Cross-Sectoral

Coalition for a Livable Future

http://www.clfuture.org

Through research, policy advocacy, and public education, the Coalition for a Livable Future (CLF) works to create and preserve affordable housing; ensure clean water; protect open space, wildlife habitat and farmland; create living wage jobs; provide real transportation choices; and end hunger. CLF work emphasizes a cross-sectoral approach that stresses the interconnections between these issues. Read more about Coalition for a Livable Future...

Chicago Manufacturing Renaissance Council

http://www.chicagomanufacturing.org

Founded in July 2005, CMRC works to bring together regional labor, business, government, education and community leaders to develop “high road” economic development based on the developing of a high-value added manufacturing economy. The group's work has included the development of a public high school, Austin Polytech, which specializes in training its largely African-American student body that will enable students to graduate with industry-recognized credentials that are in demand by area manufacturers. Read more about Chicago Manufacturing Renaissance Council...

Center on Wisconsin Strategy

http://www.cows.org

The Center on Wisconsin Strategy (COWS) is a research and policy center dedicated to improving economic performance and living standards in the state of Wisconsin and nationally. Based at the University of Wisconsin-Madison with an office in Milwaukee, COWS promotes “high-road” strategies that support living wages, environmental sustainability, and innovative local polices that support community wealth building objectives. Read more about Center on Wisconsin Strategy...

Appalachian Center for Economic Networks

http://www.acenetworks.org

This organization, founded in 1985, has followed a local development strategy that includes owning and operating a community kitchen business incubator to support local food production and marketing, a community technology center subsidiary that acts as a business incubator and provides local business with high speed data services, and a community development loan and near equity venture fund. The group has also been a leading advocate of state support for community wealth-building efforts. Read more about Appalachian Center for Economic Networks...

Structured Employment Economic Development Corporation (Seedco)

http://www.seedco.org

Headquartered in New York and operating in 16 states across the county, Seedco strives to create better access to good paying jobs for low-income individuals in order to enable them to achieve financial stability and mobility. Since 2005, Seedco has helped more than 51,000 working individuals and families to access $71 million in work supports and government benefits and has provide counseling services for over 14,000 families threatened by foreclosure. Read more about Structured Employment Economic Development Corporation (Seedco)...

The Data Center (formerly named the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center)

http://www.gnocdc.org

Formed in 1997, the Data Center (formerly called the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center) aims to build prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable communities by making informed decisions possible.  To do so, it compiles, monitors, and analyzes data about New Orleans and the Greater Southeast Louisiana area on a daily basis, and creates numerous publications and tools to ensure its data reaches local and national stakeholders.  One of its publications, the New Orleans Index, which is produced biennially in collaboration with the Brookings Institution, is the most widely used means of trac Read more about The Data Center (formerly named the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center)...

Lower 9th Ward Neighborhood Empowerment Network Association (NENA)

http://www.9thwardnena.org

Lower 9th Ward Neighborhood Empowerment Network Association (NENA) works to redevelop the Lower 9th Ward through projects and programs in affordable housing, economic development, and community education. Read more about Lower 9th Ward Neighborhood Empowerment Network Association (NENA)...

Mid-South Peace and Justice Center

http://www.midsouthpeace.org

The Peace and Justice Center was formed on MLK’s birthday in 1982. Their current programs and campaigns include JustPeace Memphis, Grassroots Organizers Training for Power (G.O.T. Power), GrowMemphis Urban Gardens, Alternatives to the Military Project, the Gandhi-King Conference on Peacemaking, Food Not Bombs, and the Peace Committee. They produce a quarterly newsletter called JustPeace and host Issues First, an anti-blight campaign that holds officials and lenders accountable. Read more about Mid-South Peace and Justice Center...

Concerned Citizens of South Central Los Angeles

http://ccscla.org/

Focusing primarily on community organizing in South Central Los Angeles, Concerned Citizens is also involved with developing affordable housing, youth, and community sustainable programs. Having organized 57 block clubs to date, the organization’s strength comes from its ability to organize the local community to address local issues, such as improving the safety and appearance of neighborhood streets and alleys. Read more about Concerned Citizens of South Central Los Angeles...

The Alliance for Multicultural Community Services

http://www.allianceontheweb.org

Originally established in 1986 as an alliance of Vietnamese, Cambodian, Loatian, and Ethiopian community organizations in Harris County, the Alliance for Multicultural Community Services has grown from an organization focused on refugee resettlement to one that benefits members of all nationalities across a multitude of sectors. Its Asset Building Department maintains two Individual Development Account programs (one with 1:1 match rate and other with a 2:1) and a micro-lending program. Read more about The Alliance for Multicultural Community Services...

City Connect Detroit

http://www.cityconnectdetroit.org

City Connect Detroit helps Detroit-area nonprofits and governments work together to solve local problems and mobilize funding to support their work.  To do so, the nonprofit provides four core services:  a) collaborative facilitation; b) incubation of innovation initiatives; c) fiscal and project management, accountability, and sub-granting support to grantmakers and other funding organizations; and d) training and technical assistance, especially around relationship building, collaboration, and fund development activities.  Since its establishment in 2001, City Connect Detroit has organized more than 40 community problem-solving initiatives and has helped raise more than $115 million.

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Center for Community-Based Enterprise

http://www.c2be.org

Launched in 2006, the Center for Community-Based Enterprise (C2BE) seeks to build a network of mutually supportive cooperatives or worker-owned companies in Detroit, especially among members of historically underserved communities.  Focused on creating living-wage jobs through worker-ownership, the nonprofit provides legal help, technical assistance, and education to individuals interested in developing worker-owned cooperatives and other community-based enterprises. Most recently, its work has been credited with helping an Ann Arbor-based company, Arbor Assays, transition its ownership to its employees—becoming the first U.S. life sciences company to be 100 percent employee-owned.

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Urban Land Conservancy

http://www.urbanlandc.org

Founded in 2003, the Urban Land Conservancy (ULC) acquires, develops, and preserves community land and assets in urban areas for schools, affordable housing, community centers, and office space for non-profits. Securing land at today’s prices allows ULC to ensure that the space will remain affordable and accessible for future community endeavors. ULC also provides capital, resources, and coordination to other organizations for community development projects.  As of 2015, ULC had invested nearly $68 million in community real estate, leveraging $115 million for the development of affordable housing and nonprofit facilities.

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Vital Communities Toolbox

Maintained by the Planning Department of Tompkins County (Ithaca and environs) in upstate New York, this website contains an "A-Z" listing of different community wealth-building tools, ranging from business incubators to community land trusts to transit-oriented development, to name just a few of the topics.

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Yellow Wood Associates

Yellow Wood Associates is a women-owned, small business, consulting firm focused on rural community economic development. Working with federal, state, and local governments, non-profit organizations, community groups and foundations, Yellow Wood strives to allow communities and their economies to reach material sufficiency, not maximization, and to promote responsible stewardship of shared natural resources. Yellow Wood provides capacity building, a green community technology service, feasibility studies and economic and fiscal impact analyses for clients.

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Sustainable Communities Resource Center, HUD

The Sustainable Communities Resource Center compiles research, reports, and new ideas that support local and regional strategies for sustainable housing and planning.  In partnership with federal agencies and local communities, the mission of this office is to promote sustainable communities by fostering local innovation, job creation, and building a clean energy economy. Their Sustainable Communities Initiative facilitates a comprehensive regional plan to direct state, metropolitan, and local investments into land, transportation, and housing development.

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Stablecommunities.org

Providing community-based solutions to the foreclosure crisis, Stablecommunities.org is a new resource site for community development practitioners. Sponsored by NeighborWorks, the site features sections on how to address the increase in vacant property, on gathering support from various programs and partnerships, and on advocating for policy changes on the state, local and national level.

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Pratt Center for Community Development (PCCD)

PCCD helps advance public policy that supports sustainable, equitable, community-led development. PCCD's research and advocacy efforts have included the promotion of inclusionary zoning, support for mutual housing associations, publishing oral histories of community development corporations, and participation in the successful effort to establish an affordable housing trust fund in New York State.

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Poverty & Race Research Action Council

Founded in 1990, the Poverty & Race Research Action Council aims to generate, gather and disseminate research on the relationship between race and poverty, and to promote policies and practices that alleviate conditions caused by the interaction of race and poverty.

Read more about Poverty & Race Research Action Council...