Volume 10, Issue 10 / October 31, 2019 |
This month we saw not one, but two cat holidays. National Black Cat Day was October 27th, and National Cat Day was October 29th. Cat enthusiasts everywhere took to social media to share their furry feline friends.
Here are five black cat facts to keep in mind on this spooky day:
- In Britain, Japan and Ireland, a black cat crossing your path is considered a sign of good luck.
- Sadly, black cats have a tougher time finding good homes due to superstitions.
- The lead-up to Halloween can be a dangerous time for black cats.
- Some shelters won't adopt out black cats in October because of this.
- In fact, there are more black cats than any other color, according to the ASPCA
With these holidays came the inevitable grumpy cat in a costume. One particular staff member dressed her cats up as a hot dog and an ice cream sundae. Neither cat was pleased. |
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Quick List: Ways to Get the Most from Your Membership |
OCDCA 35th Annual Conference Follow Up and Award Winners Another conference has come and gone. This year's conference was the largest as we welcomed 303 people to Canton and Stark County. Thanks to everyone that came out to Canton and a huge thanks to our wonderful host committee and sponsors without whom there would be no conference at all. Our keynote speaker, Dr. John Carlos was inspirational! We are thrilled to state that many of the people who responded to our conference evaluation indicated that they learned about a program they plan to explore for implementation in their community. That's the type of stuff we love to hear!
We were also pleased to present our annual member awards on Friday, October 11:
- Community Food Initiatives, CDC of the Year
- Katy Fuerst, HFLA of Northeast Ohio, CDC Staff Member of the Year
- ECDI's Capital for Construction, CDC Project of the Year
- Michael Bentley, LakewoodAlive, CDC Community Leader of the Year
- Will Dent, The ABCD, Inc., Ned D. Neuhausel Award
- Ricardo Leon, Metro West Community Development Organization, CDC Rising Star
The award winners were selected by an independent volunteer committee. Congrats to all the winners!
And on Thursday, October 10 at the annual business meeting, the membership voted for the following individuals to join the board of trustees and to become officers.
Jamar Doyle, Greater Collinwood Development Corporation
| Fonda Williams, Deputy Mayor, Canton; Nate Coffman, Ohio CDC Association (OCDCA); Emily Seibel, OCDCA Board President; Dr. John Carlos; Thomas Bernabei, Mayor, Canton; Richard Regula, President Stark County Commissioners |
2019 Ohio CDC Association Annual Conference Made Possible By:
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OCDCA Receives Gift from Bank of America for Social Enterprise The Social Enterprise Incubation Program (SEIP) provides training and development for community development corporations (CDCs) interested in expanding into social enterprise activities. Social enterprises are entrepreneurial activities that provide social good while generating a profit. The SEIP is a four phase academy where CDCs complete rigorous social enterprise training and receive technical assistance from OCDCA. It culminates in a pitch competition where CDCs may receive investment funds.
This year, the SEIP Pitch Competition took place on October 9th at the OCDCA Annual Conference. StarkFresh was pitch competition award winner and was awarded $5,000.
Thank you, Bank of America for your ongoing support! We could not do this work without your support! |
How to Negotiate Joint Ventures in Affordable Housing The webinar will focus on why joint ventures are pursued, and the opportunity that comes with them. The webinar will suggest a way to think about coming to a fair deal for both sides based on who's bringing what to the table. This webinar will be facilitated by Roy Lowenstein of Lowenstein Development. Event and Date | Location | Registration | How to Negotiate Joint Ventures in Affordable Housing November 19, 2019 1:00 - 2:30 | Webinar | |
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US Bank Foundation Supports Microbusiness Program The lending portion of the Ohio Microbusiness Development Program is now operated as a centralized recoverable grant fund program. The recoverable grant funds are available on a firstcome, first-served basis to qualified Ohio Microbusiness Development Program grantees for use in funding microloans to qualified microbusiness clients. The grant funds are recoverable because, as the client repays its micro-loan to the grantee, grantee uses the principal portion of those payments to repay the recoverable grant to Ohio CDC Association. The grantee keeps the interest portion of the loan payments, together with any loan fees it charges its clients. Thank you, US Bank! We could not do this work without your support! |
OCDCA Awarded a Grant Supporting Refugee IDAs The Ohio CDC Association received a $250,000 federal grant award from the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families within the Office of Refugee Resettlement to do a statewide, multi-site, Refugee Individual Development Account (RIDA) project. RIDA is an anti-poverty strategy built on asset accumulation for low income refugees with the goal to promote financial independence. RIDAs are a savings match model that promotes saving habits, participation with financial institutions and accruement of assets to build individual and family wealth. In addition to saving, refugee participant-savers will complete a financial education curriculum and receive asset specific training. With the savings and the federal match, refugee participant-savers can use the money for down payment on a first home, purchase a vehicle for education or professional purposes, seed a micro-business or acquire a post-secondary education or secure a professional certification for either the Test of English as Foreign Language (TEEFL) or General Education Diploma (GED). |
PNC Bank and Office of Refugee Resettlement Support OCDCA Ohio CDC Association is pleased to announce a gift from PNC Bank to support our new Office of Refugee Resettlement IDA Program. This special IDA funding specifically supports refugees in Ohio saving towards a home, small business, education, or automobile. OCDCA is partnering with members in Columbus and in the Cleveland/Akron area to offer this new program, recently funded through the Office of Refugee Resettlement. Thank you PNC Bank for being an amazing partner on this new program! |
2020 AmeriCorps VISTA RFP Now Open The Ohio CDC Association welcomes current, good standing members to submit an application to become a sub-site to the OCDCA VISTA Project to begin summer 2020. Funding, which has yet to be secured, for the OCDCA VISTA Project is provided by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and the Ohio Development Services Agency (ODSA) through the Ohio Housing Trust Fund (OHTF). Limited slots are available; therefore, this is a competitive process and we will reserve some slots for housing only initiatives. Deadline to apply is Friday, December 13, 2019. Contact Alana Perez if you have questions at ape...@ohiocdc.org. |
OCDCA Seeking One AmeriCorps VISTA Leader OCDCA is searching for an AmeriCorps VISTA Leader to serve in our office in Columbus. Join our team for one year to help our statewide AmeriCorps VISTA Project. Applicants must have at least one previous year of AmeriCorps service. There are flexible start dates and a housing stipend. View the description. For more information, contact Alana Perez at ape...@ohiocdc.org or (614) 461-6392 ext. 204. |
Tomorrow is the Last Day to Register! 2019 Midwest Asset Building Conference Registration closes tomorrow for the 2019 Midwest Asset Building Conference, hosted by state coalition leaders from Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, and Ohio.
The conference brings together practitioners, policy advocates, and researchers from the Midwest to strengthen our collective work to address the racial wealth divide and help families build prosperity. We've lined up some great speakers.
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We love hearing about the awesome work you do throughout Ohio. If your organization is mentioned in the news, please share it with us. We love photos too! If you send it to Lisa Much, we can put it on our blog and in this newsletter. |
The CareSource Foundation, in partnership with Think Tank, is providing multiple grant opportunities to support a full poverty simulation (COPE: Cost of Poverty Experience) for 2020. They had a great response from their initial request and only a few open spots remain.Over 40,000 people across the U.S. have participated in COPE. As a result, they are seeing an increased understanding of the issues of poverty, which has ignited informed conversation, a shift in thinking, community action and positive change in public policy. From Fortune 500 companies to rural communities, the feedback on COPE has been exceptional. Click this link for a quick video overview of the experience. If selected, the CareSource Foundation will cover 100% of the cost of the full 2-hour COPE (a $5,000 value) including all materials, facilitation and logistical support from Think Tank. Your role is simply to get the right people in the room! Expectations and Criteria - Host Organization: Identify the host individual or organization who will become the point of contact. This individual or organization will champion and socialize the event to mobilize participation in this high-impact event. We can help provide email, print and social media examples.
- Location: Eligible host sites must be in: Ohio, Indiana, or Georgia
- Date: Event dates available in 2020
- Participants: Secure 80 -150 participants
- Inspiration: Where possible, identify a notable leader who can provide inspiration and influence
Support Team - Venue: Recommend and secure an appropriate venue (min. 3,000+ sq. ft.)
- Volunteers: Recruit a team of volunteers for resource roles (20 individuals)
- Marketing: Get the word out! Getting the right people in the room is key. Think Tank will provide online and print materials to support your recruitment.
- Readiness: Team up with Think Tank to help with venue set-up for the actual COPE event.
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Affordable housing is the missing link in Democratic debates
Presidential debates are supposed to be an opportunity for candidates to show voters how their policies and plans will solve problems and make our nation stronger. Yet three Democratic debates have passed this year in which moderators and candidates alike have largely ignored housing, an issue that has become incredibly urgent in Ohio and the rest of the country as explained by Mark McDermott of Enterprise Community Partners in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. |
AmeriCorps VISTA Spotlight |
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AmeriCorps VISTA members got together at the Annual Conference in Canton for education, networking, and general fun-filled merriment. In addition to participating in tours and workshops, OCDCA VISTAs helped out in various roles; they helped run registration, workshops, and tours. Without them, the conference would not have been possible! |
| From left to right: Quinten Spires, Hocking College; Tirzah Fields, Midtown Cleveland Inc.; Krystal Sierra, Greater Collinwood Development Corporation; Alexis Vaske, CityWide Development Corporation; Erin Brown, Yellow Springs Home, Inc.; and Rachel Isaacson, Arthur Morgan Institute for Community Solutions |
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Registration Open: Ohio Housing Conference, November 5-7, 2019 Join the Ohio Housing Finance Agency and Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing at the 21st annual Ohio Housing Conference, "Build the Change. Be the Change." Network with more than 1,700 industry peers as you attend more than 40 sessions and workshops focused on educating and inspiring you to continue your good work. We hope you will join us and share your experiences and successes as you take away value-added insights and knowledge. Register here. |
OCF Offering Free Fatherhood Curriculum Training One of the goals of the Ohio Commission on Fatherhood (OCF) is to help fatherhood practitioners improve their skills and help them teach curricula to fidelity. For the first time, OCF will be offering several trainings on evidence-based fatherhood curricula free of charge to Ohio fatherhood practitioners! Interested organizations simply have to purchase the curriculum kits prior to the training. Registration is required and space is limited. There are trainings on November 13-15. |
Choice Neighborhood Grants Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grants support the implementation of comprehensive neighborhood revitalization plans that are expected to achieve the following three core goals: 1. Housing: Replace distressed public and assisted housing with high-quality mixed-income housing that is well-managed and responsive to the needs of the surrounding neighborhood; 2. People: Improve outcomes of households living in the target housing related to employment and income, health, and children's education; and 3. Neighborhood: Create the conditions necessary for public and private reinvestment in distressed neighborhoods to offer the kinds of amenities and assets, including safety, good schools, and commercial activity, that are important to families' choices about their community. Deadline is November 4. |
Robert Wood Johnson Culture of Health Prize The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health Prize elevates the compelling stories of community members throughout the country who are working together in new ways so that everyone can live their healthiest life possible, regardless of who they are or how much money they make. A Culture of Health recognizes that where we live-such as our access to affordable homes, quality schools, and reliable transportation-affects how long and how well we live. The Prize elevates the compelling stories of community members who are working together to transform neighborhoods, schools, businesses, and more-so that the opportunity for better health flourishes for all. Deadline is November 4. |
Voices for Economic Opportunity The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is seeking creative, compelling ideas from individuals and organizations from all sectors in the U.S. to elevate diverse voices and broaden the national conversation about poverty and economic mobility. Anyone with a great concept is welcome to apply for a $100,000 grant to develop their idea. Apply by November 13. |
Rural Innovation Initiative Rural America has struggled to bounce back from the recession. Entrepreneurship has been on the decline, while automation and globalization have disrupted traditional industries. These trends are hitting rural communities particularly hard. Revitalizing rural America requires a new approach. Deadline is November 18. |
ServeOhio AmeriCorps Funding |
Distressed Cities Technical Assistance The Distressed Cities TA program is designed to build the administrative capacity of smaller distressed communities recently impacted by a natural disaster. The focus of this TA includes financial management, economic development, and disaster recovery planning. Learn more. |
Paradox Prize - Northeast Ohio The mission of this inaugural challenge is to inspire innovations through an open call for ideas aimed at generating sustainable solutions that will eradicate the 'no car, no job; no job, no car' paradox in Northeast Ohio. Deadline is January 15 for Round Three. |
WOSU Reports on the Results of Payday Lending Reform Comprehensive payday lending reform became effective six months ago and the results have been as intended. Ohio has experienced payday storefront consolidation from 650 to 230 stores but access to credit remains at fair and reasonable rates. The consolidation is primarily among geographically duplicative and concentrated storefronts. WOSU Public Media recently reported on the outcomes of reform interviewing Nate and a member's client. Click here to listen to the story. |
White House Launches Opportunity Zone Website Recently the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council launched its new Opportunity Zone (OZ) website, Opportunity Now, which will serve as the Council's main source of information for industry stakeholders and participants. The IRS also released drafts of instruction documents for two OZ-related tax forms, Draft Form 1099-B and 1040. The IRS is still due to publish the final regulations related to OZs. Access the website here. Find Draft Form 1099-B and its instructions here and Draft Form 1040 and its instructions here. Also, the Ohio Development Services Agency has an Opportunity Zones website where organizations can submit community and project information to potential investors. Ohio Representative Stivers Named Ranking Member of Subcommittee on Housing, Community Development, and Insurance Representative Steve Stivers (R-OH) was named ranking member of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing, Community Development, and Insurance on October 17. The Subcommittee is responsible for overseeing HUD, including HUD's affordable housing and public housing programs, as well as rural housing, community development programs, the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and government-sponsored insurance programs like the National Flood Insurance Program. Read More of This Article Here |
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