The Community Development Corporation Leadership Program (CDCLP) is a ten-month, fourteen-session leadership training program focusing on efforts to build professional capacity and bolster the CDC leadership sector in order to create a strong industry and enhance neighborhoods in the City of Cleveland. The CDCLP is a program of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation and is entering into its second cohort year.

CDCs lead community and neighborhood improvement activities throughout the City by developing strategic and master plans, engaging and organizing residents, attracting and retaining businesses, coordinating marketing and events, and communicating information among various networks. The leadership of a CDC is critical to the success of these efforts and the vibrancy of a community.

CDCLP is designed to strengthen the skills, enhance the knowledge, and elevate the professionalism and capacity of existing and future leaders of CDCs in Cleveland. CDCLP will help executive directors, high-level directors, and board officers improve their professional capacity to make a greater impact on the neighborhoods they serve through education, coaching, and experiential activities that involve critical issues facing CDCs and neighborhoods.

Program participants will attend in-person sessions that focus on the following areas:

• Leadership skill development, team building, and self-care strategies;
• Organizational planning, development, finance, governance, marketing, and fundraising;
• Neighborhood equitable engagement, planning, and real estate development.

CDCLP Cohort III will consist of twelve to eighteen participants. Program Coaches will assist each participant during the curriculum year and post-graduation, helping with goal setting and achieving professional milestones. Graduates will also have the opportunity on behalf of their CDC to participate in ongoing educational opportunities and seek grant funding from the Mandel Foundation to pursue areas of learning from the leadership program.

Eligible Applicants Must Meet the Following Requirements:

• Serve as executive directors, high-level directors, board officers, or have senior-level non-profit professional experience.
• Demonstrate a passion and commitment to neighborhood and community revitalization in Cleveland and accept CDCLP’s invitation and opportunity for self-reflection through the leadership coaching services offered to all CDCLP participants.
• Have experience delivering and advocating for resources that meet the needs of diverse communities
• Desire greater knowledge and expertise in CDC leadership, planning, development, management, and implementation.
• Agree to attend (if you have not previously attended) a half-day Racial Equity and Inclusion (REI) training workshop during the course of the program and possess a firm belief that structural racism exists and has disproportionately and detrimentally impacted Black, Indigenous, and people of color in our society. CDCLP will cover the expense of the REI training.
• Commit to participate actively and fully in every CDCLP program session, including the sharing of pertinent information. CDCLP has a 100% attendance policy. Please review the curriculum schedule dates to confirm your availability.

Application Process:

Please submit your application online below or by email to Jillian Svala at info@cdclp.org.

Applications are due no later than 5pm on Monday, August 7, 2023.

Selected applicants will be invited to an interview during the week of August 7th, 2023 to further discuss their interest in becoming a participant in Cohort III.  All applicants must attend an interview to be eligible for selection. CDCLP attempts to provide an opportunity for all applicants to interview.  If you have questions about CDCLP, email Jillian Svala at info@cdclp.org.

Evaluation Criteria:

Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Personal and/or professional experience relevant to the needs of CDCs, including a resume.
• Thoughtful responses to the questions in the application below, including discussion of goals, leadership style, and understanding of CDC needs and of social justice issues.
• Interview with the CDCLP Leadership Team.

 

CDCLP recommends that all applicants review both the curriculum dates and topics before applying. The curriculum can be found at cdclp.org or you may contact the CDCLP office for a copy.