On October 5 and 6, Indianapolis will host the Midwest Asset Building Conference. The Conference will convene asset building coalitions from five states in the Midwest—Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio—to learn about the challenges present in the asset building field and work toward identifying viable solutions. Fundamental to each challenge, from the small business credit gap to the pervasiveness of predatory financial practices to the racial wealth divide, is the objective to create and retain wealth.

Wealth creation refers to the process of accumulating assets while wealth retention refers to the ability to maintain ownership of existing assets. Wealth creation and retention are both an individual phenomenon, e.g., an investor purchasing stock, as well as a community phenomenon, e.g., a major employer divesting itself from a community.

A community-level example that has recently gained prominence in political discourse is the loss of manufacturing jobs in the rust-belt. Communities that were once vibrant manufacturing towns have felt the impact of employer divestment. The opioid crisis, which disproportionately affects rust-belt manufacturing communities, is one example of how loss of wealth destabilizes the economic well-being of families, as well as communities’ very social fabric. 

The Conference will discuss these structural problems—three of which are the small business credit gap, predatory financial products and practices, and the racial wealth divide.

Small businesses, which feel market swings more acutely than big businesses, are denied credit at a much higher rate. The credit gap is especially pronounced for minority-, women-, and rural-owned businesses—consequently, decreasing their opportunity to build wealth. 

Predatory financial products and practices—from student loans to debt collection to payday loans—continue to strip wealth from families, and particularly from communities of color. Sixty percent of payday loan borrowers in Indiana take out a new loan the day they pay off the old loan, which pushes borrowers into a debt trap that impacts the entire state’s economy. In Indiana, payday loans drain an estimated $70 million from the economy each year. 

In America, the typical white family holds 16 times more wealth than the typical black family. The racial wealth divide is a consequence of wealth-building policies that were designed to disadvantage people of color. As America moves toward becoming a majority-minority nation, the racial wealth divide worsens the political and economic outcomes for the entire country.

So what’s a community development practitioner to do? 

Attend the Midwest Asset Building Conference to find out! We’ll be discussing solutions—both universal and unique to the diverse communities in which we work, including:  

·         The benefits of the cooperative business model

·         Consumer protections and innovations in payday loan alternatives

·         Solutions to rectify the inequities implicit in past wealth-building policies

Is your community interested in local food as a tool for prosperity and resilience? Prosperity Indiana is proud to partner with Purdue Extension to sponsor the upcoming Indiana Food Summit on September 25-26 in Indianapolis. This event provides learning, networking and sharing opportunities for the people, communities and organizations working to create an Indiana food system that is more resilient, economically vibrant and diverse. 

Prosperity Indiana staff will be participating on two different panel discussions. Kathleen Lara, Policy Director, will be a panelist on Engaging Your Elected Officials: How to tell your story and make it meaningful for our representatives, and Allyson Mitchell, Director of Sustainability, will be participating on the panel entitled Sustainability, Quality of Place, Economic Development and….Local Food?

 We hope Prosperity Indiana members will attend this event to learn more about how local food and community economic development are complementary. Register for the event by September 19 at this link. 

Hello Members,

My name is Matt Watkins, and I recently began my policy internship with Prosperity Indiana. I am currently a Junior at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) studying Civic Leadership and Policy Studies within the School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA). I pursued an internship with Prosperity Indiana because I share the organizations fundamental belief in the importance of community and I want to contribute to the advancement of policies that promote economic development and upward social mobility. After graduation, I plan to pursue further education and a subsequent career that focuses on public service work that promotes strong communities, as communities are the foundation of our society at large.  I am thrilled to work with you and on your behalf alongside Prosperity Indiana staff.

A week into my internship, I had the opportunity to attend the annual meeting for the Indiana Coalition for Human Services (ICHS).  Prosperity Indiana is one of 28 ICHS member organizations utilizing the power of their collective impact to empower Hoosiers striving to reach their full potential.  I wanted to share a few key updates from that meeting that are particularly important to Prosperity Indiana’s members.

Two speakers were featured at the event.  Tamara Fucile, the Director for Government Affairs for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, focused on federal budget updates and MaryBeth Musumeci, the Associate Director at the Program on Medicaid, and the Uninsured for the Kaiser Family Foundation, gave a federal Medicaid update.

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: Key Points of Discussion

• If the debt ceiling is not raised by September 29^th, there is a potential for default. Treasury Secretary Mnuchin, however, is calling for a “clean increase” – which means that there are not any additional provisions such as cuts to entitlement programs attached to the raise.  Ms. Fucile expressed that this move could help mitigate the potential for government default
• It is expected that Congress will attempt to use the budget resolution process as a mechanism to pass tax reform, just as members of Congress attempted to do with the Affordable Care Act
• Non-Defense discretionary spending is falling to relative historic lows

Kaiser Family Foundation: Key Points of Discussion

• Medicaid accounts for 57% of federal revenue for states, and reductions would have large budget implications
• The uninsured rate has decreased everywhere, but especially in Medicaid expansion states
• “All eyes are on Indiana” regarding state Medicaid waivers
• Between 2005 and 2015, national opioid death rate increased from 5.1 to 10.4 per 100,000 people

In addition to the presentations, ICHS leaders outlined coalition successes from the past year and previewed the work that lies ahead for 2018. Over the course of the past year, ICHS advanced legislation addressing suicide prevention and increased the number of social workers in Indiana by reforming social work licensing requirements. Additionally, ICHS members, including Prosperity Indiana, were able to prevent a bill that expanded payday lending in Indiana. Legislative priorities for the upcoming legislative session include firearms regulation, defense for parents with children within the Department of Child Services system, nonprofit property tax exemption, and food deserts.

The ICHS annual meeting was a great way for me to become more familiar with the work that Prosperity Indiana and our partners carry out. I was able to see how ICHS leveraged the power of their members to advance policy goals and legislation to improve the lives of Hoosiers throughout the state. I am looking forward to assisting Prosperity Indiana members and our policy team to do just that over the next three months. Please feel free to reach out to me at mwatkins@prosperityindiana.org.

Smaller post-industrial cities are taking strategic steps to regenerate by building on downtowns, capitalizing on a unique sense of place, and focusing on workforce development, according to a new report published by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy in partnership with the Greater Ohio Policy Center.

 The report, Revitalizing America’s Smaller Legacy Cities: Strategies for Postindustrial Success from Gary to Lowell, emphasizes how America’s smaller legacy cities – cities located primarily in the Midwest and Northeast with 30,000 to 200,000 residents and traditional economies built around manufacturing – have long been central to building American middle class prosperity.

The Indiana cities of Gary, South Bend, and Muncie are highlighted for their strategies and the opportunities they are pursuing. This report lays out eight strategies that are helping to revitalize small and midsize legacy cities around the country. 

These eight strategies include initiatives that organize neighbors and leadership, decide collectively on strategy, and build the capacity to execute. Regular blog readers familiar with the comprehensive community development strategies Prosperity Indiana advocates will recognize key themes in the reports strategies:

• Build Civic Capacity and Talent
  
• Encourage a Shared Vision
• Expand Opportunities for Low-Income Workers
• Build on an Authentic Sense of Place
• Focus Regional Efforts on Rebuilding a Strong Downtown
• Engage in Community and Strategic Planning
• Stabilize Distressed Neighborhoods
• Strategically Leverage State Policies

Because the opioid crisis has become such an epidemic that it must be tackled from multiple angles by a variety of stakeholders, InsightFormation is conducting a free webinar and tour of its online Opioid Coalition Resource Hub (OCRH), to which it is now providing free access. The OCRH was built using a cloud-based comprehensive strategy map to outline goals, strategies, action steps, and recommended measures for tackling what has now been deemed a national emergency. For more information on the OCRH system and the upcoming webinar being held at 11 am EDT, Tuesday, August 29, click here. 

As part of an expanded focus on sustainability initiatives, Prosperity Indiana is a sponsor of the 2nd Annual Climate Leadership Summit, hosted by Earth Charter Indiana on September 13 at the Garfield Park Arts Center in Indianapolis. The full-day event brings together mayors, town managers, and local leadership from across the state to focus on cooperative and independent work towards making Hoosier cities leaders on climate action.

Allyson Mitchell, Director of Sustainability for Prosperity Indiana, will be moderating a panel discussion, titled “Local Energy Solutions for Climate Resilience,” which will highlight energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions for local governments and their residents. We encourage Prosperity Indiana members to invite their local government officials to attend and bring a delegation of leaders to engage in a day of learning and collaboration about climate solutions.

“If their income stops, 44 percent of all households -- and 25 percent of middle-class households -- have less than three months of savings to draw upon without falling into poverty.”

This statistic and other eye-opening facts about the current state of family assets can be found in Strategic Philanthropy - Integrating Investments in Asset Building: A Framework for Impact.

With figures like these, even those who are gainfully employed could find themselves needing nonprofit services or resources in the aftermath of a serious life event, such as a job loss or health crisis. And this number doesn’t even include those already living below the poverty line.

This summer saw key budget bills moving through the appropriations process in the House and the Senate. The House Appropriations Committee has moved forward bills pertaining to the Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Agriculture, Treasury and the Small Business Administration, and Labor and Health and Human Services.  Similarly, the Senate has started moving bills, including their proposal for the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

We have previously covered the Administration’s budget proposals, initial House and Senate hearings, and what they mean for critical community development programs on our blog. Those posts can be found by clicking the links below:

·       President's Budget Proposal Would Eliminate Funding for Critical Community Programs

·       Here We Go Again ... President's Budget Begins Fiscal Year 2018 Federal Funding Process

·       Sec. Carson Defends Administration’s Deep Cuts to Housing Programs in Testimony

Now we are focused on the steps ahead.  Prosperity Indiana’s policy team has examined agency budget justifications and these congressional proposals to highlight programs that are critical to our members to help inform our advocacy response. The comprehensive budget chart will be updated as figures are released.

What lies ahead?

Following the August recess, Congress will reconvene and have to move forward with a continuing resolution, or a stop-gap funding measure, to prevent a federal budget shutdown before the Sept. 30 deadline.   That will merely extend current funding levels, so they will also continue to work on passing their broad FY18 proposals or budget resolution.  Given that there is currently no agreement on spending caps, getting both chambers to come to an agreement on these proposals appears to be a tall order. 

If/when they can pass that resolution, Congress can move forward with budget reconciliation.  That simply means they can negotiate bills and pass them without a filibuster in the Senate.  This is key as many Republicans have expressed that they could use this process to enact key tax reform measures without confronting filibuster rules.  Funding bills circulated so far include dramatic cuts or the elimination of essential federal programs such as SNAP, TANF, child care, LIHEAP, CDBG/HOME, and AFI to name just a few.  While the Senate and the House restored some of the funding targeted in President Trump’s proposal, there are still cuts that would be devastating to Hoosiers struggling to make ends meet and organizations throughout the state working hard to build strong communities.

Please stay tuned to our blog/alerts for key updates and action alerts as we will be activating our members ahead of Congressional budget action.  We need your voice!

Prosperity Indiana is excited to announce that Rachel Mattingly will become its first Director of Training Services. In this role, Rachel will develop and coordinate training and professional development content for Prosperity Indiana members across a variety of platforms. Take our survey to share your training priorities!

Prosperity Indiana has long been known by members for providing exceptional training opportunities. Whether bringing in a national leader for a statewide training or developing customized content for a member’s needs, Prosperity Indiana seeks to provide affordable access to high quality content. Through the creation of the Department of Training Services, we hope to expand on this success to further professional development in the field.

Prosperity Indiana currently provides professional development opportunities and other content in several important ways. Perhaps the resource best known to members is classroom training. The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority has supported a series of courses for several years to tackle topics in affordable housing, housing counseling, green building certification, aging in place, and more. There are five courses still to come in the 2017 training calendar, bringing in national leaders as well as local experts. Did you know that in addition to coordinating this statewide training program, Prosperity Indiana develops and delivers content for local members every year? Whether facilitating a board retreat, providing an evening training for residents, or leading leadership development for staff, we help our members fill their training gaps and needs.

Outside the classroom, webinars are a quick and effective way to connect members with expertise. A library of past webinars is available to members anytime, and new webinars can be found on our event calendar. Webinars allow Prosperity Indiana to address timely questions, such as legislative updates or the effects of new policies, as well as to share content on programs, partnership opportunities, or other resources. The Resource Library provides links, tools, and other resources to make it easy to find the information you need. The Library is updated regularly, and suggestions are always welcome.

For many professionals, networking and peer-to-peer learning opportunities are also an important part of their professional development. That’s why Prosperity Indiana facilitates Connection Point calls, where peers can meet to discuss important topics; hosts online forums to keep conversations going; and assists members with identifying and connecting with mentors from across our network.

Also, coming this fall, Prosperity Indiana will launch the Envision Collaborative -- a new training model aimed at developing leadership across the community. Practitioners from all fields, as well as residents, are invited to participate in this two-day course that will focus on developing personal leadership skills to create stronger, healthier neighborhoods. Watch for more details to be released soon! If you're interested in sponsoring a resident leader or practitioner to attend the Envision Collaborative, contact Rachel directly. 

What are your goals for professional development and training? Share your priorities, as well as your training preferences, by taking our survey. Your participation will help us set strategy around our training plan to better meet the needs of our members and advance the field of community economic development. You can also contact Rachel at rmattingly@prosperityindiana.org or 317-454-8542 to discuss training opportunities.

My name is Kaytlin Eastes, and I recently began my term as Prosperity Indiana’s Member Capacity Building AmeriCorps VISTA. I am a recent graduate of the University of Evansville, where I studied Public Health and Psychology. I was drawn to AmeriCorps VISTA because I want to work in community development; and this position with Prosperity Indiana gives me more opportunities, responsibility, and exposure to different aspects of community development than I would have received in any other entry level position. I wholeheartedly support Prosperity Indiana’s holistic approach to community development, and I am excited to learn and contribute throughout the upcoming year.  

Along with supporting the Capacity Building team and working on the Outcomes Platform, I will be developing a new member service: Capacity Building Project Assistance. The purpose of this service is to provide Prosperity Indiana members with short-term, project-based capacity building help. If your organization is looking to create or expand a program, or could otherwise benefit from short-term assistance from an AmeriCorps VISTA, submit a request using this form.