Community L.I.F.T. Inc. (LIFT) is seeking to update the 2015 State of the CDC (Community Development Corporation) Industry report. The last report produced in 2015 established a base of evidence and suggested a new direction and strategic framework for LIFT and other local partners to develop a more unified and effective approach to strengthen CDC capacity throughout the city.

In the report, we aim to collect evidence that:

1. Shows progress in the CDC industry because of increased investment by LIFT and others;
2. Evaluates investments into CDCs (Has capacity-building resulted in the increase of CDCs or more CDC activity? Have CDCs been able to leverage additional funds using LIFT's capacity building fund?);
3. Identify specific CDC industry needs and make a stronger case for support to expand CDC investments in those areas; and
4. Evaluates and projects the economic impact of projects either led or shepherded by CDCs.

The information collected and analyzed for this report will come from records of community development corporations and public sources and will include qualitative data not comparable across all organizations. Additionally, the selected researcher or team of researchers will collect anecdotal evidence of the industry's impact through interview and other methods.

The report will serve as a call to action, providing a clear set of recommendations for improving the efficacy of service and organizational capacity of CDCs. These recommendations will apply to the organizations themselves, the philanthropic community, the business community, the public sector, neighborhood leaders, and LIFT.

Responses must be sent by NOVEMBER 15, 2020 no later than 5:00 pm (Central Time) to:

Nefertiti Orrin
Community LIFT
119 Court Avenue, Suite 100
Memphis, Tennessee 38103
(901)521-4232 Ext. 227
nefertiti@communitylift.org