Speaking of faith-based revitalization

I just received an e-notice of an asset-based community development training for churches:

January 31 - February 2, Indianapolis, INVital Ministries Workshop " Abundance and Generosity: Congregations Building Community"

The Asset-Based Community Development approach is very powerful, and nothing like the millions of dollars the Fannie Mae Foundation wasted a few years ago in their "Building Neighborhood Assets" initiative, which included dropping a million dollars on the H Street Community Development Corporation (the Prudential Foundation matched this with at least $300,000) in Washington, DC.

"For what, I don't know." (Bob Marley and the Wailers, "I Shot the Sheriff.")

When I raised this with a FMF official speaking at the National Main Street conference, after he just instructed us attendees on what we should be doing, he sluffed this off, basically blaming the community for not coming up with better proposals.

I didn't bother discussing with him my aggravating conversations back in 2001 with FMF program officer Rob Fossi about the likely failure of this initiative, at least in DC because of (1) no overarching philosophy and approach; and (2) the nature of the grantee and its disconnection from the community.

Index Keywords: asset-based-community-development