Volume 8, Issue 11 / November 30, 2017
OCDCA News
Impact Investing Executive Education Program Scholarships Available
This cutting-edge three day course, led by the Tony R. Wells Foundation, enables nonprofit, foundation and social enterprise leaders to leverage the power of social enterprise and social impact investing together to increase impact, improve stability, and grow the sustainability of their organizations. OCDCA will be providing two scholarships to members, one of which must go to staff from a rural member through USDA RCDI, for the December 12-14, 2017 training. Recipients will only pay $300 towards the $2,100 course. Apply here by Friday, December 1.
CareSource Foundation Makes Significant Contribution for Social Determinants of Health
On October 6th, OCDCA and the CareSource Foundation announced an exciting new partnership to combat the social determinants of health. The inaugural cohort of the new Empowering Communities program will provide implementation grants to OCDCA members to test innovative solutions to pressing community challenges related to the social determinants of health. We are so excited to work with the CareSource Foundation and see what projects will come from this work. More information about the Empowering Communities program and how to be involved will be available in early 2018. 
AmeriCorps VISTA RFP Released Tomorrow
The RFP for the full-year VISTAs will be released December 1, 2017. Please join us for a webinar to help determine if AmeriCorps VISTA is right for your organization.

Event and Date Location Registration
Is AmeriCorps VISTA Right for your Organization?
December 13, 2017
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Webinar

First time applying? Don't miss the TA webinar for the applications. Get all your questions answered!

Event and Date Location Registration
VISTA RFP TA Webinar
January 16, 2018
2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Webinar
Member News
Welcome New Members!
Youngstown CityScape and Hough Development Corporation in Cleveland join OCDCA as our newest 2017 members. Welcome!
Former Walnut Hills Kroger Slated for Redevelopment
The Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation plans to buy the vacant property and convert it to a mixed-use residential-retail hybrid, placing retail spaces below apartments. Read more.
CHN Housing Partners Receives William J. Graves Housing Excellence Award
CHN Housing Partners (formerly Cleveland Housing Network) received the William J. Graves Housing Excellence Award at the 19th annual Ohio Housing Conference hosted by the Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) and Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing (OCCH) in Columbus. The luncheon award ceremony was attended by 1,600 people. Executive Director Rob Curry and Assistant Director Kate Monter Durban accepted the award and paid tribute to William Graves. "Bill Graves was extraordinary - a friend who gave public service a good name," said Monter Durban. "Of all the awards out there, this one means a great deal to us."
Community Solutions - Agraria Vision Takes Root
More than six months after the Arthur Morgan Institute for Community Solutions signed the necessary papers to purchase its new 128-acre property on the western edge of the village, a comprehensive vision for the land is solidifying. Read more.
Share Your Stories
We love hearing about the awesome work you do throughout Ohio. If your organization is mentioned in the news, please share it with us. We love photos too! If you send it to Lisa Much , we can put it on our blog and in this newsletter. 
Partner News
AT LAST! McArthur's New Food Market Will Hold Grand Opening Dec. 4
The grand opening of Campbell's Market, 630 W. Main St., McArthur, will be held on Monday, Dec. 4, at 9 a.m. This new grocery store, the only one to be in Vinton County, is a long time coming thanks to dedicated citizens, OCDCA members Vinton County Economic Development and the County Commissioners, and Finance Fund Healthy Food Financing Initiative. Read more.
OHFA, Kirwin Win Excellence Award
OHFA's 2017 USR Opportunity Index received national recognition in October by winning NCSHA's respected "Encouraging New Production" award. The joint endeavor between OHFA and the Kirwan Institute was selected out of several notable candidates.
Prosperity Now Seeking State & Local Community Champions
Prosperity Now is looking for new Community Champions to join 65 other community leaders and conveners across the country to be our partners in advancing strong and effective programs and policies that build financial opportunity at all levels of government. Applications are due by December 6.
AmeriCorps VISTA Spotlight
November has been great for the OCDCA VISTA project! Three new VISTAs started serving at member locations: Ryan Helms at Ashtabula County Community Action Agency, Elaine Evans-Woods at Burten, Bell, Carr Development, Inc., and Edward Akinyemi at North End Community Improvement Collaborative. In addition, we partnered with our friends at Bank of America to put on a great webinar about budgeting specifically tailored to the unique financial situation of VISTAs.
Events
Open Enrollment Continues Until December 15
The Health Care Marketplace runs from November 1-December 15. UHCAN Ohio has created a How to Enroll on Your Own flyer and a How to Enroll on Your Own Fact Sheet
Creative Ohio: Healthy Communities
Creative Ohio is a collaborative event presented by the Ohio Arts Council, Ohio History Connection, and the Ohio Humanities Council in partnership with Heritage Ohio and the Ohio Citizen's for the Arts.  This year is themed around Healthy Communities. Guest keynote speakers will be Robert Post and Dr. E. Gordon Gee. Join them December 4.
Embarking on Your JournEY: Taxes, Legal Structure, & Organizational Form
No two businesses are alike, and that speaks double for social enterprises! Having a double or triple bottom line makes filing taxes and navigating legal requirements more intricate and confusing. This workshop will help you better understand the requirements of social enterprise businesses, which organization form is appropriate for you, and where to seek additional help. This workshop will take place the evening of December 5, 2017
Board Engagement in Fundraising Webinar
Join OANO on December 6 for this dynamic webinar, which will provide principles of fundraising that can be immediately personalized and applied by all types of nonprofit organizations.
Accessing Capital Resources for Rural Single Family Homes Development
Join Enterprise Community Partner's Rural and Native American Initiative for this webinar on capital resources for single family home development. This webinar will provide an overview of the single-family housing landscape and what single family housing programs are available. It will include information on the HUD Section 184 Program, USDA 502 Direct and Guaranteed Loans, VA Direct Loans and more. Join them on December 8 as they provide guidance on how to access these available financing programs. 
The Power of Blogging & Thought Leadership for Nonprofits
Most nonprofits who try to blog fail miserably. Learn how to succeed. In this December 12 webinar, OANO will share collective wisdom from the dozens of nonprofits who've learned how to become thought leaders through blogging. 
Identifying Expiring Affordable Homes
Join the Public and Affordable Housing Research Corporation (PAHRC) and the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) for their webinar, "Identifying Expiring Affordable Homes with the National Housing Preservation Database," on Tuesday, December 12, 2017 from 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm EST.
Medical Financial Partnership Webinar Series & Listserv
In recent years, we have learned more about how physical, mental and financial health are inextricably linked. In response, financial capability practitioners and health providers have been partnering across the country to implement services that aim to improve both the health and financial well-being of a population; these partnerships are dubbed "Medical Financial Partnerships," or MFPs. Prosperity Now is excited to support these collaboration efforts by bringing stakeholders from both fields together through two methods: bimonthly webinars to support learning and a community listserv to support communication. Join them for the first webinar on December 12.
Funding Opportunities
ServeOhio MLK Day of Service Funding
ServeOhio, Ohio's commission on service and volunteerism, in conjunction with its corporate Stewards of Service Honda of America and AEP Ohio, is pleased to announce the availability of grants to support community service projects organized for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service on January 15, 2018. Non-profit and public organizations in Ohio including, but not limited to, volunteer centers, school districts, community colleges, universities, and local governments are eligible to apply. The application form must be completed, signed, and submitted by Tuesday, December 5, 2017 at 5:00 PM.
FY 18 Farm to School Grant
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA) amended Section 18 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (NSLA) to establish a Farm to School Program in order to assist eligible entities, through grants and technical assistance, in implementing farm to school programs that improve access to local foods in eligible schools. To fulfill the farm to school mandate in the HHFKA, $5 million is provided to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) on an annual basis to support grants, technical assistance, and the Federal administrative costs related to USDA's Farm to School Program. Deadline is December 8.
FY 2018 Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training Grants
This notice announces the availability of funds and solicits proposals from eligible entities, including nonprofit organizations, to deliver Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training programs that recruit, train, and place local, unemployed and under-employed residents with the skills needed to secure full-time employment in the environmental field. Deadline is December 15.
ArtsWave Arts & Festival Grants Program (Southwest Ohio Only)
The purpose of the Neighborhood Arts and Festivals Grant Program is to provide support for recurring neighborhood-based arts events that increase the variety and frequency of arts experiences in neighborhoods throughout the region and create an environment where all members of the neighborhood feel welcome. First time applicants must contact ArtsWave to schedule a brief interview at least two weeks prior to the application deadline. Application deadline is December 20.
Walmart Community Grant Program
Funding up to $2,500 will be awarded to organizations in 8 areas of funding, including healthy eating and economic development. Deadline is December 1.
Rural Technical Assistance Opportunity
The National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB), is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in San Antonio, TX who recently received a HUD grant to deliver project-based and organizational technical assistance (TA) and capacity building services, and loans to affordable housing and community development projects, in rural communities in 12 states.

Government, tribal, and non-profit affordable housing providers, and community and economic development entities in rural areas of Ohio are eligible for this TA. More information here.
Employment Opportunities
COHHIO, Columbus, is hiring a Continuum of Care Coordinator

The George Gund Foundation, Cleveland, is seeking a 2018-2020 Fellow.

Metro West Community Development Organization, Cleveland, is hiring a HEAP Intake Specialist.

View more employment opportunities on our website.   Organizations with employment opportunities in community development may send their notices for free posting to Lisa Much.
State News
Payday Lending Reform
The two sponsors of payday lending reform, Rep. Kyle Koehler (R-Springfield) and Rep. Mike Ashford (D-Toledo), testified Wednesday to the House Government Accountability & Oversight Committee that the proposal ( HB 123) would not keep Ohioans from being able to access credit through short-term loans, but would limit ongoing cycles of debt that come from high fees and interest. The proposal, modeled on Colorado's 2010 payday loan changes, would also eliminate the back-loading of fees to make revenue for lenders more predictable and removes limits on loan sizes that are tied to the borrower's gross monthly income, Rep. Koehler said. "House Bill 123 is the compromise between those who want to continue to allow lenders to operate without a lending license and those who would seek to shut down these businesses completely," he said. Rep. Koehler said none of the state's 650 payday lenders are licensed under the state's current Short-Term Loan Act. The bill closes the loophole allowing payday lenders to operate under statutes intended for other lenders. The bill would maintain the 28% interest rate limit and allows lenders to charge a 5% monthly fee, up to $20. The payday lending industry is vigorously opposing this moderate, compromise legislation.
Rental Property Damage Bill: Solution in Search of a Problem
A bill creating criminal penalties for tenants who intentionally damage their rental properties drew criticism Tuesday from housing advocates who said it isn't needed and would be misused by landlords. The House Financial Institutions, Housing & Urban Development Committee heard testimony from both sides on the bill ( HB 282). Graham Bowman, an attorney with the Ohio Poverty Law Center, spoke against the bill, saying it was a solution in search of a problem because landlords already have legal options in cases when tenants damage property. Bill Faith, executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio, said the most common problems heard on their housing hotline is for landlords not maintaining their properties. "We do think this is a one-sided approach where we're putting these real stiff penalties, these criminal mischief penalties, on the side of the tenants," he said. "What are we going to do with landlords not maintaining their properties?" The bill would also add a criminal element to a civil relationship between landlords and tenants, Mr. Faith said.
Capital Budget
Policymakers are beginning work on the next big state spending measure - the capital appropriations bill for Fiscal Years 2019 and 2020.The legislation designed to fund capital improvements with state-issued debt is slated for introduction and passage by April 2018, meaning work is expected to move quickly at the beginning of the new year. As for community projects, those requests from legislators and local governments are expected in to the legislature around the first of the year. The previous capital budget included $2.62 billion in appropriations, including $160 million in community projects.
Federal News
TAKE ACTION: Tax Bills Batter Opportunity and Affordable Housing
The so-called "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" will decrease affordable housing, decrease jobs, decrease economic opportunity in a multitude of ways (healthcare, education), increase taxes on tens of millions of low-to-moderate income households, widen already deep income/wealth inequality, increase our national debt that will squeeze future domestic spending, and will redistribute wealth (upward) from average Americans to corporations and the affluent. 

Although the Senate budget version (expected to be voted on in the coming hours) is not as harmful for housing as the House proposal, both would irreparably impact low-to-moderate-income communities across Ohio by decreasing thousands of affordable units and costing thousands of jobs through impacts to private activity bonds (Housing Bonds), Low-Income Housing, Historic, and New Markets Tax Credits.

By 2027, people making $40,000 to $50,000 would pay a combined $5.3 billion more in taxes, while the group earning $1 million or more would get a $5.8 billion cut, according to the non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation and the Congressional Budget Office. Out of 42 top economists, only 1 believes the GOP tax bills would help the economy. "Aside from the redistribution of wealth (upward), hard to see this changing much," wrote Richard Thaler, who just won the Nobel Prize in economics.

It's important to make your voice heard and continue to call your Congresspeople.

Please tell them to oppose tax bills under consideration because the proposals will broadly burden low-to-moderate-income families and that specifically it's important to protect and expand tax provisions that support affordable housing and community development namely private activity bonds (Housing Bonds), Low-Income Housing, Historic, and New Markets Tax Credits.

Regardless of the final result, it's critically important to continue to not only educate members of Congress but to educate family, friends, and co-workers on the factual real-world impacts of these measures. Thank you for your advocacy!
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