CDAD’s capacity building work is designed around the belief that a key component of building neighborhood power is ensuring there is commitment to investing in organizations doing the work of community engagement, organizing, and power building. This requires committing resources to organizations, leaders, and organizations. The capacity building division is comprised of the following bodies of work:

Capacity Building System:

Detroit community-based development organizations, of all sizes, age and mission, face a number of barriers to doing their work. Detroit has been deeply impacted by the devastating legacy of redlining, disinvestment, and population change. While these community groups across Detroit continue to work tirelessly to strengthen neighborhoods, support residents and build power in the community development sector, they have found themselves facing many barriers – both structural and at the organization level. Including:

• • • Access to resources including loans and grants
    • Access to high-quality technical support for real estate development and land use
    • Lack of in-house staff capacity to support and lead real estate development or land use projects
    • Access to resources to develop strong and resilient nonprofit organizations with structures that support innovation and community-centered work
    • A fractured technical assistance field without an easy pathway to getting support
    • Increased need for technical skills in real estate development/rehab that is cost prohibitive

CDAD and our partners have developed a centralized capacity building and technical assistance (TA) referral tool for all organizations engaged in community development work in Detroit— including community development organizations (CDOs) and community-based organizations such as block clubs and neighborhood associations. We believe that with improved capacity and stronger operations, CDOs and other neighborhood-based organizations will be better able to meet their missions, complete affordable housing development projects and engage successfully in other community-development work.

The tool is currently in its pilot phase and is intended to support several different TA and capacity building initiatives in Detroit. The referral system is designed to be a permanent entity where all community development TA and capacity building needs are able to be met by a pool of vetted TA providers that will be made available to community development organizations and neighborhood-based groups.

Currently the process for organizations to access these capacity building supports includes:

• • • An introductory orientation experience
    • Completion of organizational self-assessment (mission and vision, financial acumen, real estate development capacity, community engagement and organizing, land use, and community planning, etc.)
    • Development of an organizational technical assistance (TA) plan
    • Coaching/Navigation assistance: support for the organization to navigate their TA plan and help choose which TA provider(s) will be matched with the organization to meet their identified capacity building needs
    • Coach/System Navigator works with organization and TA provider to finalize a scope of work and check in on progress along the way