Communities

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A comprehensive list of links to resources on affordable housing, child care, organizational development, market research, fundraising, and other topics of interest to CDCs.

• New Communities Program partners
• Local & federal government
• Resources for non-profits
• Community development resources
• National lisc web links

NEW COMMUNITIES PROGRAM PARTNERS

Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)
The mission of LISC is to rebuild whole communities by supporting community development corporations (CDCs). Headquartered in New York City, LISC operates 35 local programs and a rural program in 37 states involving hundreds of CDCs from coast to coast.

The LISC Online Resource Library contains in-depth information resources, distance learning opportunities for community development practitioners and a comprehensive links page.

Chicago LISC is part of the national LISC network. Chicago LISC administers the New Communities Program. The site provides information on its programs and funding guidelines.

Center for Economic Progress
Established in 1990, the Center increases economic opportunities for low-income families, children and individuals by improving access to public, private and non-profit programs and services.

One Economy
One Economy maximizes the potential of technology to help low-income people improve their lives and join the economic mainstream.

MetroEdge
MetroEdge delivers market intelligence to retail and financial services companies seeking to optimize their growth and performance strategies. It also provides community and government leaders with intelligence to attract and grow business in their cities.

RealBenefits
The RealBenefits initiative combines the use of innovative internet technology with outreach and advocacy to change the way low-income households learn about and enroll in public benefit programs they need to be healthy, productive and secure.

ShoreBank International Ltd.
ShoreBank International Ltd. is the consulting and research arm of Shorebank, the leading bank holding company committed to increasing economic opportunities for underserved urban and rural communities in the U.S. and internationally.

The Historic Chicago Bungalow Association
The Historic Chicago Bungalow Association is a non-profit organization, chartered by the state of Illinois that administers the Historic Chicago Bungalow Initiative, a program created by the City of Chicago. The association's mission is to preserve the historic Chicago bungalow and to assist homeowners, through education and resources, in adapting the bungalow to meet their current needs.

Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago, Inc. (NHS)
Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago, Inc. (NHS) is a nonprofit organization working to rebuild low- and moderate-income neighborhoods in Chicago that are experiencing deterioration and disinvestment.

Project Match
Founded in 1985 in Chicago, Project Match conducts program development and research activities in the fields of welfare-to-work and workforce development.

University of Chicago - Office of Community Affairs
The University's Office for Community Affairs is an advocate for improving the quality of life in the neighborhoods of Hyde Park-South Kenwood, Woodlawn, and North Kenwood-Oakland, as well as in the broader South Side of the city. It focuses its efforts on education, public safety, housing, commercial development, neighborhood beautification and revitalization, and recreational and cultural amenities.

NCP Lead Agencies

Bickerdike Redevelopment Corp

Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance

Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corp

Greater Southwest Development Corp

Lawndale Christian Development Corp

Little Village Community Development Corp

Logan Square Neighborhood Association

Near West Side Community Development Corp

Quad Communities Development Corp

The Resurrection Project

Southeast Chicago Development Commission

St. Edmund's Redevelopment Corp

Teamwork Englewood

Woodlawn Preservation and Investment Corp

Funders

John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
The MacArthur Foundation is a private, independent grant-making institution dedicated to helping groups and individuals foster lasting improvement in the human condition.

Lloyd A. Fry Foundation
The Fry Foundation supports organizations with the strength and commitment to address persistent problems of urban Chicago resulting from poverty, violence, ignorance and despair.

Annie E. Casey Foundation
The primary mission of the Casey Foundation is to foster public policies, human service reforms and community supports that more effectively meet the needs of today's vulnerable children and families.

Living Cities/National Community Development Initiative
LCNCDI is a nonprofit consortium of 17 major financial, philanthropic and public sector organizations committed to increasing the vitality of cities and urban neighborhoods as well as improving the lives of people who live there.

Mayor's Office of Workforce Development
MOWD helps Chicago businesses find qualified workers and assists Chicago residents to get, maintain and advance in their jobs.

Nationwide Insurance
Nationwide has a longstanding tradition of actively supporting the communities in which its associates live.

Polk Bros. Foundation
Polk Bros. has been helping to strengthen Chicago's children and families, steadily growing without deviating from its mission to bolster social service, education, cultural and health care programs that provide direct service to low-income residents.

Surdna Foundation
Surdna Foundation funds programs that exhibit such values as: thrift, practicality, modesty, loyalty, excellence and an appreciation for direct service to those in need. Since 1989, it has added programs cover environment and community revitalization, effective citizenry, the arts, and nonprofit sector support.

LOCAL & FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

Federal

FirstGov.gov
This site allows you to search millions of web pages from federal and state governments, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories. The site can also be navigated by user type: for Citizens, for Businesses and Non-Profits, for Federal Employees, and Government to Government. FirstGov.gov, and most federal agency sites are available in Spanish.

State

Illinois.gov
The state of Illinois' portal to the web provides centralized access to state agencies and the latest news on programs, legislation, funding opportunities, and Governor Blagojevich's policy agenda.

County

Cook County Info Center
Cook County's web site provides links to all county agencies, the County Board, elected officials and commissioners, resources for doing business with the County and employment opportunities.

City

CityofChicago.org
This site provides access to city government as well as information on events and entertainment. Most city departments can be found using the alphabetical listing in the Your Government section, except for the Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Park District.

Chicago Public Schools has a downloadable education plan including vision, goals, strategies, and initiatives. A capital improvements plan can be downloaded from the Chicago Park District.

RESOURCES FOR NON-PROFITS

Alliance for Justice
The alliance is a national association of environmental, civil rights, mental health, women's, children's and consumer advocacy organizations that works to promote a fair and independent judiciary and to strengthen public interest advocacy.

Center for Creative Leadership
The center disseminates information about leadership and leadership development, runs leadership programs, provides assessment tools and simulations, and conducts and publishes research in the field of organizational development.

Greater Chicago Housing and Community Development Website
This site includes a powerful database with Census and other data about all communities and census tracts in the Chicago region. It is also a source for housing resources, maps and reports on housing and urban development issues.

Illinois Facilities Fund
The fund is a community lender that provides low-interest loans and technical assistance to non-profits, including child care providers, for facilities renovation and construction.

Nonprofit Financial Center
The Chicago-based Nonprofit Financial Center seeks to strengthen the viability of communities by enhancing the financial stability and management capacity of the nonprofits, individuals, and organizations that support those communities.

Nonprofit Resource Center
The center offers a comprehensive list of links to web sites on how to form, manage and maintain a nonprofit organization.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES

Consortium for Housing and Asset Management
The consortium a national nonprofit established by LISC, The Enterprise Foundation and Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation to expand the capacity of community-based organizations and others working in the nonprofit housing industry.

Development Training Institute
The institute provides training, consulting and technical assistance, information and on-line skill-building tools to individuals and organizations working in community development. The site provides information on professional development, publications, issues and trends.

Enterprise Foundation
The foundation's mission is to see that all low-income people in the United States have the opportunity for fit and affordable housing and to move up and out of poverty. The website contains on extensive resource database with articles on a variety of topics, a publication catalogue, policy issues, online tools and ways to access technical assistance

Fannie Mae Foundation
Fannie Mae is the largest foundation in the country devoted to affordable housing and the revitalization of communities. As of January 2003, the Foundation had provided more than 13million people with free, step-by-step home-buying information to help them achieve the American dream of homeownership.

Kaiser Family Foundation
Kaiser focuses on the major health care issues facing the nation, providing an independent voice and source of facts and analysis for policymakers, the media, the health care community and the general public.

National Child Care Information Center
NCCIC is a national clearinghouse and technical assistance center linking parents, providers, policymakers, researchers and the public to early care and education information

National Equity Fund, Inc.
The fund partners with non-profit and for-profit organizations to finance housing developments and provide technical assistance to community development organizations. The site has tools for developers, investors, asset property managers, accountants, attorneys and CDCs.

National Housing Foundation Inc.
The foundation provides an extensive listing of links to various affordable housing web sites.

UIC College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs
The college's mission is to create, disseminate and apply multi-disciplinary knowledge about urban and public affairs, to improve the quality of life in metropolitan Chicago and other urban areas statewide, nationally, and internationally.

Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning
The association is a consortium of university-based programs offering credentials in urban and regional planning. The Website has information on schools, publications, internships and conferences as we'' as latest news.

Brookings Institution
Brookings is an independent, nonpartisan organization devoted to research, analysis, education and publications focused on public policy issues in the areas of economics, foreign policy, and governance.

American Planning Association
The APA is a nonprofit public interest and research organization committed to urban, suburban, regional and rural planning. APA and its professional institute, the American Institute of Certified Planners, advance the art and science of planning to meet the needs of people and society.

Tools and publications

Quality-of-life planning  :  NCP publications  :  Maps and data  :  Image bank  :  Links