National Congress for Community Development is the trade association and advocate for the community-based development industry. Founded in 1970, NCCED represents over 3,600 community development corporations (CDCs) across America. CDCs produce affordable housing and create jobs through business and commercial development activities. NCCED services the community development industry through public policy research and education, special projects, newsletters, publications, trainings, conferences, and specialized technical assistance.

Rural Empowerment and Enterpise Zone program is designed to afford communities real opportunities for growth and revitalization. The framework of the program is embodied in four key principles: economic opportunity, sustainable development, community-based partnerships, and strategic vision for change.

North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center Grants Progam provides financial assistance to minority community development corporations to help them improve the economic well-being and quality of life in their communities. Rural Center grants are used by the CDCs to provide business loans, revitalize commercial districts, build housing for low-to-moderate income families, operate child-care programs, provide literacy training, engage in long-term community planning, and other activities tailored to local needs. To accomplish these tasks, CDCs also raise money from other state and national sources.

Council for Urban Economic Development is a national organization whose primary aim is to develop and revitalize local economies. CUED's mission is to provide practical, timely information to its members on development strategies, tools and techniques that members can use in their cities.CUED's members include 1,600 elected and staff officials in city development agencies, quasi-public development corporations, and neighborhood groups who direct nationally recognized programs.

Statewide nonprofit organization representing the interest of underdeveloped and underutilized sectors of the state's economic base

Community Self-Management, Empowerment, and Development is mainly for community workers in the field. You will also find policy, strategies, methodology, curriculum, management and planning material useful to teams initiating or upgrading any community empowerment or development program. The strategies and methodology described here go beyond traditional community development techniques, with their rural bias and emphasis on mobilizing self help groups; it includes modified action-oriented management training aimed at community members and their leaders, and adaptations of community organizing methods that are appropriate to the currently rapid urbanization of the world. Other topics include poverty reduction, gender strategy, facilitation, income generation, capacity development, monitoring, brain storm, community participation, social animation, learning an oral language, and empowerment.

National Center for Economic and Security Alternatives provides up-to-date information about community building, models and experiments in locally-based economic development, as well as theory and vision of the "good society." An independent, politically progressive, nonprofit institute providing research, education and consultation on innovative solutions to problems facing America and the global political-economy.

Coalition of Financial Development Institutions is an ad hoc policy development and advocacy initiative and  lead vehicle for industry-wide ventures and a unified voice of the industry. Its mission is to increase public and financial support for the CDFI industry through advocacy and public education, information and outreach, and knowledge building. The Coalition is a key access point and primary source of information and knowledge about and for the CDFI field for the general public, the media, public officials, and private sector leaders. The coalition represents a national network of CDFIs, including community development loan funds, community development banks, community development credit unions, microenterprise lenders, and community development venture capital funds.  Together these CDFIs have loaned and invested some $5 billion in our nation's most distressed communities.

National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions strengthens credit unions that serve low-income communities -- known as "community development credit unions," or CDCUs. It works to fulfill that mission by providing financial, technical, and human resources for CDCUs. It also provides a voice for America's financially underserved communities in a complex and rapidly changing marketplace. 

Center for Community Enterprise keeps tabs on community economic development know-how, so we can all learn from the best. If you're after inspiring, practical, and provocative resources to assist your community, this is the place.

Policy Research Action Group is a consortium of over 15 community-based or community-focused nonprofit organizations and four urban universities: Chicago State University, DePaul University, Loyola University of Chicago, University of Illinois, Chicago, founded in 1989. It's mission is to facilitate collaborative relationships between universities and CBOs to do actionable research that leads to social change and leadership develpment in the public policy arena. It is very consciously community-oriented. All funded research activity must involve a collaborative process through which university-based researchers and community-based organizations function as equal partners.

Center for Social Development is a unit of the George Warren Brown School of Social Work (GWB) at Washington University in St. Louis. The impetus for creating CSD was from Dean Shanti Khinduka, and the Center began in 1994 with Michael Sherraden as the founding director. Although relatively young as an organization, CSD has established itself as a leading academic center in social development.

Community Development Venture Capital Alliance promotes use of the tools of venture capital to create jobs, entrepreneurial capacity and wealth to advance the livelihoods of low-income people and the economies of distressed communities.

HandsNet works to make online collaboration and information sharing a reality for the human services community. It empowers organizations to effectively integrate new online strategies, strengthening their program and policy work on behalf of people in need.

List of community development sites compiled by Change Communications.

Department of Energy Smart Communities Network Finance and Sustainability -- Community Development links.

US Deparment of Housing and Urban Development Homes and Communities site

National Housing Institute is a 27-year old independent nonprofit organization that examines the issues causing the crisis in housing and community in America. NHI examines the key issues affecting affordable housing and community development practitioners and their supporters. These issues include housing, jobs, safety, and education, with an emphasis on housing and economic development, as well as poverty and racism, disinvestment and lack of employment, and breakdown of the social fabric.

Consumer and Economic Development Research and Information Center fosters research related to consumer and economic development issues such as consumer and small business financial behavior, access to credit, affordable housing, and community development and reinvestment.

US Deparment of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families works in partnership with states, communities, and other agencies to provide a range of human and economic development services and activities which ameliorate the causes and characteristics of poverty and otherwise assist persons in need. The aim of these services and activities is to increase the capacity of individuals and families to become self-sufficient, to revitalize communities, and to build the stability and capacity of children, youth, and families so that they become able to create their own opportunities.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance gives you access to a database of all Federal programs available to State and local governments (including the District of Columbia); federally-recognized Indian tribal governments; Territories (and possessions) of the United States; domestic public, quasi-public, and private profit and nonprofit organizations and institutions; specialized groups; and individuals.

Council of State Community Development Agencies advocates for the interests of states with federal policy makers. It analyzs proposed legislation and budget initiatives, helps states share information about best practices and produces a variety of newsletters and technical reports. In addition it also offers members technical assistance on a variety of community development and housing related issues.

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