Volume 2, Issue 5

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IS YOUR

ORGANIZATION

READY FOR THE

DIGITAL AGE? JULY 2012

Volume 2, Issue 5

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ACHANGE’S MISSION:  

To collectively promote quality

affordable housing and community

economic development in Arkansas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pictured  on cover:  Fox16’s Donna Terrell is live streamed by 

Connect Arkansas during HouseAbou t’s 3rd annual Small City 

Economic Leadership and Empowerment Summit.  

IN THIS MONTH’S ISSUE

3 Time for ACHANGE!

4 Chairman’s Corner

5 Building a Stronger

Nonprofit, pt. 4

6 August 14 meeting news

7 Federal News

8 Coming Attractions

9 Digital Resources

10 Executive Committee/

Contact Info

 

 

 

HOW CONNECTED IS YOUR

ORGANIZATION?

LET US KNOW!

Complete a short online survey by clicking here!

Volume 2, Issue 5

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TIME FOR ACHANGE! The technology geek in me had a wonderful time on Friday, July 27,

thanks to ACHANGE member HouseAboutIt, Connect Arkansas,

and Apple. Thanks to this threesome, I was able to attend the 3rd

Annual Small City Economic Leadership and Empowerment Summit

in two ways—simultaneously. Even stepping out of the room, I didn’t

have to miss a thing. Why?

Thanks to a little thing called “live streaming” and ConnectARTV, I was able to watch a live

broadcast of the afternoon’s session on my phone.

We live in exciting times! Now, with the mere swipe of a screen, you can chat with each other,

receive training, watch an event live while commenting on it (yes, I had to try that feature out

too!) and download apps and books as soon as they are mentioned. As soon as Connect

Arkansas mentioned that “there was an app for that”, I downloaded that app and watched some

of the sessions on my phone. I was also able to get some great screenshots from there as well

(thanks Apple!).

How connected is your organization? Does your organization have the tools it needs to be an

active digital participant today? How much have you kept up with what’s available out there?

Does anyone on your staff have the skills

to keep your organization in the fast lane?

It might be time to have a look at that.

That’s why it’s time for ACHANGE.

WebEx anyone?

Debra Banks

Program Manager

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CHAIRMAN’S CORNER

IT’S GREAT TO BE A MEMBER!

One of the great things about membership with ACHANGE is the

opportunity to network with great members! Our members have a

wealth of information to share, and being a member of a state

association is a wonderful way to get the information that you need.

ACHANGE is growing, and to ensure that those networking relationships remain strong, we

conduct bi-monthly meetings. Those meetings provide us with the opportunity to learn and

grow together while we network.

I urge you to join us on August 14 and meet some of our newest members. You can also learn

more about how members can contribute to making ACHANGE even better! You are an

integral part of helping families have decent, safe, affordable housing. You are also an integral

part of ACHANGE’s growth and sustainability!

There is still much to do, but together, we can get it done.

I value my membership with ACHANGE, and I

hope that you do too!

See you on the 14th!

Karen Phillips ACHANGE Board Chair

 

 

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Building a Stronger Nonprofit Foundation

Pt. 4: Building Your Best Board

Nonprofit organizations must be governed by a board of directors.

Building the best board for your organization requires that you

consider factors like roles, composition and structure, functioning and

the relationship with the CEO.

1. Roles

The organization should have current articles of incorporation and

bylaws in place that are reviewed and carefully followed. Basic policies should reflect the

distinction between the management role of the CEO and the boards’ role. Board member

roles, responsibilities and expectations should be clearly described.

2. Board Composition and Structure

Before selecting new board members, set criteria that will ensure that the board has the

necessary diversity, representation and special skills needed. Does the number of board

members allow the board to perform committee assignments? No more than one paid

employee can serve on the board, and the majority of the board is not connected by

relationships that might impair independent judgment. The board should have term limits.

Board committees duties do not mirror staff responsibilities. The CEO, Board Chair and

Treasurer must be held by separate persons.

3. Board Functioning

Does your board meet at least four times a year? Is there a board education plan in place with

orientation for new board members? Is the performance of the board assessed? Is there a

conflict of interest policy in place, and how often is that policy reviewed?

4. Board-CEO Relationship

The CEO is hired by the board, and the board annually assesses the CEO’s performance. The

board also sets reasonable compensation levels in compliance with IRS rules.

Want to learn more? Read more on the Diamond Standards by visiting the Arkansas Coalition for Excellence’s

website at www.acenonprofit.org and clicking on the Diamond Standards tab.

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Have questions about ACHANGE? We've got answers! It's time for an

ACHANGE Members' Meeting!!

August 14, 2012 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Federal Reserve

111 Center Street

Little Rock AR 72201

_______________________________________________

All About ACHANGE: Membership and Marketing will tell you

everything you want to know about ACHANGE, from the

mission and vision to what you can do to make it even better!

New to You: Meet our newest members and hear about the

work that they do!

Having Your Say: What would you like to see in the future?

How can we make your membership more valuable to you?

Share your ideas, then let's roll up our sleeves and make it

happen!

Volume 2, Issue 5

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FEDERAL NEWS

FY 2013 THUD Appropriations Bill Passed By House.

On June 29, the House of Representatives passed the fiscal year (FY) 2013 Transportation, Housing

and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) Appropriations Bill (H.R. 5972). Most of the

FY 2013 funding levels for key affordable housing and community development programs remained

equivalent to levels approved by the House Committee on Appropriations on June 19. Amendments

offered by Representatives Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Hansen Clarke (D-MI) to increase FY 2013

funding for Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) by $2 million and Homeless

Assistance Grants by $5 million were successfully adopted. Also adopted, a 20% increase for the

HOME Program over budgets presented by the President and passed in the Senate. Although the Liva-

ble and Sustainable Communities Grant programs were zeroed out in the FY 2013 House Appropria-

tions Committee bill, the House adopted an amendment offered by Representative Morgan Griffith (R-

VA), which prohibits any funds appropriated in H.R. 5972 from being used for new grants under these

programs.

The House also passed an amendment offered by Representative Scott Garrett (R-NJ) regarding fair

housing. In November 2011, HUD issued a proposed rule on the Implementation of the Fair Housing

Act's Discriminatory Effects Standard, which recognizes disparate impact (policy or procedure that is

neutral on its face, but in practice has discriminatory effects) as a viable theory of liability, and provides

guidance on how to prove it. The House amendment prohibits funds from being used to finalize or en-

force HUD's proposed rule.

For a complete overview of funding levels in the House passed FY 2013 THUD Appropriations bill,

view the FY 2013 Federal Budget Chart on the Enterprise Budget and Appropriations webpage.

House Considers Eliminating Census Bureau Survey That Determines Key Funding Levels. During

debate on H.R. 5326, the Fiscal Year 2013 Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations bill, the

House cut $116 million from the President's funding request for the Census Bureau. Most of the cut

comes from the account covering the decennial census, American Community Survey (ACS), and 2012

Economic Census. The reduced funding level would force the Census Bureau to cancel the ACS,

which replaced the decennial census long form in 2005. The ACS provides consistent, comparable, val-

id, and objective data about population and housing for every community in the U.S. Without the

ACS, Congress would lose ACS data used to allocate at least $450 billion annually in federal aid to state

and local governments. A majority of states use ACS data, directly or indirectly, to set tax and spending

limits. A new Census Project report documents the national and state effects of eliminating the ACS.

Resource information collected and reported by

www.naceda.org

Volume 2, Issue 5

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Free Community Stabilization eLearning Courses NeighborWorks is able to offer our community stabiliza-tion-related eLearning courses – a $195 value – free of charge until December 31, with support from FDIC. Choose from REO Acquisition, Rehab, Disposition and Management, Fundamentals of Asset Management, Counseling Buyers of REO Properties (code: FDICHO260a), Counseling Clients Seeking Rental Housing, or Stabilizing Neighborhoods in a Post-Foreclosure Environment (code: FDICHO265a). For the last two courses, enter the FDIC code; for the others simply select your course, and the tuition that will appear is $0. The courses may count toward a profession-al certificate. Learn more.

Training Scheduled for August

August 22, 2012— 2012 Annual Meeting

“Working Together for a Better Arkansas”

William J Clinton Presidential Center

1200 President Clinton Avenue 10:00 am—3:00 pm

For more information, visit www.acenonprofit.org

The 2012 Low Income Advocates Leadership & Community Development Conference is

scheduled for September 20-21, 2012.

Featured speakers:

Dr. Fitz Hill, Arkansas Baptist College

Paul Clayton, P.E. Clayton and Associates

Julie Munsell, Entergy Arkansas

Glendell Jones, Jr., Henderson State University

For more details soon at www.cadc.com

Volume 2, Issue 5

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DIGITAL RESOURCES FOR

HOUSING PROFESSIONALS Highlighting the tools that can help you succeed in the digital age

Building Your Presence with Facebook

Pages: A Guide for Nonprofits,

If your organization is not on Facebook, this

guide will help you get there. This 10 page

document hits all the high points, including

how to create a page, develop a plan for

posting, growing your audience and optimizing performance. Short,

informative read—especially if you are new to Facebook.

Affordable Housing Resources Pro

If you have ever wished that you could have af-

fordable housing guidance, tools, news and links

in a nice, portable package, there’s an app for

that! The AHR Pro app for iPad has the 8823

Guide, Technical Advice Memos, Income Limit,

Census Tracts, HUD Press Releases, Twitter

links to IRS News, National Association of Home

Builders, and links to HUD USER, the National

Fair Housing Alliance, and so much more—even

a State Development Authority directory! Now

you can take a great deal of info with you. Available for iPhone too!

Volume 2, Issue 5

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ACHANGE Executive Committee Board Chairman—Karen Phillips

1st Vice Chairman—Susan Forte

2nd Vice Chairman—George Holcomb

Secretary— Frances Newsome

Treasurer—Cathy Carlock

Associate At-Large Board Member—Martie North

At-Large Board Member—Darryl Swinton

Program Manager—Debra Banks

Committee Chairs

Education and Training Committee Chairman—Roma Isom

Finance Committee Chairman—Cathy Carlock

Membership & Marketing Committee Chairman—George Holcomb

Public Policy Committee Chairman—Darryl Swinton

Resource Development Chairman—Charles Vann

Ad-hoc Committee Chairman—Martie North

 

 

 

 

 

 

Follow ACHANGE on

Facebook by clicking the

logo or by clicking here!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Follow ACHANGE on

Twitter by clicking the logo

or by clicking here!

 

 

 

 

 

 

401 Main Street, Suite 206

North Little Rock, AR 72114

501-766-3941 Fax: 501-244-9670

At ACHANGE, your membership matters.

Come grow along with us!