MACDC Research

 

Title Study datesort descending Description Files
Getting Results: A Small Business Development System That Works January 2003

This paper outlines the challenges in our current small business assistance delivery system and recommends solutions to streamline the system and reach more entrepreneurs across the state. The paper won an honorable mention in the Pioneer...

This paper outlines the challenges in our current small business assistance delivery system and recommends solutions to streamline the system and reach more entrepreneurs across the state. The paper won an honorable mention in the Pioneer Institute's 2003 Better Government Competition.

Authors: Joe Kriesberg, DeAnna Green and Chris Sikes

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Assets in the Commonwealth Report June 2005

This report explores what Community Development Corporations (CDCs) contribute to the workforce development system in Massachusetts' neighborhoods, towns, and regions. This report argues that CDCs are assets in the state workforce development...

This report explores what Community Development Corporations (CDCs) contribute to the workforce development system in Massachusetts' neighborhoods, towns, and regions. This report argues that CDCs are assets in the state workforce development system because CDCs create and administer programs for low- and moderate-income workers to build individual skills, to connect people to job and social networks, and to expand working people's assets and opportunities.

Author: James Stevens

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Housing on Hold July 2005

In February 2005, the Romney Administration decided to withhold state and federal funding for the construction of new state-assisted homes being developed for sale to first time homebuyers. This decision has put a freeze on the development of...

In February 2005, the Romney Administration decided to withhold state and federal funding for the construction of new state-assisted homes being developed for sale to first time homebuyers. This decision has put a freeze on the development of such homes by the state's community development corporations (CDCs) and other developers of affordable housing in the state. In total, 19 CDC projects in 10 communities totaling 286 units are now at risk as a result of the Administration's actions. The State and federal housing funds being withheld by the Romney Administration are used to make the homes affordable to moderate income families. Most of these homes would be affordable to working families making approximately $40,000 to $60,000 per year.

Authors: Don Bianchi, Kelley Whitmore

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Journal of Community Power Building October 2005

The Journal of Community Power Building is an exploration of power building among community development corporations (CDCs) and their leaders, working to achieve significant change in urban and rural communities throughout Massachusetts. In the...

The Journal of Community Power Building is an exploration of power building among community development corporations (CDCs) and their leaders, working to achieve significant change in urban and rural communities throughout Massachusetts. In the first volume of the Power Journal, contributors were asked to explore fears and ambivalence about power in the move toward community change. In this second volume, we ask people from the community development field - leaders, organizers, as well as other staff members - to define justice, and describe how it informs the work they do.

Note: for proper printing, select "print two pages per sheet" under your print options menu.

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Small Cities Report January 2006

Many of Massachusetts' smaller cities offer an interesting opportunity to apply the best current thinking about smart growth development to the pressing need for more housing of all types. Yet, these very cities have often been overlooked in...

Many of Massachusetts' smaller cities offer an interesting opportunity to apply the best current thinking about smart growth development to the pressing need for more housing of all types. Yet, these very cities have often been overlooked in policy formulations geared toward the thriving Boston metropolitan market and expanding suburban market. Often bypassed by the economic boom of the 1990s, many smaller cities are still struggling to make the shift from a manufacturing economy to one that is more diversified.

This project begins an effort by Citizens' Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA) and the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations (MACDC) to examine the policies and practices that support small cities as they make the necessary transition to a more diverse economy. Some communities have begun to turn the corner, and we believe that targeted policies and resources can assist struggling communities to rebound without displacing current residents. This report examines recent demographic and economic trends among these cities, and shares lessons and best practices for economic revitalization from six cities in particular: Fitchburg, Lynn, New Bedford, Salem, Springfield, and Waltham.

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Inclusionary Zoning Report May 2006

While the lack of affordable housing in Boston has been a chronic problem, recent years have proved critical to a workforce that has struggled to find homes that it can afford. In 2004, nearly half (47%) of Boston tenants spent more than 30% of...

While the lack of affordable housing in Boston has been a chronic problem, recent years have proved critical to a workforce that has struggled to find homes that it can afford. In 2004, nearly half (47%) of Boston tenants spent more than 30% of their incomes on rent. Many families are paying beyond their means to stay in Boston, while others, especially young professionals, are leaving the city in search of cheaper housing. Between 2000 and 2004, Boston lost 18% of its population aged 20 to 34 and 11% of its overall population.

The City of Boston has employed its Inclusionary Development Policy to combat this problem. The policy requires developers to set aside 13% of each residential project as affordable housing in exchange for increased density allowances and other negotiated cost-offsetting bonuses. The City targets these affordable units to moderate-income and middle-income families, those earning up to $99,000.

Boston's policy has brought about measured success, having produced more than 600 affordable units and raised $11 million toward affordable housing production since 2000. However, cities across the Commonwealth and across the nation have generated higher production rates and stronger earnings, demonstrating that there is room for improvement here in Boston.

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Journal of Community Power Building November 2006

In the third edition of The Journal of Community Power Building, the writers explore the definitions of community and community boundaries: who are the people with whom CDCs work? When a CDC carries out leadership development or speaks of...

In the third edition of The Journal of Community Power Building, the writers explore the definitions of community and community boundaries: who are the people with whom CDCs work? When a CDC carries out leadership development or speaks of pursuing justice, who does it involve in its action plans? Who perhaps is excluded from its outreach?

The Editorial Board, a volunteer committee of CDC staff, leadership and allies, felt that this was a theme that could cross many communities and experiences. In the articles that we received, it became clear that the term community carried a deep emotional resonance with the writers. Although the questions posed have an analytical tone, many of the articles discussed community in terms of belonging and a sense of family. The importance of personal relationships is almost a cliche in the community development field. Nevertheless, these essays reiterate this point on a visceral level and remind us that, for all ages, personal relationships and a stake in a community is the power that drives community change.

The Journal is writen by local CDC staff and leadership, community leaders, board members, and youth organizers.

The Journal is on sale for $5 each (group discount available). Please contact Shirronda Almeida@ shirrondaa@macdc.org to purchase your copy.

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Journal of Community Power Building January 2008

(Adapted from the Power Journal's Editors Letter)

The fourth edition of The Journal of Community PowerBuilding is a publication that chronicles power building within the neighborhoods of Massachusetts’s community development corporations(...

(Adapted from the Power Journal's Editors Letter)

The fourth edition of The Journal of Community PowerBuilding is a publication that chronicles power building within the neighborhoods of Massachusetts’s community development corporations(CDCs). With each edition of the Power Journal, we are collecting stories about community development “from the field.” They are written by CDC staff, board members, leaders and program participants and they document successes, reflections, and frustrations. We hope that over time, the Power Journal will become a critical reservoir of field observations about the community development field. In this issue, we talk about building relationships and revitalizing our communities, and specifically empowerment. We want to empower the communities in which we live and work;we want people to be empowered to effect change in their lives. We use empower so frequently that we can take its meaning for granted,and never fully understand the relationships that we have created when we empower others, become empowered ourselves, or build power together. But these relationships can be fragile, as we bring into them our own needs, expectations, and abilities and must mediate these with the needs, expectations, and abilities of others. Some of the questions we posed in this year’s call for papers:

How do we build relationships in a healthy community?
How does your position as a staff member or an activist affect your role in the power-building relationships you develop in your community?
How do you feel community empowerment benefits you, either materially or spiritually?
We hope you enjoy the Power Journal! Please contact shirrondaa@macdc.org for a complimentary copy.

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Diversifying Opportunity September 2008

The members of the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations (MACDC), comprised of Community Development Corporations (CDCs) and other community development organizations, strive to build more integrated, healthy, and...

The members of the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations (MACDC), comprised of Community Development Corporations (CDCs) and other community development organizations, strive to build more integrated, healthy, and sustainable communities across Massachusetts. CDCs provide benefits to tens of thousands of people through the development of affordable housing and commercial real estate, green space development, small business lending programs, job training, youth programs, cultural festivals, anti-crime initiatives and other community activities. As part of their mission, MACDC members promote equal opportunity and diversity in the workforce. In order to strengthen and reinvigorate the mission of its members, MACDC has conducted this study to identify the overall track record of its members in the area of minority, women and union hiring in their real estate projects. This is an important area of study because CDCs have created 5,031 construction jobs statewide from 2003 to 2007.

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MACDC Mortgage Report November 2008

This report surveyed non-profit housing agencies that provide counseling to homeowners facing foreclosure. These counselors are on the front lines of the foreclosure crisis working everyday with hundreds of homeowners across the state. The...

This report surveyed non-profit housing agencies that provide counseling to homeowners facing foreclosure. These counselors are on the front lines of the foreclosure crisis working everyday with hundreds of homeowners across the state. The purpose of the survey was to learn which of the major servicers were the most and least responsive to the needs of homeowners and to see how the industry as a whole was responding. Responses to the survey were based on counseling done with over 1,100 Massachusetts homeowners facing foreclosure. The report found that the Mortgage Lending Industry’s response remains too slow, ad hoc and inconsistent. The report assigns letter grades for 10 major servicers in Massachusetts. Saxon and GMAC received the lowest grades. The report includes recommendations for action by the Federal Government and the industry.

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CDC Fiscal Health Study February 2010

We engaged the Nonprofit Finance Fund to work with MACDC and LISC and look at the financial strength of community development corporations in Massachusetts. With the support of The Boston Foundation, the New Sector Alliance assisted this project...

We engaged the Nonprofit Finance Fund to work with MACDC and LISC and look at the financial strength of community development corporations in Massachusetts. With the support of The Boston Foundation, the New Sector Alliance assisted this project in gathering survey data and in an analysis of preliminary financial data during the spring of 2009. LISC and MACDC believe this study will accelerate efforts within the Community Development Innovation Forum and elsewhere to address the challenges faced by CDCs.

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Green CDCs Report October 2010

Community development corporations (CDCs) have aggressively sought to green their community development activities in areas as diverse as developing green affordable housing to creating green parks and playgrounds to fostering green jobs.

...

Community development corporations (CDCs) have aggressively sought to green their community development activities in areas as diverse as developing green affordable housing to creating green parks and playgrounds to fostering green jobs.

CDCs promote environmental sustainability through a wide variety of means. MACDC has identified fifteen green strategies employed by CDCs through their green projects, programs and initiatives and tallied the number of CDCs employing each of these strategies.

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Orange Line Opportunity Study April 2013

The Orange Line Opportunity Corridor Report is the first phase in a campaign to realize the full physical and functional potential of one of Boston’s busiest transit lines. This first-ever compilation of corridor characteristics and planned...

The Orange Line Opportunity Corridor Report is the first phase in a campaign to realize the full physical and functional potential of one of Boston’s busiest transit lines. This first-ever compilation of corridor characteristics and planned development activity will help municipalities, public and private developers, and community groups advocate for corridor investments and plan for the potential and impacts of transit-oriented development.

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CDCs & Academic Partnerships May 2013

As part of its work to continue to leverage educational partnerships, the Mel King Institute undertook an assessment of university-CDC collaborations in Massachusetts in 2012-13. We sought to understand the nature of those partnerships, and to...

As part of its work to continue to leverage educational partnerships, the Mel King Institute undertook an assessment of university-CDC collaborations in Massachusetts in 2012-13. We sought to understand the nature of those partnerships, and to identify places where the Mel King Institute might further these partnerships going forward.

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Orange Line Opportunity Corridor Brochure August 2014

A follow-up to the Orange Line Opportunity Corridor Report, this executive summary brochure summarizes the findings of the original report and provides a baseline understanding of the demographic, economic, transportation, and land use...

A follow-up to the Orange Line Opportunity Corridor Report, this executive summary brochure summarizes the findings of the original report and provides a baseline understanding of the demographic, economic, transportation, and land use characteristics of the corridor. In addition, the brochure offers an overview of planned and projected corridor development activity over two time horizons and recommends six action items to ensure that the corridor receives the continued attention and investment that it deserves as one of the region’s most heavily used and diverse transit corridors.

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Creative Community Development in Massachusetts June 2015

Arts, culture, and creative placemaking are playing an increasingly important role in community development nationally and in Massachusetts. This topic has garnered significant attention in recent years, as more and more advocates, practitioners...

Arts, culture, and creative placemaking are playing an increasingly important role in community development nationally and in Massachusetts. This topic has garnered significant attention in recent years, as more and more advocates, practitioners, and funders are recognizing the nexus between these fields and mobilizing more of this collaborative work.  Through this report, MACDC seeks to understand the entire landscape of creative community building in Massachusetts, from organizations like IBA that have years of experience at the intersection of arts, culture and community development, to relative newcomers like Worcester Common Ground who are in the beginning stages of taking on this work and everyone in between.

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MACDC's Members: Addressing Community Health May 2017

In January 2016, MACDC sent its annual GOALs survey to 71 member organizations and requested data across a range of program areas, including community health. The purpose of the GOALs survey is to quantify and highlight the work CDCs do in their...

In January 2016, MACDC sent its annual GOALs survey to 71 member organizations and requested data across a range of program areas, including community health. The purpose of the GOALs survey is to quantify and highlight the work CDCs do in their communities. For the first time, GOALs included a supplemental survey to capture how CDCs currently address community health. The survey results showed that CDCs not only work on health issues, but their work addresses a broad range of these issues including social determinants like food access and health education. Most of the CDCs who responded also seem to be making use of their Community Investment Tax Credit (CITC) funding, as well as funding and partnerships with hospitals, health centers, health foundations and more to accomplish this work. Given the high proportion of CDCs who are working on health, MACDC now plans to conduct this survey annually to explore trends and help ensure that health issues continue to be a growing part of community development efforts in Massachusetts.

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Investing in Impact: How the Massachusetts Community Investment Tax Credit is Improving Communities and Changing Lives September 2017

With nearly $24 million raised in 2014, 2015, and 2016 combined, the CITC program is driving success across the Community Development sector in Massachusetts.

The Community Investment Tax Credit was enacted by the Massachusetts Legislature...

With nearly $24 million raised in 2014, 2015, and 2016 combined, the CITC program is driving success across the Community Development sector in Massachusetts.

The Community Investment Tax Credit was enacted by the Massachusetts Legislature in 2012 in order to “enable local residents and stakeholders to work with and through community development corporations to partner with nonprofit, public and private entities to improve economic opportunities for low- and moderate-income households and other residents in urban, rural and suburban communities across the Commonwealth." (M.G.L. c. 62, § 6M and M.G.L. c. 63, § 38EE)

This report examines whether the program, during its first three years of operation from 2014 to 2016, made progress toward this goal.

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Building Communities of Promise and Possibility January 2019

State and Local Blueprints for Comprehensive Neighborhood Stablization by Ben Forman and Allan Mallach

State and Local Blueprints for Comprehensive Neighborhood Stablization by Ben Forman and Allan Mallach

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Health-Related Work Among Massachusetts CDCs ~ MACDC GOALs Report November 2020

Click here to view the reportThis report describes Massachusetts CDCs’ ...

Click here to view the reportThis report describes Massachusetts CDCs’ engagement in the health space and creates a basis from which to deepen this engagement – as individual CDCs and as the Community Development movement as a whole. 

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Unleashing the Potential of Entrepreneurs of Color in Massachusetts March 2021
MassINC and the Coalition for an Equitable Economy, of which MACDC is a founding member, published this report which lays out the elements of a plan to strengthen opportunities for entrepreneurs of color post-COVID.
MassINC and the Coalition for an Equitable Economy, of which MACDC is a founding member, published this report which lays out the elements of a plan to strengthen opportunities for entrepreneurs of color post-COVID.
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The State of Organizing and Engagement Work in Massachusetts Community Development Corporations October 2021

Working with community residents is the core work of CDCs.  We interviewed dozens of people and reviewed many documents and websites to get a sense of where organizing and engagement work stand within our membership. We also worked...

Working with community residents is the core work of CDCs.  We interviewed dozens of people and reviewed many documents and websites to get a sense of where organizing and engagement work stand within our membership. We also worked with an Advisory Committee made up of CDC staff, organizers from other groups and a funder to garner additional input. The findings are documented in this report.

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Massachusetts Certified CDC Salaries and Benefits Report December 2021

The Employee Salary Ranges and Benefits Survey was added to the GOALs program two years ago. It gives CDCs a reference for the breakdown of similar organizations with regard to varying salary ranges for core roles at CDCs across the Commonwealth...

The Employee Salary Ranges and Benefits Survey was added to the GOALs program two years ago. It gives CDCs a reference for the breakdown of similar organizations with regard to varying salary ranges for core roles at CDCs across the Commonwealth.

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MACDC's Guide to Reading a Hospital's Community Benefits Report January 2022

This guide is intended for CDCs, CDFIs, and other community-based organizations who would like to better understand their local hospital's commitments to community health as articulated in their Massachusetts Community Benefits report.

This guide is intended for CDCs, CDFIs, and other community-based organizations who would like to better understand their local hospital's commitments to community health as articulated in their Massachusetts Community Benefits report.

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