What proportion of Goal 1 overall is complete at this point?
60%
What are the barriers and opportunities for completion that impacted goal 1 in the last month?
We made significant progress in identifying needs through existing and new market research as well as updating those with
What proportion of Goal 2 overall is complete at this point?
60%
What are the barriers and opportunities for completion that you impacted goal 2 in the last month?
The leadership circle met in person as well as made a few collective decisions around who else to invite to the group and how and what group activity to engage in during their in person time. In addition we made progress on a financial model for the co-op.
What proportion of Goal 3 overall is complete at this point?
40%
What are the barriers and opportunities for completion that you impacted goal 3 in the last month?
BSC rebranded itself to Builders Avenue and a big part of this rebrand is the marketing around the shared services cooperative. We are trying to strike the delicate balance of launching the rebrand and not encroaching in the cooperative's space. While the new website has a dedicated page to the co-op with a video focusing on our April 11 co-op event, the Builders Avenue brand is not reflective of the co-op which will make it's own decisions on its brand.
Did you access Technical Assistance for your CWB project last month?
Yes
Which TA provider(s) did you work with within the Phase I CWEB grantees?
| TA Provider | Hours Spent | Satisfaction |
|---|---|---|
|
UIC Law - Community Enterprise & Solidarity Economy Clinic (CESEC) |
1 |
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied |
Which TA providers did you work with OUTSIDE of the Phase I CWEB grantees?
| TA Provider | Hours Spent | Satisfaction |
|---|---|---|
|
Sankofa Research Institute |
20 |
Very satisfied |
|
That's So Creative |
30 |
Very satisfied |
|
Danny Spitzberg |
5 |
Somewhat satisfied |
Did someone from your organization attend the Working Group this month?
Yes
How would you rate the usefulness of the working group to your project last month? (on a scale of 1-5)
Very useful
How would you rate the usefulness of the Working Group for building community?
Very useful
What have been the two most valuable contributions of the Working Group this month?
Please share any comments about the working group meetings.
The in-person meeting was a great way to connect with our fellow CWB cohort members and learn about common issue each of us is facing as we navigate the challenges of the financial burden of this work while waiting for City reimbursements
How many TOTAL housing units did you preserve or create last month? (it is okay if the answer is zero)
0
How many TOTAL CWB businesses did you develop last month? (it is okay if the answer is zero)
0
Number of stakeholder meetings held related to your Pre-Development Project?
8
Number of community meetings attended last month related to your Pre-Development Project?
3
Service / Capacity
| Service | Capacity |
|---|---|
|
Accounting & Financial Management |
3 some ability |
|
Advocacy |
4 |
|
Conflict Resolution |
4 |
|
Cooperative Development and Operations |
3 some ability |
|
Education & Training |
5 extensive ability |
|
Fundraising or Raising Capital |
2 |
|
Governance / Legal |
3 some ability |
|
Marketing & Communications |
4 |
|
Other |
N/A |
|
Project Management |
3 some ability |
|
Real Estate Acquisition & Development |
N/A |
|
Relationship Building |
5 extensive ability |
|
Research |
1 limited ability |
Other (please describe and include ranking)
With help from Dr. Assata Richards of SRI, we were able to navigate two instances of conflict resolution, one within the leadership circle and the second between BSC (now Builders Avenue) and the co-op. However, navigating the City procedures around funding has put significant barriers in our ability of fundraising and raising capital
What constraints or limitations with internal capacity is the organizarion experiencing related to its Pre-Development Project?
The City's reimbursement process has been extremely taxing on us as a small non profit. We have exhausted our line of credit and had to postpone several vendor payments due to the delays. We would have almost missed making payroll for July had it not been for other funders who preponed the disbursement of their funding at our expedited requests. This process has been excruciatingly difficult for us to navigate and we are constantly disappointed in the outcomes from the City. We wonder how non profits smaller than us are navigating this without access to lines of credit or flexible forms of funding from their funders.
What opportunities, if any, did the organization take advantage of related to its Pre-Development Project?
The lines of distinction between BSC the non profit and the Shared Services Co-op emerged during the rebrand discussions and the launch of Builders Avenue. It was a challenging yet educational experience of how we need to think about the power dynamics that the non profit holds on the co-op, which is in it's infancy, through its position as the custodian of the pre-development grant..
Please use this space to elaborate, contextualize, or add any additional info about the details submitted in your report:
