Countering the belief that "nothing happens in the summer" MACDC is excited to report The Community Development Partnership Act was favorably released from the Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Business on August 9th.  This follows a successful hearing held on June 1st.  Since the bill involves revenue policy, it will now be heard by the Joint Committee on Revenue this fall.  We look forward to working with Representative Linda Dorcena Forry and Senator Sal DiDomenico, the bill co-sponsors, and the 46 legislative cosponsors as the bill continues through the process.

To read testimony from the June 1st hearing and all the submitted letters, as well as more information about the bill, please visit MACDC's Campaign page.  There you can read the bill summary and learn about MACDC's other Policy Priorities.  For further information about the bill or how you can help it move through the process, contact Allison Staton.  

The Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Businesses will embark on a statewide listening tour of community development organizations this fall. Led by committee co-chairs Representative Linda Dorcena-Forry and Senator Sal DiDomenico, they will make six stops across the state to learn from community leaders, residents, CDCs and nonprofits about their work, the challenges they face and how the state can help. The following dates and locations have been tentatively scheduled (specific sites TBD):

Rick Cohen is the National Correspondent for Non-Profit Quarterly and has been writing many thoughtful pieces recently about community development.  His most recent article, Motown Blues: Foundations and Government Struggle for Solutions and with Each Other, looks at the controversy between the Kresge Foundation and the City of Detroit.  Rick writes about state budget issues, federal budget and policy, non-profits in general and community development in particular.  His writings can be found at NACEDA, Non-Profit Quarterlyand at the Council of Foundations blog RE:Philanthropy.

Just because it is summer, that doesn't stop MACDC from Making Connections, on our blog.  Here are three recent posts by Joe Kriesberg:

Neighborhood Revitalization: The White House has spoken but who will listen? (August 1, 2011)

Does the Community Development Field Suffer from a Generational Gap?  (July 16, 2011)

Five reasons why June 1 was a great day (June 21, 2011)

Exit Strategies for Low Income Housing Tax Credit Projects Clinic
  

September 8-9, 2011; 8:30am-4:30pm
Sturbridge Host Hotel and Conference Center

366 Main Street, Sturbridge, MA 01566 

This course will help you evaluate how your low-income housing tax credit project is performing compared to initial expectations. Learn whether changes to your strategy are needed to optimize the nonprofit owner's position, especially with regard to purchase of the project at the end of the 15-year compliance period. This course will deal specifically with fair market, exit taxes and alternatives to continuing partnerships for the full 15 years. All participants will be asked to bring project documents with them so that discussions and examples focus on the real-life situations many nonprofit organizations are facing with LIHTC projects.

Co-Sponsored by: NeighborWorks America and CEDAC

Additional Information and Registration 

Registration Deadline: August 19, 2011

Strategic Decision Making for Community Based Organizations   

September 27, 2011; 9am-4:30pm 

NonProfit Conference

The Nonprofit Center 

89 South Street, Boston, MA 01701 

ESC of New England, Third Sector New England, and Citi have partnered with the Mel King Institute for Community Building to host a Nonprofit Professional Development Conference that is designed and facilitated by volunteer consultants.  Workshops are interactive, full of user friendly information, tools, templates, and provide great opportunities for participants to network and initiate collaborative relationships.  Available 2-hour session topics include:

• Action Plans: Turning Vision into Reality for Nonprofits
• What Difference are you Making?: Developing Outcome Measures
• Program Prioritization

Additional Information and Registration

Registration Deadline: September 20, 2011

For a full list of courses, visit Mel King Institute.