Established in 1982, the Cleveland Neighborhood Development Coalition (CNDC) has successfully brought together critical players in the community development arena to exchange views, identify issues of common concern and mobilize for action. Under the CNDC umbrella, people representing the breadth of neighborhood development in the Cleveland area, including community development groups, government officials, educational institutions, related nonprofit agencies, private sector firms, funders and foundations have come together to sustain the city's neighborhoods.
For over 30 years, community development corporations (CDCs) have addressed problems of economic, physical and social distress in neighborhoods throughout Cleveland. They employ an approach that focuses on building assets for people and communities, the ability to leverage other resources for the community through public and private sources, and maintaining an ongoing presence in and commitment to the community and its residents. CDCs build community leadership by empowering residents to take charge of their neighborhoods by turning the ubiquitous “Someone should do something” into “I am part of the solution”. CDC staff are talented, enterprising individuals who handle a multitude of challenges, from navigating governmental bureaucracies to organizing community festivals to managing real estate development projects.
Characteristics of a community development corporation include:
- Specific organizational initiatives take place within the broader context of comprehensive neighborhood revitalization strategies.
- Residents assume leadership roles in the organization by serving on the board and identifying general priorities for the organization.
- Neighborhood needs are determined and targeted, often by residents.
- Operate from a clear and agreed upon mission.
- Nonprofit status, with funding secured from diverse sources, both public and private.
We are an industry trade association that advances neighborhood community and economic development organizations by proactively engaging in advocacy and public policy, providing opportunities for peer interaction, and developing customized training programs with exposure to cutting edge, best practices in the field.
CNDC's membership is comprised of Cleveland area community development corporations, financial institutions, developers, local universities, and others concerned with the issues facing neighborhood development today.
Funding for CNDC is diverse, representing the breadth of funding available to the community development industry. Some benefits of membership in CNDC include: access to health insurance and retirement plans, invitations to industry networking events, discounts on workshops and training, industry research reports, education and technical assistance programming and subscription to the monthly e-newsletter, InfoMail.