The Progress Institute 

SCHEDULE 

8:00 – 8:30 AM                       Continental Breakfast and Registration                                     

8:30 – 8:45 AM                       Welcome & Overview of The Progress Institute                        

Joel Ratner, President and CEO, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress and                                             Colleen Gilson, Vice President of CDC Services, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress

8:45 – 9:45 AM                       Morning Plenary Session                                                          

Preview of the Cleveland Neighborhood Progress Advocacy and Policy Agenda – Facilitator: Dan Moulthrop, CEO, City Club of Cleveland with members of the Cleveland CDC Community and the Cleveland Neighborhood Progress Policy and Advocacy Committee

9:45 – 10:15 AM                     Travel from Capitol Theatre to Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church

10:15 – 11:15 AM                   Workshop Session #1                                                                  

• The Art of Collaboration

This session will help you understand what it takes to achieve change in messy complex systems such as neighborhood development.  Chris will provide insight and examples on how to move from “coblaboration” to collaboration.  Presenter: Chris Thompson

• Demystifying Evaluation and Impact Assessment 

When it comes to data, evaluation, or impact assessment, most organizations feel they lack knowledge or resources to effectively communicate the impact of its work. Join Enterprise Community Partners and Cleveland Housing Network for a primer on impact and evaluation: What does it mean to have impact? What is evaluation/assessment? How do you use data to better tell your story? Presenters: Elizabeth Richards and a representative from Cleveland Housing Network

• CRA 101 and Developing Productive Partnerships

This session will introduce the Community Reinvestment Act regulation and discuss the financial institutions’ responsibilities and examples of how community organizations can collaborate with banks and/or thrifts to reach their respective community development goals. Presenter: Norma Polanco Boyd

• Making The Ask: CDCs In the Context of Economic Development Funding

How do CDCs position themselves to be effective grant seekers?  Our discussion today will examine how to develop successful funding strategies by positioning the Community Development Corporation as a nexus and catalyst for economic development.  This will include an analysis of economic development grantmaking trends and forecasting in Northeast Ohio as well as practical tools for formulating a request for funding that will resonate. Presenter: John Bailey

• "Flee to the CLE": Getting People to Come Back to the City

A thriving core city of Cleveland cannot be achieved without engaged, energetic talented people living, working, learning and socializing in our neighborhoods. Our challenge as a city is to reclaim our talent that has migrated out of the core city, retain our current talent and develop creative and innovative approaches to help these individuals fall in love with the city and build meaningful connected relationships within and across neighborhoods. During this session, The Village Project, an initiative of Ohio Homecoming, will be highlighted as a model approach to rebuilding neighborhoods by catalyzing and harnessing the energy, wealth and creativity of emerging leaders.  Presenter: Alonzo Mitchell III

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM            Workshop Session #2                                                                    

• Collaboration in Action: St. Clair Superior
  

Michael Fleming and a community panel will discuss the ups, downs, and ultimate rewards of complex community collaborations.  Hear the behind-the-scenes stories on The Cleveland FLEA, Upcycle St. Clair, and The Hub 55 Project.  Facilitator: Michael Fleming   Panelists: TBD

• Board Development: Attracting and Developing Strong Leaders

For a CDC, engaging residents is the best way for the organization to stay relevant to the community it serves. One key component of that resident engagement is including residents on your Board of directors. With an emphasis on working within your given community, this session will address both the recruitment of potential Board members and ideas on developing strong community and organizational leaders.  Presenter: Janus Small

• Historic and Low Income Tax Credits

This session will be an overview of two programs that have dramatically transformed Cleveland’s neighborhoods over the past decades and will provide participants with basic knowledge of
these development tools offering specific information on a variety of projects in our community. Presenters: Michael Bier and Benjamin Nichols

• Crowdfunding: A Tool for Residents

ioby’s crowd-resourcing platform allows individuals and informal groups to raise donations from neighbors to support local initiatives. Neighbor-funded work gives all community members another opportunity to engage with new solutions for the neighborhood. In this workshop, we will cover real life case studies of successful campaigns and dissect them for success, the basics of grassroots fundraising, online communications, and campaign planning. Presenter: Erin Barnes 

• Greening of Our Neighborhoods

Cleveland is emerging as a leader in urban agriculture with the Rid-All Green Partnership playing a key role. As Rid-All gains national prominence as a best-practices example of how greening can truly change neighborhoods, hear from Rid-All leaders about lessons learned, plans for the future, and what this can mean for all of our neighborhoods. Presenters: G. Keymah Durden III and Randy McShepard

12:30 – 1:15 PM                     Lunch                                                                                         

1:15 – 1:45 PM                       Keynote Presentation                                                                

The Honorable John Fetterman is Mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania. Mayor Fetterman has drawn international attention in trying to revitalize the economy in Braddock. The New York Times recognized his efforts in revitalizing his community through youth-oriented programs and attracting artists and other creatives in an article; he was a guest on the Colbert Report discussing the economic difficulties Braddock faced due to a decreasing population, plummeting real estate values and bankruptcy. While the town had over 20,000 residents in the first half of the 20th century due to its proximity to Andrew Carnegie's steel mills, the population and economy collapsed beginning in the 1970's with the decline of the steel industry. Mr. Fetterman earned a bachelor's degree in finance from Albright College and a master's degree in public policy from Harvard University.

1:45 – 2:00 PM                       Facilitated Table Discussions                                                      

2:00 – 2:15 PM                       Questions and Answers                                                              

2:30 – 3:30 PM                       Round Table Discussion for Community Organizers and Allies    

Progress Institute Steering Committee: