ADVANCING RACIAL EQUITY BY PROVIDING A QUALITY, AFFORDABLE HOME FOR EVERY MILWAUKEEAN
CDA History
Overview
CDA has matured into a true community development alliance with a six council governance structure that includes board representation from residents, neighborhood organizations, policy organizations, philanthropy, housing funders, and housing implementors. CDA now sponsors a robust resident collaboration process hosting over 30 collaboration sessions each year, and a city-wide Resident Advisory Council on Housing (RACH). More than 100 allies typically attend the all-allies community meetings, and CDA has helped housing and neighborhood organizations develop and fundraise millions to increase Black & Latino Homeownership in Milwaukee. This history is provided to illustrate the maturity of the alliance from a small group of committed housing advocates to an award-winning collective impact backbone organization. This history is also provided for transparency and accountability so that we can continue to grow in our support of racial equity in both outcomes and process.
Summary of Pre-2021 Governance & Programming
Prior to 2021, CDA was coordinated by the volunteer efforts of several foundations and city staff that wanted to support each others work and be responsive to the funding requests of community based organizations. The mechanism used for coordination was an Executive Committee, and a Program Committee from those organizations looking to collaborate.
During this time period, CDA supported programming with allies that included: (1) Neighborhood Leadership Institute, (2) YWCA Unlearning Racism, (3) Market Value Analysis (2013), (4) Building Neighborhood Capacity Program, (5) MKE Plays, (6) Partners for Places, (7) Community Connections Small Grants, (8) Kiva Zip, (9) Bloomberg What Works Cities Initiative, (10) Fostering Bold Approaches, and (11) CDA Symposium. Post 2016, CDA was also involved in Opportunity Zones and the MKE Indicators. In 2020, CDA turned its attention to housing and commissioned Wisconsin Policy Forum to do a review of city housing efforts, and a housing landscape survey. That survey led to a budget amendment in the City of Milwaukee 2021 budget that called for the City of Milwaukee to partner with CDA and other allies to develop Milwaukee's first Collective Affordable Housing Plan.​
Summary of Post 2021 Governance & Programming Overview
CDA has matured into a true community development alliance with a six council governance structure that includes board representation from residents, neighborhood organizations, policy organizations, philanthropy, housing funders, and housing implementors ("Ally Sectors"). CDA is also now an independent 501(c)(3).
CDA continues to mobilize funders from the public and private sectors to make collective investments and is constantly recruiting new funders to be accomplices. CDA has expanded its role to be a backbone organization for collective impact. CDA convenes partners to develop strategy both big and small (see Plan). CDA works with housing implementers to collect robust data requested by residents, neighborhood organizations, funders and other allies (see Data). CDA strategies with partners to develop needed systems that are too complex or costly for one ally or one ally sector to implement by themselves (see Strategies). CDA continually communicates with partners by developing informational materials, hosting resident collaboration sessions, operating six councils, and hosting quarterly all-allies meetings (see Connect). And as a backbone organization, CDA has built a talented robust team to support allies with fundraising, data, strategy, and policy support (see Our Team). If you do not yet consider yourself to be part of the alliance, we hope you will join us today!
2011 - 2016: Funders and Public Officials Looking to be More Responsive Begin to meet together.
Starting in 2011, several foundations and city staff that wanted to support each other's work and be responsive to the funding requests of community based organizations began to meet and would occasionally host larger meetings and requested trainings.
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CDA's first documented collective impact effort was to jointly commission a study called Community Development in Milwaukee: An Assessment and Recommendations. The report identified eight strengths: (1) Interested civic & political leaders, (2) strong philanthropic interest, (3) organizational leadership and respect, (4) CBO Leaders understand role, (5) interest from WHEDA, (6) capable developers, (7) well-built housing stock, (8) emerging strategic initiatives (Milwaukee Area Workforce Funder's Alliance & Milwaukee Succeeds). The report identified 9 challenges: (1) no strategic alignment, (2) no correlation between vision and resources, (3) more effective to build from market strength, (4) atrophied support system for CBOs, (5) no grass roots advocacy, (6) lending as transactional, (7) no connection to region, (8) need to address race, (9) communication needs to be strengthened. Ultimately the recommendation was collective action: (1) common agenda, (2) Shared Measurement Systems, (3) Mutually Reinforcing activities, (4) Constant Communication, (5) backbone support organization.
2016 - 2020: Broadening the conversation to include Community Based Organizations and Housing Implementors.
Starting in 2016, CDA began to expand the conversation beyond funders and public officials to regularly include community-based organizations and other allies in periodic meetings. CDA conducted a survey of those that had been willing and able to participate in CDA . The survey had 38 responses (31% foundation, 19% Government, 19% Financial Institution, 13% Community-Based Non-profit, 19% other). 90% ranked meeting value as good or excellent. Only 55% indicated CDA changed the way the organization works. 95% agreed with mission of Collaboration, Advancement, Capacity and Impact. There were three options given for future of CDA: (A) Networking (10% support), (B) Funders Collab only (35%), and (C) Collective Impact (55%). Collective Impact was overwhelming selection at 50%. 80% interested in volunteering for focus groups. For future expansion areas there were two tiers of interest: Tier 1: Safety, Housing, Job Creation and Job Readiness; Tier 2: Transportation, Community Organizing, and other (largely community engagement). Other highlights: need for data (90%), Training (60%), Technical assistance (63%), impact measures (92%), Funding (83%), Capacity Building (89%).
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Based on this survey the program committee gave a list of recommendations that included (1) formal adoption of mission and vision, (2) Continue quarterly meetings, (3) provide networking opportunities, (4) apply for national funding, (5) coordinate capacity building for non-profits, (6) coordinate focus on data, (7) develop standard impact measures, (8) stronger connection between Program and Executive Committee, (9) Staff CDA, (10) define membership structure, (11) define “no solicitation zone”, (12) rotate chair of Executive committee annually, (and 13) define decision making processes.
The CDA Executive Committee confirmed a vision, and created a new mission to emphasize (1) Advocacy, (2) Capacity Building, (3) Data, and (4) Advancement. There was a survey of organizations affiliated with CDA that was completed. ​​
2020: A Focus on Housing Emerges
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Based on earlier surveys, and further deliberation, CDA decides to focus on housing and commissioned a Housing Study which made 3 recommendations (1) Organization & Leadership in City Housing Efforts, (2) a Citywide Strategic Plan, and (3) Engage the private sector. CDA also engaged the Frameworks Institute to conduct FrameLabs, a communications based professional development training that focuses on methods to study how people understand social issues—and how best to frame them. CDA engaged a project manager to assist with organizational strategy and development, and eventually project management of the Collective Affordable Housing Plan (the “Plan”) Process. In October of 2020, a budget amendment in the City of Milwaukee 2021 budget was passed that called for the City of Milwaukee to partner with CDA and other allies to develop Milwaukee's first Collective Affordable Housing Plan.
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The work of the Collective Impact Forum is instrumental in the decision to pursue a Common Agenda through the Collective Affordable Housing Plan; and also a recognition of passed failed attempts at collective impact on housing is because of a lack of having a staffed backbone organization.
2021: Milwaukee's First Collective Affordable Housing Plan
CDA commits to a multi-stakeholder Affordable Housing Strategy and Implementation Plan with a goal of “"Advancing racial Equity by providing a quality affordable home for every Milwaukeean.” The Plan includes a 15 Member Executive Committee, a 7 member Project Team, and a 12 Member Program Committee. Each group included a mix of community based organizations, government officials, housing implementors, philanthropy, and other allies.
The planning process followed the GARE Racial Equity Tool Kit for implementing racial equity planning, which includes: Proposal, Data, Community Engagement, Analysis & Strategy, Implementation, and Accountability and Communication.
The Project Team incorporated the resident feedback of recent community and city sponsored quality of life plans, together with the simultaneous resident survey data and public hearings of the 2021 Community Block grant comprehensive planning process. There was also an open call to the 500 person list email database collected by CDA for participation in Action Committees that met frequently. These Action Committees were project managed by community leaders, and chaired by representatives from various housing organizations. Approximately 70 people participated in Action Committees to finalize recommendations. Ultimately the Plan was approved by the Program Committee, Executive Committee, City Council, County Board of Supervisors and other entities.
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CDA also revived quarterly meetings where all allies were invited to attend and provide direction. The CDA Executive Committee received feedback from community based organizations, existing committee members, and others that (a) additional direct resident collaboration was needed, (b) governance changes were needed to move from being historically a funder’s alliance and more so to a community development alliance, and (c) permanent staff was needed to keep momentum going.
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During this time period, Wells Fargo also released a competitive planning grant. The Plan documents and process were used to compete for this grant which was ultimately successful in 2022.​
2022: Committing to a Staffed Backbone Organization
To respond to the feedback of allies, CDA took three actions.
To be responsive to additional resident collaboration needs, CDA issued an RFP for resident collaboration--Southside Organizing Center (SOC) and Wisconsin Voices were successful in those RFPs.
To be responsive to the needs for governance changes, CDA worked with allies to develop a new board structure that balanced resident focused leadership with institutional leadership resulting in the 6 council board that exists today. This structure was reviewed at multiple all-allies meetings to receive direction prior to finalizing.
To be responsive to the needs for permanent staff, a new entity was created, Community Development Alliance, Inc (hereinafter CDA). CDA contracted with a Professional Employment Organization (PEO) to manage payroll compliance. CDA engaged Leading Transitions to conduct an Executive Director posting and search and hire.
During this time period CDA successfully helps partners craft major strategies and apply for funding. This includes supporting the County in applying for ARPA funds for a project which would become the King Park / Midtown Homeownership Initiative. Supporting Acts Housing in applying for several grants that would become the Acquisition Fund, now known as Acts Homes. CDA also supported several Homebuyer Counseling Agencies (HBCAs) and other housing agencies to jointly apply for a successful Wells Fargo WORTH grant that also provided some capacity for CDA to expand its communications and resident engagement efforts.
CDA was recognized for its efforts by receiving the Wisconsin Policy Forum, Public Private Partnership award.
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2023: Expanding Resident Collaboration
As the six council structure was solidified after direction of all-allies meetings, and the former Executive Committee, CDA prepared bylaws and applied for tax exempt status which was received in 2024. CDA also worked with allies to expand its resident collaboration efforts by (a) transitioning a former FUSE fellow position to full time Resident Collaboration Director, (b) partnering with 8 community based organizations through the RON Coalition for additional engagement, and (c) co-hosting over 30 resident collaboration sessions throughout the city, providing stipends to compensate residents for their time.
CDA’s resident collaboration was featured at the International Association for Public Participation North American Conference. CDA also was recognized with the HUD Secretary’s award for public-private partnership.
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CDA also continued to have major wins in strategy and fundraising for its partners, including assisting Early Childhood Education (ECE) centers implement their employer based housing strategy to develop 40 homes for ECE providers. CDA’s ally, LISC Milwaukee received a $5 million grant to support the project, and other CDA allies contributed millions more. CDA also supports the County and LISC by coordinating RFPs for various projects.
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CDA also partnered with WPF to review its processes by interviewing partners and identifying areas for improvement. The report identified two primary areas of improvement (a) continuing to expand resident voice, and (b) identifying ways to expand support of Black led organizations. Conversations during the all allies meetings also identify the need for someone to play a lead role in coordinating city wide housing policy conversations. Overwhelmingly, allies willing and able to participate in CDA up to this point indicate that CDA should begin coordinating allies on policy issues. CDA begins fundraising for a policy director.
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CDA hosted its first annual conference on Forever Affordable Homes. CDA creates its first Highlights and Scorecard.
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2024: New Independent Board with 6-council governance
To be responsive to calls for more direct resident voice, CDA creates a citywide Resident Advisory Council on Housing. Requests for applications are sent to CDA’s expanded list of nearly 1,000 individuals that have signed up to the ally's email list. 14 residents apply and all are accepted to become the first city wide RACH. CDA also posts and hires the position of Policy Director. These two strategies combined pay big dividends when the RACH coordinated with the Policy Director to restore Down Payment Assistance into the City’s Budget.
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To be responsive to supporting more Black led organizations, CDA coordinates with all HBCA’s to equitably distribute jointly raised downpayment assistance funds. CDA also reached out to several organizations to identify their interest in coordinating a Developer Roundtable. The 30th St. Corridor rose to the occasion and coordinated a Developer Roundtable of non-profits and emerging developers led by people of color to prioritize strategies to support their efforts. The Developer's Roundtable develops the Launchpad and Accelerator program funded by CDA. CDA also sponsors additional capacity building by sponsoring Roundtable members to the Diverse Developer's Conference.
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CDA receives its independent tax-exempt status. Prior to this point, CDA’s resources had been held at a donor advised fund at the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. Five of the six councils make recommendations for the new board, and the policy positions are filled until a Policy Committee can be created by the newly hired Policy Director. The new board meets in 2024 to approve the new organizational bylaws, budgets, and other administrative necessities. An Operations Director position is posted and hired to process contracts, create procedures, manage HR and accounting functions, and manage the new office location, the Homeownership Lab.
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CDA completes its first Spring Housing Tour, and its second annual conference focused on Building a Homeowner and Future Homeowner Bill of Rights. CDA is recognized for its efforts by receiving the Trailblazer MANDI Award.
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