Starting and Strengthening CED organizations

Centre for Community Enterprise

The ability of people to make their community a better place to live and work, especially for those living on the margins of society, hinges on organizational capacity.

If things are going to change for the better locally, people require the skills, systems, and resources to make good decisions, carry them out, and keep track of their consequences.

CCE has worked with a wide variety of communities and organizations across Canada, rural and urban, to help build this capacity. Here are some of the specific services we provide:

Starting organizations that can engage in community economic development.
Orientation and training for the board and staff of community-based organizations.
Identifying an organization's vision, mission, and goals, and action planning.
Organizational review and renewal.
Development of policies to support an organization's CED mandate.

These are some of our many clients: Quint Development Corporation (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan), North End Community Renewal Corporation (Winnipeg, Manitoba), Ma-Mook Development Corporation (Ucluelet, B.C.), Aboriginal Business Development Corporation (Prince George, B.C.), Desert Rose Society for People with Disabilities (Penticton, B.C.).

A SAMPLE OF CCE IN ACTION

In Winnipeg, the founders of the North End Community Renewal Corp (NECRC) requested CCE assistance with the early stages of the organization's development. CCE staff member Mike Lewis provided a range of board and staff training and planning activities, advocacy work with stakeholders, design and facilitation of community visioning activities, and ongoing distance feedback for the local leaders. The process has resulted in a strong organization with a neighbourhood-directed vision and goals. NECRC has been able to impact the lives of residents and local businesses significantly in collaboration with a wide range of partner organizations, government funders, and other supporters.

FIND OUT MORE

In addition to training and on-site consulting, the Centre for Community Enterprise offers distance support and research services in support of CED organizations. Contact Mike Lewis to learn more about these services. Check out the following to learn more about starting and strengthening CED organizations.

Available free of charge, in PDF:
The CED Wheel Checklists from Local Action to Fight Poverty: A Strategic Guide for Community Organizations

Available from The CED Digital Bookshop:
The Development Wheel: A Workbook to Guide Community Analysis and Development Planning
Development Corporation Basics: A Workbook
Local Action to Fight Poverty: A Strategic Guide for Community Organizations