Planning Committee

Hismen Hinnu
May 6, 2004 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Meeting Notes

NEXT MEETING: June 9th, 12-2pm at Hismen Hinnu

DECISIONS:

• Small Grants process next steps:
  1. Find out how many hours are needed for staffing;
  2. Develop criteria and job descriptions for organizations;
  3. Send a recruitment flyer;
  4. Set up the administrative structure;
  5. Recruit the small organizations for staffing (refer people to Sandra)
  6. Have committee review select staff
  7. (committee will include Don, Kristen, Karen, Pat and Elena);
  8. Sandra, Jennie, and Francell will support the process
   
• We need a calendar with all meeting dates/times and work group contacts that can be put out to the list serve.
• We need to post meeting minutes to the website.
• We need outreach materials (such as one-pagers).
• We should revisit the name “Collaborative.”

NEXT STEPS/ASSIGNMENTS:

• Fred will send copies of the site report feedback and look into getting other site reports (specifically theories of change, strategies and indicators/data).
• Fred will email the Bananas database list to Don and USC will send the map to Don.
• Send Deb ideas about what we want to get out of the “Turn the Curve” exercise at the RBA training (the session looking at baseline indicators for specific work plans – 23rd Ave, Housing, FES).
• USC will send the facilitation chart and samples from each organization to the planning committee.
• Talk to Deb about if you are interested in setting up training on resident leadership and facilitation.
• Let Fred know if you are interested in attending a site visit to the Jacob’s Fund site.

EVENTS:

• Results Based Accountability Training - May 18th from 8:30am to 4:30pm at La Clinica’s 3rd floor conference room B, 3451 East 12th Street (Transit Village)
• Malcolm X Jazz Festival – Saturday May 22nd
• EITC volunteer recognition celebration on May 24th at 6pm in the Rotunda building downtown.

Attendees:

Elena Serrano, East Side Arts Alliance
Jennie Mollica, Lao family Development
Tamar Fendel, La Clinica de La Raza
Kristen Graser, La Clinica de La Raza
Junious Williams, Urban Strategy Council
Bill Wong, Consultant for Annie E. Casey Foundation
Don Davenport, San Antonio Community Development Corporation
Pat Constantine, San Antonio Community Development Corporation
Sandra Chapin, Making Connections Oakland Site Team Member
Deb Montesinos, Montesinos and Associates
Fred Blackwell, Making Connections Site Coordinator
Mara Guccione, Urban Strategies Council

I. Announcements:

Malcolm X Jazz Festival will be May 22nd in San Antonio Park. There are tables available, free for community organizations, $40 for vendors. The deadline is May 10th. There are posters available. Event Emcee’s will make announcements about things going on in the community. We can make a call for volunteers for the Collaborative. We should try to get volunteers at the LSAC table, but we need to be sure that people know what they are signing up to do.

II. Updates

Casey Interim Site Report:

Fred thanked everyone for their input on the report. Sandra emailed a version of the final draft but it was very large. Fred will see that copies get out. Foundation teams are reading the reports and will give substantive feedback on things to consider (TA, strategic development, etc). Junious requested that we get copies via email of the other site reports, especially their theories of change, strategies, and indicators/data.

Expanded Joint Opps Meeting:

This meeting will be held in Oakland in July. Fred raised the issue of the great potential around the “connecting families to social networks” piece, which hasn’t gotten much attention but on which new focus is being placed. Fred also mentioned that there is an inherent challenge to this piece because sometimes these networks work for families because they are under the radar screen. An important question is – how do you enhance it without damaging it?

Grant Making Strategies

Fred and Deb are meeting with work groups to discuss closing the loop on work plans specific to each group and using the opportunity to ensure that everyone knows what is happening in terms of TA and grantmaking. Junious requested finding out if there is anything around strategy or data sheets that is not reflective.

School Readiness:

A small team went from Oakland and had a chance to think about the strategies and activities for the early childhood education piece. Some ideas included family literacy activities, networking in pre-schools, parent education and organizing, through help from key partners and possibly connecting to the Promotoras project.

• In terms of TA, the team identified a person who could guide us locally on organizing parents of kids ages 0-5 and is holding a meeting with them on Friday May 21. There was information shared about a union organizer named Denise _____ who is interested in doing work in Oakland.
• Don asked if the group was working with Bananas. Fred explained that we are mapping Bananas database but found that 75% of LSAC kids are not in a licensed day care. We need to think about how we support kin care. Fred will email the Bananas database list to Don and USC will send the map to Don.
• There is no regularly scheduled ECE meeting time.

Staffing:

There will soon be an official announcement of Bart’s departure from Oakland. Fred will be reporting to Frank Farrow for the time being.

Transition Planning:

The team was planning to present the transition plan at this meeting but is behind in schedule. They will probably present at the June 10th meeting.

Results-Based Accountability Training:

This will be held at La Clinica on May 18th from 8:30am to 4:30pm. At 3451 East 12th Street in the 3rd floor conference room. Sandra will send out the draft agenda and brochure. Staff from organizations are invited to attend but she needs to know how many by May 12 th.

• The afternoon session is specifically for the LSAC. The Turn the Curve exercise will look at baseline indicators for 2-3 areas of work. We’ll look at work plans; it’s a great opportunity to work on peer accountability by looking at these. Send Deb ideas about what we want to get out of this session looking at baseline indicators for specific work plans.
• The work groups we will look at will be 23rd Avenue, housing and FES.
• Fred made the point that we don’t have to use RBA strictly as our framework. We have money to bring on a coach to work through the elements that work. We engage after in what the scope of work would be for the coach.

Facilitation Training:

This training will give work group members the opportunity to build their skills in group facilitation as we transition the coordination role. Three organizations are available for contract.USC will send the facilitation chart and samples from each organization to the planning committee.

Resident Leadership and Facilitation:

This is an opportunity that is separate from the facilitation training. Talk to Deb about setting up this training.

III. Small Grants:

This project has been in the works for some time and is coming together, thanks to the offer for training from the County Public Health Department (Sandi Galvez), who is conducting their own mini-grants training currently.

• The process is to bring together a committee of residents to review proposals and fund neighborhood projects. The effort would be staffing by 2-3 people from small organizations in the LSA neighborhood who have been involved but at the periphery of the Collaborative. The idea is to boost their involvement.
• The staff members would spend 8 hours per week recruiting the resident committee and providing support. There was a question about whether this is 8 hours per person or total for the 2-3 people. We need to get clarity on the amount of staff hours needed each week.
• There were questions about the eligibility requirements and skills that we are looking for in these staff members. We also need to define where they will work out of and who they will be reporting to, who will coordinate them. We should get a description of the position from the public health department.
• Karen had the idea to look for volunteers or staff from churches. However, we would need to be careful because they don’t necessarily reflect a diverse body. Also, Kevin Westin from the Pacific News Service could bring youth into the program.
• Consider the idea of ESAA being the hub for the LSAC, including this project. Becoming a manager of a grant program is a lot to ask of a new organization, although ideally it would be a piece of work that they can integrate into their current work.
• Karen had the idea of listing all the orgs in the LSAC and giving a flyer to them with the opportunity and seeing who surfaces.
• Deb suggested that part of the networking role be an orientation to the LSAC. Karen offered to work on a list of orientation items for new orgs.
• Next Steps: 1) Find out how many hours are needed for staffing; 2) Develop criteria and job descriptions for organizations; 3) Send a recruitment flyer; 4) Set up the administrative structure; 5) Recruit the small organizations for staffing (refer people to Sandra) and have committee review select staff (including Don, Kristen, Karen, Pat and Elena); 6) Sandra, Jennie and Francell will support process getting off the ground.
• Jennie will call the next meeting once the criteria comes together.
• Junious recommended Germantown’s software tracking system for small grants.

IV. Updates on Work Groups:

Housing:

The group is working on home owner education and rental rights education and it is turning into a potential resident engagement/organizing piece. Group is not currently working with Just Cause, but will get contact info for them.

Fred talked about the revolving load fund for site acquisition and pre-development and the conversation with Haas Jr. about investment into the grant pool. By the fall, we could have $3 million. We will be setting up a fund with a financial intermediary. We are looking for an intermediary who can deliver a low-interest product and turn things around quickly. Don asked if money could be set aside for merchant piece. Fred will see if it matches priorities.

23rd Avenue:

The sub-committee met and looked at materials for the Urban Ecology plan with a note about how to develop resident-friendly materials. They came up with the idea to test materials with a “face” at the LSAC. They need to schedule a follow-up meeting. Fred mentioned that Casey gave $1 mil PRI to Jacob’s Fund, focused on community ownership over development. There will be a site visit in early-mid July and we can take 4-5 people. Let Fred know if you are interested.

FES Workgroup:

Last meeting was cancelled. Over 300 surveys have been collected out of 500. USC is running some preliminary analysis for Measure R and doing outreach to other organizations, trying to fill the gaps on population group we want to capture.

EITC:

Another successful campaign concluded ($4mil in returns). There is a volunteer recognition celebration on May 24th at 6pm in the Rotunda building downtown.

Health Work Group:

The Health Promotores neighborhood outreach is now moving forward with the hiring of Kristen Graser. Kristen is trying to get an understanding of the LSAC work and figuring out who they will need to collaborate with.

Newspaper Work Group:

The group will be at the Jazz Festival. The deadline for this next edition is May 13 th. It will be out June 1 st. Kristen will write a piece about the Promotoras project for the paper.

Arts and Culture:

The report from their visit to New Orleans is out. It discusses how a cultural center fits into community development. In terms of the center, they met with Greg ____ from HUD, who assured them that we could get Coliseum redevelopment money for the center.

• The KQED series was successful in collecting names. They will be submitting a grant to the CA community grant fund.
• Junious mentioned the Urban Institute’s Arts and Culture indicators project. USC will participate in this.

V. Other Updates

• Libby Schaff is now a special assistant to the Mayor
• Randy has stepped down from his Director position at EBALDC. Fred will talk to him.

VI. Next Steps

• Next Meeting – June 10 th, 12-2pm. Frank Farrow will be here
• We need a calendar with all meeting dates/times and work group contacts that can be put out to the list serve.
• We also need to post meeting minutes to the website.
• Fred mentioned really needing outreach materials for the LSAC, one pagers, etc.
• Karen added that we should re-address the name “Collaborative.”