Nonprofit "U": Hitting the "Reset" Button in North Lawndale

Valerie F. Leonard
Published: April 22, 2016

A standing room only crowd listened to the DRW Honors Choir perform at the North Lawndale Community Planning Conference.

It has been over 50 years since North Lawndale has had a comprehensive plan that could be used to attract resources and guide public policy as it relates to transportation, utilities, land use, recreation, and housing. As a result, much of the limited development that has occurred in recent years has not been coordinated or yielded maximum impact for the community as a whole. There are some pockets of North Lawndale that have seen significant development, while other parts have remained untouched since the 1950’s.

In an effort to rectify this situation, the North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council (NLCCC) recently held its first annual community planning conference, in partnership with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), at the DRW College Prep High School on Chicago’s West Side. Rodney Brown and Dennis Deer will be guests on the Nonprofit “U” radio blog talk show on Monday, April 25 from 2:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Nonprofit "U" is an online forum where nonprofit stakeholders can discuss the latest developments in the sector and increase their capacity to serve their clients and build sustainable communities. Valerie F. Leonard, an expert in community and organizational development is the host. The show will stream live from BlogTalkRadio.com/nonprofit_u. The archived podcast will be available on BlogTalkRadio, Valeriefleonard.com/NonprofitU, iTunes and Stitcher.

Brown, Deer and Leonard, members of the Executive Sub-Committee of the North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council, will recap the conference and share next steps for the community planning process. There will be opportunities for listeners to call in with questions and participate in live chats. Nonprofit professionals, educators and community stakeholders are especially encouraged to call in and share their stories. The live call in number is (347) 884-8121.

Keywords: Capacity Building, Community Development, community engagement, Nonprofit "U", North Lawndale, Organizational Development