Community Development Council Revamps Tool to Assess Community Groups

By Cassandra Kimberly (Contact), Memphis Commercial Appeal
Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Before Steve Barlow answered 160 questions about the University Neighborhoods Development Corporation, he wasn't sure the group was doing everything it could to affect the University District in East Memphis.

But what he found through a revamped assessment tool developed by the Community Development Council of Greater Memphis is that the UNDC, once an all-volunteer organization, has come a long way since it was founded in 2003.

"We found that we've been able to accomplish a lot over the years," said Barlow, executive director of the UNDC. "The next steps are more clear, and we've been having some success in implementing our vision."

Recently, the CDC -- an association of community development corporations -- relaunched its assessment tool to assess the impact of different organizations in Memphis and provide a base to grant certification to qualified groups.

"They're the engine in the neighborhood that can help lead or facilitate the economic and physical revitalization in the neighborhood," said Emily Trenholm, executive director of the CDC. "It's valuable for them to see where they are at and how they can build their capacity."

The evaluations cover five key areas: organizational development; business financial structure; community outreach; housing development and management, and economic development.

Independent assessors review the evaluations and rank them on four levels, from emerging to mature.

"There are some areas where you're going to be stronger and some areas where you're going to be weaker, no matter if you've been around for two years or 20 years," said Sutton Mora Hayes, executive director of the Cooper-Young Development Corp. and president of the CDC. "The tool is very clear in saying where you need to work and where you're doing a good job."

So far, five Memphis organizations have been certified using the tool, including the UNDC, Binghampton Development Corp., Frayser CDC, United Housing Inc., and the CYDC.

The organizations will be honored during the CDC's holiday party on Dec. 9.

-- Cassandra Kimberly: 529-2786