Piece of the PI: Newsletter
A monthly publication for the members of Prosperity Indiana
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Executive Director's Letter
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“If you learn nothing else from me today, I want you to know one thing: You know those paper seat covers in the bathrooms at airports, for instance? Well, you can just sit on them, and then go to the bathroom. You don’t actually have to push out that little center part. So there, now hopefully you’ve learned something from me today.”
Those were the opening remarks (or a close representation of them) made by a speaker at a women’s conference that I attended February 2-3, 2017. And you know what? I know she was a great speaker; but honestly, I don’t remember anything else she said that day. But this morsel, this little nugget of knowledge, plus one other truly poignant comment from another speaker (which actually informed my decision – 11 months after I heard it – to apply for the executive director role five years ago), made the whole conference worth it to me.
And while I trust that attendees at next week’s Prosperity Indiana Summit (register today!) will take LOTS of little nuggets of knowledge away from our event, I can speak from experience that taking away just one or two can change your life.
Speaking of life-changing moments and decisions, I have an announcement to make:
After over 12 years at Prosperity Indiana, and nearly five years as executive director (since March 5, 2018), I have made the difficult, but exciting, decision to accept an ED position with a different organization.
Difficult because I love all things Prosperity Indiana: the team, the board, the network, the mission, the impact. Difficult because so many positive things are happening and percolating at PI, and I won’t be an integral part of making that happen anymore. Difficult because I’ll be doing things I’ve never done in my career before. But also exciting because I’ll be doing things I’ve never done in my career before – I kind of like a challenge.
Also exciting because the organization is ready.
Over the past year, knowing that I would need to be further from the weeds of our work to do the kind of strategic thinking that PI needs to advance all of the new things in development or ready for development in 2023, I started pulling back from being part of so many day-to-day programmatic decisions that I had grown accustomed to making with a newer team. But the team of directors for the organization – we have a director for Resources (capacity building), one for Engagement (member services), one for Advocacy (public policy), and one for Operations & Programs (CLC & Outcomes Platform) – isn’t new to PI anymore. They have been here. Together, they oversee each critical element of the REAP framework that we use to deploy our mission. They know the organization. I’ve watched these directors grow as leaders over the course of 2022. As a result, they already have many great things planned for 2023.
I’ve also spent the past year “ruthlessly interrogating” our practices (I think that’s what one board member called it?) by evaluating how we stack up against Leap Ambassadors’ performance pillars. And while I planned to be the one to pull all of those identified strengths and gaps together for a new strategic plan myself this year, the hard part of that work is done; and regardless of how the next executive uses the data collected and analysis performed, the board surely knows far more about how the organization runs than it normally would after a year of board meetings. PI has a very strong board, and the board is ready.
Additionally, the financials look good, and we’ve had lots of promising discussions about new opportunities to fund the next level of PI’s work in 2023 and beyond.
PI has the resources – people, expertise, and financial support – that it needs to succeed, and I couldn’t be prouder of the work I’ve had the honor to be part of through this incredible organization. But the fact is, the words of that “other” conference speaker from six years ago – the words that inspired me to pursue being PI’s ED five years ago – also told me it was time to leave. I shared these words with PI’s search committee back in February 2018, and then more recently, with the search committee from my new board at RIPEA as well:
“You go where you’re sent, and you stay where you’re put, and give what you’ve got, until you’re done.”
The time has come where I can confidently say, “I’m done.”
I wasn’t done in February 2018. Thankfully, the board agreed and hired me as ED. And I wasn’t even done in February 2022.
But come February 3, 2023 – six years to the day since I heard those fateful “until you’re done” comments from Jill Briscoe – I will officially be done, and I couldn’t be prouder of the team and board and growth that I’m leaving behind.
And thankfully, we already had a big party, aka the 2023 Prosperity Indiana Summit, planned for February 1, where we can celebrate the great things happening across the state with about 200 of my favorite people.
I hope you’re planning to be one of them! You just might learn a thing or two!
Thanks, as always, for being a Piece of the PI network! |
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Jessica Love
Executive Director |
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Sponsor
Piece of the PI is sponsored by the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis (FHLBI). |
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We REAP prosperity by providing Resources, Engagement, Advocacy, and Programs that support our members' work! |
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Just for Developers
PI is collaborating with JumpStart
Martindale Brightwood on “Jumpinars” to increase the skills of all Indiana
affordable housing developers. Please mark your calendar for the following
virtual events:
- Housing Market Analysis - February 16, 2023, 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
- LIHTC Funding - March 16, 2023, 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
- Site Control & Purchase Agreements - April 13, 2023, 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
Responding to Media Requests
The
Center for Nonviolence in Fort Wayne engaged PI to provide a three-part
training program to increase staff skills in preparing and participating in
media interviews. The series will address messaging, preparation, and
presentation techniques to help further the Center’s mission. If you or your
organization is asked to comment on issues in your community, contact Marie Beason to discuss bringing these
trainings to your organization or your community.
Tools You Can Use
Planning your 2023 communication strategy? We recommend Small Shop Strategies’ Rules of Crisis Communications for Nonprofits, an informative and easy-to-read blog post that will help you increase your skills in crisis communications. |
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2023 Prosperity Indiana Summit
Prosperity Indiana’s statewide annual Summit is NEXT WEEK, February 1, 2023 at the Marriott Downtown Indianapolis! If you haven’t registered yet, please do so by Friday, Jan 27, 2023. Don’t forget to use your one FREE TICKET with membership! If not using, please notify membership@prosperityindiana.org, and we will give it to a prospective member to help get them in the network.
Summit attendees will receive an event packet by email this Friday. It will include the summit agenda, parking details, sponsor table set up instructions, award nominee information, an event layout map, and more.
2023 Member Packets
Member Packets for 2023 will be sent in February to all individuals in membership bundles. It will go over your membership benefits and include a tip sheet to maximize them.
2023 Member Survey
Look for your annual membership survey coming soon in February. We rely on your feedback every year and read every single suggestion. If you would like specific questions included in this year’s survey, please email Rita O’Donohue.
2023 Incoming Board Members
Prosperity Indiana is proud to announce its three newest Board Members:
- Angela Byers, Vice President, Director of Community Development Administration & Outreach, First Financial Bank
- Marie Morse, Executive Director, HomesteadCS and Community Loan Center of West Central Indiana
- DeAndre Wilson, Co-Founder, Impact Evansville
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Send Us Your Newsletter
Please add membership@prosperityindiana.org to your newsletter, and we will add your events, news, job opportunities, and needs to this newsletter mailing list. Please note that a link to your content is required. |
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Prosperity Indiana State House Day
Join us on February 2 for in-person legislator meetings at the Statehouse in Indianapolis during this important budget year session to talk about our 2023 Policy Agenda. Your participation and voice is crucial to encourage the Indiana General Assembly to invest in affordable housing, community development resources, and asset building and consumer protections. In preparation for Statehouse Day, we strongly encourage PI members and partners to attend Prosperity Indiana Advocacy Academy’s last session, Advocacy 103: The Plan, at 11 a.m. on January 27, 2023.
We'll meet at the Marriott Downtown Indianapolis for a light breakfast on February 2, and then march over to the Statehouse for Prosperity Indiana's Statehouse Day. After that we'll gather in the North Atrium for networking and remarks from special guests, including Diane Yentel, President & CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, and spend the morning attending legislator meetings together, gathering groups for insider walking tours, taking action through letter writing, and attending live legislative committee meetings. Register today! |
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Want Tailored Policy Updates? Join Our Coalitions
If you have a specific interest in housing, asset building, and/or consumer protections, consider joining one or more of Prosperity Indiana’s statewide advocacy coalitions. This legislative session, we’ll be keeping our coalitions up-to-date on their specific issue priorities through meetings, newsletters, action alerts, and automatically updated bill watchlists.
Unsure if you’re already subscribed to a coalition, or want to subscribe to another one? No problem. Just log in to your Prosperity Indiana account. Then go to your account profile by clicking your name in the top right corner. You can change your email subscriptions by clicking ‘Edit profile’ and then scrolling down to the email subscription checkboxes. Need help? Email Coalition Coordinator Hale Crumley.
Register for the Annual Indiana Assets & Opportunity Network Breakfast
Asset building, by definition, is how individuals, families, and communities gather the resources that will move them towards economic well-being, for now and for years to come. Traditionally we’ve focused on financial interventions such as building savings, buying a home, pursuing education, or starting a business. Recently, we have added access to healthcare to the conversation about assets. But what if we are still missing one foundational aspect of asset building? Using both story and science, our 2023 A&O Breakfast speaker will highlight the ways that chronic toxic stress impacts those who are trying to exit poverty and the helpers that are supporting them, and recommend strategies for recovery, healing, and care that can make our asset-building efforts more effective and impactful.
Help us kick off the 2023 Prosperity Indiana Summit on February 1 and hear more about this topic from featured speaker Anna Schoon, Vice President of Planning and Business Development at Northwest Indiana Community Action Corporation. Even if you can’t make it to the Summit this year, consider registering for this great event brought to us by AARP Indiana.
Hoosier Housing Needs Coalition General Body Meeting
The Indiana General Assembly 2023 legislative session has officially begun, and housing bills are being introduced left and right. Join us on January 27, 2023 at 2 p.m. via Zoom for our policy digest for a deep dive into which bills have gotten our attention so far and why. We'll be joined by Lindsay Duvall, Senior Housing Advocacy Organizer with the National Low Income Housing Coalition, who will provide us with a federal policy update. We'll also be discussing how you can get an in-person meeting with your legislator at Prosperity Indiana's Statehouse Day. Come listen, learn, and network with your peers. Register today! |
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Emerging Social Media Trends for Nonprofits Webinar
Nonprofits need to embrace a social media strategy of flexibility and early adoption to ensure success, but how is this accomplished? Join Nonprofit Tech for Good on February 22, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern at the Emerging Social Media Trends for Nonprofits webinar to learn about emerging trends in social media and how they impact nonprofit digital communications and fundraising. Topics will include the rise of streaming fundraisers on Twitch, how Gen Z uses social media with a focus on TikTok and Snapchat, the potential of social VR platforms in the metaverse (such as Meta's Horizon Worlds), how to launch a Ambassador Program for your nonprofit, and how to grow your social media following. Cost: $20. Click here to register.
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Leading Through Change Webinar
Wondering why your big project never seems to get off the ground? You may be making an important communication mistake. Join the Nonprofit HR Peer Group on February 9, 2023 at 8:30 a.m. to learn why people do and don't change at work, what your colleagues need to overcome their resistance, and how to create a communication plan to get more people engaged faster.
Register for the Leading Your Team Through Change webinar here. |
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Strengthening Youth Programs in Indiana- Grant Opportunity
The Lilly Endowment has announced a competitive initiative, Strengthening Youth Programs in Indiana (SYPI), to help advance the academic, physical, and social development of Indiana youth. SYPI will support and strengthen eligible youth-serving organizations that provide programs and services to youth (ages five through 18) in communities in Indiana.
The Endowment expects grant amounts to range from $60,000 up to $1 million. Proposals are due by 12 p.m. EDT on May 1, 2023. Funding decisions are expected to be made during fall 2023.
The Endowment will consider applications through Indiana youth-serving organizations seeking SYPI funding in one or more of the following categories: - Program grants that help to expand or enhance existing programs for Indiana youth or initiate new programs to serve their emerging needs.
- Capacity-building grants that strengthen youth-serving organizations' operations.
- Capital grants that help youth-serving organizations renovate their physical spaces to provide safe and stimulating environments for youth or help the organization purchase needed equipment. Click here for more information. |
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Applications Open for The Elevation Grant Program
The Elevation Grant Program (previously known as the Violent Crime Prevention Grant Program) will invest $45 million in neighborhoods over 2023 and 2024 to address the root causes of violent crime in Indianapolis through a comprehensive neighborhood empowerment and community building approach.
The desired outcomes of the grant are to address the numerous root causes of violent crime, increase resident-led solutions, discover new innovative efforts, invest in infrastructure development for grassroots organization, and ensure that hope, abundance, peace, resilience, and safety are expressed and elevated. Applicants must be located in Marion County. Grant awards will range from $20,000 - $250,000. Applications for the third round of funding close March 3, 2023. Learn more here. |
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COVID-19 & How to Stay Healthy |
Prosperity Indiana's Response
Prosperity Indiana team members are operating in a hybrid work arrangement. We are hosting in-person meetings and events and traveling to member sites for in-person gatherings. Watch for more upcoming events here. We will continue to:
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COVID-19 Housing Resources
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For a complete list of the state's various emergency rental assistance programs, visit the Housing4Hoosiers COVID-19 Assistance & Resources page.
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The Indy Affordable Modification Program (IndyAMP) allows Marion County homeowners negatively affected by COVID-19 to refinance mortgage debt at a below-market interest rate for up to 30 years. IndyAMP allows owners to remain in their homes, become current with their mortgages, and lower their monthly payments.
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COVID-19 Resources for Homeowners provides information for FHA-insured mortgages on the foreclosure moratorium and how to apply for mortgage forbearance. |
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Contact Us
Prosperity Indiana is here to support you. The best way to reach us is always via email. Here is a link to contact information for full-time staff.
If you have specific suggestions for webinars, FB live chats, or other resources for us to share related to COVID-19 or other topics, please reach out to our team.
Questions about your membership can be directed to Rita O'Donohue.
Visit our blog for more of the latest community economic development news in Indiana.
Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn!
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Support Prosperity Indiana while youshop with AmazonSmile!
Shopping on Amazon.com? Switch to our AmazonSmile page, and Amazon will donate a percentage of your purchase to Prosperity Indiana! |
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Prosperity Indiana 1099 N. Meridian Street, Suite 170, Indianapolis, IN 46204 (317) 222-1221 This email was sent to {Contact_Email}. If you no longer wish to receive email from Prosperity Indiana, click here. |
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