more than 100 residents and stakeholders, was the first step in the development of the QOL plan, a document that will publish the community development goals residents prioritize over the course of the planning process. In other words, the meeting’s purpose was to begin figuring out how Springwells Village residents want Detroit LISC to commit financial resources in their neighborhood.

Read the complete article at Our Detroit.

Grand/Woodward residents propose community safety project at Vanguard Community Workgroup Meeting

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 12:00:00 -0600

While many community development practitioners discuss the ability of “blue-ribbon” cities to provide beautiful parks, festivals, greenways, and other amenities that help foster a sense of community and aid revitalization efforts, few can argue that the crime and lack of safety can undermine the best efforts by a city to redefine itself.

The question, then, becomes: what can residents do to complement city and police efforts and help make their neighborhoods safer? That’s what the conversation became at a Community Workgroup Meeting hosted by Vanguard Community Development Corporation (Vanguard) on Monday, February 20, 2012.

Read the complete article on Our Detroit.

Residents exercise their power during Vanguard’s Kickoff Building Sustainable Communities meeting

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:00:00 -0600

Putting power back into the hands of the people.

That’s the emphasis of many of Detroit’s ongoing revitalization initiatives, including Detroit LISC’s Building Sustainable Communities strategy. And it was the central message at Vanguard Community Development Corporation’s Building Sustainable Communities Initiative Kickoff Meeting on January 31, 2012.

Read the complete article on Our Detroit.

Detroit LISC to offer small business loans through LISC/Morgan Stanley Small Business Loan Fund pilot program

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:00:00 -0600

Download the PDF of the press release here.

Detroit (February 3, 2012) — Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and Morgan Stanley are offering low-cost, long-term financing to small businesses in several U.S. cities, including Detroit, through a $10 million pilot program. Detroit LISC will serve the Detroit market and offer loans between $250,000 and $2.5 million to local small businesses.

The LISC/Morgan Stanley Small Business Loan Fund, which uses the advantages of the SBA 504 Program, is a long-term financing tool designed to encourage economic development within a community by providing small businesses with long-term, fixed-rate financing to acquire major fixed assets for expansion or modernization. These can include the purchase of land (including existing buildings), the purchase of improvements, parking lots, and landscaping, and the modernizing, renovating, or converting of existing facilities.

The LISC/Morgan Small Business Loan Fund offers small business owners significant benefits, including:

Lower down payment – Business owners pay only 10% down (depending on the business and project type), borrowing up to 90% of the total financing needs, thus preserving cash for the business.
Longer repayment terms – Repayment periods are longer than conventional bank loans (20 years fully amortized for real estate loans and 10 years fully amortized for equipment loans). The borrower’s monthly loan payment is more affordable, improving cash flow.
Below-market, fixed interest rate.
Projected income consideration – The program considers projected income of a business in addition to historical cash flows. This is particularly advantageous for growing businesses.
Secondary source of payment less critical – With the SBA 504 loan guarantee, collateral may be less critical in qualifying a borrower for a loan

By operating within neighborhoods and providing jobs for area residents, small business help meet two of LISC’s Building Sustainable Communities goals: Stimulating the Local Economy, and Increasing Family Wealth and Income.

“The need to support small businesses to meet the needs of the community has been identified as a concern of residents in Detroit neighborhoods,” explains Anthony Batiste, Detroit LISC Program Officer. “Small businesses help to strengthen and rebuild commercial corridors and serve the needs of existing residents as well as support future residential development. In recent years, small businesses are also responsible for a significant portion of job growth compared to large companies.”

Small business eligibility requirements include but are not limited to:

Must be in an eligible New Market Tax Credit (NMTC) census tract with high distress criteria
Must focus on job creation
Must have demonstrated support of the local community
Business is one that will contribute to the long-term development of a sustainable community
Demonstrated need for a NMTC subsidy
Owner occupied and for-profit

Full details regarding the Small Business Loan Fund are available here. For any other questions, please contact Anthony Batiste, Program Officer, at 313-596-8222 ext 13 or at abatiste@lisc.org.

Detroit LISC Announces Request for Qualifications for Neighborhood Scribes

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 12:00:00 -0600

Detroit Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) requests applications from local writers, freelance journalists, and bloggers to serve as Neighborhood Scribes for the three Building Sustainable Communities neighborhoods and their respective Convening Agencies:

Grandmont Rosedale and Grandmont Rosedale Development Corporation (GRDC)
Springwells Village and Urban Neighborhood Initiatives, Inc. (UNI)
Grand/Woodward and Vanguard Community Development Corporation (Vanguard)

Download the application here.

The Neighborhood Scribes will attend, document, and write a 1,200-word summary of the Quality of Life (QOL) planning sessions in the three neighborhoods. The QOL planning sessions will engage residents, business owners, institutions and other stakeholders to develop "blueprints" for long-term neighborhood revitalization efforts. The QOL plans will address the community in a comprehensive manner, including housing, community safety, industrial and commercial development, community facilities, education, youth and recreation. Brief histories and information regarding each neighborhood and Convening Agency are included in the PDF application.

Putting untapped resources to work for the community: Resident-driven community safety initiatives

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 12:00:00 -0600

Community safety in Detroit is an ongoing challenge compounded, in part, by factors beyond residents’ control. Unemployment and the foreclosure crisis have contributed to a rise in property crime. The struggling economy is forcing the city to make difficult choices, including possible cuts to the police and fire departments.

It’s a stark reality, but one that presents an opportunity for residents willing to play a stronger role in helping their community, and willing to put untapped resources to work in a city that needs every resource it can find. Now more than ever, the city needs Detroiters to work with law enforcement agencies through resident-driven community safety initiatives to complement police efforts.

This was the subject of a panel discussion at the Building Sustainable Communities Symposium, hosted by Detroit Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), on September 8, 2011. The panel, moderated by Detroit LISC Program Officer Brandon Ivory, was comprised of four community leaders from Chicago and the Metro Detroit region:

Jeff Bartow of Chicago’s Southwest Organizing Project
Bridget Vance of Focus: HOPE
James Albulov of the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office
Phyllis Judkins of the North End Neighborhood Watch

All four panelists discussed community policing alternatives that have thus far proven effective in complementing police efforts and easing the burden on the criminal court system. Read the rest of this entry →

Putting Theory Into Practice: How a Bus Tour Demonstrated Neighborhood Revitalization in Indianapolis

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 12:00:00 -0600

A theory can look great on paper. But seeing that theory applied in a real-life setting can make all the difference between having people agree with it, and having people enthusiastically working to apply it.

That’s what happened on November 15, 2011, when Detroit Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) took a bus full of Detroit community development partners and community stakeholders to Indianapolis, Indiana. There, our colleagues at Indianapolis LISC hosted a lunch, a panel discussion, and a bus tour throughout some of their Building Sustainable Communities neighborhoods. The goal: To see how the Building Sustainable Communities (BSC) strategy was already making a real difference in neighborhoods not unlike those in Detroit, and to demonstrate the viability of BSC as a theory that can work to revitalize Detroit’s neighborhoods. Read the rest of this entry →

Recognizing the Heroes of the Neighborhood

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:00:00 -0600

What does it take to be a hero of a neighborhood? Here’s a hint: you don’t need a costume, a dual identity, or special powers. All you need is a love of your neighborhood, an appreciation for the people in it, and a willingness to work to improve their quality of life.

And that spirit of neighborhood heroism is exactly what was celebrated on Friday, October 21, 2011, when Urban Neighborhood Initiatives (UNI) held their Heroes of the Neighborhood Event at the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority.

Read the rest of the article at Our Detroit.

Detroit LISC Announces Request for Proposal for Planning Consultants

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 12:00:00 -0600

Detroit LISC requests proposals from planning consultants to facilitate and establish community quality of life plans for the three Building Sustainable Communities neighborhoods and the respective Convening Agencies selected to work in the neighborhoods: Grandmont Rosedale and Grandmont Rosedale Development Corporation (GRDC); Springwells Village and Urban Neighborhood Initiatives, Inc. (UNI); Grand/Woodward and Vanguard Community Development Corporation (Vanguard).

Download the application here.

The plans will be established through a 6-month participatory planning process that engages residents, business owners, institutions and other stakeholders. The plans will address the community in a comprehensive manner, including housing, community safety, industrial and commercial development, community facilities, education, youth and recreation. Brief histories and information regarding each neighborhood and Convening Agency are included in the PDF application.

Detroit LISC to Launch Next Phase of Building Sustainable Communities In Three Detroit Neighborhoods

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 12:00:00 -0600

View full release.

Detroit Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) will hold a press conference to announce the launch of the second phase of its Building Sustainable Communities strategy in three Detroit neighborhoods: Grandmont Rosedale, Grand/Woodward, and Springwells Village. The press conference will be on September 7, 2011 at 9:45 a.m. atWeissParkinSpringwelllsVillage.

The event will be attended by Michael Rubinger, President and CEO of LISC, Mayor Dave Bing, city officials, and the heads ofDetroit’s community development organizations. Mr. Rubinger will announce the investment of more than $30 million in Detroit neighborhoods from national LISC and the federal Social Innovation Fund (SIF).

Since 2006, Detroit LISC has followed a comprehensive community development strategy known as Building Sustainable Communities, which focuses on five investment goals: rebuilding the physical environment, increasing family income, stimulating the local economy, improving access to education, and creating safe, healthy environments. Over the next three years, Detroit LISC will implement the next evolution of this strategy within a smaller geographical area to maximize the impact of community development investment.

From 2011 – 2013, Detroit LISC plans to invest $30 million in the neighborhoods of Grandmont Rosedale, Grand/Woodward, andSpringwellsVillage, and leverage an estimated $200 million in additional investments. The first year of Building Sustainable Communities will focus on creating the infrastructure to ensure the strategy’s physical and programmatic implementation. Years two and three will see the full implementation of the strategy, including physical redevelopment.

Building Sustainable Communities is a national strategy that has already generated results in other cities. Detroit LISC plans to expand its work into other neighborhoods once the strategy has been successfully implemented in the three initial neighborhoods.

“Our goal,” says Executive Director Tahirih Ziegler, “is to improve the quality of life for all Detroiters by helping to transform neighborhoods in distress into neighborhoods of choice. Where neighbors feel safe, are connected to the community, and feel a sense of neighborhood pride.”

The press conference begins at 9:45 a.m. at WeissPark. For any questions, including media-related inquiries, please contact Ulises Silva, Communications Program Officer, at 313-596-8222 ext 14 or at usilva@lisc.org. Media kits will be available.

Detroit LISC to Host the Building Sustainable Communities Symposium on September 8, 2011

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 12:00:00 -0600

Detroit LISC is hosting an all-day Building Sustainable Communities Symposium on September 8, 2011. Come hear how neighbors across the nation and locally are improving the quality of life for their communities.

The Symposium will be held at the Triumph Church, East Campus, at 2760 E. Grand Blvd (48211), from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Breakfast will be served at 8 a.m.

Below is the agenda and speakers. (Or download the PDF.)

8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.: Breakfast

9:00 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.: Welcome and Introduction

Tahirih Ziegler, Executive Director of Detroit LISC
Angelita Espino, Sustainable Communities Director of Detroit LISC

9:15 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.: Fostering Safe Neighborhoods

Moderator: Brandon Ivory, Detroit LISC Safety Program Officer
Panelists:

Jeff Bartow, Southwest Organizing Project (Chicago)
Bridget Vance, Focus: HOPE
James Albulov, Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office
Phyllis Judkins, North End Neighborhood Watch

10:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.: Break

10:45 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.: Building Family Income and Wealth

Speakers:

Rodney Benifield, Detroit LISC Centers for Working Families Program Officer
Karen Tyler-Ruiz, United Way for Southeastern Michigan
Libby Palackdharry, Southwest Housing Solutions
Bernard Thompson, Focus: HOPE
Eva Torres, SER Metro Detroit
Testimony from Greater Detroit Centers For Working Families client(s)

11:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.: Break

12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.: Luncheon

Remarks from Greta Harris, LISC National Program Vice President

1:00 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.: Break

1:15 - 2:30 p.m.: Engaging the Community

Moderator: Michelle Story-Stewart, Detroit LISC Sustainable Communities Program Manager
Panelists:

Greta Harris
Kris Miranne, Southwest Detroit Development Collaborative
Sharon Adams, Walnut Way Conservation Corporation (Milwaukee)
Kirk Mayes, Brightmoor Alliance

2:30 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.: Snack Break

2:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.: Sharing Your Neighborhood Story

Moderator: Ulises Silva, Detroit LISC Communications Program Officer
Panelists:

Ken Blanks-Harrell, Detroit Media Broadcast Company, LLC.
Marge Sorge, Detroit Regional News Hub
Maura Campbell, Detroit Regional News Hub

3:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.: Closing remarks

Angelita Espino

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.: Networking/Interaction with Speakers

If you have any questions, please contact Angelita Espino at AEspino@lisc.org or 313-596-8222 ext 22.

Is something magical about to happen in Detroit?

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 12:00:00 -0600

There’s a lot of positivity converging upon Detroit these days. Businesses are starting to open up shop here. Ambitious projects like the New International Trade Crossing and the M1 Light Rail are in the works. And today, an NBA legend told a packed press conference that we can, in fact, work together to deliver a win to Detroit.

It would almost seem that, despite the lingering perceptions that Detroit is a dying city (“Why should we invest in Detroit?” being a common question, and one our Sustainable Communities director, Angelita Espino, responded to), the Detroit narrative is beginning to shift toward one of hope, revival, and transformation. And it’s starting to shift because of the efforts of businesses and residents alike whose faith in Detroit has never wavered—and whose faith appears on the verge of being rewarded. Read the rest of this entry →

"Why Detroit?"

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 12:00:00 -0600

This great city is in a situation that requires it to look around and assess its strengths, opportunities, weaknesses, and threats. These are marvelous times in Detroit. Times that require a reinvention; keeping what has made us strong, discarding old thought patterns and ways of doing business that no longer work.

Therein lay the opportunities. Read the rest of this entry →

Southwest Detroit’s New 5716 Wellness Center Makes its Grand Debut

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 12:00:00 -0600

By Lori Ella Miller, Detroit LISC Scribe

National, state, and local politicians, community leaders, and executives of Southwest Solutions gathered on Friday, June 17, 2011 for the grand opening of 5716 Wellness Center, an integrated healthcare center now serving families and individuals in Southwest Detroit. The festive open house offered dignitaries and the community the chance to celebrate the realization of this landmark project, which will provide primary medical, pediatric, obstetric, dental, psychiatric, pharmaceutical, and behavioral counseling services to some 10,000 people annually. The new 5716 Wellness health center also provides all of these services bilingually.

The Grand Opening

A packed house was on hand for the official dedication program, which featured remarks by a number of key supporters, including Governor Rick Snyder, Senator Debbie Stabenow, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing, U.S. Representative Hansen Clarke, Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano, Skillman Foundation President Carol Goss, and Southwest Solutions President John Van Camp. The speakers celebrated the organizational collaboration that made 5716 Wellness Center possible, and emphasized the importance of continuing to work together to revitalize Detroit.

“This is what happens when we work together,” said Carol Goss.

“Today is a great day,” Governor Snyder said. “And for Michigan to have a great day, Detroit needs to have a great day.”

Governor Snyder concluded his remarks by presenting Southwest Solutions President John Van Camp with a Reinventing Michigan Award. “This project was a role model for change, and for what a public/private partnership can accomplish,” said Snyder. “That's reinvention.”

Throughout the grand opening, attendees were able to take guided tours of the spectacular new facility, which blends historically preserved elements (like the original wooden rafters), modern design, and green technology into a structure that is both beautiful and functional.

Its History and Its Future

Located at 5716 Michigan Avenue, 5716 Wellness Center is a collaborative partnership between six organizations dedicated to improving the health and well-being of the residents of Southwest Detroit. The partnership includes Southwest Solutions, Covenant Community Care, Children’s Outreach, Life Directions, Madonna University’s Southwest Detroit Women’s Educational Empowerment Program (SWEEP), and Moms and Babes Too.

“The 5716 Wellness Center provides a variety of much needed healthcare and human services all under the same roof,” said Cheryl Frost, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Children’s Outreach Center. “Now, community residents can access multiple services to meet the needs of the entire family.”

Frost added, “I’ve never worked with a group of executives and partners who are so willing to accommodate and support each other. We’re all working together to coordinate our intake and referrals to help clients from one program seamlessly access other programs (offered) in the building.”

Ironically, this historic piece of real estate was once a cigar factory designed by famed industrial architect Albert Kahn. Now, it has been completely transformed into a modern, state-of-the-art center for healing that stands as an important symbol of revitalization.

“5716 Wellness is an important step toward revitalizing the Michigan Avenue corridor,” said Tim Thorland, Executive Director of Southwest Housing Solutions. “We believe this new wellness center will anchor and promote further economic investment and development in the area.”

The 5716 Wellness Center is one of the first models of integrated primary and behavioral healthcare in Southeast Michigan. Southwest Housing and its Neighborhood Preservation Team also view this facility as a vital first phase in its plan to create a “Wellness Center Campus.” In fact, plans are underway to convert the empty lot adjacent to the wellness center (which served as the guest parking lot for the event) into an early education school.

Currently, the 45,000-square-foot mixed-use facility houses Southwest Counseling Solutions, Covenant Community Care, Life Directions, Madonna University/SWEEP, Children’s Outreach (which offers childhood education and childcare services), and Moms and Babes Too (which offers federally-funded programs for pregnant women and young children).

The $11.2 million renovation preserves the historic character of the building, while fitting it with the latest technology and modern design. The 5716 Wellness project was financed by several sources, including a $500,000 construction loan and $20,000 pre-development grant from Detroit Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). Other sources included Living Cities, JP Morgan Chase, the Kresge Foundation, United Way of Southeastern Michigan, Wayne County, the City of Detroit, and the Michigan Housing and Community Development Fund.

“This unique concept is an excellent example of a true Building Sustainable Communities project,” said Tahirih Ziegler, Executive Director of Detroit LISC. “By renovating this building that was once in disrepair, we’ve not only removed blight from the community, but more importantly, we are working with our partners to provide coordinated services in a spirit of cooperation that will lead to healthier and more prosperous neighborhoods.”

Southwest Detroit’s new wellness facility is the first of many such coordinated projects and services that will ultimately enhance the quality of life for area residents for generations to come.

To see more photos of the grand opening, visit our Flickr page.

Five easy ways to thoroughly confuse funders, partners, and clients

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 12:00:00 -0600

The next time you’re explaining your organization’s strategy to prospective funders, take a close look at their faces. If they’re squinting, creasing their eyebrows, and vaguely reminding you of six-year-olds at an astrophysics seminar, chances are, you’re being unclear.

Nonprofits need to engage funders to get, well, funds. We need to engage partners because we can’t do the work alone. And we need to engage clients (e.g., residents, patients) because we want them to know about the services we’re offering. And there’s no faster way to lose all three than by complicating simple explanations about the work we do.

In fact, here are five easy ways for nonprofits to thoroughly confuse funders, partners, and clients and send them running to the nuclear fission seminar instead. Read the rest of this entry →

Center for Community Progress Holds 2011 Land Bank Conference

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 12:00:00 -0600

Over 400 government officials, planners, developers, community advocates and activists, and community economic development practitioners gathered in Detroit on June 13 for the Center for Community Progress 2011 Land Bank Conference. Keynote speeches from Dan Kildee, Carol Coletta, and David Rusk provided inspiration and affirmation of the importance of land banks in community revitalization and “place-making” work. The conference also offered over 20 workshops on a variety of topics from land bank financing to communications and messaging to urban agriculture.

Detroit LISC Executive Director Tahirih Ziegler moderated a session on Deconstruction that featured Tom Friesen of Architectural Salvage Warehouse of Detroit (ASWD), who discussed the environmental and workforce development benefits of deconstruction (a sustainable alternative to traditional demolition) and shared ASWD’s experience working with both land-banked and privately-owned properties in greater Detroit.

Founded in 2003, ASWD has completed numerous deconstruction and salvage projects, conducted deconstruction trainings at community colleges and community based organizations, and runs a retail salvage warehouse that supplies the public with affordable used fixtures and building materials. Detroit LISC has been a supporter of ASWD’s capacity building efforts and was also a key sponsor of the Land Bank Conference.

Visit the Center for Community Progress website to learn more about the Land Bank Conference and view workshop presentations.

Written by Katrin Sirje Kärk, Program Officer, Washington DC LISC.

Five easy ways for nonprofits to kill a social media campaign

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 12:00:00 -0600

By now, if you haven’t at least heard of Facebook, Twitter, or social media, you’re either a newborn (and a phenomenally gifted one if you’re already reading this), an inanimate object that’s just gained sentience (congratulations), or a 19^th Century time traveler who’s just arrived (welcome, and sorry about the air quality).

Social media is growing. And fast. In fact, as of today, 13% of U.S. adults online are now “twittering” (as my boss would say), and it’s just seven months since we were enthusiastically quoting, “8% of adults are on Twitter!” And because of its fast growth, vast networking capabilities, and low cost (approximately $0.00 to open most accounts), social media can be especially effective for nonprofits looking to increase their visibility. Read the rest of this entry →

What does it mean to build a Sustainable Community?

Fri, 27 May 2011 12:00:00 -0600

It may be cliché (actually, it’s an old Chinese proverb), but it’s true: give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

It’s the same with community development work. Build a house, and you house a family. Build a vibrant community, and you give that family—and many others—a real home and the opportunity to sustain it. Read the rest of this entry →

The importance of neighborhood marketing (or, How to make people want to move to your community)

Fri, 20 May 2011 12:00:00 -0600

We don’t normally associate “marketing” with neighborhoods. We think marketing, and we think of glitzy ads on TV extolling the health virtues of calorie-laden food or showing SUVs blazing through the kind of mountainous terrain they’ll never once see in real life. But marketing can be just as vital to neighborhoods and community development corporations (CDCs) trying to attract new residents. And it’s just as vital for neighborhoods that are struggling with negative perceptions.Read the rest of this entry →