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 – September, 2000

 

 

Summary

 

Neighborhood Organizations assisted –             8         

Faith Based Organizations assisted –                 7

Municipal Agencies assisted –               7         

Non-Profit Organizations assisted –                  18

Other –                                                            2

           

 

Introduction

 

In September, NTAC co-hosted the Grantsmanship Training Program with New Spirit for 26 local organizations.  This intensive training was held the week of September 18th.  The training cost NTAC $15,000 and was funded through a grant made to New Spirit from the Urban Resources Partnership.  All partnering organizations submitted an application before being selected.  Thirty-five organizations applied and 26 were selected. By far, this was NTAC’s most successful training program.

 

The final day of the training program, September 22nd, was “Funders Day”.  Local and regional grantmakers described their programs and guidelines to all participants of the training.  Representatives came from the Casino Queen Foundation, CDBG, St. Clair County, HUD, the Metropolitan Association of Philanthropy, Urban League, the Urban Resources Partnership and the Enterprise Community.  The agenda is attached.

 

On September 8 and 9th, the University of Illinois hosted the first Work Weekend of the fall semester.  Approximately 60 students from the University of Illinois worked with six community-based organizations on community improvement projects.  The application for participation in a work weekend is attached. These projects included:

 

§         Alta Sita Community Development Corporation – Assist with beautification of Virginia Park and provide in-kind match on ASDC’s URP grant.

§         Adventures in Motivation – Prepare recreational fields behind AIM and provide in-kind match on AIM’s URP grant.

§         Bride of Christ Community Outreach Mission – Landscape church ground.

§         Beacon Heights – Revitalize Illinois Avenue Playground and clean adjacent lots.

§         Lansdowne Steering Committee – Flyer neighborhood to recruit more residents to join neighborhood association.

§         Dunham Centers – Work on Artisinal Village and provide in-kind match on ASDC’s URP grant.

 

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

 

 

15th Street Childcare Center

 

§         Participated in NTAC’s Grantsmanship Training Program

 

Adventures in Motivation

 

§         Begin architectural programing and scheduling for implementation of AIM’s $50,000 URP grant to revitalize the recreational fields behind Sister Thea Bowman School

§         Organize Work Weekend project to utilize volunteer labor to clear grounds at AIM

 

Alta Sita Community Development Corporation

 

§         Assisted ASDC with the implementation of a $30,000 URP grant to revitalize Virginia Park by assigning volunteers and provided in-kind labor

 

Alta Sita Neighbors, Inc.

 

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

§         Attended the monthly meeting of ASNI in September

 

Barnabas Group

 

§         Participated in NTAC’s Grantsmanship Training Program

 

Bride of Christ Community Outreach Center

 

§         Participated in NTAC’s Grantsmanship Training Program

 

City of East St. Louis – City Council

 

§         Attended the City Council committee meetings during the month of September 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 September 13th meeting of the East St. Louis Planning Commission

§         Prepared introductory materials for all new planning commissioners

City of East St. Louis - Police Department

 

§         Facilitated September 25th meeting of alumni group

 

Community Awakening Civic Organization – Washington Park

 

§         Assisted CACO in planning an Appreciation Dinner for community volunteers

 

Community Child Care Center

 

§         Continued architectural programming and research for $29,000 playscape funded by URP

§         Participated in NTAC’s Grantsmanship Training Program

 

Community Mission Neighborhood Advancement

 

§         Participated in NTAC’s Grantsmanship Training Program

§         Attended CMNA’s fundraising banquet on September 9th

 

Computer Village, Inc.

 

§         Participated in NTAC’s Grantsmanship Training Program

 

Denverside Redevelopment Agency

 

§         Participated in NTAC’s Grantsmanship Training Program

 

Dunham Centers for Arts and Humanities

 

§         Continued planning for installation of irrigation system on the grounds of the Artisinal Village – project funded by URP

§         Continued planning for second Dunham Ecological Workshop to be held in October or November

§         Met with Bi-State Development Agency to discuss noise impacts of light rail on Dunham’s Artisinal Village

 

Eagles Nest of St. Clair County

 

§         Participated in NTAC’s Grantsmanship Training Program

 

East St. Louis Community Action Network

 

§         Prepared invitation to ESL CAN’s annual retreat in mid-September

§         Attended the September annual meeting of ESL CAN

§         Helped facilitate annual retreat

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

§         Participated in NTAC’s Grantsmanship Training Program

 

East – West Gateway Coordinating Council

 

§         Participated in the EMPACT (funded by EPA) coordination team

§         Presented at Lead Consortium meeting held on September 14th

 

Emerson Park Development Corporation

 

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

§         Attended the September monthly meeting of EPDC

§         Participated in NTAC’s Grantsmanship Training Program

 

Greater St. Louis Empowerment Zone

 

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

 

Grey Boulevard Organization

 

§         Participated in NTAC’s Grantsmanship Training Program

 

Homeless Action Council

 

§         Attended the September meeting of the Homeless Action Council

§         Offered technical assistance to providers of homelessness services

 

Housing Authority of East St. Louis

 

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

§         Further discussed the “Advancement through Technical Skills” project that would train high school students in AutoCAD while delivering as-built digital drawings to the Housing Authority

§         Participated in NTAC’s Grantsmanship Training Program

 

Land of LIncoln Legal Assistance Foundation

 

§         Prepared a cost estimate on faulty contractor work for a current lawsuit

 

Lansdowne Neighborhood Steering  Committee

 

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

 

 

 

Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church

 

§         Participated in NTAC’s Grantsmanship 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

 

§         Participated in NTAC’s Grantsmanship Training Program

 

Newberns Bible Institute - Brooklyn

 

§         Participated in NTAC’s Grantsmanship Training Program

 

New Spirit Neighborhood Organizing Office

 

§         Continued planning for week-long Grantsmanship Training Program scheduled for September 18 – 22

 

Olivette Park Neighborhood Association

 

§         Attended the September monthly meeting of OPNA

 

Rush Memorial Church of the Nazarene

 

§         Explained 501c3 application and ways in which the church can reach out into the community

 

Second Chance Shelter

 

§         Participated in NTAC’s Grantsmanship Training Program

 

South End New Development Organization

 

§         Attended the September monthly meeting of SENDO

§         Participated in NTAC’s Grantsmanship Training Program

 

Southern Illinois University at Carbondale

 

§         Participated community economic development forum on September 8th

 

Southern Mission Enrichment Foundation

 

§         Participated in NTAC’s Grantsmanship Training Program

 

Starship Connection - Washington Park

 

§         Provided computer access and assistance

 

St. Mary’s Hospital

 

§         Discussed possible technology collaborative with hospital and school district 

 

Uni-Press Kindercottage

 

§         Participated in NTAC’s Grantsmanship Training Program

 

Urban Resources Partnership

 

§         Participated in NTAC’s Grantsmanship Training Program

 

Urban Seniors – Washington Park

 

§         Consulted on Museum project

§         Participated in NTAC’s Grantsmanship Training Program

 

Veterans Advocates Inc.

 

§         Reviewed organization’s 501c3 application and recommended extensive changes

 

Washington University YMCA

 

§         Recruited volunteers from Wash U. to assist in ESL community improvement projects