About MACDC

MACDC is the policy and capacity-building arm of the community development movement in Massachusetts.  Our mission is to support and advance the affordable housing, economic development and community building strategies of our members, and to build the power of low and moderate income people to achieve greater economic, social and racial justice.  Founded in 1982, MACDC currently has 86 members, including 60 CDC members and 26 associate members.

Our work generally falls into one of the following categories: advocating and organizing for public and private sector support, developing resources for the field, leading learning initiatives and capacity building programs for our members, and educating policy makers, the media and the general public about the contributions being made by CDCs across the state.  MACDC adopted a new five-year strategic plan in February 2004.

Tens of thousands of people benefit directly from the work of MACDC's members through the development of affordable housing and commercial real estate, small business lending programs, job training, youth programs, cultural festivals, green space development, anti-crime initiatives and other community activities.  In March 2006, MACDC announced the results from the third year of the MACDC GOALs Initiative: Growing Opportunities, Assets and Leaders across the Commonwealth. This initiative sets ambitious multi-year community development goals and then measures the progress of our members toward those goals. Over the past three years, our members have accomplished the following:

  • Engaged nearly 2,000 volunteer community leaders in CDC activities each year;
  • Built or preserved 3,800 homes;
  • Created or preserved 6,300 job opportunities;
  • Supported 3,000 locally owned businesses;
  • Supported 43,000 families; and
  • Attracted $630 million in private and public investment to our communities.

The MACDC board of directors is comprised of representatives from CDCs. Board members are elected by the full membership at our annual meeting, with a certain number of representatives coming from each region of the state. The board is able to add up to five additional members to the board to ensure that the board fully reflects the membership with respect to gender, racial, and ethnic diversity as well as with respect to CDCs of different sizes and age.

In addition, close to 100 CDC staff members serve on one or more of MACDC's working committees or peer groups.  These committees and peer groups help to set and carry out the work of the organization and provide opportunities for learning and networking. MACDC employs seven full-time people, including the President/CEO (as president he is a non-voting member of the board), a Director of Advocacy, a Director of Member Initiatives, a Senior Organizer, a Senior Policy Advocate for Housing, a Senior Policy Advocate for Economic Development, and an Office Manager.  During the course of the year, various interns and consultants also assist us with a number of different projects.

MACDC 2008 Annual Report

MACDC's Electronic 2008 Annual Report: Moving Communities Forward

MACDC is pleased to present our first electronic annual report, Moving Communities Forward. This format allows us to save money, paper and time while providing the reader with an interactive and lively report. The FY 2008 Annual Report allows readers to offer comments and reactions to each section of the report, similar to blogs, and provides links to many other sites both within our website and elsewhere so readers can quickly and easily obtain even more information about our work and its impact on local communities.  Our hope is that this document will not just be a one-time “snap-shot” but a place for ongoing dialogue and exchange about community development in Massachusetts.

Of course what gives us the most pride is the important work that MACDC and its members have been doing over the past year and previous years to build and sustain communities where low and moderate income people have access to opportunity and fulfillment. While the economy struggles locally and globally, we have been successful at helping to prevent and avoid foreclosures and at putting in place the policies and programs needed to rebuild our neighborhoods. You can read all about it in our annual report.