Summary pages for Bruner Foundation, 092204
Rochester Community
Development Collaborative
EVALUATION REPORT  EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
May 2003
Building Communities of Opportunity
This evaluation report was collaborative and is the product of the skills, knowledge and
insights of many people. Special thanks to:
Lead report writers
Eileen Flanagan, Community Development Consulting
Alma Balonon-Rosen, The Enterprise Foundation
Beth Bruner, Bruner Foundation
Evaluation committee
Tom Argust, City of Rochester (retired)
Joan Dallis, HSBC
Betty Dwyer, IADC
Shirley Edwards, NENA
Robyn Fitzgerald, NCS Community Development Corp.
Roger Gardner, Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation
Karen Herman, NCS
Hank Herrera, NENA
Jennifer Higgins, United Way of Greater Rochester
Barbara Jones, JP Morgan Chase
John Page, NEAD
Glynis Valenti, NEAD
RCDC funders
Bruner Foundation, Beth Bruner
Citigroup, John Dansler
City of Rochester, Tom Argust
Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation, Roger Gardner
HSBC, Joan Dallis
JPMorgan Chase, Barbara Jones
RG&E, Patricia Maier
United Way of Greater Rochester, Jennifer Higgins
Other special assistance
Anita Baker, Anita Baker Consulting
Rafael Cestero, The Enterprise Foundation
Conrad Floss and Kathy McManus, City of Rochester, Dept. of Community Development
Bret Garwood, Housing Council
Tom Huonker, City of Rochester, Assessor’s Department
Jean Lowe and Sheona Larkin, Greater Rochester Housing Partnership
Barbara van Kerkhove, Public Interest Law Office of Rochester
RCDC Evaluation
Executive Summary
2
INTRODUCTION
The Rochester Community Development Collaborative (“RCDC”) is a partnership
between funders committed to community development who share the vision of reenergized urban housing markets, safe neighborhoods, and bustling commercial centers in
low-income communities. The mission of the Rochester Community Development
Collaborative is to provide focused technical assistance, operating support and project
funding to community-based housing and development organizations that are creating
housing and economic development projects in the City of Rochester. RCDC aims to assist
these non-profit organizations in their efforts to provide foundations and corporations with
efficient and effective ways to invest in the City’s neighborhoods.
Five funders, working closely with The Enterprise Foundation, launched RCDC in
the Spring of 2000. These original funders were: The City of Rochester, United Way of
Greater Rochester, Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation, JP Morgan Chase, and Citibank. Three
additional funders, The Bruner Foundation, HSBC and Rochester Gas and Electric
(RG&E), joined the collaborative once it was under way. The total number of RCDC
funders was eight. RCDC funds helped selected organizations increase their capacity to
develop complex projects. By helping community development groups do so, RCDC
expected recipient organizations to show comprehensive and measurable outcomes – better
housing and/or increased access to jobs – that would improve the quality of life for
neighborhood residents.
Following a selective process, RCDC awarded support to groups that demonstrated
commitments to implementing resident-developed plans for their neighborhoods from the
City’s Neighbors Building Neighborhoods (NBN) process and the City’s newly adopted
Renaissance Plan. RCDC selected four community organizations in a competitive
application round: NCS Community Development Corporation (NCS), Ibero American
Development Corporation (IADC), North East Neighborhood Alliance (NENA), with
North East Block Club Alliance (NEBCA) acting as lead agency, and North East Area
Development (NEAD).
To achieve these goals, RCDC is:

PROVIDING CORE OPERATING SUPPORT

PROVIDING PROJECT FUNDING

PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE,
of up to $75,000 per year for four years.
– a low-interest loan or possibly a grant – to each
organization for a signature project in their neighborhood.
which has included:
Assisting each selected community group with a thorough organizational assessment that helped
identify organizational strengths and weaknesses that inform funding decisions, a
technical assistance plan and the determination of reasonable and achievable outcomes.
Working with each organization to develop a detailed business plan for growth and project
development. Each organization has had access to necessary technical assistance to
achieve these goals. Plans included specific performance measures for both
organizational development and project implementation. Year-to-year funding has been
contingent on achieving these measurable outcomes.
RCDC Evaluation
Executive Summary
3
RCDC funders commissioned a participatory evaluation to assess the impact that
RCDC funding has had on the capacities of participating community–based organizations
and their capabilities to revitalize their neighborhoods. A core group of funders and
representatives of the participating community organizations contributed to the evaluation
process. Open dialogue between the funders and the organizations was critical to its
comprehensive results.
This evaluation report summarizes the experiences and progress made toward
reaching the stated goals in the first two years of the project. This evaluation discerns the
impact of the RCDC project on each participating organization and does not compare the
progress or relative positions of organizations. Each participating community group started
the project with different strengths, weaknesses, programs, projects and goals. This
individuality is reflected in each organization’s business plan as well as each organization’s
evaluation.
WHAT MAKES THE RCDC UNIQUE?
Public and private support for community development in Rochester is not a new
concept. Both private and corporate foundations have for years provided grants to social
service organizations that offer programs and assistance to households and families in
poverty. These funders have also supported individual organizations in community
development. Some have worked in specific geographic areas and others have focused
programmatically. Rarely, however, have funders partnered long-term with a focus on
strengthening a funded organization’s effectiveness by providing operating revenue and
technical assistance.
As a collaborative of funders who aim to increase the capacity of community
organizations to enhance their ability to impact their neighborhoods, RCDC makes that
commitment. It is a continuum where community development organizations receive a
combination of operating support, technical assistance and/or both, based on each group’s
specific goals, challenges and capabilities. The four organizations selected to participate in
RCDC demonstrated that they had reached crucial stages in the evolutions of their
organizations and that consistent operating support would enhance their ability to grow and
make significant neighborhood improvements. Individual RCDC funders supported other
neighborhood-based organizations with technical assistance but without direct operating
support. RCDC made four year funding commitments, subject to annual review based on
funding availability and organizational performance. Funders made multi-year commitments
to RCDC.
Specifically, the RCDC is unique and differs from past community development
initiatives in the following ways:
A simplified and consistent funding process for local non-profit groups
By using the collaborative model, funders simplified the application process for
interested groups, allowing them to focus less time on fundraising and more time on
project development. In addition, by providing multi-year funding commitments, the
collaborative provides non-profits with a consistent source of operating support.
RCDC Evaluation
Executive Summary
4
Greater focus on organizational goals and outcomes
Non-profit community development groups are small businesses. Like any small
business, they must carefully plan for growth and development if they are to achieve
long-term success. Unfortunately, non-profit groups often do not have the time or
resources to develop clear and focused business plans. The Collaborative process
allowed groups the time to focus on organizational development as it relates to
community development.
A stronger commitment to technical support
The RCDC model provided community groups quality, consistent, individualized
technical assistance based on organizational effectiveness assessments.
Increased focus on neighborhood needs
RCDC leverages funds to target neighborhood needs. The collaborative required each
organization to demonstrate how its activities complemented the City of Rochester’s
Neighbors Building Neighborhoods (NBN) 1 process, which required residents and
stakeholders to create community vision statements, identify key neighborhood issues,
priorities, and develop action plans to realize neighborhood goals.
Enhanced potential for greater impact
The Enterprise Foundation’s development experience in other cities illustrates that a
collaborative approach enables funders to increase substantially the impact of their
investments. By leveraging funds and by investing in neighborhoods and groups in
targeted ways, funders see real results and tangible change within the selected
neighborhoods.
A commitment to evaluate the RCDC
A team representing each of the RCDC partner organizations reviewed the evaluation
questions, methodology, analysis and summaries over a period of six months.
Respect for individual organizational needs
The RCDC model recognized that each funded community group had similar but unique
organizational needs. Funders and funded organizations created trusting relationships
born of mutual respect and common community visions.
1
The goal of the NBN process is to establish and maintain stable, healthy and diverse neighborhoods that are
developed and sustained by citizens. The focus of the community visioning process central to NBN has been
to capitalize on the strengths and assets, which residents and organizations contribute to their respective
communities.
RCDC Evaluation
Executive Summary
5
THE EVALUATION PLAN
RCDC contributors felt that it was imperative to understand, evaluate and articulate
the impact that the Collaboration had on the four participating CDC’s and their
neighborhoods. As such, an RCDC team developed an evaluation plan. Evaluation
meetings began in Summer 2002. Representatives from each of the four CDCs and five
funders met monthly with staff from The Enterprise and Bruner Foundations through
December 2002. Using a participatory model2, the team developed four evaluation questions,
various indicators and strategies for data collection, as well as a report format. Alma
Balonon-Rosen of The Enterprise Foundation facilitated the group, which worked by
consensus. At a minimum, three of the community organizations were represented at each
meeting.
The four evaluation questions are:
1.
are the RCDC organizations perceived as effective?
To what extent do stakeholders view the RCDC organizations and/or the RCDC as
effective?
To what extent have the RCDC organizations demonstrated organizational capacity?
To what extent have the RCDC organizations met targets as stated in the application
and business plan?
HOW AND TO WHAT EXTENT



what extent has each neighborhood changed since August 2000 as a result of
the RCDC organizations?
2.
HOW/TO
3.
HOW/TO WHAT EXTENT
4.
WHAT has been
are the RCDC organizations involved in the broader Rochester
Community? (This question was subsequently addressed in the stakeholder interview
section, the organizational effectiveness section and the neighborhood change section)
the experience of the RCDC funders?
The methods used in the evaluation included: interviews with Executive Directors,
an analysis of administrative data (business plans, assessments and applications), interviews
with key stakeholders and funders, and secondary analysis of other data sets such as resident
surveys and city data on building permits, assessments and demolitions.
A draft report, including Executive Summary, Conclusions and Recommended
Action Steps was presented to the group in late March 2003. Eileen Flanagan, Community
Development Consulting, reviewed all of the data, wrote the draft report and lent her
expertise to the formation of recommendations and action steps. Anita Baker, Anita Baker
Consulting, helped guide this project as a seasoned evaluator and conducted the stakeholder
interviews. It is the hope of all involved in this effort that RCDC will provide an important
framework for others involved in capacity building and neighborhood change initiatives.
2
One in which trained evaluation personnel and practice-based decision makers (i.e. funders and organizational
members with program responsibility) work in partnership.
RCDC Evaluation
Executive Summary
6
CONCLUSIONS
1.
The RCDC has leveraged tremendous investment in Rochester’s neighborhoods.
By providing $600,000 over two years for operating support, RCDC leveraged nearly $11
million in direct development by the participating CDCs.
Direct Investment by RCDC Participating CDCs August 2000–December 2002
Participating
# of Homes In
# of Homes
CDC
Process or
Sold
Completed
NCS
22
13
IADC
19
11
NENA/
10
7
NEBCA
NEAD
6
5
Total
2.
57
36
Total Single
Family Home
Sales
Total Dev Cost
Single Family
Homes
Total
Total
Commercial Neighborhood
Development
Investment
$
$
1,224,326 $
946,650 $
1,264,900 $
1,553,678 $
0 $
5,401,000 $
1,264,900
6,954,678
$
375,901 $
890,622 $
257,630 $
1,148,252
$
305,918 $
601,169 $
850,000 $
1,451,169
$
2,852,795 $
4,310,369 $
6,508,630 $
10,818,999
The Enterprise Foundation has been critical to the RCDC.
The Enterprise Foundation originally brought the funders together. Since RCDC began,
The Enterprise Foundation has provided day-to-day oversight to ensure that the
participating organizations received timely access to a broad range of technical assistance in
both group and one-on-one settings.
3.
It is important that RCDC has involved multiple funders.
With multiple funders, RCDC was able to provide the level of support necessary to increase
the development and organizational capacity of the participating organizations. RCDC
support of $75,000 per year for four years has enabled all of the participants to increase their
staff capacity and productivity. Additionally, funders have shared the risks and rewards, a
benefit of this new collaborative model.
4.
All RCDC-funded organizations measurably increased their effectiveness at affecting neighborhood
change.
It is widely understood that non-profit organizations are more likely to reach their
programmatic goals if they are well-managed. Each of the RCDC participating organizations
made definite progress, measured by eight categories of organizational readiness and
capacity.
5.
All RCDC-funded organizations have increased their real estate productivity.
Although the magnitude of increased productivity was different among groups, stakeholders
from each organization and the City government could ALL identify neighborhood
improvements that have resulted from the efforts of the RCDC organizations. At this stage
of the initiative, most notable improvements were numbers of rehabbed houses and
economic development projects that included large, visible structural changes (Wehle
building, Central Park Café, etc.).
RCDC Evaluation
Executive Summary
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6.
All RCDC-funded organizations have made progress implementing their business plans.
The business planning process provided the groups with a framework to evaluate their
activities to ensure that programs and services offered were consistent with their
organizational missions. During the course of RCDC, groups eliminated or scaled back
programs that had less impact on their mission and directed resources to program and
project activities that added to its focus.
7.
Both funders and funded organizations believe RCDC is revitalizing neighborhoods and should continue
based on evaluation results. Consideration should be given to extending RCDC to cover beyond the initial
four years.
The goal of RCDC is to empower neighborhood-based organizations to help them build
stronger communities. Evaluation results to date show progress. However, a 4-year time
frame to measure impact is short. Evaluation efforts should continue over the long term to
understand successes and shortcomings of the collaborative and quantify its real impact on
participating groups and their neighborhoods.
8.
Funders and participating organizations support the RCDC model and would like to see it spread to other
Rochester neighborhoods. Consideration should be given to adding a CDC working in Rochester’s
Southwest neighborhoods to RCDC.
RCDC enabled participating organizations to develop and/or strengthen relationships with
individual funders. The participatory evaluation process further strengthened the level of
trust among the groups and funders. This model would benefit other neighborhoods across
the City.
9.
The success of RCDC participating CDCs is due, in part, to strong partnerships.
Rochester’s community development community has developed many networks and
partnerships that leverage the abilities of individual CDCs. CDCs have working partnerships
with entities such as the City of Rochester’s Community Development and Economic
Development departments, the Rochester Housing Development Fund Corporation
(RHDFC), The Greater Rochester Housing Partnership, and The Home Store. RCDC was
able to support participating CDCs and enable them to further leverage these existing
partnerships.
RCDC Evaluation
Executive Summary
8