Neighborhood Technical Assistance Center (NTAC)

 

A collaborative project of the East St. Louis Enterprise Community (EC),

St. Clair County Intergovernmental Grants Department (IGD) and the

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

 

Monthly Report – July, 2000

 

 

Summary

 

Neighborhood Organizations assisted –             6         

Faith Based Organizations assisted –                 4

Municipal Agencies assisted –               9         

Non-Profit Organizations assisted –                  11

Other –                                                            2

           

30 organizations participated in NTAC’s July 22nd  Training Session.  The sign-in sheet is available upon request.

 

Introduction

 

On July 22nd, 2000, the Neighborhood Technical Assistance Center hosted a training session entitled "Financial Management and Bookkeeping" from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the East St. Louis Community College Center. Fifty-seven individuals representing 30 organizations attended the training. The following topics were covered during the training:

 

§         Fiscal management

§         Fund accounting

§         Various aspects of accounting

§         Year-end financial closings and reporting

§         Preparing for an audit

 

All non-profit organizations, faith-based groups, neighborhood associations and interested residents from East St. Louis, Alorton, Centreville, Brooklyn and Washington Park were invited to participate.  The training was advertised in the East St. Louis Monitor, the Belleville News Democrat, and the St. Louis American.  All non-profit organizations in the EC received a flyer and a reminder postcard regarding the session.  All participants received a training manual.  The related documentation is attached and a copy of the manual is available upon request.

 

For this training session, NTAC recruited local accounting experts to volunteer their expertise.  The training was conducted by Aundrea Young, Comptroller for Lessie Bates Davis; Yolanda Carothers-Tharpe, CPA with Financial Services Unlimited; and Kim Johnson, Accountant with B&J Accounting in St. Louis.  All participants completed a brief quiz at the end of the session to test their knowledge and 42 participants returned evaluation forms.  The results of the evaluation are summarized in the following table and the evaluation instrument is attached to this report.


 

 


In July, NTAC continued coordinating the eight-week Citizen Police Academy in partnership with the East St. Louis Police Department, New Spirit, Neighborhood Law Office and the Regional Institute for Community Policing.  NTAC prepared for a graduation ceremony held on July 10th.  Fifty-five residents graduated from the Academy on July 10th.   An alumni group of graduates met on July 31st to maintain the momentum of the Citizen Police Academy.

 

The June/July edition of NTAC News was released on June 23rd.

 

An intern from the Jackie Joyner Kersee Foundation continued working at NTAC through July.

 

In July, NTAC began planning for a week long training session conducted by the Grantsmanship Training Center in Los Angeles.  The training will be open to 26 organizations from the Enterprise Community during the week of September 18 – 22, 2000.  The training is being funded by the Urban Resources Partnership in collaboration with New Spirit Organizing Office.

 

The Neighborhood Technical Assistance Center provided technical assistance to the following organizations during July, 2000.

 

15th Street Childcare Center

 

§         Continued working on revisions to this organization’s 501c3 application

 

 

 

Alta Sita Community Development Corporation

 

§         Assisted ASDC with the implementation of a $30,000 URP grant to revitalize Virginia Park

 

Alta Sita Neighbors, Inc.

 

§         Prepared meeting flyers for July monthly meeting with organization’s members

§         Attended the monthly meeting of ASNI in July

§         Assisted with the administration of ASNI’s URP grant

 

American Bottom Conservancy

 

§         Assist ABC in grantwriting and review for a year 2000 URP grant to conduct wetlands education for youth and adults

 

Bethabaro Non-Profit Corporation - Brooklyn

 

§         Advised organization on their plans to rehab Garrisson School

 

Bride of Christ Community Outreach Center

 

§         Assisted in preparing a $20,000 URP proposal for a community park at 18th and Gay Avenue in the South End neighborhood

§         Continued work on landscaping plans for church grounds

 

Chicago Rehab Network – IL Donations Tax Credit Program

 

§         Coordinated efforts with CRN for promoting the IL Donation Tax Credit within the IL legislative body

§         Testified during IL Legislative Public Hearing on IL Donation Tax Credit issues

§         Organized slate of community organizations to speak on behalf of the Tax Credit bill

 

City of East St. Louis – City Council

 

§         Attended the City Council committee meetings during the month of July as part of NTAC’s ongoing effort to disseminate city information to our neighborhood partners via the associations’ regular meetings

 

City of East St. Louis – Planning Commission

 

§         Planned and facilitated the July 5th meeting of the East St. Louis Planning Commission

 

City of East St. Louis - Police Department

 

§         Coordinated July 10th graduation ceremony

§         Facilitated July 31st meeting of alumni group and conducted evaluation of the eight-week training

 

Community Child Care Center

 

§         Consulted on fundraising to support youth transportation service

§         Consulted on URP project for development of a $29,000 playscape adjacent to Child Care Center

 

Dorris Helping Hands Shelter

 

§         Advised organization on board development

 

Dunham Centers for Arts and Humanities

 

§         Assisted with removal of dance floor from East St. Louis Community College Center following Intensive Dance Workshop

§         Continued programming for a new Katherine Dunham Performing Arts Academy

§         Began planning for installation of irrigation system on the grounds of the Artisinal Village

§         Attended and helped organize Dunham’s Ecological Workshop for 40 local youth

 

Eagles Nest of St. Clair County

 

§         Assisted Eagles Nest prepare a fundraising strategy

 

East St. Louis Community Action Network

 

§         Attended the July monthly meeting of ESL CAN

§         Participated in IL Department of Transportation Public Hearing regarding proposed changes to I-64 between Emerson Park and Olivette Park

§         Disseminated information about IDOT plans to all community-based organizations via a mass mailing and phone calls

§         Assisted with administration of Clean Sweep III – ESL CAN’s summer youth employment program funded by the Urban Resources Partnership

 

East – West Gateway Coordinating Council

 

§         Prepared Scope of Work for NTAC’s Lead Safe Yard project that will assist in reducing outdoor exposure to lead hazards around 30 homes

 

Emerson Park Development Corporation

 

§         Continued teaching an Introduction to Construction Management course for YouthBuild students every Thursday

§         Attended the July monthly meeting of EPDC

§         Provided training to EPDC staff on Microsoft Outlook planning software

Frank Holten State Park

 

§         Met with Frank Holten State Park representatives, the IL Parks Department and Massie & Massie Associates to discuss a master plan development for the park

 

Greater St. Louis Empowerment Zone

 

§         Continued to serve as a “Community Information Center” for the Empowerment Zone

 

Homeless Action Council

 

§         Attended the July meeting of the Homeless Action Council

§         Offered technical assistance to providers of homelessness services

 

Housing Authority of East St. Louis

 

§         Discussed possible collaboration to set-up Geographic Information System for Housing Authority and train HA staff

§         Created additional site maps for upcoming Housing Authority developments

 

Lansdowne Neighborhood Steering  Committee

 

§         Attended and helped prepare for the July meeting of the LNSC

§         Providing technical assistance for preparation of Articles of Incorporation

 

Mount Calvary Technology Center

 

§         Provided information on funding sources for the expansion of MTC’s computer lab and training program

 

Neighbors United for Progress - Centreville

 

§         Administration of URP grant for a landscaped lot at 43rd and Market

§         Implementation of landscaping project – in kind labor support

 

New Beginnings Out Reach Ministries - Centreville

 

§         Assisted in developing $20,000 URP proposal for a landscaping project at 52nd and Cottenbelt in Centreville

 

New Spirit Neighborhood Organizing Office

 

§         Collaborated on planning for week-long Grantsmanship Training Program scheduled for September 18 – 22.

 

 

Olivette Park Neighborhood Association

 

§         Attended the July monthly meeting of OPNA

 

South End New Development Organization

 

§         Attended the July monthly meeting of SENDO

 

Starship Connection - Washington Park

 

§         Provided computer access and assistance

 

Time Dollar Initiative

 

§         Met with Reginal Petty to discuss development of a Time Dollar program to give value to in-kind contributions of community residents

 

Urban Resources Partnership

 

§         Assisted three organizations submit URP proposals: Bride of Christ Community Outreach Mission, New Beginnings Out Reach Ministry and Community Child Care Center

 

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

 

§         Met to discuss expansion of Faith Based Organizing Initiatives through Inter-Faith Partnership Program