As Detroit’s membership organization for the community development sector, CDAD’s work is driven by the aspirations, needs, and collective power of our over 100 dues-paying members. CDAD’s membership includes: 

Community Development Organizations – place based non-profit, tax-exempt organizations formed through local leadership. They are dedicated to a specific target area that is publicly known and not city-wide. They are governed primarily by the constituents served by the CDO. They are engaged in certain baseline activities either directly or through collaboration and facilitation with other local organizations. These activities include community organizing and engagement, land use, community or economic development planning, physical development like housing, demolition and deconstruction.

Neighborhood Improvement Organization – are other groups that support and/or partner with CDO’s to improve the quality of life for residents and neighborhoods in the City of Detroit that do not meet the qualifications of a CDO. Examples of neighborhood improvement organizations are specialty organizations, social change organizations, community engagement organizations, human development organizations.

Community Groups – are neighborhood-based organizations in Detroit. They are not formal 501c3 non-profits, are volunteer driven, and have little or no funding or paid staff. Examples of community groups are block clubs, neighborhood associations, school-based organizations.

Community Partners – are groups who are involved in and committed to the goals of community-based development, entities that either share our vision or partner with our members. Examples of community partners are for-profit companies, financial institutions, intermediaries, universities, statewide organizations, government.

Individuals – are persons involved in and committed to the goals of community-based economic development.

This division of our work manages member intake, recruitment, member services and meetings, Community Development Week and more. Built into each of these activities, is a community engagement component. We work hard to make sure that our members are connected to the people shaping decisions about their communities, connected to each other, and connected to opportunities to build neighborhood power and influence decisions. We also work to build a strong culture of community engagement across the city by providing consulting services, making recommendations to improve engagement processes, and providing professional development opportunities for engagement practitioners.  

 Bi-Monthly General Membership Meetings:

Membership meetings happen on the third Wednesday of February, April, June, August, October, and December from 10:00am-11:30am. Topics vary each month and are organized based on member needs and any relevant or emerging topics in community development. Membership meetings are a unique opportunity to network and share resources with a robust network of potential partners and allies.  

• August 16th
• October 18th
• December 6th