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“ The goal isn’t all
that mysterious.
What oftentimes
is mysterious is
how we get
there … and stay
there. That’s the
purpose of our
two days together,
to find out from
each other how
we’re getting
where we want
to go.”
ANDREW J. MOONEY,
executive director, LISC/Chicago
2

GETTING IT DONE
AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN
FROM EACH OTHER
This meeting was about the “how” of
community development.
The “why” was never an issue among
the neighborhood leaders and
development professionals, foundation
executives and corporate funders who
gathered March 26-27, 2008 at the
UIC Forum of the University of Illinois
at Chicago.
They know all too well the stakes have
never been higher for America’s urban
neighborhoods. There is a new urgency,
what with “left behind” public schools
and failed federal immigration policies,
a faltering national economy and, most
immediately, an epidemic of home
foreclosures.
And so they came, 900 strong, from
dozens of Chicago neighborhoods and
more than 50 cities across the nation,
seeking fresh approaches to familiar yet
vexing problems. They came, in
particular, to learn about the new tools
being developed in the 16 Chicago
neighborhoods of the New Communities
Program (NCP). Now in its sixth year,
NCP is coordinated by the Chicago
office of the Local Initiatives Support
Corporation (LISC) and by non-profit
“lead agencies” in each neighborhood.
Principal funding is by The John D. and
Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation with
supplemental investments by more than
20 other sources.
What’s so new about NCP
For one thing, its core approach of
neighborhood-led, comprehensive
community development has never
been attempted on so large a scale,
across so many diverse neighborhoods,
with so deep a variety of governmental,
philanthropic and political support.
“Grassroots” and “comprehensive” are
not new ideas in the community
development lexicon (a similar approach
helped redevelop New York’s South
Bronx in the 1980s), but the
empowerment of local groups to work
simultaneously on all aspects of
neighborhood health — from schools to
shopping, from cultural arts to public
safety — is only now being expansively
tested and evaluated for potential use
across urban America.
Folks came also to contribute their own
insights about what works and what
doesn’t in places such as Duluth and
San Diego, Miami and Providence.
Because while every city has its own
context, the how-tos of community
renewal — planning, leadership,
communications, measurement — are
universal. And fascinating, too, judging
by the high energy level sustained
across 17 hours of general sessions,
workshops, roundtable discussions, bus
tours … even “nightlife” forays to
special neighborhood places.
What follows are highlights and
sidelights from “Getting It Done.”
3

GETTING IT STARTED
PRACTITIONERS FROM
NEAR AND FAR
The hallways of the UIC Forum were
packed solid by 11 a.m. as the
conference opened with a “virtual tour”
of the NCP neighborhoods. Each of the
lead agencies had prepared their tables
to catch the attention of visitors, with
everything from dioramas and pretend
community gardens to a customized
Monopoly board, balloons and hanging
signs. But the real action was in the
conversations as hundreds of
participants moved from table to table
to learn what others were doing and to
exchange business cards. The tables
continued as a major attraction
throughout the conference. But first, it
was time for the opening luncheon.
“ This is the first national gathering
of comprehensive community
development professionals!”
JESUS “CHUY” GARCIA, president
of the Little Village Community Development
Corporation
“ We’ve got a lot of people here
today … more than 900
registered from 56 cities across
the country and at least 23
Chicago neighborhoods.”
ANGELA HURLOCK, executive director of
Claretian Associates, NCP lead in the South
Chicago neighborhood
ROLL CALL
NCP NEIGHBORHOODS
Auburn Gresham Little Village South Chicago
Chicago Southwest Logan Square Washington Park
East Garfield Park North Lawndale West Haven
Englewood Pilsen Woodlawn
Humboldt Park Quad Communities
4

“ Whether you’re from South
Chicago or South Rhode Island,
you are all part of a new and
exciting movement in our country
to re-build our neighborhoods, to
re-build our cities and, in the
long-run, to re-build our nation.”
ANDREW MOONEY, executive director of
LISC/Chicago and conference host
“ This (NCP) is our best hope for
economic and cultural
sustainability … to provide the
resources necessary to create
and sustain communities of
choice. This is a dream no longer
deferred. … Granted there is still
a great deal of work to be done.
The 2000 Census found that
Woodlawn remains over 90
percent African-American with a
median family income of just
$21,000 … Yet we have now the
tools to make Woodlawn a
community of choice. Can we do
this Yes we can.”
BISHOP ARTHUR BRAZIER, chair of NCP/
Woodlawn, pastor of the Apostolic Church of
God and a 50-year veteran of community
development work
“ The NCP process begins here. It
steps into the world as it is, with a
vision of how it should or could
be … How could a relatively
unknown Muslim man from New
York come to Chicago’s
Southwest Side and help start a
health clinic at 63rd and
California There are many
reasons, but it is the NCP process
that made the connections,
provided the resources, and now,
lets an entity like ours become a
partner in our community’s
redevelopment.”
RAMI NASHASHIBI, executive director of
the Inner-city Muslim Action Network (IMAN)
and founder of an NCP-backed community
health clinic
“ Most of our (LISC) cities
represented here are currently
implementing a strategic
approach to comprehensive
community development. It’s an
approach that we at national LISC
call ‘sustainable communities’
and it is based on Chicago’s
New Communities model.”
MICHAEL RUBINGER, president,
national LISC
CITIES IN ATTENDANCE
St. Paul, Detroit, New York, Cincinnati, Bloomington (IL), Columbus, Milwaukee,
Indianapolis, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Aurora (IL), Huntington (IN), Philadelphia,
Jacksonville, Covington (KY), Washington (D.C.), Joliet (IL), Providence, Woonsocket,
Minneapolis, Houston, West Palm Beach, San Diego, Brooklyn, Kalamazoo,
Waukegan (IL), Des Moines, Richmond, Florence (KY), Vincennes (IN), San Francisco,
Flint, Evanston (IL), Tamaqua (PA), Atlanta, Crown Point (IN), Normal (IL), Miami,
Duluth, Rio Rancho (NM), Rockford (IL), Seattle, Batavia (OH), Oak Lawn (IL), Newark,
Boston, Albuquerque (NM), Hartford, Pittsburgh, Wheaton (IL), Grand Rapids,
Spokane, Little Canada (MN), Hazel Crest (IL), Uniontown (PA), Bethesda (MD)
5

KEYNOTE:
A MOMENT FULL OF PROMISE
Jonathan Fanton is no stranger to
the problems and complexities of
cities. A Yale-educated professor of
American history, he once led
institutional planning at the University
of Chicago and later, for 17 years,
served as president of the New School
of Social Research in New York City.
In 1999 he was named president of
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur
Foundation, which soon thereafter
stepped up as the principal funder of
NCP, committing more than $50 million
to the NCP neighborhoods over
10 years.
“ We meet at a moment in history
full of promise. I think we are on
the cusp of another era of
domestic reform … A younger,
less cynical, more politically
engaged and optimistic
generation is forming.
“ And I believe we are ready to
move. Over the years and
through NCP we have learned a
lot. We know that energy must
come from neighborhoods, not
from Washington; that strong
community organizations are the
critical drivers of change; and
that both public and private
investment are necessary.
We know that success requires
work across all the issues in a
community — housing, health,
jobs, public safety and all
the rest.
“ Most of all, we have learned that
neighborhoods, once described
as ‘blighted,’ are sources of
untapped economic and human
potential, ready to respond to
real opportunity. Together we can
provide that opportunity … we
can together take advantage of
this promising moment and help
realize this nation’s highest
aspirations of a just and humane
society where everyone has an
opportunity for a secure and
decent life.”
JONATHAN FANTON
6

WORKSHOPS
NEW TOOLS FOR
COMMUNITIES
Much of the heavy lifting at this conference was done Wednesday afternoon at a
battery of eight how-to workshops, all repeated so attendees could participate in at
least two. Each workshop examined a community development “tool” used by NCP
practitioners. Participants also received a 44-page “Toolkit” explaining each
community-building device, along with real-life examples of how they are used.
Susana Vasquez, LISC/Chicago’s director of the New Communities Program,
explained that neither the tools nor the communities of NCP are all that new.
“ These tools aren’t really new …
What is new is how we got here.
LISC/Chicago’s decision in 1997
to change the way it was doing
things when it became clear a
bricks-and-mortar approach
wasn’t enough. The commitment
by the MacArthur Foundation in
2002 to work through LISC to
support 16 neighborhoods over
10 years to create community
change. And the willingness of
our 14 lead agencies and their
partners to experiment with us on
this approach that we now call
NCP.
“ What is new, also, is that after
11 years of learning while doing,
we are able to hold this
conference. There are no outside
experts here! Every panel, every
workshop, every forum is led by
Chicago’s very own cutting-edge
leaders in comprehensive
development.
“ For LISC/Chicago, this means
understanding the neighborhood
as a whole system. We try to
build deep relationships, to be
responsive to local plans, to be
respectful of local leadership. …
We value that $15,000 grant to
launch a local basketball league
as much as the $1.5 million loan
to leverage a major commercial
development.
“ As for our lead agencies, they’ve
learned to move their own
mission as well as a collective
vision. They’ve learned to be local
intermediaries, reaching out to
friend and foe alike to build a big
tent, organize the resources,
connect the dots and get things
done. And we’re seeing a lot of
things get done!”
SUSANA VASQUEZ
7

WORKSHOP:
ENGAGEMENT
Organizing for Success
Premise: The work of building
community — of achieving
lasting personal commitments
to neighborhood action —
begins with old-fashioned organizing,
sophisticated relationship-building and a
diverse, big-tent approach.
KEY TAKE-AWAY:
PATIENT LISTENING MAY BE THE
MOST POWERFUL TOOL IN ANY
ORGANIZER’S TOOLKIT.
Panelist David McDowell of the
Southwest Organizing Project
explained how Greater Southwest
began its quality-of-life planning
process by identifying 100 community
leaders — people who had followers
and/or systemic influence — and then
interviewing them at their homes or
offices about strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats they saw in
the neighborhood. They then analyzed
and grouped the responses and invited
the leaders to an event to discuss the
findings.
Because they had connected with
leaders who had strong networks, more
people came than the room could hold.
Instead of telling people what the lead
organizations thought the responses
showed, they asked attendees what
they thought the findings meant, and a
lively discussion ensued. This
preparation brought an engaged and
energized group of residents to the
subsequent kickoff of the quality-of-life
planning process.
Explaining how Greater Southwest
used planning not so much to draw up
its plan as to draw in leaders and
potential leaders from all over the
neighborhood:
“ Never in this process did we tell
people we were doing a planning
process.”
DAVID MCDOWELL
8

KEY TAKE-AWAY:
THE BEST PROGRAMS DEVELOP
LEADERS AS WELL AS DELIVER
SERVICES.
Susan Yanun and Shirley Reyes of
the Logan Square Neighborhood
Association explained that while their
Parent Mentors program might look like
it’s solely about involving parents in
their children’s schools, leadership
development is at its core. It attracts
women (and some men) who may
never have thought of themselves as
leaders, encourages them to set goals
for themselves and trains and supports
them to achieve those goals. Many
Parent Mentors go on to support
LSNA’s organizing campaigns in all
issue areas, not only in education.
“ In the beginning, I was just a
housewife lady. I started to get
depressed. This program [Parent
Mentors] changed my life. Before
… I couldn’t talk up here like this.
Now I’m nervous, but actually I
can talk… Most of the parents
were in my same shoes. … It’s
like a door opened for us.”
SHIRLEY REYES, a coordinator of Parent
Mentors and Literacy Ambassadors for LSNA
“ It’s really about developing
leaders … grassroots leaders,
maybe people who never thought
of themselves as leaders.”
SUSAN ADLER YANUN, NCP director
at LSNA
9

WORKSHOP:
DEAL MAKING
Partnering for Results
Premise: No one player has
the money or know-how to
deliver all a community needs.
But by reaching out and
forming strategic partnerships, nothing is
impossible. Deal-making begins with
coalitions forged among members who bring
knowledge and power to the task … and
don’t take “no” for an answer.
Partnerships can range from formal
combinations that undertake large
commercial ventures to looser,
community-minded coalitions out
to provide a needed social service.
Two featured examples are Quad
Communities Development
Corporation’s courtship and closing
of a deal with Ohio-based Mahogany
Ventures to build a residential-overretail
complex at 47 th and Cottage
Grove Avenue; and Teamwork
Englewood’s successful effort to
win a federal “Weed & Seed” grant
to help both at-risk youth and adult
ex-offenders.
KEY TAKE-AWAY:
IN SEEKING GRANT MONEY, THINK
LONG TERM ABOUT BUILDING YOUR
CAPACITY AND STRENGTHENING
YOUR ABILITY TO STRIKE FURTHER
DEALS DOWN THE ROAD.
Explaining why his department was
happy to pass along a 5-year,
$1 million Weed & Seed grant to
Teamwork Englewood to help exoffenders
find jobs and provide
mentors to at-risk youth:
“ [My police colleagues] were all
very happy for us not to get this
[federal Department of Justice]
money (which went to a community
partner instead). … There’s
probably no better work we can
do than to help [CDCs] bring
resources into their communities.”
LARRY SACHS, Chicago police grants writer
10

KEY TAKE-AWAY:
BEFORE APPROACHING A
DEVELOPER WITH A PROPOSAL,
DO YOUR HOMEWORK — BRING
MARKET DATA, A PLAN FOR LAND
ASSEMBLY AND CREDIBLE
PARTNERSHIPS INCLUDING
RELATIONSHIPS WITH ELECTED
OFFICIALS AND INTERESTED
FUNDERS.
Commenting on how a delegation
from Quad Communities Development
Corporation (QCDC) got their attention
at the International Conference of
Shopping Centers in Las Vegas:
“ They didn’t have an appointment.
They bum-rushed us, and they
did it successfully. What got them
in the door is that they were dealready.
They came in with the
information.”
ADAM TROY, managing partner, Mahogany
Ventures
Result: A 136-unit condo-over retail
project to anchor redevelopment of
Cottage Grove Avenue.
Explaining a preference for developments
where two major streets intersect:
“ We developers like the concept
of main-on-main.”
FRANK PETRUZIELLO, managing partner,
Mahogany Ventures
Explaining that the Mahogany Venture
project and others aren’t about
personal or organizational heroics, but
promises kept to community planners:
“ This is a direct mandate from
18 months of meetings. It’s not
about me. It’s not about the
organization. It’s about what we
have to deliver back to the
community.”
BERNITA JOHNSON-GABRIEL, QCDC
executive director
11

WORKSHOP:
COMMUNICATING
Telling Your Story Far and Wide
Premise: Overly-stretched
community organizations often
feel communications is a luxury
item. It isn’t. Communications
can help attract members, volunteers and
funders while expanding your pool of potential
board members and political supporters. It
can inspire more people to get involved, help
change the image of a neighborhood, propel
projects to completion and increase the
mileage you get out of work that is already
being done.
Moderator Thom Clark of the
Community Media Workshop led a
question-and-answer session with
NCP organizers Ernest Sanders
(Auburn Gresham) and Yvette Kelly
(Quad Communities), along with
Patrick Barry, head of the NCP
communications team.
KEY TAKE-AWAY:
TELLING YOUR STORY ISN’T AN
ORGANIZATIONAL ADD-ON.
Building your own communication skills
or hiring a professional can yield big
dividends. New tools such as websites,
e-newsletters, blogs and e-mail blasts
make communication a lot less
expensive yet still effective. Digital
pictures and slide shows, even
YouTube videos, are being put to use
by community groups. But old-school
tools, like working with reporters and
editors, distributing flyers and
newsletters and using word-of-mouth,
are still good ways to get your word
out. Use them all.
12

KEY TAKE-AWAY:
DON’T LIKE THE NEWS COVERAGE
OF YOUR COMMUNITY CHANGE IT!
So you hated the headline, the pictures
and the misrepresentation of your
neighborhood Don’t just gripe about
it. Decide what the right story is and
invite reporters and editors to tell the
story as you see it. Help the media pros
get it right by offering a neighborhood
tour or interviews with parents,
principals, business owners, volunteers
and leaders who can offer a true picture
of what your ’hood is like.
“ You can market your community
the way you want your
community marketed … We
market what we believe to be our
gems in the community … to
show a different side of who we
are and what we do.”
YVETTE KELLY, NCP organizer for Quad
Communities Development Corporation
KEY TAKE-AWAY:
DON’T WAIT FOR OTHERS TO TELL
YOUR STORY TOMORROW WHEN
YOU CAN TELL IT TODAY!
You don’t have to wait for some
downtown editor to decide that you
have a story worth telling. Capture your
own events: take your own photos,
write your own stories. Collect the
hopes, dreams and struggles of the
journey your neighborhood has
embarked upon. Then share that story
using digital tools that allow you to go
directly to people without any filters or
gatekeepers.
“ We use every tool we can, from
web sites and e-mail to flyers and
signs on the sides of CTA buses.”
ERNEST SANDERS, NCP organizer for
Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corp.
13

WORKSHOP:
LEVERAGING
Resources to Build Communities
Premise: The idea is to be a
catalyst, not a banker. The
method is to invest early in
good ideas — ideas that attract
partners and investors so the effort grows
to meaningful scale.
KEY TAKE-AWAY:
LEVERAGING RESOURCES MEANS
MORE THAN JUST MONEY.
It’s equally important to leverage the
commitment of a small group of people
into an organizing strategy and, when
needed, a negotiating tool, as when
Earnest Gates helped organize his
West Side community to fight the
proposed Bears stadium and to win
protections for the community when
the United Center stadium was built.
Responding to a question about
how South Side communities should
pursue jobs and development plans if
Chicago wins its bid to host the 2016
Olympic Games:
KEY TAKE-AWAY:
FUNDERS HAVE MORE TO
CONTRIBUTE THAN MONEY.
They can help by making connections,
finding and using data, and reaching
the media. They can also put you in
touch with other grantees as potential
partners.
On the kind of leveraging funders like
to see most:
“ We really, really like it when
you collaborate with other
organizations we fund.”
MARIA HIBBS, executive director,
Partnership for New Communities
“ Get it, enforceable, in writing,
on the front end. Otherwise,
you’re dead in the water.”
EARNEST GATES, executive director,
Near West Side Community Development
Corp.
14

Relating the story of a bank that made
loans to otherwise ineligible borrowers
after a foundation agreed to guarantee
them:
“ Find a friendly bank. Hundreds of
people avoided payday loans.”
Moderator MARY LARAIA, formerly a
vice-president at LaSalle Bank, now with the
Aspen Institute
KEY TAKE-AWAY:
QUALITY INFORMATION AND DATA
CAN BE LEVERAGED INTO ACTION.
Describing how a Sinai Urban Health
Institute study about asthma and other
diseases in Humboldt Park led to an
NCP seed grant for a Community of
Wellness program:
“ Information is power. Use data
and the community to leverage
interest, involvement and money
… We leveraged data into a
community coalition around
health.”
MIGUEL PALACIO, associate executive
director of Association House of Chicago
The small start has leveraged
$1.5 million in health-related projects.
15

WORKSHOP:
PLANNING
Coming Together to Make Something Happen
Premise: NCP neighborhoods
began by writing a plan. Each
delegation of citizen-planners
was supported by a professional planner, a
writer-scribe, graphic designers and other
technical support worth over $100,000. But
much more was produced than words on
paper. The act of planning drew people
together — even former adversaries — and
focused them on what’s wrong and what
needs to be done.
KEY TAKE-AWAY:
PLANNING BUILDS NEIGHBORHOOD
CONSENSUS BY HELPING
STAKEHOLDERS FIND COMMON
GROUND AROUND A VISION,
STRATEGIES AND PROJECTS.
Commenting on the self-organizing
nature of the community planning
process:
“ The first issues meeting,
everybody vents. The second
issues meeting, everybody
constructively organizes ideas.”
On why community groups in Pilsen
stopped fighting … and started
planning with each other:
“ We had two options: We could
plan for ourselves, or we could
have others plan for us. We took
option ‘A.’ … Our biggest asset
in this whole thing is not the
money. It’s the relationships. It’s
OK if I’m not getting the credit,
as long as it’s getting done.”
ÁLVARO OBREGÓN, NCP director for
The Resurrection Project
Moderator LES POLLOCK, principal planner,
Camiros Ltd.
16

KEY TAKE-AWAY:
APPEAL TO PEOPLE’S SELF-
INTEREST TO GET THEM INVOLVED.
On the psychology of recruiting citizenplanners
who have other things to do.
More than 100 residents and local
leaders put their names on the 38-page
South Chicago plan:
“ Understanding what the selfinterest
is will help you to market.
If I’m a single mom, why come
to a 6 p.m. meeting if I have to
feed my kids, help them do
their homework, and get them
to bed”
KEY TAKE-AWAY:
“PLANNING WHILE DOING” MAKES IT
MORE REAL AND CREATES UPFRONT
SATISFACTIONS.
On the galvanizing role of “early action
projects”:
“ Try to identify a small catalyst
project to help kick-start
implementation.”
MIKE TOMAS, NCP director at the
Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance
ANGELA HURLOCK, executive director of
Claretian Associates
17

WORKSHOP:
LEADING
Taking Your Organization to the Next Level
Premise: Good management
and dynamic leadership don’t
just happen. They have to be
nurtured, cultivated and rewarded. Effective
organizations are mission-driven, looking for
results on the street … not another year of
rote operation and internal expansion.
KEY TAKE-AWAY:
GOOD LEADERS HAVE PASSION.
THEY SEEM TO HAVE A LOVE AFFAIR
WITH THEIR ORGANIZATIONS AND
THEIR COMMUNITIES, AND THUS
CAN ENDURE THE HIGHS AND
LOWS.
“ When I come to the office every
day, it is not a job. It is not work
for me at all. This is a part of my
life.”
CARLOS NELSON, executive director,
Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corp.
“ I love my neighborhood and
never wanted to do anything
else. It’s worth getting up and
working hard every day. My wife
once told me she thought that
our neighborhood was my
mistress.”
JIM CAPRARO, executive director, Greater
Southwest Development Corporation
KEY TAKE-AWAY:
SUCCESS DEPENDS ON THE
ABILITY TO HIRE, DEVELOP AND
PROMOTE TALENTED PEOPLE.
IT’S ABOUT BENCH STRENGTH,
TOP TO BOTTOM.
To senior staff whenever they head off
to a meeting that could be a learning
experience for others:
“ Take someone with you.”
JIM CAPRARO
18

KEY TAKE-AWAY:
LEADERS UNDERSTAND THE NEED
FOR INTENTIONAL ACTION AND
GOOD PLANNING, AND THAT ALL
PARTS OF THE ORGANIZATION
MUST WORK WELL. CONSTANT
TROUBLE-SHOOTING AND A
WILLINGNESS TO CHANGE — AND
TAKE RISKS — ALSO HELPS. A
LEADER MOBILIZES OTHERS AND
SUPPORTS TEAM MEMBERS.
“ Accountability is extremely
important.”
JOY ARUGUETE, executive director,
Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation
“ It’s not just your organization
serving as lead agency. It’s really
about recognizing opportunities
for partnerships with others,
bringing other people to the
table, recognizing what your
limitations are and stepping aside
in order to let another group grow
and blossom because it
strengthens the community as a
whole.”
KARIN NORINGTON-REAVES, chief of staff
for Ald. Willie Cochran (20th), whose office
helps anchor Washington Park NCP
19

WORKSHOP:
PLAYING
Building Community Spirit through
Sports, Arts and Culture
Premise: Nothing builds
community spirit like having
fun together. A well-planned
bit of fun can break down
barriers … and put smiles on faces, whether
it’s a summer basketball league or a recital
for kids learning to play the violin.
Events like a basketball tournament
can serve larger purposes. “B-Ball on
the Block,” a summer basketball
tournament in Little Village and North
Lawndale, helped build relationships
between youth from rival gang
territories. The tournaments were
held on pre-selected, closed streets
on Friday nights when violence tends
to spike.
KEY TAKE-AWAY:
PLAY HAS THE POWER TO BUILD
BOTH INDIVIDUAL IDENTITY AND
COMMUNITY SPIRIT.
“ So instead of having these guys
out on the corner with their
hoodies, they’re in their
basketball jerseys.”
CHRISTINE BRONSING, health projects
coordinator, Little Village Community
Development Corporation
20

KEY TAKE-AWAY:
IT HELPS TO HAVE INSTRUCTORS
AND COACHES WHO KNOW HOW
TO KEEP IT POSITIVE.
“ Can you turn your bow this way
Very good. Not ‘You ain’t doing
that right!’ ”
VANESSA MANAR, Metropolitan Area
Group for Igniting Civilization, Inc. (MAGIC),
which runs the String Instrument Program
in Woodlawn
KEY TAKE-AWAY:
SOMETIMES STARTING A
PROGRAM REQUIRES FINDING
AN ORGANIZATION WITH NEEDED
EXPERTISE. TO LEAD ITS STRING
INSTRUMENT PROGRAM IN
WOODLAWN, MAGIC RECRUITED
MUSIC INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO
TO PROVIDE INSTRUCTION.
“ Being open to communication
can allow a lot of things to be
accomplished with limited
resources.”
KELLY SMITH, NCP organizer, Lawndale
Christian Development Corporation
21

WORKSHOP:
EVALUATING
The Big “So What”
Premise: How do we know
if comprehensive community
development is actually
improving the quality of life in neighborhoods
There’s plenty of anecdotal evidence, but
funders generally want numbers — of housing
units built, jobs placements made, crime
reduced.
NCP is mounting one of the most
sophisticated measuring and evaluating
efforts ever attempted, led by New
York-based consultant MDRC. Even so,
neighborhood causes and effects are
very tricky to pin down.
“ Measuring and evaluating what’s
working and what’s not is
absolutely central to effective
community development practice.
Evaluation generates insight; it
leads to improvement; it creates
22

and strengthens influence; it
makes obvious the path from
intention to impact; it provides
the information that makes it
possible to discuss, in concrete
terms, the value of effective
comprehensive community
development.”
SUSAN LLOYD, who helped launch NCP as a
MacArthur Foundation program director and
now consults independently on evaluation
KEY TAKE-AWAY:
MEASURING AND EVALUATING ARE
NOT JUST AFTER-THE-FACT
EXERCISES BUT REAL-TIME TOOLS
TO GET BETTER HERE-AND-NOW
RESULTS.
Dena Al Khatib, former NCP
manager at Bickerdike Redevelopment
Corp., explained three ways she
employed measuring and evaluating
techniques: 1) external data was used
to set priorities for Humboldt Park’s
quality-of-life plan and to leverage
resources; 2) a measurement tool was
implemented to prioritize which projects
received funding; and 3) communications
tools were used to publicize progress
externally and to help track gains
internally. Said Khatib:
“ These are not what you would
traditionally think of as evaluation
tools… but by putting an
emphasis on effective program
management and administration,
you get the added benefit of
creating systems that lead to
better evaluation.”
She gave an example:
“ In Humboldt Park we had so
many partners with so many
ideas that we had to have a
system. So we developed, I think
it was a seven-question proposal
that agencies were asked to
respond to in 2-3 pages max. And
that actually became the first test
of do you have a concept or do
you have a project that’s ready to
move forward If you couldn’t put
it down on paper, then it wasn’t
ready to go. Formalizing the
process helped us make sure we
had not just an eager staff
person, but agency support. One
of the questions asked how the
project would leverage additional
funds, and we asked for a
budget, so the staff person
usually had to run things up the
chain of command a little more
formally.”
KEY TAKE-AWAY:
COMMUNITY-BASED JOURNALISM
CAN BE AN ENGAGING WAY TO
DOCUMENT WHAT’S BEING
ACCOMPLISHED, BUT THERE’S A
TENDENCY TO REPORT ONLY THE
GOOD NEWS.
“ Using journalism to document
and evaluate has benefits and
flaws. The main benefit is that we
scribes can tell stories of
neighborhood renewal in ways
that are more evocative, more
interesting, more understandable
than any annual report to grantmakers
… The main drawback
23

is that we only report the good
news. We don’t provide a
truly balanced picture of what’s
going on.”
JOHN MCCARRON, a senior NCP “scribe”
and in-house program critic
KEY TAKE-AWAY:
OVERALL IMPACTS ON
NEIGHBORHOOD WELL-BEING
ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO MEASURE
BECAUSE SO MANY OTHER
FORCES ARE AT WORK.
“ The evaluation challenges are
both in trying to understand a
community change initiative,
given all the competing influences
on communities, while trying to
gauge a complex, multidimensional
initiative that is NCP
and to do so in 16 communities.
[MDRC’s evaluation] is a threepart
analysis:
1. What is the nature, extent and
pace of change on a range of
indicators over time
2. How do these change
trajectories compare across
different types of NCP
communities … and relative to
non-NCP communities
3. What strength of evidence
exists that NCP strategies
played a role in these
neighborhood change
trajectories”
CRAIG HOWARD, formerly of MDRC, now
director of community and economic
development for the MacArthur Foundation
24

COMMUNITY HEROES
BUILDING HOPE
AND PEACE
Wednesday evening kicked off with the
rhythmic West African beat of “Hooked
on Drums,” a LISC-supported activity
from Kennicott Park in the Quad
Communities, that drew attendees from
their workshops to the main hall … and
a celebration of Community Heroes.
“Hooked” gets kids going on Djembestyle
traditional music, allowing them to
explore African heritage while
sharpening their minds on a complex
musical idiom.
Earnest Gates, executive director of
the Near West Side Community
Development Corp., talked about the
qualities that led to the heroes being
selected by NCP lead agencies and
partners:
“ These people were just trying to
be a good mom, a good coach, a
good influence, a good principal,
even a good (non-profit) CEO.
Just plain old good citizens, and
somewhere along the line, they
became our community heroes.
These 28 individuals and groups
are getting it done in their
communities every day. They toil
in their communities, their
churches, their schools for low or
no pay. These are the people who
don’t say no when duty calls …
They just keep on doing right
because it’s the right thing to
do … For all you do, this night’s
for you.”
EARNEST GATES
25

ROLL CALL OF THE HEROES
The heroes were introduced by
Gregory Parrish of State Farm
Insurance, LISC/Chicago’s largest
corporate sponsor.
FROM HUMBOLDT PARK –
• Miguel Palacio, Association House
of Chicago
• Bill Howard, with the West Humboldt
Park Family and Community
Development Council
FROM THE AUBURN GRESHAM
NEIGHBORHOOD –
• Granville and Juanita Love,
business owners and active leaders
• Deborah Moore, Neighborhood
Housing Services
FROM THE LITTLE VILLAGE
NEIGHBORHOOD –
• Jorge Roque, YMCA Street
Intervention program
• Maria Velazquez, Telpochcalli
Community Education Project
FROM CHICAGO SOUTHWEST –
• Dr. Wayne Lerner, Holy Cross
Hospital
• Rafi Peterson, Miguel Arcos,
and Kenneth Baldwin, the
CeaseFire Team
FROM LOGAN SQUARE –
• Mayra Casasola, President,
Lorington Tenants Association
• David Pino, Principal, McAuliffe
Elementary School
IN EAST GARFIELD PARK –
• Clifton Cooper, East Garfield Park
Community Coalition
• Brenetta Howell Barrett,
Pathfinders Prevention Education
Fund
IN NORTH LAWNDALE –
• Gerald and Lorean Earls,
community activist and founders of
Slum Busters
• Pat Herrod, Lawndale Christian
Health Center
FROM ENGLEWOOD –
• Orrin Williams, with Growing Home
and Center for Urban Transformation
• Rev. James Dukes, Liberation
Christian Center
FROM THE PILSEN COMMUNITY –
• Oscar Torres, leader in St. Ann’s
Parish
• Martha Monrroy, Principal, Cooper
Dual Language Academy
ALDERMANIC SALUTE
Ald. Edward Burke (14 th ) and
Ald. Willie Cochran (20 th ) took
the stage to offer salutes to the
Community Heroes.
Ald. Burke said:
“ Long ago the storyteller Aesop
said: ‘It is easy to be brave from a
safe distance.’ Tonight we honor
those whose courage knows no
safe distance. We celebrate the
wide landscape of courage here
in Chicago’s neighborhoods and
recognize the strength and
humanity of neighborhood heroes.
“ They have shaped the character
and liberty of our nation, and
built the honor of Chicago streetby-street
and house-by-house.
This is what energizes our
neighborhoods. This is what
creates communities of hope
and peace.”
26

FROM QUAD COMMUNITIES –
• Monica Haslip, founder of
Little Black Pearl
• The CleanSlate Team
FROM SOUTH CHICAGO –
• Al Reyes, La Causa Community
Committee
• Neil Bosanko, South Chicago
Chamber of Commerce
IN WASHINGTON PARK –
• Della Mitchell, Brand New
Beginnings
• Cliff Kelley, radio host on
WVON–AM
FROM WEST HAVEN –
• Crystal Palmer, Henry Horner West
Haven Local Advisory Council
• Keith Jackson, leader in Chicago
Area Project and other groups
FROM WOODLAWN –
• N. Jeane Clark, leader of the
6100 South Rhodes Block Club
• Bryan Echols, MAGIC
Ald. Cochran, a former NCP organizer
in Woodlawn, added his own tribute:
“ A kiss on the cheek. A pair of
cufflinks. A bouquet of flowers.
What do they have in common
They make you feel good. A
Community Hero Award is a kiss
on the cheek, a pair of cufflinks,
a bouquet of flowers. … you
make us look better.”
He also read a resolution by the
Chicago City Council recognizing the
heroes. The resolution stated in part:
“ WHEREAS These community heroes
have taken on the task of building their
community and valiantly work to
sustain, preserve and encourage the
positive growth of their neighborhoods;
now therefore
“ BE IT RESOLVED That we, the Mayor
and members of the Chicago City
Council … do hereby salute each
aforementioned Community Hero and
extend our heartfelt thanks for their
service to their neighborhoods and
our city.”
27

NCP NIGHTLIFE
AN EVENING IN THE
NEIGHBORHOODS
It’s not all about leading and planning
and leveraging. Sometimes it’s
necessary to kick back and have some
fun … though there was a method to
Wednesday night’s merrymaking.
Healthy neighborhoods must have
safe, nurturing places — some call
them “third places” outside of home
and work —where families can enjoy
themselves and get to know other
families.
“We added the nightlife component
because it’s fun, because it celebrates
the diverse talents of our neighborhoods
and the historical gems they hold,”
explained Keri Blackwell, the LISC
program officer who made the
arrangements. “And it gave our
conference guests a chance to
network on a different, more relaxed,
and personal level.”
Conference attendees “got it done” at
these special “third” places:
PUERTO RICAN DINNER AND
SALSA DANCING AT THE
HUMBOLDT PARK BOATHOUSE
PAVILION
Snug on a cold night within this 1907
landmark overlooking the Jens Jensendesigned
park lagoon, some 40
conference attendees and Humboldt
Park residents feasted on a traditional
Puerto Rican dinner, including lechón
(roast pork), arroz con gandules (rice
with pigeon peas), vegetables, salad
and pan de agua, a light, crusty bread.
Enrique Salgado, Jr., director of the
Division Street Business Development
Association, taught the visitors how to
pronounce “Paseo Boricua.” It’s the
nearby commercial stretch of Division
Street between Western and California
avenues over-arched at each end by a
giant steel Puerto Rican flag.
Dance instructor Miguel Torres took
the crowd through basic cha-cha-cha
and salsa before a live band got
everyone going. Joel Dabu from the
Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration
Corporation and a colleague tore up
the floor with classic footwork and
spins, but local NCP stalwarts Miguel
28

Palacio of Association House and
Joy Aruguete of Bickerdike also
showed fine technique.
COMMUNITY CAFÉ — AN EVENING
OF ENTERTAINMENT AT
WOODLAWN’S GRAND
BALLROOM
Perhaps nothing symbolizes this
South Side neighborhood’s comeback
so much as this historic ballroom-overstores
gem at 63 rd Street and Cottage
Grove Avenue. Developer Andy
Schcolnik invested well over $1 million
restoring the room’s Jazz Era (1923)
ambiance, complete with Art Deco
plasterwork, crystal chandeliers and a
60-foot oak bar.
Nearly 100 conference attendees
enjoyed a homegrown talent show of
rap singers, break dancers and videomakers.
The marquee attraction was
Woodlawn’s own childrens’ string
ensemble displaying what they had
learned at the Saturday morning
String Instrument Program at nearby
Andrew Carnegie School.
RECEPTION AND DOCENT-LED
TOUR OF GARFIELD PARK
CONSERVATORY
What better escape on a chilly evening
than the tropics-under-glass paradise
created in 1907 by famed Chicago
parks designer Jens Jensen
The Conservatory has been restored
by the Chicago Park District with much
programmatic support from the Garfield
Park Conservatory Alliance, the NCP
lead agency for East Garfield Park.
It was an evening of conversation
and relaxation, of smooth jazz by a
local band and of buffet treats in
Horticulture Hall. A professional docent
led small groups of attendees through
back-lit rooms filled with lush ferns
and soaring palms, in-floor brooks
and rocky waterfalls.
29

DAY TWO
GETTING INTO THE
NITTY GRITTY
BREAKFAST PANELS,
ROUNDTABLES AND
NEIGHBORHOOD TOURS
Bright and early Thursday morning,
conference attendees returned to the
UIC Forum for working breakfasts.
There were small-group sessions for
philanthropic funders and for LISC
staff, plus a larger, open session at
which City of Chicago officials gave
their perspective on community
development.
Later the crowd split up among
12 roundtable discussions and five
neighborhood tours, where
participants could get down to the
details on how work gets done and
what issues need solving.
30

BREAKFAST PANELS
FUNDERS BREAKFAST
Foundation and corporate grant-makers
huddled to discuss the opportunities and
challenges of funding comprehensive
community development … as opposed
to funding more traditional civic and
cultural activities.
Julia Stasch, vice-president for
human and community development
at the MacArthur Foundation, led off
the discussion by explaining why the
foundation elected to partner with
LISC/Chicago.
that is so embedded in the
neighborhoods … on a
neighborhood basis, when you
divide it (MacArthur grant dollars)
by 16, it’s really not that much …
This approach let’s a funder say
‘I don’t have to create something,
it’s already established.’
“ The beauty of the LISC approach
is that it is neither top-down nor
bottom-up.”
JULIA STASCH
“ We saw this (NCP) as a way to
scale up MacArthur’s investment
in neighborhoods.
“ We sought a partnership with
someone (LISC) whose business
it is to bring about change in
neighborhoods … We saw it as a
way to create coalitions and
collaboratives … However much
money we have to invest is not as
important as the leveraging that
can be accomplished by a LISC
Alice Walker Duff, program executive
for The Atlantic Philanthropies, said that
NCP provided Atlantic with a stable,
up-and-running platform from which to
bring to Chicago its enrichment program
for middle schools called Integrated
Services in Schools. Said Duff:
“ We made the investment because
we were building on such a
strong foundation.”
31

The conversation then turned to
evaluation and the funders’ need to
document success or failure.
“ The issue becomes attribution —
how can we be sure changes in
neighborhoods are attributable to
our investments … We do have
to come to grips with causal
relationships. We have to be able
to say, ‘This happened because
of that.’”
ALICE WALKER DUFF, The Atlantic
Philanthropies
“ I don’t think measuring change is
possible … just so long as things
are headed in the right direction
… it can get crazy (trying to
measure results) and I think we
have to ease up on that.”
GEETA PRADHAN, program director,
The Boston Foundation
“ We partner with people who are
already doing the work. We hire
the evaluators and we make that
our problem. Small programs can
die from the weight of evaluation
expectations.”
CLAIR CHANG, The Saint Paul Foundation
“ School outcomes are an
exception. They can be
measured. People look at those
to decide where to live.”
JOE HONEYCUTT, Habitat for Humanity,
Atlanta
Andrew Mooney, who co-hosted the
breakfast with Julia Stasch, summed
up the discussion with his perspective
as LISC/Chicago’s executive director:
“ New tools are beginning to emerge
for measuring what we do. One
goal common to all our local
partners is the desire to create
stable but diverse neighborhoods.
We’re beginning to develop tools
to measure that, such as an
income diversity index.”
ANDREW MOONEY, executive director of
LISC/Chicago and conference host
32

LISC BREAKFAST
Speaking to LISC staffers from around
the country, this panel outlined the NCP
method and the delicate but decisive
touch that helps guide the work of
neighborhood agencies. The discussion
was led by LISC’s NCP director
Susana Vasquez, program officer
Sandra Womack, and Jim Capraro,
a LISC advisory board member and
executive director of the Greater
Southwest Development Corp.
Capraro related that NCP was developed
because the old ways — centered on
housing development — were no longer
working. But moving to a more
comprehensive approach doesn’t mean
any one CDC needs to do it all.
“ You’ll never be good at everything.
If you are screwing up day care
because you’re not very good at
it, that’s a dangerous place to be.
“ Being a lead agency doesn’t mean
you are leading the race and
everyone else is losing. It’s like
being an orchestra conductor, and
to do that you have to have willing
musicians to play the music.”
“ Once you have shown you can
get something done, the funders
and others come to you.”
It hasn’t been all smooth sailing,
Vasquez admitted. Four of NCP’s
original 14 lead agencies had to be
reorganized or replaced outright.
“ We don’t give up on a
neighborhood, but if the CDC
lead agency isn’t working, you
have to find another one.”
SUSANA VASQUEZ
Womack, a 13-year LISC veteran, said
the program officer’s role has changed
dramatically.
“ We used to spend the day in
the office … now we spend the
majority of our time out in the
neighborhoods.”
SANDRA WOMACK
JIM CAPRARO
Vasquez said a major shift in thinking at
LISC was from viewing the CDC as
client (in the past) to today’s thinking
that the neighborhood is the client.
“ The lead agency job is not for
everyone. They aren’t getting all
the money, but (they) have to do
all the work (not directly, but by
recruiting partners and getting
it done.)
33

PUBLIC OFFICIALS BREAKFAST
Not much happens in Chicago
neighborhoods or downtown without
the cooperation of City Hall and, most
importantly, the mayor’s office.
Fortunately for NCP, Mayor Richard M.
Daley is a supporter, as are the officials
who led this discussion: Joseph Lopez
of the city’s “311” Help Center;
Christine Raguso, the NCP liaison in
the mayor’s office; and James
Wilson, a senior city planner. They
were joined by Jamie Dircksen,
manager of health services for the
Chicago Public Schools, on a panel
moderated by Raul Raymundo of
The Resurrection Project.
Lopez stressed the necessity of finding
allies within city government who can
help you keep projects moving. For
example, he is currently coordinating
among the city’s departments of
buildings, zoning and health to keep
the five Integrated Services in Schools
(ISS) health clinic build-outs moving
forward on a short (six-month) timeline
to completion. Finding the right people
will get projects done quickly. With ISS,
having allies meant a last-minute
zoning snag (clinics weren’t allowed in
schools) could be solved by having an
alderman introduce legislation to make
the clinics properly zoned.
Dircksen urged groups to “do your
homework” before you approach the
school system. Come in with a clear,
realistic goal and vision, plus the steps
to completion, and identified
deliverables. Have partners and a
funding plan in place.
“ There are a lot of people with
great ideas coming to us as if
we’re a bank while we don’t have
enough money to buy books for
our kids.”
“ Our mayor is Mr. Neighborhoods.
He knows the city better than
anybody. … He knows that what
happens in our neighborhoods
defines our city. … Andy
(Mooney) can call him at the drop
of a dime.”
CHRISTINE RAGUSO, mayor’s office
“ I did not have a lot of respect in
the beginning for small
community development
agencies. That was my fault. (It
turns out that) they make my job
so much easier.”
JAMES WILSON, Chicago Department of
Planning and Development
“ Does other development drive
public funding, or does public
funding drive development”
ROBIN TOEWE of the Illinois Facilities Fund
Raguso responded:
“ Both. It depends on the
neighborhood, the funding source
and what’s available. For
example, in Englewood, the
public renovation of Kennedy
King College is beginning to spur
private projects. Development
looks like it’s going to come to
fruition because of the public
development first. But in other
neighborhoods that have a
stronger base of private
investment, private development
could come first.”
JAMIE DIRCKSEN, Chicago Public Schools
34

NEIGHBORHOOD TOURS
TAKING IT TO THE STREET
After breakfast, conference attendees
had the option of attending one of five
community-led neighborhood tours.
LOGAN SQUARE:
SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY
Logan Square Neighborhood Association
demonstrated how it built a nationallyrecognized
program of parent and
community involvement at schoolbased
community learning centers.
WEST HAVEN:
SERVING THE FORMERLY
INCARCERATED
St. Leonard’s Ministries explained how
the formerly incarcerated are helped to
re-enter the community through training,
supportive housing and attention to
basic needs. Visitors toured the foodservice
training kitchen at the Michael
Barlow Center.
PILSEN:
JOBS AND MORE
Instituto del Progreso Latino showed
how comprehensive bilingual
programming can encompass adult
education and immigration services, as
well as financial counseling and
employment services at its Center for
Working Families.
QUAD COMMUNITIES:
REBIRTH OF COMMERCIAL
CORRIDORS
The Cottage Grove Revitalization
Initiative combines student-created
artworks from the Little Black Pearl
Art & Design Center, CleanSlate
beautification crews, city investments
and aggressive retail recruitment.
And it’s getting results.
LITTLE VILLAGE:
PARTNERSHIP IN ACTION
Illinois State University, State Farm
Insurance and local public schools are
working with Little Village Community
Development Corp. and NCP to
develop a dormitory for student
teachers as well as a new community
center and park.
35

THE ROUNDTABLES
GETTING DOWN
TO SPECIFICS
Thursday morning also offered a chance
to drill down to finer details with smaller
groups. There were 12 subject-specific,
one-hour roundtables, all held in one
large hall, all repeated once, all led by a
facilitator and all informed by three
“resource” Chicagoans familiar with the
issue. The roundtable on the foreclosure
crisis drew the most participants. Here
is a sampling:
THE FORECLOSURE CRISIS
“ We’re doing one case after another,
we really are overwhelmed. We
need a lot more counselors. This
is not going to stop. I see it going
on at least two more years.”
PETRA VILLAZANA, housing counselor,
Greater Southwest Development Corp.
“ The idea of saving homes
becomes more and more our
focus. We’ve known about this
(predatory lending) for years.
No one from outside the
neighborhood is going to solve
our problem. How do we deal
with this as a neighborhood
MIKE REARDON, Neighborhood Housing
Services, Gage Park/Chicago Lawn
“ We need to deal with the
psychology of foreclosure. People
didn’t do anything wrong. People
have been victimized and should
allow themselves to be helped.”
SEANNE THOMAS, East Side Neighborhood
Development Company, St. Paul
“ Instead of foreclosure prevention
we’re finding ourselves doing
foreclosure planning. What
happens when the sheriff comes
to your door to put your furniture
in the street Where do you go
What about the kids”
ART RIVERA, LISC/San Diego
36

IMPACT OF IMMIGRATION ON
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
“ Let’s shed some light on the
positive contributions of
immigrants. There’s this notion
immigrants are a social cost or
drag. It’s not true.”
RAUL RAYMUNDO, executive director,
The Resurrection Project
“ Immigrants have the lowest
foreclosure rates, especially on
ITIN [Individual Tax Identification
Number] mortgages.”
EMILIO CARRASQUILLO, Neighborhood
Housing Services, Back-of-the-Yards
“ We also have to talk about U.S.
policy and the economy of
Mexico. People say ‘get in line’
and come here legally. From
Mexico it takes 15 years to
petition for immigration into the
U.S. … So they come here
anyway and earn that first dollar
and then they open up a business
and they buy a house and so on.
How does our government learn
to embrace this”
LUIS GUTIERREZ, Latinos Progresando,
Chicago
USING SCHOOLS TO TRANSFORM
COMMUNITIES
“ No child left behind is blaming
teachers for society’s ills. We
make them ‘teach the test’
instead of the complete child.
Funny, because I don’t know of
any employer who hires testtakers
... We don’t do that at our
school. We’ve learned that you
have to make it fun for the
teacher so they’ll make it fun for
the students.”
PAUL O’TOOLE, principal, Marquette
Elementary School, Chicago
“ The ISS model is very
comprehensive. The parents
don’t do anything without the
teacher. The teachers don’t do
anything without the principal.”
ERNEST SANDERS, NCP organizer,
Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corp.,
on the Integrated Services in Schools
program newly announced by LISC, Chicago
Public Schools and The Atlantic
Philanthropies
“ One thing we’re dealing with is
a culture of teachers that say
‘This is my room and you can’t
touch it.’ ”
DANETTE TOWNSEND, New Mexico
Community Foundation, which has been
piloting an Integrated Services in Schools
program in that state
CENTERS FOR WORKING FAMILIES
“ I love the concept of bundling of
services to build assets. People
come to us voluntarily. It is
outstanding to me that people
keep coming through our doors.
It also says something about our
economy.”
SHARON STOKES, financial coach,
St. Sabina Employment Resource Center
37

“ We do very little marketing, and
we are swamped. We haven’t had
to recruit [clients] because of our
strong ties in the community, with
other agencies. We have gone out
and done presentations — but we
get an influx of referrals right from
them through word-of-mouth.”
LIVIA VILLAREAL, director of counseling
services, Greater Southwest Development
Corp.
“ I think this idea really has legs.
You’ve got to find a platform for
it. We are not the CWF-makers.
You are a CWF if you offer these
services and combine them.”
RICKI LOWITZ, senior program officer,
LISC/Chicago
from society. Many come from
dysfunctional families. Some have
never seen someone go to a job.
How many of us are mentoring
these young brothers and sisters
“ You have to engage young people.
We can’t be afraid of them, we
have to engage them.”
RAFI PETERSON, CeaseFire
“ What are the majority of people
willing to organize around What
are they willing to do Where are
they willing to meet You have to
meet people where they are.”
LAURA LANE, executive director, WPIC,
Woodlawn
SAFE STREETS, SAFE
NEIGHBORHOODS
“ The greatest enemy in our
community isn’t gangs, it isn’t
drugs — it’s hopelessness. These
young people feel totally isolated
“ You don’t want the issue to be
your issue. It’s the people’s issue.
If it’s their issue, they’ll be there
to support you.”
DORIS JONES, Teamwork Englewood
38

CLOSING KEYNOTE
TELLING OUR OWN STORY
Thursday’s closing luncheon ended
with a gracious “You’re welcome” from
Robert Grossinger, vice-president of
Bank of America, a major sponsor of
the “Getting It Done” conference.
“ I listened to some of your
programs yesterday afternoon.
And maybe I can’t inspire you,
but you sure have inspired me.”
ROBERT GROSSINGER
Joy Aruguete from Bickerdike then
introduced the closing keynote speaker,
Alberto Ibargüen, former publisher of
the Miami Herald and now president
and CEO of the John S. and James L.
Knight Foundation, a major funder of
community-focused communications
projects nationwide including the
Knight News Challenge, which
supports innovative use of digital tools
to share information with people in
communities.
Ibargüen began by literally tearing up
his prepared remarks, saying he was
“blown away” by the LISC/NCP
communications effort, and that the
usual speech would not do. Here are
some highlights from Ibargüen’s
impromptu but impassioned keynote:
“ In the (LISC roundtable) session I
attended this morning, I found
one of the best communications
programs I have ever seen. It
gave notice not just to the
projects LISC is doing. It gave
voice to the community. It allowed
for the community to take
ownership of the voice that
defines who they are. I think this
is enormously important. …
“ Global connectivity is a miracle,
but it does not tell you who is
running for the board of education
that is going to educate your
child, or even who is running for
Congress in your district. Those
people are still elected by (small)
geography and we don’t know
enough about them. …
“ Information is a core community
need, as essential as infrastructure,
as schools, as jobs.”
ALBERTO IBARGÜEN, president and
CEO of the John S. and James L. Knight
Foundation
“ In this world of the media today,
the era of ‘I write and you read,’
or ‘I’ll produce a TV show and
you’ll listen,’ is basically over …
If you’re not digital, you are a
second-class citizen. …
39

CALL TO ACTION
“WE WILL!”
Three executive directors of NCP lead
agencies — Eunita Rushing, Jim
Capraro and Carlos Nelson —
took the stage in one final, rousing
exhortation to “Get It Done” in our
communities. Rushing spoke first:
“ In a way, it is overwhelming. It
seems everything is
connected — and that there is just
so much to do: We have to
engage our communities, so that
plans are by and for them … and
we have to make deals with
friends (and sometimes
enemies) — forming partnerships
to leverage the resources to get
projects done. …
“ We have to be good leaders,
managers and evaluators,
measuring success for ourselves
and our partners at every turn.
But it is also about playing —
building the community spirit
through sports, arts and culture,
building relationships that tie a
community together and create
a strong force for effective
change. …
“ Truly, we are changing the face of
our communities, in Chicago —
and across the nation. We really
are “Getting It Done.”
Joined by Nelson, Capraro led a final,
rousing call-and-response:
“ Ask yourselves these questions:
What happened here How does
it make you feel What does it
mean What are you called to
do
“ Ladies and gentlemen, I am here
to ask you if you will heed that
call. I am here to ask you if you
are willing to commit.
“ Ladies and gentlemen, if you are
prepared to take what we’ve
learned here and practice it at
home say: ‘We will.’ (Crowd:
“We will!”)
“ If you are committed to working
hard to raise the quality of life in
the neighborhoods we serve say:
‘We will.’ (Crowd: “We will!”)
“ If you are committed to
preserving and strengthening the
relationships we created here say:
‘We will.’ (Crowd: “We will!”)
“ If you are equally committed to
creating similar relationship where
you work say: ‘We will.’ (Crowd:
“We will!”)
“ And last, if you are willing to
come back together in the future
to renew our relationships,
replenish our spirit, reinvigorate
our energy, reflect on our
practice, and redouble our efforts
say: ‘We will.’ ” (Crowd: “We will!”)
41

ADDENDUM
HOW THE CONFERENCE
CAME TO BE
The idea for a conference on the New
Communities Program originated from
the lead agencies themselves. After
two successful assemblies in April
2005 and November 2006, lead agency
staff wanted not only to highlight the
program’s accomplishments, but to lift
up the NCP “tools of the trade” both to
their own community partners and to
the many others who have expressed
interest in the approach.
So LISC/Chicago set to work with the
lead agencies to develop the content
and structure of the two-day
conference. This included debating and
deciding what the key tools are, how to
structure the workshops and what
issues would attract discussion among
community development practitioners.
In addition to two “all lead agency”
meetings to flesh out the core ideas,
monthly meetings were held over a sixmonth
period to discuss and fine-tune
conference details and logistics.
A unique feature of the conference was
the emphasis on local leadership. No
outside experts were brought in. Every
workshop, roundtable and tour was led
by local community leaders and staff.
Much time and energy went into
developing the eight toolkit workshops
that formed the heart of the conference.
Lead agencies discussed who among
their peers would be good presenters,
LISC reached out to confirm which
groups would lead each workshop and
identified others to serve as facilitators,
and LISC worked with Valerie Denney
Communications to develop a
framework and process to help develop
each workshop into a quality
presentation.
Workshop panelists were encouraged
to include a creative or interactive
exercise as part of each session along
with plenty of time for Q & A. They were
discouraged from using PowerPoint
presentations and being “talking
heads.”
To prepare, each workshop team held
conference calls, face-to-face meetings
and a “dry run” in front of another
group of presenters, to get feedback on
what worked and what didn’t. After the
grueling series of dry runs, many panels
further refined their presentations until
they were ready to shine at the
conference. The three-month process
paid off with workshops that were wellattended
and even fun. One workshop
included a short violin demonstration,
another started with one-on-one
discussions, and a third included a ballpassing
exercise and live blogging.
A central benefit of the conference
was the professional growth of the
community leaders as they presented
their work to a national audience. This
was intentional, and by all accounts,
valuable to those on both sides of the
information exchange.
42

CREDITS
NEW COMMUNITIES PROGRAM
LEAD AGENCIES
Bickerdike Redevelopment Corp.
Joy Aruguete, Executive Director
773.278.5669
joyaruguete@bickerdike.org
Claretian Associates
Angela Hurlock, Executive Director
773.734.9181
angelah@claretianassociates.org
Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance
Eunita Rushing, Executive Director
773.638.1766 x 12
erushing@garfieldpark.org
The conference was organized by a
large committee led by NCP director
Susana Vasquez and the LISC/Chicago
staff, with substantial participation from
leaders at the NCP lead agencies.
Valerie Denney Communications
provided logistics and program support,
and MK Communications provided
public relations services.
This report was written and compiled
by senior NCP scribe John McCarron
based on his own reporting and that
of fellow NCP scribes Ed Finkel,
Elizabeth Duffrin, Maureen Kelleher,
Richard Muhammad and chief scribe
Patrick Barry.
Photography is by Eric Young Smith
and John Booz. Conference materials,
icons and signage were created
by Kym Abrams Design. This
publication was designed by Tuan Do
Graphic Design.
Greater Auburn-Gresham
Development Corp.
Carlos Nelson, Executive Director
773.483.3696
cnelson@gagdc.org
Greater Southwest Development
Corp.
Jim Capraro, Executive Director
773.436.1000 x 111
jimcapraro@greatersouthwest.org
Lawndale Christian Development
Corp.
Kim Jackson, Executive Director
773.762.8889
kjackson@lcdc.net
Little Village Community
Development Corp.
Jorge Cestou, Executive Director
773.542.9233
jcestou@lvcdc.org
Logan Square Neighborhood
Association
Nancy Aardema, Executive Director
773.384.4370
nancyaardema@yahoo.com
44

Near West Side Community
Development Corp.
Earnest Gates, Executive Director
312.738.2280
kinggates@aol.com
Quad Communities Development
Corp.
Bernita Johnson-Gabriel,
Executive Director
773.268.7232
bgabriel@qcdc.org
The Resurrection Project
Raul Raymundo, Executive Director
312.666.1323 x 207
rraymundo@resurrectionproject.org
Teamwork Englewood
Rev. Rodney Walker, Executive Director
773.602.4508
rwalker@teamworkenglewood.org
Washington Park NCP
Lynda Jones, Program Manager
773.324.7592
dvooo2000@yahoo.com
LISC/CHICAGO STAFF
Andrew Mooney, Executive Director
Barb Beck, Director of Finance
Keri Blackwell, Program Officer
Monita Blunt, Assistant Program Officer
Joel Bookman, Director of Programs
Chris Brown, Director of Education
Programs
Caroline Goldstein, Director of
Development & Public Relations
Ricki Granetz Lowitz, Senior Program
Officer CWF
Amadi Jordan-Walker, Program Assistant
Jennifer McClain, Program Officer CWF
Susana Vasquez, Director of New
Communities Program
Marva Williams, Senior Program Officer
Sandra Womack, Program Officer
NCP/Woodlawn
Arvin Strange, NCP Director
773.256.4107
akstrange@ameritech.net
45

FOUNDATION AND
CORPORATE SUPPORTERS
Bank of America
Chicago Bulls
Chase Foundation
James W. and Kay Mabie
Living Cities
Polk Bros. Foundation
State Farm Insurance Companies
Steans Family Foundation
Louis R. Lurie Foundation
The Annie E. Casey Foundation
The Atlantic Philanthropies
The Chicago Community Trust
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur
Foundation
The Lloyd A. Fry Foundation
The Partnership for New Communities
The Joyce Foundation
University of Chicago
46

New Communities Program
LISC/Chicago
1 North LaSalle Street, 12th Floor
Chicago, Illinois 60602
312.360.0800
www.lisc-chicago.org
www.newcommunities.org