Chicago Community Loan Fund Hosts Community Development Centered Workshops
Chicago Community Loan Fund Hosts Community Development Centered Workshops
BY KATHERINE NEWMAN
The Chicago Community Loan Fund recently announced that it will host a series of workshops to help both established and potential community developers be both successful and socially impactful. The workshops will compile development assistance, sustainability resources, and customized training opportunities for developers and their up-and-coming community projects.
The Chicago Community Loan Fund is a nonprofit community development financial institution that was designed to provide economic opportunities that will strengthen emerging communities across Chicago.
“There are folks in the community that are interested in doing some development and they are trying to figure how they can be an entrepreneur in their community. I’ve found that it’s good for people to learn how they can work in their community,” said Taft West, vice president of Technical Assistance and Sustainability at the Chicago Community Loan Fund.
On April 18, there will be a Social Enterprise workshop at the Illinois College of Optometry, 3241 S. Michigan Ave., from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and the attendance fee is $25. On May 15, there will be a Regulatory Requirements workshop at the Chicago Community Loan Fund office, 29 E. Madison St., from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. also for $25.
“We have one workshop coming up in April about social enterprise because sometimes doing good in the neighborhood doesn’t pay good and you have got to figure out how to do what you want, how to do it right, and how to keep the lights on,” said West.
The workshops last for about two hours and include a variety of industry experts who lead participants through activities and there is a significant amount of time that is dedicated to questions and answers with the experts.
After the workshops, participants are asked to fill out a short survey about the value of the information that they received and what other topics they would like to see covered. This is how the Chicago Community Loan Fund makes sure it’s providing the learning opportunities that community developers want and need.
“We looked at the landscape around what we want to do, which is to uplift the underserved community, and came up with a number of things that people who are developers or want to be developers are interested in. Beyond that, I do a little questionnaire during each workshop to learn what people’s hot button issues are and what they are interested in so that we can continue to plan workshops that are beneficial to them as growing developers,” said West.
The goal of these workshops is to spark community-centered development, familiarize people with the Chicago Community Loan Fund, and most importantly to “start a conversation with the community about what we can all do together to make the neighborhood better,” said West.
“Sometimes people come and are just thinking about the idea of being a developer and these workshops give them a spark to go further,” said West.
For more information visit www.cclfchicago.org.
Latest Stories
- CTU Gathers with Faith-based Leaders to Highlight Recent Tentative Agreement Wins for Students and Educators
- COOK COUNTY COMMISSIONER KISHA MCCASKILL TAKES CENTER STAGE AS SOUTH SUBURBAN COMMUNITY UNITES FOR A GREENER FUTURE
- RICH TOWNSHIP SUPERVISOR CALVIN JORDAN LEADS HEARTWARMING SPRING CELEBRATION FOR HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES WITH “EASTER JAMBOREE” CELEBRATION
- Local Musician’s Career Spans 50 Years
- Have Questions About Money? The Illinois State Treasurer’s Office Can Help
Latest Podcast
STARR Community Services International, Inc.
