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Recap: 2024 Regional Meeting Tour
Prosperity Indiana’s 2024 Regional Meeting Tour provided a unique opportunity to bring together community economic development stakeholders from across Indiana to strategize, connect, and learn. This year, the Prosperity Indiana team visited Fort Wayne, Gary, South Bend, Lafayette, Evansville, Jeffersonville, and Indianapolis. Our goal was to better understand local needs of our members and partners and to explore together how emerging trends are impacting communities throughout Indiana.
What We Learned
During our tour, we focused on fostering intimate conversations regarding trends in the Community Economic Development (CED) field and their effects on Hoosiers. We revamped our meeting format to give attendees more influence over the topics discussed. The three topics that resonated most with participants were:
Increasing Affordable Housing Supply or Developers: Addressing the needs for more affordable housing and engaging developers.
Changing the Narrative: Redefining Housing Affordability for Everyone
Strategies to Support Housing Stability: Developing practical approaches to ensure housing stability.
Key Insights and Engagement
Our tour highlighted a strong commitment from communities across Indiana. Participants shared updates on new and ongoing projects, addressed local challenges, and forged new relationships for partnership. Notably, we experienced a significant increase in engagement this year, with a 14% rise in registration.
Acknowledgments
We want to extend a special thank you to our 2024 Regional Meeting Tour co-hosts. Their dedication ensured that key players were present at each event, contributing greatly to the Tour’s success:
Bedford Collab
Brightpoint
City of Gary
City of Jeffersonville
Homestead Resources
Near Northwest Neighborhood Inc.
United Way Central Indiana & Indiana United Ways
Looking Ahead
As we wrap up this year’s tour, we’re excited to begin thinking about next year’s lineup of cities and potential emerging topics. Thank you to everyone who attended, our co-hosts, and host sites for their support. We look forward to continuing our work together and addressing the evolving needs of Hoosier communities!
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Top community development leaders and programs across Indiana have been nominated for the prestigious Prosperity Indiana Awards. Winners will be announced at the annual Prosperity Indiana Summit on April 10th, 2024.
The Michael Carroll Community Economic Development Leadership Award, sponsored by First Financial Bank, and co-presented by Prosperity Indiana and the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, distinguishes an individual who has exhibited exceptional advocacy to further support the community economic development industry.
The John Niederman Rural Development Leadership Award, presented by Fifth Third Bank, is designed to celebrate outstanding leaders in the field of rural community economic development.
The Robert O. Zdenek Staff Member of the Year Award, presented by Brightpoint, recognizes the outstanding professional leadership and commitment of a staff person working for a community economic development organization.
The Key Award for Supportive Services Program of the Year, presented by Merchants Bank of Indiana, honors excellence, and innovation in a service-oriented (non-construction) community development initiative.
The Inaugural Policy & Advocacy Award
The Policy & Advocacy Award will be presented for the first time at the 2024 Summit. The award recognizes a member who works closely with Prosperity Indiana staff and policymakers, building relationships with legislators, local governments, and organizations serving their community.
Nominees:
The 2024 Prosperity Indiana Summit is open to the public and centered on building relationships and an equitable economy through policy, programs, performance, and philanthropic investments. Tickets to the awards luncheon on April 10, 2024, are available by registering at prosperityindiana.org/summit2024.
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About Prosperity Indiana
The Indiana Association for Community Economic Development d/b/a Prosperity Indiana builds a better future for our communities by providing advocacy, leveraging resources, and engaging an empowered network of members to create inclusive opportunities that build assets and improve lives. Since its founding in 1986, Prosperity Indiana’s network has grown to nearly 200 organizations, representing more than 1,000 practitioners statewide from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
Prosperity Indiana Selected for Opportunity Starts at Home Campaign
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. February 16, 2024 — Prosperity Indiana announces its selection as one of seven new State Grantees for the national Opportunity Starts at Home (OSAH) campaign, marking a significant milestone in advancing the organization's commitment to affordable housing.
The OSAH campaign has awarded Prosperity Indiana a capacity-building grant to enhance its ongoing efforts in the state's housing coalition. The grant will be utilized to expand partnerships with stakeholders from various non-housing sectors, including health, education, racial equity, labor, food security, climate, faith, and anti-poverty sectors.
"Prosperity Indiana is grateful for the continued support of the National Low Income Housing Coalition through its Opportunity Starts At Home campaign. We are thrilled to have the chance to continue developing our multi-sector partnerships, including our pioneering work with Indiana faith-based leaders, who have been incredible champions for good housing affordability & stability policy in Indiana and nationwide," said Hale Crumley, Prosperity Indiana Policy Manager, who manages the OSAH campaign.
The new grantees were chosen through a competitive proposal process, demonstrating a strong commitment to advancing federal affordable housing solutions, amplifying racial equity, and expanding partnerships. By becoming state affiliates of the OSAH campaign, Prosperity Indiana and other grantees gain access to resources, multi-sector networks, and technical assistance.
“Today, the campaign celebrates nearly six years of working towards our shared vision of having a multi-sector movement in every state,” said Chantelle Wilkinson, national director of the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign. “As state partners continue to join our efforts, new coalitions of doctors, teachers, environmentalists, social workers, faith leaders, housing advocates, and many others are working together to urge policymakers to address a basic need – housing. This work is critical. It is powerful for Congress to hear from national advocates, but it’s especially powerful for them to hear from their own constituents in the states they represent.”
In addition to welcoming Prosperity Indiana, the OSAH campaign has extended grants to the African American Clergy Collective of Tennessee, Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio, Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness, North Carolina Housing Coalition, South Carolina Association of Community Action Partnerships, and Virginia Housing Alliance. As Prosperity Indiana continues this partnership, the organization encourages the community to follow their housing initiatives, including OSAH, through Prosperity Indiana's website, ProsperityIndiana.org/OSAH and on social media platforms.
Prosperity Indiana is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization formed in 1986 as the Indiana Association for Community Economic Development. PI is a network of approximately 200 organizations and individual members committed to advancing community economic development through our values of eliminating barriers, ensuring everyone has better opportunities to pursue the American Dream and prosperity for all.
Visit the Prosperity Indiana website and follow @ProsperityInd on Twitter.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. February 7, 2024 — Prosperity Indiana, in partnership with the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA), announces the release of the latest version of Renting in Indiana, a handbook for tenants that is currently available online at Housing4Hoosiers.com. The updated handbook contains a step-by-step guide and informational how-to manual for renting in Indiana.
“Many individuals and organizations across the state work with Hoosiers to find suitable housing that will meet their immediate and long-term needs,” said Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch, who also serves as Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “The updated Indiana Tenant Handbook is a resource not only for renters and landlords, but for those that work daily to facilitate that crucial relationship.”
The new handbook, the first update since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, walks Hoosier tenants through every step of the rental process; from looking for the right rental property to managing a potential eviction.
There are 774,845 renter households in Indiana. “We frequently get calls from tenants throughout the state regarding their rental and/or landlord relationship. Many renters are unsure of what their lease states, what their landlord can legally do, or what their legal rights as tenants are. This has highlighted a need for additional resources and education not just for Hoosier renters, but also for landlords, service providers, and lawmakers,” said Aspen Clemons, Executive Director, Prosperity Indiana.
Renting in Indiana: A Handbook for Tenants is a general guide to help Hoosier renters make smart choices and make renting in Indiana a positive experience. The handbook walks a tenant through the entire rental process beginning with how to budget and determine how much monthly rent you can afford, how to make a list of needs for your rental property, and what to look for when viewing potential properties. The handbook reviews several types of leases; common leasing clauses, what to look for, and how to negotiate lease terms with a landlord. The handbook also outlines tenant responsibilities, best practices for good landlord-tenant relationships, how to communicate issues with your landlord, and what resources are available for a tenant when an issue arises. The newest addition to the handbook also includes a section focused on handling eviction. In the past year, there have been 74,727 eviction filings in Indiana.
Renting in Indiana includes additional resources such as worksheets as well as provides information on organizations that offer assistance on issues ranging from discrimination to domestic violence support.
“This was truly a collaborative effort, bringing together legal aid partners, service providers, and housing advocates to provide our Hoosier renters with the most comprehensive guide on how to be a successful tenant in Indiana,” said Marie Beason, Capacity Building Director, Prosperity Indiana.
Renters can access the Renting in Indiana handbook either here on the Housing4Hoosiers website or on Prosperity Indiana's website.
To support the Hoosier Housing Needs Coalition’s efforts to increase housing affordability and stability for all Hoosiers
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. November 20, 2023 — Prosperity Indiana has received an inaugural grant totaling $375,000 from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust to support housing affordability and stability for all Hoosiers.
“Prosperity Indiana is proud to serve as the state’s premier convener and advocate for community economic development, including affordable housing issues,” Prosperity Indiana Executive Director Aspen Clemons said. “We are honored to partner with the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust to ensure that all Hoosiers have access to affordable and stable housing. This grant will allow us the opportunity to expand the role of the Hoosier Housing Needs Coalition in educating Hoosiers and stakeholders statewide about solutions to address Indiana’s housing affordability and stability crisis. The grant will provide Prosperity Indiana with additional data capacity and educational resources to improve pathways to safe, stable, and affordable housing, and eliminate barriers to homeownership and long-term rental housing solutions. In addition, the grant will allow Prosperity Indiana and the Hoosier Housing Needs Coalition to continue serving as a premier convener to lift up the voices of the community economic development sector on housing issues, including those of the most vulnerable Hoosiers affected by housing policy decisions.”
“Over the years, Prosperity Indiana has built a strong statewide network of organizations devoted to helping Hoosiers find and stay in housing,” said Gene D’Adamo, CEO and president of the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. “We are honored to support their efforts to improve the conditions of low-income renter households and long-term housing outcomes in Indiana.”
The Hoosier Housing Needs Coalition [HHNC] was formed by members of Indiana’s housing security advocacy community in April 2020 to support advocacy and education related to housing and homelessness prevention. Staffed by Prosperity Indiana, HHNC convenes partners from across Indiana to provide education and advocacy to achieve equitable federal, state, and local policies for housing stability and affordability solutions. HHNC is guided by a Steering Committee composed of a diverse group of Indiana housing advocacy and education leaders. Click here to subscribe to Prosperity Indiana’s mailing list and join the Hoosier Housing Needs Coalition.
About the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust
The Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust seeks to help people in need, especially women, children and families; to protect animals and nature; and to enrich community life, primarily in Phoenix and Indianapolis. The Trust has awarded nearly $375 million in grants and student scholarships since its inception in 1997. For more information, visit www.ninapulliamtrust.org.
June 1, 2023
Media Inquiries: Steven Meyer, Prosperity Indiana Board President |smeyer@IntendIndiana.org |317-417-7976
Prosperity Indiana Welcomes Aspen Clemons as its next Executive Director
INDIANAPOLIS – Prosperity Indiana today announced that its Board of Directors has selected Aspen Clemons as the organization’s next Executive Director. She will begin her new role on June 15, 2023.
Clemons’ background uniquely positions her to assume the Executive Director role, bringing with her more than 10 years of professional experience in policy, strategy, evaluation, and programs in the areas of affordable housing, social justice, poverty, and diversity. Clemons is well-suited to strategically guide the organization forward into this next phase.
“Prosperity Indiana serves as a critical engine for increasing equity, economic mobility, and access to opportunity,” said Ms. Clemons. “I am humbled to partner with our staff, members, and Board of Directors to support community and economic development efforts throughout Indiana. I am excited about returning home to help make Indiana a place where everyone who calls it home is afforded an opportunity to thrive.”
“Ms. Clemons’ vision, passion, and approach impressed the search committee,” said Steven Meyer, Prosperity Indiana Board President. “The Board is confident that Aspen will be an inspiring leader for Prosperity Indiana members and our community partners across the state.”
Ms. Clemons holds a B.A. in Economics from Spelman College and an M.S. in Social Policy from the University of Pennsylvania. Additionally, she has an Executive Leadership Certificate from the University of Chicago. Clemons’ resume includes administrative posts working for several universities, Indiana United Ways, and the Indiana Commission for Women.
The announcement follows a search and selection process undertaken after the previous Executive Director, Jessica Love, stepped down after five years in the position.
ABOUT PROSPERITY INDIANA
Visit the Prosperity Indiana website and follow @INCommDev on Twitter.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 17, 2023
CONTACT: Rita O'Donohue| (317) 222-1221 x405| rodonohue@prosperityindiana.org
INDIANAPOLIS – Prosperity Indiana is pleased to announce that Maya Painter has joined the team as the new Communications & Fundraising Coordinator. In this role, Painter will strategically message Prosperity Indiana’s mission, vision, values, programs, and benefits of membership. She will help tell the story of impact for PI and its member organizations, as well as critically support the fundraising infrastructure and delivery of convening events that marry knowledge sharing and relationship building.
Prior to joining Prosperity Indiana, Painter served as the Development Coordinator to the American Lung Association in Indiana where she crafted strategic messaging for two annual fundraising events. In this role, she worked to deepen relationships and secure investment with both corporate sponsors and the community. Painter has additionally spent time with the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs’ Marketing Office; Representative Sean Casten in Washington, D.C.; the Monroe County Community School Corporation’s Community Transitions program; and more.
Originally from Lafayette, Painter traded her black and gold for cream and crimson. She earned her Bachelor of Public Affairs with a major of Nonprofit Management and Leadership and a minor of Law & Public Policy from the Indiana University O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs in Bloomington.
Painter said, “I am passionate about strengthening Indiana’s communities and improving the lives of those around us. I eagerly look forward to assisting PI in building an Indiana where there is equitable access to social and economic opportunity for all.”
Prosperity Indiana is excited to welcome Painter as a “Piece of the PI.”
February 7, 2023
Contact: Rita O’Donohue | (317) 222-1221 x405 | rodonohue@prosperityindiana.org
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Prosperity Indiana announced the winners of its annual leadership and program awards at the 2023 Prosperity Indiana Summit on February 1. The Summit Awards Ceremony was an occasion to celebrate the leaders and innovators in the community economic development field. Winners were nominated by a nominating committee and chosen by a selection committee based on criteria established for each award.
"I couldn't imagine a room full of more passionate and driven people who make it their business every day to strengthen our communities. The nominees for this year's Prosperity Indiana awards were incredibly impressive," said Jessica Love, Executive Director for Prosperity Indiana. "While many individuals and programs are worthy of recognition, we are proud to celebrate a few of the top leaders and innovators in our field."
Award winners include George Guy, Bo Beaulieu, Anthony Bridgeman, and the Master It Series for Inmates at Lacasa, Inc.
The Michael Carroll Community Economic Development Leadership Award, sponsored by First Financial Bank and co-presented with the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, distinguishes an individual who has consistently provided excellent leadership, advocacy, support, and innovation in community economic development for many years.
Presented to: George Guy, Fort Wayne Housing Authority
Having spent the past 25 years developing solutions to improve the quality of life for families in underserved communities, George Guy oversees a portfolio of over 4,000 public housing units, vouchers, and affordable housing units and has remained steadfast in his commitment to building programs that will lift families from poverty.
Guy has helped residents overcome barriers to self-sufficiency by creating a transportation readiness employment and training program to overcome his city's public transportation limitations, developed partnerships with local school districts to offer tutoring and resources that will ensure children in the community are reading at grade level, and provided critical support for families dealing with unique needs, such as AIDS, aging out of foster care, homelessness, and victims of domestic violence.
Under Guy's innovative leadership, the housing authority partnered on a new affordable housing development, Posterity Scholar House. This development is an energy-efficient and technologically innovative, multi-family development that features an ecological and comprehensive education center of community-based programs and services for low-income and underserved single-parent families. He is also working to grow the next generation of housing leaders and activists through the creation of a Leadership Academy.
Other Michael Carroll Community Economic Development Leadership Award nominees include:
Angela Graf, Hope Southern Indiana
The John Niederman Rural Development Leadership Award, sponsored by Fifth Third Bank, is designed to celebrate outstanding leaders in the field of rural community economic development.
Presented to: Bo Beaulieu, Purdue University
A sociologist focused on low-income and minority populations by trade, Bo Beaulieu has spent more than 40 years developing and implementing capacity building programming in rural Indiana through Purdue Extension and Purdue Center for Regional Development.
Beaulieu created the Hometown Collaboration Initiative and has worked with Auburn and Corydon to establish key stakeholder groups within each community to work exclusively with a site coach to support growth opportunities. As a result of these growth opportunities, these communities were able to build on the strengths of their key stakeholder group to implement programs and projects to improve their rural community.
Beaulieu also created the Rural Opportunity Zone Initiative (ROZI), allowing rural communities to partner with Purdue to leverage funding to create a plan to attract private investment. Washington, Newton, and DeKalb Counties all had an economic development prospectus developed for them through ROZI to attract investment in housing, small business, and industrial sites in their communities.
Other Rural Development Leadership Award nominees include:
Michael Pavey, City of Rushville
The Robert O. Zdenek Staff Member of the Year Award, sponsored by Brightpoint, recognizes the outstanding professional leadership and commitment of a staff person working for a community economic development organization.
Presented to: Anthony Bridgeman, PNC Bank
Anthony Bridgeman is passionate about real estate finance, urban planning, government relations, and event management. His career includes roles in large neighborhood improvement projects, convening coalitions, community outreach, case management, educational support services, and post-secondary education scholarships.
Having previously been a Multifamily Housing Tax Credit Analyst at IHCDA and a Loan Specialist at Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership, Bridgeman's current role is said to require “patience, unique insights and understanding of a broad range of community development tools like HOME, CDBG, New Market Tax Credits, Opportunity Zones, and more to serve client’s needs.”
Bridgeman serves on a variety of boards and speaks regularly on an array of topics thanks to vast expertise related to education, community development, and human services. Additionally, he was instrumental in building momentum to highlight an unsung Black American in his community, Marshall "Major" Taylor.
Other Staff Member of the Year nominees include:
Adam Johnson, Elevate Indianapolis
The Key Award for Supportive Services Program of the Year, sponsored by Merchants Bank of Indiana, honors excellence and innovation in a service-oriented community development initiative.
Presented to: Master It Series for Inmates, Lacasa, Inc.
Through partnerships with local agencies and employers, the Master It Series for Inmates connects Lacasa with people who would normally have been out of the organization's reach. The program involved collaboration between more than 25 partners to benefit nearly 200 participants over the past year. Volunteers include bankers, loan originators, realtors, and other housing and financial industry professionals.
The program provides financial education courses paired with low-barrier banking and credit-building opportunities, including free checking and savings accounts as well as credit builder loans for those who complete the coursework. While originally adapted to educate inmates in the men's ward of the local jail, three of the courses have been modified and are being taught to female inmates as well.
Other Key Award nominees include:
Garvin Lofts, ECHO Housing Corporation
HomePower, Intend Indiana
Triumph Senior Care
Special Olympics, Hamilton County
Brown Faces Green Spaces, Gary Community Partnership Corporation
Level Up Program, United Way Northwest Indiana
Housing Hub Initiative, Horizon House
The Indiana Association for Community Economic Development d/b/a Prosperity Indiana builds a better future for our communities by providing advocacy, leveraging resources, and engaging an empowered network of members to create inclusive opportunities that build assets and improve lives. Since its founding in 1986, Prosperity Indiana’s network has grown to nearly 200 organizations, representing thousands of practitioners statewide from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
Contact: Jessica Love | 317-222-1221 | jlove@prosperityindiana.org
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Prosperity Indiana is pleased to announce that First Financial Bank awarded the organization a $45,000 grant to expand the capacity and the impact of the Indiana Assets & Opportunity Network. This financial support will allow Prosperity Indiana to implement the goals of the A&O Network’s strategic plan, including advancing the community economic development field by delivering programming, training, and peer-to-peer networking for asset-building practitioners.
The Indiana A&O Network aims to improve connectivity between cross-sector and asset-building professionals; increase knowledge and use of best practices through participation in professional training; advance equity by prioritizing strategies that affect Indiana’s most vulnerable populations; and support partners in alleviating barriers to wealth through education, workforce development, and other asset-building strategies.
The Asset Funders Network defines asset building as “how individuals, families, and communities gather the resources that will move them towards economic well-being, for now and for years to come.”
The Indiana A&O Network, staffed by Prosperity Indiana’s new coalition coordinator, is working with a steering committee to provide responsive leadership to a segment of the field serving low- and moderate-income households, and especially households of color, that have been significantly impacted by the economic downturn.
“Our support for Prosperity Indiana adds to our work to help our clients and communities thrive, especially in low-to-moderate income neighborhoods,” said Roddell McCullough, chief corporate responsibility officer for First Financial Bank. “This funding will make a positive impact in areas such as affordable housing, financial empowerment and access to bank services, each of which is key as we focus on improving financial well-being in our communities.”
First Financial Bank and the First Financial Foundation take a strong leadership role in the community and made donations of more than $4 million in 2021 alone.
“At Prosperity Indiana, we have seen firsthand the commitments that First Financial Bank and the First Financial Foundation have made to improve the quality of life for the people and places they serve,” said Jessica Love, Prosperity Indiana’s executive director. “First Financial’s support in advancing the efforts of PI and the A&O Network to provide equitable access to social and economic opportunity are critical to supporting families looking to move up the economic ladder.”
About First Financial Bancorp.
First Financial Bancorp. is a Cincinnati, Ohio based bank holding company. As of June 30, 2022, the Company had $16.2 billion in assets, $9.4 billion in loans, $12.3 billion in deposits and $2.1 billion in shareholders’ equity. The Company’s subsidiary, First Financial Bank, founded in 1863, provides banking and financial services products through its six lines of business: Commercial, Retail Banking, Investment Commercial Real Estate, Mortgage Banking, Commercial Finance and Wealth Management. These business units provide traditional banking services to business and retail clients. Wealth Management provides wealth planning, portfolio management, trust and estate, brokerage and retirement plan services and had approximately $3.0 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2022. The Company operated 135 full service banking centers as of June 30, 2022, primarily in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois, while the Commercial Finance business lends into targeted industry verticals on a nationwide basis. Additional information about the Company, including its products, services and banking locations, is available at www.bankatfirst.com.
About the Indiana Assets & Opportunity Network
The Network creates learning opportunities for community leaders, advocates on policies that affect low-to-moderate income families, and builds capacity for organizations aimed to increase financial stability. It is co-led by Prosperity Indiana which is a member organization skilled at building vibrant communities and resilient families; and the Indiana Community Action Poverty Institute (ICAPI) which is a program of the Indiana Community Action Association, skilled in research, policy analysis, and advocacy. The Network is directed by a diverse steering committee to help establish program and policy focus. They meet bi-monthly to help identify funding sources, opportunities, and coalition partners.
May 25, 2022
CONTACT: Jessica Love | (317) 222-1221 x402| jlove@prosperityindiana.org
Prior to joining Prosperity Indiana, Crumley had experience in program management, economic inclusion research, and consulting in the public and nonprofit sectors including with CDFI Friendly Bloomington, Downtown Bloomington Inc., and the City of South Bend. She earned her Bachelor of Public Affairs with a major of Nonprofit Management and Leadership and her Master of Public Affairs with a concentration in Community and Economic Development, both from the Indiana University O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs in Bloomington.
Crumley said, “My professional background and passion lies in people-oriented community building and the importance of racial and economic equity. I am greatly looking forward to serving Prosperity Indiana members as a resource connector, convener of people, active listener, transparent communicator, best practices educator, and advocate for all Hoosiers.”
Prosperity Indiana is excited to welcome Crumley as a “Piece of the PI.”
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