Ongoing NACEDA Programs

Managing Neighborhood Change:
A Groundbreaking New Framework for Sustainable and Equitable Revitalization

In the spring of 2009, NACEDA launched its Managing Neighborhood Change (MNC) Initiative with the support of the Surdna Foundation and matching Funds from Bank of America!

MNC is a framework for CDCs working to improve their neighborhoods that combines approaches to building the housing market with a focus on responsible revitalization and the needs of lower income communities. It offers new tools to neighborhoods to help stakeholders better understand local market conditions and determine appropriate strategies to affect needed changes. The tools to be developed around the framework will include a protocol, a tool kit and a mechanism for more broadly engaging partners, particularly local governments and institutions, to work as allies in community development endeavors at the local level. MNC can help CDCs frame strategies to help reverse the destabilizing effects of the foreclosure crisis.

Find out more about MNC.

Download the original Managing Neighborhood Change Framework document (pdf file ~ 500kb).

Organizational Capacity Assessment

Organizational Capacity Assessment (OCA) is a self-assessment tool created for NACEDA with the support of the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Its goal is to help our members, State Community & Economic Development Associations, to be as effective and perform as highly as possible.

OCA was devised using methodology created by PACT Inc and includes 12 key capacity areas that NACEDA members believe are essential for a highly effective association. The self-assessment process is participatory and engages organizational staff, management, board members and other stakeholders. Participation is critical to ensuring effective results for each member organization as well as for the community development sector served by State Associations. Assessments combine group discussion and analysis of organizational strengths and weaknesses with individual reflection and response. Steps include evaluating capacity, interpreting results and initiating action planning in priority areas.

Why use OCA? As a CDC Association, you can use OCA to:

1. assist members in their strategic planning by highlighting organizational strengths and pointing to priorities;
2. deepen the common understanding within each participating member organization of critical areas such as mission and vision;
3. create a platform for sharing best practices across all participating member organizations with a view toward strengthening the sector and facilitating effective cross-organization partnerships; and
4. provide a comprehensive view of the community development sector in your state and create standards of excellence for the sector.

To date, 7 NACEDA member Associations have successfully completed the OCA process. Most recently, these seven Associations – from Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, North Carolina, Philadelphia and South Carolina – came together to share their experiences at NACEDA’s Summit. After completing two OCA Gold sessions, participating member organizations are now ready to apply the innovative approaches that they learned from one another in their own communities.

For further details please read "What is OCA?" (doc file ~ 100 kb)

To schedule an OCA session for your Association, or for further information about these programs, please contact Sarah McKinley, Director of Special Projects using the below contact options.