UNDERSTANDING WITH THE FORD FOUNDATION
A. Applying for three-year support --
New Directions sent a Concept Paper to Ford Foundation by the end of June. We received the format Application Form from H. Banker with a copy of prior example. We will have this proposal done prior to the September deadline. The Concept Paper was transmitted to the Board and Advisors in July 17, 2007.
B. George McCarthy additionally offers to join a specific L.I. jurisdiction program
planning discussion and help make it happen –
In early May, Michelle DiBenedetto and I discussed the McCarthy offer with Jim Morgo of Suffolk County. It will take some time for this to mature. For example, Marian Russo wanted to know if the Village of Patchogue could engage Ford without the plan to bring its plans to scale.
In June and July, New Directions is working with the Village of Hempstead. The Village of Hempstead is anxious to launch a large commercial development ($2B mixed use), has run into opposition from strong citizen and special interest groups who want primarily affordable housing, and are being persuaded that a parallel CLT to scale effort would allow the venture to proceed simultaneously.
New Directions has connected with a group of citizens who are interested in hearing more about CLT housing and we are working to set up a Burlington Associates training effort to introduce this idea to the citizen group. (I have asked Michelle DiBenedetto to explore Citigroup's appetite to fund the effort.) At the same time, Warren Tackenberg, Exec. Director of Nassau County Village Officials, will help establish the meeting between the Village of Hempstead, Mayor Hall, and Michael White, Executive Director of the Long Island Planning Council. We will then have the opportunity to invite George McCarthy to Long Island. Should this work, the prior advertising in Suffolk County may also find a sharpened interest.
C. George McCarthy had made an initial offer to present New Directions' DYC work to his team members at Ford's “Asset-Based Community Development” sector --
New Directions' basic research work on DYC has concentrated primarily on working with Chuck Gosline and his present effort to launch DISCOVER FARMINGDALE. We have been advising him on overall philosophy and helping him gather research and professional associates as team members needed to achieve his goal of civic awakening to participate in achieving sustainable community development.
This has included the community design skills of Michael Schwarting and Frances Campani from NYIT, the community profiling skills of Andy Collver from Community Insight, the sustainable development perspective of David Sprintzen from L.I.U. ISD, as well as the community organizing ability from LIPC, and the Inter-generational Strategy programs provided by Paul Arfin (who introduced us to Chuck). On the issue of CLT housing, we have made available Paul D'Ascoli of Community Realty Associates and have been availing ourselves of the corporate realty advice of Tom Sullivan of Northrop Grumman.
Recently, Dave Flatley has disclosed a strong interest on the part of school districts to educate their recently retired citizens to the need of capacity building on the part of the citizens regarding stewardship of their own community. Andy Collver has followed up with Ellen Krammer, a prominent educator from Farmingdale, and her idea of engaging the library as a forum for short awareness, intergenerational efforts in a welcoming environment. In addition, Andy has been working with a bright young sociologist, Nathalia Rogers, who is interested in describing how the civic sector is rising to the challenge of meaningful participation.
This model of advising and supporting a strong civic leader like Chuck Gosline to achieve his goals is gathering momentum and will be the arena in which New Directions hopes to make a meaningful contribution.