statement of qualifications 71913

7/29/2019 Statement of Qualifications 71913

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4111 West 21st Place

Chicago, IL 60623

Phone: 773-521-3137

Fax: 773-522-1832

Website: www.valeriefleonard.com

E-Mail: [email protected]

Statement of Qualifications


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STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS

Summary

Valerie F. Leonard is a community development consultant with a mission to strengthen thecapacity of organizations to make a positive impact on the communities they serve throughtechnical assistance, specialized workshops, resource and organizational development and projectmanagement. Ms. Leonards relevant experience includes developing comprehensive communityand organizational assessment tools; developing organizational regulatory compliance tools, boardpolicies and procedures; developing grant making programs, policies and procedures; conductingcompliance reviews for grantees; and developing workshops and technical assistance fororganizations seeking government funding. Other experience includes developing grant proposalsfor projects funded through federal programs such as President Obamas Broadband TechnologyOpportunities Program (BTOP), HUD Section 202, HUD Section 242/FHA and CDBG; coordinatingsite review and compliance activities for federally funded programs from the funded agenciesperspectives.

Ms. Leonard has a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Spelman College, and a Master ofManagement degree in finance and marketing from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management.Continuing education includes online courses in nonprofit management from the University ofIllinois at Chicago Great Cities Institute; seminars in strategic nonprofit management from the

Kellogg Graduate School of Management; and training in new markets tax credits, low incomehousing tax credits and historic tax credits. Ms. Leonard has completed a course in onlineinstruction at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has taught online courses in finance andbudgeting for nonprofit organizations through the Great Cities Institutes Professional Educationdepartment. Ms. Leonards experience is described in further detail on the pages that follow.


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Valerie F. Leonard- Statement of Qualifications 2 | P a g e

Management

Organization: North Lawndale Small Grants

Human Development Corporation

Role: Executive Director

Prior to starting her consulting practice, Ms. Leonard was the executive director of the NorthLawndale Small Grants Human Development Corporation (Small Grants). Under Ms. Leonardsleadership, the group was transformed from an initiative of the Steans Family Foundation into aseparate 501 (c) (3) organization completely controlled by the community. Ms. Leonard managedday-to-day operations and resource development activities for the $500,000 neighborhoodprogram. This included developing internal management and financial systems for board and staff,and coordinating a strategic planning process that included community stakeholders from all walksof life. In addition to managing the small grants program, she spearheaded the development of theTarget Block Program, Housing Resource Center and African Garden Project.

Ms. Leonard

Promoted internal and external organizational leadership development and capacitybuilding, including hiring consultants for team building and strategic planning, installingaccounting software, implementing a technology plan, developing a fundraising plan andproviding technical assistance to grantees.

Developed board and management policies and procedures, includingA. Grant making guidelines, policies and procedures for board, staff and granteesB. Financial policies and procedures manualC. Personnel policies and procedures manualD. Board recruitment criteria and policies and procedures manual

Coordinated a community-wide research and planning process for North Lawndale AfricanGarden. Worked with NeighborSpace to acquire 5 vacant lots valued at approximately$125,000. Total investment from the community, foundations, corporations and the City ofChicago exceeds $200,000. NeighborSpace uses the project as a case study for best practicesfor community gardening.

Developed the Share the Vision and North Lawndale African Garden Project direct mailcampaigns, resulting in cash and in-kind donations exceeding $30,000 within 6 months

Developed a computer model to quantify impact of grant making and volunteer activities

Organized Target Block residents to secure in excess of $500,000 in infrastructureimprovements

Coordinated site selection and relocation activities, including purchasing and solicitingdonations of new furnishings and equipment; installation of a computer network and DSLand negotiating a lease agreement.


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Capacity Building

Organization: Illinois ResourceNet

Role: Visiting Program Coordinator

Illinois ResourceNet: A Funding Access Initiative (IRN) is a university-based resource providingIllinois nonprofits and local governments with the competitive assets to access federal funding. IRNoffers organizations a unique approach to grant access centered on providing information andresources on an interactive website, working with experienced technical assistants on designinghigh caliber proposals, and connecting with a diverse group of partners to meet proposed projectgoals.

Ms. Leonard serves as a Visiting Program Coordinator,responsible for providing technical assistanceto non-profits and local units of government in the state of Illinois. This includes conducting outreach forthe purposes of generating federal proposals; assessing organizations readiness to apply for federalfunding; working with the organizations to search for federal funding opportunities and develop workplans; reviewing the full proposal for completeness, clarity, and adherence to the guidelines set forth in

the RFP; proving expert critique and advice on all aspects of the proposal to insure high quality; andcompleting all of the appropriate documentation.

Ms. Leonard provided comprehensive technical assistance in the preparation of a successful BTOPSustainable Adoption application for My Way Village, Inc. The $7.2 million project is in theimplementation phases, and will impact 23 publicly-funded senior housing buildings in Illinois, includingcommunities in Oak Park, Chicago, Rockford, Joliet, Moline and Lake Villa. The project scope includestraining for residents on the My Way Village applications, e-mail transmittals, Facebook, and learning tonavigate the Internet to support basic life skills including job searches, paying bills and ordering

prescription drugs. Ms. Leonards role included researching national NTIA research and policies,analyzing numeric and spatial broadband data at national, state, local, Census Tract and Census Blocklevels to make inferences about adoption rates among low-income minority communities and seniors vis a

vis the general population; working with interactive Census mapping tools and CMAP to developprototype maps depicting adoption rates at the Census Tract level; providing technical assistance in thedevelopment, coding and analysis of resident survey instruments; providing technical assistance in thedevelopment of the program evaluation segment of the proposal; brokering relationships between MyWay Village, Sankofa House and My Way Village as subsequent project partners; reviewing the proposalwithin BTOP guidelines and providing feedback as to how the proposal might be improved.

Ms. Leonard developed Capacity Building BlocksTM, a 10- week series of capacity building workshops inher own practice. These include modules on board development, fundraising, strategic planning, etc. Ms.Leonards capacity building series became the model upon which IRN conducted a series of facilitatedonline technical assistance conversations with IRN clients, in partnership with the Lumpkin FamilyFoundation and GoodWorks Connect.org. Ms. Leonard facilitated a discussion on program evaluation,

including the development of a theory of change, program logic models, development of goals, objectivesand program outcomes. A description of Ms. Leonards Capacity Building Blocks program is described inmore detail in the Workshops and Meeting Facilitation section.

Ms. Leonard coordinated a comprehensive technical assistance workshop on the Second Chance Act.The workshop included an overview of the Second Chance Act by Congressman Danny K. Davis, the

Acts chief sponsor; a joint presentation by representatives from the Department of Justice and


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Department of Labor featuring the sections of the Act that will be funded; an overview of the IllinoisResourceNet and best practices in developing prisoner re-entry programs. This workshop was alsosimulcast as a webinar for organizations in East St. Louis, Illinois. Over 180 people were in attendance,and the Power Point presentation and handouts have been used by the Department of Justice for furthertechnical assistance. The handouts from the workshop are archived on the Illinois ResourceNets website,atwww.illinoisresource.net.

Ms. Leonard also worked with IRN to develop a statewide conference, Yes You Can! DemystifyingFederal Funds, which was held on March 20, 2009. The conference, which drew nearly 500 people fromall over the state of Illinois, included representatives from federal agencies. Workshop topics includedcollaboration planning and federal proposal development; navigating Grants.gov; developing federalbudgets and justifications; the nuts and bolts of grant seeking; federal grant writing, federal fundingaccountability and the Transparency Act; and building political support and networking. Ms. Leonardprovided workshops on federal grant writing.

Ms. Leonard developed content and taught online courses and workshops an online course infederal proposal writing, and federal grants compliance and administration.

Organization: Chi-West ResourceNetRole: Visiting Program Coordinator

Chi West ResourceNet, a project of the University of Illinois at Chicago Neighborhoods Initiative(UICNI), is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Compassion Capital Fundand The Chicago Community Trust. The initiative provided capacity-building group training for upto 70 community-based and faith-based organizations located in seven Chicagocommunities: Pilsen, Near West Side, South Lawndale (Little Village), North Lawndale, East GarfieldPark, West Garfield Park, and Humboldt Park. Within these 70 organizations, 35 received intensiveone-on-one capacity building technical assistance - provided by seasoned professionals - in fourcritical areas: Leadership Development, Organizational Development, Program Development and

Community Engagement.

Ms. Leonard conducted detailed needs assessments and assisted a cohort of ten organizations in thedevelopment and implementation customized capacity building plans in a number of areas,including board development, fundraising, proposal writing, strategic planning and communityneeds assessment.

Ms. Leonard facilitated a workshop for students on the principles of asset based communitydevelopment. Workshop content included an overview of asset based community development,constructing theories of change; the relationships between the theory of change and programdesign and evaluation.
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Organization: Quad Communities Development Corporation

Role: Consultant, Project Manager

The Quad Communities Development Corporation (QCDC)s mission is to convene residents,organizations, businesses, and institutions within the Quad Communities to plan, guide, support,and monitor human infrastructure and community development activities that will create asustainable, healthy, mixed-income neighborhood. Immediate outcomes of their work includes themitigation of the effects of poverty, improved social and economic conditions in the community andincreased capacity of local residents and community based organizations to take control of theireconomic environment. QCDCs work is mission-centered, and is supported by a comprehensivenetwork of local residents, institutions, the Office of the 4 thWard, QCDC board, staff and interns,consultants, the University of Chicago, and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). Ms.Leonard was engaged by the QCDC to implement intensive organizational capacity buildingstrategies identified by the board of directors during their board planning retreat in August, 2005.

Between April, 2006 and January, 2007, Ms. Leonard worked with the board and staff to developand implement work plans around financial management, board development, staff development

and recruitment and fundraising. Project deliverables included monthly status reports to the boardof directors; development of a board recruitment and orientation binder; development of afinancial policies and procedures manual; conversion of financial system to Quick Books; board andstaff training on roles and responsibilities as they relate to financial management and compliance;training on Quick Books and financial management; preparation for a financial audit; developmentof financial, regulatory and programmatic compliance schedule; a staffing and recruitment plan foran executive director and project manager; development of a fundraising plan; creation of a boilerplate proposal and identification of funding prospects; development of an annual fund campaign;reviewing and enhancing the process for recruiting board members; providing input into theapplication for directorsand officers insurance; writing relevant board resolutions; facilitating thecreation of a fundraising committee; enhancing organizational by laws.

The contract was completed in November, 2006, and culminated in a board retreat. Ms. Leonardprovided input into the development of the retreat agenda and supporting documents and provideda written and oral report of the results of capacity building activities with recommendations forfuture capacity building efforts. A closing presentation to the Board of Directors was provided inJanuary, 2007. As a result of these activities the organization has enhanced its capacity to sustain itsgrowth over the long term.

Organization: Chicago Area Project

Role: Consultant, Workshop Facilitator

The Chicago Area Project (CAP) is a private, not-for-profit organization with a distinguished historyand demonstrable track record of over sixty years of work in delinquency prevention and service in

disadvantaged urban neighborhoods. The original mission of CAP has not changed since itsinception: To work toward the prevention and eradication of juvenile delinquency through thedevelopment and support of affiliated local community self-help efforts, in communities where theneed is greatest.

Ms. Leonard was retained by the Chicago Area Project to provide comprehensive organizationalassessments and to develop individualized capacity building plans for a cohort of its affiliates inChicago, the Far South Suburbs and Near Western Suburbs. The three year project is now in its


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implementation phase, and Ms. Leonard has been invited to serve as one of two consultants toprovide strategic planning services for select affiliates. In this capacity, Ms. Leonard will work withthe agency and a national consultant to develop a standard process that may be replicated amongthe affiliates, while delivering a product that addresses specific needs of the individual agencies.

Organization: After School Matters


After School Matters is a non-profit organization that partners with the City of Chicago, the ChicagoPublic Schools, the Chicago Park District, the Chicago Public Library, the Chicago Department ofChildren and Youth Services, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, and Community-BasedOrganizations to expand out-of-school opportunities for Chicago teens.

ASM engaged Ms. Leonard to work in tandem with ASM and LISC/NCP agencies to reviewtargeted strategies within LISC communities in relation to fitness, nutrition, and truancy-prevention programming for Chicago teens. Ms. Leonard examined the prevailing researchsurrounding fitness and nutrition, and truancy prevention. This included the research of

existing program models on a national and local level; examination of ASM and LISC/ASMinternal documents, websites and collateral materials; review of articles pertaining to fitness,nutrition and truancy prevention; facilitating meetings between ASM regional directors,LISC/NCP directors and their community partners; designing and administering organizationalassessments; and analysis of data related to fitness, nutrition, truancy, graduation and dropouttrends in Chicago and the LISC/NCP communities.

The end result was the development of a set of program recommendations and implementationroadmap to inform the development of future program designs and collaboration between ASM,NCP and their respective partners. This included identification of potential partners, models ofcollaboration, development of program logic models and development of initial cost estimates forseparate initiatives for fitness and nutrition and truancy prevention and intervention.

Organization: Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance


The Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance (GPCA), a non-profit organization, strengthens communitythrough the unique combination of the Garfield Park Conservatory Campus, other botanicalresources, and the engagement of community members. With its innovative programs, the Allianceenhances the environmental, social and economic vitality of Chicagos West Side and encouragesthe larger community to explore the fundamental connection between plants and human life.

Ms. Leonard worked with the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance (GPCA) to explore alternativestructures and relationships that will enable GPCA to focus on its core mission, while continuing to

build upon the momentum created by the New Communities Program (sponsored by the LocalInitiatives Support Corporation) and the Quality of Life Planning Process. This will requiresimultaneous capacity building for GPCAs NCP staffand the Neighborhood Development Council.

Ms. Leonard facilitated a council member workshop and staff retreat to set the stage for a 3-yearstrategic plan, and potentially, comprehensive organizational development activities in the future(if the Council becomes a separate entity). Ms. Leonard assessed staff, management andorganizational capacity; assessed the capacity of the Neighborhood Development Council to


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transition to a board of directors and presented her findings to the Neighborhood DevelopmentCouncil. The presentation outlined roles and responsibilities of the Board of Directors andExecutive Director.

Organization: LaCasa Norte/Teen Living Programs

Role: Consultant

La Casa Norte is committed to providing a safe and nurturing environment for homeless andabandoned people, where they will benefit from a comprehensive program of education, guidanceand counseling in a community setting. Teen Living Programs mission is to create hope andopportunity for youth who are homeless by assisting them to permanently leave the streets, securestable housing, and build self-sufficient, satisfying lives. La Casa Norte is based in Humboldt Park,on Chicagos Near West Sideand Teen Living Programs is based in Bronzeville, on Chicagos NearSouth Side.

Ms. Leonard partnered with Heather Parish and Lisa Pickens to develop a comprehensive businessplan to evaluate the feasibility of developing and implementing joint job training and placement

programming for homeless youth on Chicagos Near South and Near Westsides. The primary focusof the business plan included examination of alternative models of collaboration and governance;analysis of risk factors; evaluation of alternative structures; examination of alternative decisionmaking models; identification of high level marketing strategies among major segments, includingclients, funders and the community; and financial feasibility. Ms. Leonards role included developinga road map for implementation, developing the 3-year financial plan with alternative scenarios, andidentification of marketing strategies.

Federal Funding/

Capital Projects

Organization: Chicago Lawndale Amachi Mentoring Program (LAMP)

Role: Proposal Writer

Chicago LAMP, a local affiliate of the National Amachi Program established in 2006,involves collaboration between University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), 13 Chicagoelementary schools, and District 11 of the Chicago Police Department. Chicago LAMP iscurrently working with 238 North Lawndale children whose parents have beenincarcerated, ensuring that they have sufficient academic and social supports. Whileresearch suggests that children with incarcerated parents, more than likely, repeat thepattern of incarceration, only one Chicago LAMP student has ever been incarcerated the

entire time the program has been in operation in North Lawndale. Chicago LAMPs currenttarget includes youth who are between the ages of 4 and 18. Chicago LAMP incorporatesgroup and one-on-one mentoring opportunities, recreation and academic enrichment, andthe enhancement of relationships with professional adults, community members, andcollege-students to create positive healthy behavioral outcomes.


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Ms. Leonard prepared a proposal to the U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and DelinquencyPrevention, Community Violence Prevention Field Investigation, Research and Evaluationprogram. Ms. Leonard worked with researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicagoto develop a proposal for a research and evaluation project to measure the effectiveness ofthe Chicago LAMP program to prevent violence in North Lawndale's community. This

required a research of literature concerning existing research and best practices;identification of project goals and outcome measurements; the development of researchlogic models and subsequent design of the research project; delineating roles andresponsibilities and organizational structure for the initiative and the development of a 3-year budget and implementation schedule. If funded, the findings of the research will beused to inform national policy and future federal investments in violence preventionprogramming.

Organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (ACF)

Role: Grant Reviewer

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Community Services (OCS), recentlyawarded grants to experienced organizations to provide nonprofit organizations serving as projectpartners, with capacity building training, technical assistance, and competitive financial assistance.The focus of this program is to build the capacity of funded projects' nonprofit partners in order toaddress the broad economic recovery issues present in their communities, including helping low-income individuals secure and retain employment, earn higher wages, obtain better-quality jobs,and gain greater access to state and Federal benefits and tax credits. Ms. Leonard served as a peerreviewer. In this capacity, she worked with peer reviewers from across the country to reviewapplications and make funding recommendations.

Organization: Habilitative Systems, Inc.

Role: Principal Grant Writer

Habilitative Systems, Inc. (H.S.I.) exists to alleviate human suffering by developing and providingresources to promote maximum independence, personal responsibility and dignity for mentally,physically, socially and emotionally disabled persons. HSI began in 1978 as a dream of a smallgroup of church folk. The agency has grown from four (4) programs to fifty (50) programs whichserve over 7,000 persons annually in 14 sites on Chicago's West and South sides. "Freeing theHuman Spirit" is the all pervasive concept of the agency's dedication to develop disadvantagedpersons into capable, competent, contributing citizens.

H.S.I. engaged Ms. Leonard to develop a needs assessment and write the community involvementsection of a comprehensive proposal to finance the Enola A. Dew Apartments with proceeds from aHUD Section 202 grant.

The needs assessment was used to establish the level of market demand for supportive housing forindependent living senior citizens in the Austin community on Chicagos west side. Ms. Leonardpresented evidence demonstrating sustained effective demand for supportive housing for thatpopulation in the market area to be served; evaluated state and local data on the limitations inactivities of daily living among the elderly in the area; assessed patterns for aging in place inexisting assisted rentals; researched trends in demographic changes in elderly population andhouseholds; estimated the numbers of income eligible elderly households by size, tenure and


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housing condition; assessed the types of supportive services arrangements currently available inthe area; and the use of such services as evidenced by data from local social service agencies oragencies on aging.

The Enola A. Dew Apartments are being developed with significant community involvement.Ms. Leonard conducted a focus group discussion with tenants and members of the resident council;

interviewed the president of a neighboring block club; administered a survey; and interviewed thelocal property manager and service coordinator. She convened community meeting, inviting localresidents, tenants, members of the Chicago Police Department (community policing division), andrepresentatives from community-based organizations. More than 40 people, most of whom weresenior citizens--were in attendance. Data gleaned from these sources will be used to capitalize onopportunities to inform the design process and to be responsive to end-user needs to the fullestextent possible. Ms. Leonard created all the assessment tools and designed the questions for thefocus groups and interview, and analyzed the data. It should be noted that this engagement wascompleted within an extremely tight time frame-- less than 20 days. The client was awarded$4,000,000 in federal funding. The $10,000,000 project was completed in the spring of 2011.

Organization: Habilitative Systems, Inc.

Role: Market Consultant

The Sponsor, Habilitative Systems, Inc. (HSI) retained Valerie F. Leonard to conduct a market studyfor the construction of 8 residential facilities for persons with disabilities at various locations in theNorth Lawndale community. HSI will serve as Sponsor the development, which will provide 64 newunits of housing for people with disabilities. The project will serve 32 existing HSI clients and 32new clients from the surrounding neighborhood and nursing facilities. Ms. Leonard assessed thecurrent market for the proposed development, taking into account the latest trends in housingsupply and demand for people with disabilities on a national and local level. In so doing, Ms.Leonard assessed the need for accessible housing; desirable unit types and amenities, and toexplored the local demand for housing for people with disabilities. The market study included field

observations to determine site feasibility, including access, visibility and marketability; assessmentof supportive and community services; analysis of housing and economic characteristics anddemand analysis.

Organization: Community Development

Advisory Committee(CDAC)

Role: Co-Chair, Public Services Committee

The CDAC promotes neighborhood participation in identifying needs and priorities for funding andadvises the City on the CDBG citizen participation process and the City's annual programsubmission to HUD. Members of the CDAC are chosen from among Chicago residents, nominated bycommunity and city-wide organizations. The annual CDBG budget surpasses $100,000,000 peryear.

Ms. Leonard is a former co-chairperson for the Public Services Sub-Committee. In this capacity, shechaired meetings in the absence of the Chairman, and served as co-author of the final report ofbudget recommendations regarding the Public Services segments of the CDBG budget, including theFire Department, Chicago Department of Public Health, Department of Cultural Affairs, the MayorsOffice for People With Disabilities, the Department on Aging, Mayors Office for Workforce


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Development, the Mayors Office for Violence Prevention, the Department of Youth and FamilyServices, and the Department of Human Services. The Subcommittees regular duties includedholding program and budget review meetings with department commissioners, advocacy forfunding and programs, and providing recommendations as to how funds could be allocated to yieldthe greatest impact to communities across the City of Chicago.

Organization: Mount Sinai Health SystemRole: Financial Analyst

Sinai Health System (SHS) is the parent organization for Mount Sinai Hospital Medical Center(Mount Sinai, or the Hospital), Schwab Rehabilitation Hospital and Care Network (Schwab),and Sinai Community Institute (SCI). SHS maintains affiliations with a network of clinics thatprovide ambulatory care services and referrals to Mount Sinai and Schwab. Together theseinstitutions serve as a vital health care resource and community anchor to an economicallydisadvantaged part of the City of Chicago.

As a financial analyst at Mount Sinai Health System, Ms. Leonard worked closely with the Chief

Financial Officer to coordinate all aspects of a $107 million FHA mortgage backed financing to coverrenovation of Mount Sinais obstetrics unit, emergency room,outpatient clinics, and the addition ofa skilled nursing unit for Schwab. The three-year process was quite complex, and requiredcoordination with the Board of Directors, its Finance and Budget Committee and every majordepartment head within the Health System. External players included organizational attorneys,transaction attorneys, investment bankers, mortgage bankers, architects, contractors, developersand city and state regulators.

The due diligence process included detailed review, analysis and disclosure of financial andoperating performance for each entity within the Mount Sinai Health System, projection ofoperating and financial performance of the proposed construction projects, review of long rangeplans and implementation; examination of governance structures, board composition and meeting

effectiveness for each entity; and compliance with state and national regulations. Significant projectmilestones included securing separate certificates of need (CON) for Mount Sinai and Schwab;completing project feasibility studies; and submittal of an application that was jointly reviewed bythe US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the United States Department ofHousing and Urban Development (HUD).

Ms. Leonard developed financial models to track construction draws and reconcile project financialreports on a monthly basis with internal accountants, federal regulators, mortgage bankers andcommercial bankers. She also assisted the Vice President for Development with the development of$500,000 Kresge Foundation challenge grant proposal. Proceeds were used to complete a $10million capital campaign for Mount Sinai Hospital

Ms. Leonard worked very closely with the Chief Financial Officer for Sinai Health System and theCEO of the Sinai Community Institute to spin off existing Hospital public health programs into anewly-created Sinai Community Institute. This included developing consolidated program budgetsand submittal of the applications for tax exempt status (501 (c) (3)). Ms. Leonard also prepared the$5,000,000 financing proposal to the Illinois Development Finance Authority to redevelop a vacantsausage factory into office space for the new programs. These processes required interfacing withline managers, commercial banks, investment banks, attorneys, architects and contractors.


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Ms. Leonard also assisted the Chief Financial Officer in developing total quality management andcontinuous quality improvement initiatives for Mount Sinai Health System. She identified ways tostreamline billing, accounts payable and contract management procedures. Ms. Leonard alsotrained administrative staff to create data bases to track HMO and PPO contract terms andconditions, effective dates and renewals.

Organization: City of New YorkOffice of the Deputy Mayor

For Economic Development

Role: Assistant to the Director of Public Finance

While working for the City of New York Office of the Deputy Mayor for Finance and EconomicDevelopment, Ms. Leonard worked with inter-disciplinary teams consisting of representatives fromthe Mayors Office of Management and Budget, Comptrollers Office, Economic DevelopmentCorporation, Public Development Corporation, Board of Education, Police Department, investmentbanks and attorneys to develop and execute strategies for structuring and marketing a total of $8billion in New York City General Obligation bonds and notes. This included review, analysis and

disclosure of financial and operating performance of the City of New York and its major agencies ina transparent manner; addressing issues of concern to investors; targeting key segments offinancial markets; emphasizing leadership capabilities and reinforcing the New York City brandduring an economic downturn; coordinating investor conferences, meetings and budget reviewsand coordinating economic development tours.

Courses

Organization: University of Illinois at Chicago

Great Cities Institute

Role: Instructor-Operations Management

The University of Illinois at Chicago Online Certificate in Nonprofit Management emphasizesinteractive learning, with seasoned instructors guiding every class. Students learn managementprinciples across disciplines through dialogue with other nonprofit practitioners and interactionwith Certificate in Nonprofit Management faculty. The program is entirely online, which allowsparticipants from across the country and around the world to work together and learn from eachother in a stimulating e-classroom. The Certificate is comprised of six non-credit, intensive five-week courses delivered via the Internet. Each class can be taken on a stand-alone basis, butstudents must successfully complete all six courses to earn the Certificate*. (*non-credit Certificateof Completion)

Ms. Leonard teaches Operations Management and provides input into updating the multi-mediacourse. This course provides an overview of nonprofit operations and explores four significantfacets of operations management that are not currently addressed elsewhere in the certificatecurriculum: human resource management; information technology; performance management; andIRS compliance and transparency. Upon completion of this course, learners are able to:

Understand the scope of activities commonly referred to as operations, the role of anoperations manager and current trends in nonprofit operations management


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Recognize fundamental principles and best practices of effective human resourcemanagement

Identify trends and key issues related to managing information technology in a nonprofitorganization

Explain what the growing emphasis on performance management is all about and identifymethods used to track performance

Understand how IRS compliance requirements have changed and what nonprofits need todo to maintain compliance and function with transparency



Role: Instructor-Strategic Management

Ms. Leonard teaches Strategic Management: Aligning Mission, Vision and Values This coursepresents the concepts of strategic planning and management with innovation and agility, so that anorganization's mission, vision, values, programs and resources may be fully aligned. Students willlearn the skills needed to develop these key aspects of a strategic plan and manage its successful

implementation.

This intensive five-week course explores the following topics:

How strategic management benefits a nonprofit organization. The role strategic planning plays in the larger context of strategic management. Using mission, vision and values to guide the development of a strategic plan. Strategies to help successfully implement the strategic plan. Maintaining sustainable strategic planning practices.

At the end of the course, students are able to:

Understand the fundamentals of strategic management. Define mission, vision, values and strategy in the context of leading an organization. Identify issues, participants and information essential to a strategic planning process. Apply key elements of this course to the analysis and development of a completed strategic

plan. Discern an organization's success in aligning programs with mission, vision and values.



Role: Instructor-Financial Management

Ms. Leonard taught Financial Management for Nonprofit Organizations and provided input intoupdating the course. The course examines the use of financial statements as a management tool, theelements of an accounting system and how they are used in a nonprofit organization, the basicmethods of internal controls and preparation for an external audit, the budget cycle and filing taxstatements.

This intensive five-week course explores the following topics:

Nonprofit financial statements and analysis


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Accounting system overview Internal controls and the external audit Budgeting and taxes

At the end of the course, students

Understand the roles and responsibilities of the board, senior management, program staffand financial staff in an organization's financial management system.

Create a budget that supports the strategic objective of the budgeted time-frame. Identify the difference between restricted and unrestricted funds and be able to reconcile

reporting from accounting and fundraising.

Interpret financial data and communicate financial position to internal and external users. Analyze the components and purpose of Form 990, including the marketing aspect.



Role: Project Manager

Great Cities Institute at the University of Illinois at Chicago (Great Cities) worke d with the SteansFamily Foundation (Steans) to better understand and support the needs of non-profitorganizations in the North Lawndale community, located on the West Side of Chicago. Central tothis effort was the recognition by Steans and Great Cities that the effectiveness of community-basedorganizations in North Lawndale is not only determined by their individual capacities, but also theirbroader collective capacity to connect with the resources required to effectively address thechallenges faced by the North Lawndale community.

Ms. Leonard served as the project manager, with responsibility for day-to-day coordination off allaspects for the engagement. The Steans/Great Cities partnership engaged North Lawndale non-profits in a survey and assessment of their organizational and collective capacities in an effort to

identify resource gaps, the potential for individual organizational growth, and ways that groups inNorth Lawndale can enhance communication and work together more effectively. The tools wereused to inform the Steans Family Foundations grant making and capacity building efforts, andenabled them to be more responsive to the communitys needs.

The engagement also included the development of the first phase of the North Lawndale KnowledgeBase Website, courses in program development and proposal writing and technology planning,follow up assessments for course participants and convening a community-based advisory group toprovide input into the program design for the Capacity Co-Op. The North Lawndale NonprofitKnowledge Base website will enhance communication among non-profit groups in North Lawndale,and will eventually serve as a central location for community and organizational data; on-lineresources to improve organizational effectiveness; an electronic directory of North Lawndale

organizations and a map of community assets. Organizations in North Lawndale will have theopportunity to link to the site, as well as have access to modify the content that they provide.

Ms. Leonard taught a course in program development for proposal writing for emerging groups andprovided follow up assessments for course participants. She also ensured the delivery of a secondcourse in utilizing technology to enhance operations. Results from student pre-and post-courseassessments indicate a 35% increase in program design and proposal writing knowledge, and a27% increase in technology planning knowledge over 8 weeks.


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To ensure that the capacity-building efforts are informed by the community, Ms. Leonard convenedan advisory group consisting of 23 community-based organizational leaders, including block clubs,church ministries, community-based organizations and a local hospital.

Workshops/

Meeting Facilitation

Organization: University of Illinois at Chicago Institute for

Policy and Civic Engagement

Role: Advisor/Presenter

The Institute for Policy and Civic Engagement (IPCE) focuses on transforming democracyby creating a more fully engaged citizenry with more effective leaders. As a catalyst forlearning and action, the Institute creates opportunities for scholars, concerned citizens,students, and government officials to actively participate in social discourse, research, and

educational programs on policy issues and social trends.

IPCE held a community dialogue on childhood trauma and early education with a broadrange of North Lawndale stakeholders, including residents, parents, and residents fromcommunity based organizations and early childhood care providers. The dialogue was heldto answer the following questions: 1) In the midst of massive school closings, violence andother social ills, how can we put the well being of our children first-now and in the future?2) How can we transform our community into a safe and stable environment where ourchildren could learn and be healthy? 3) How can we get them ready for school andequipped to learn? 4) How can we also highlight the great work already being done inNorth Lawndale?

Ms. Leonard served on the planning and advisory committee; prepared a presentation onshared responsibilities for childhood development and ensuring equal opportunity so thatall children can thrive. She also prepared a resource guide highlighting public benefits andmedical resources for children in the North Lawndale area, and shared state and citystandards for early childhood development.

Organization: Chicago Democracy Project

Role: Advisor

The University of Illinois at Chicago Institute for Policy and Civic Engagement (IPCE) is

partnering with the University of Chicago Center for the Study of Race, Politics and Cultureto update the data websitewww.chicagodemocracy.org. The goal of the update is to createa resource that includes demographic data, political data, maps, and other information in asimple user interface. Ms. Leonard provided input into the potential design of the site andhow the site could be a resource to community advocates.
http://www.chicagodemocracy.org/http://www.chicagodemocracy.org/http://www.chicagodemocracy.org/http://www.chicagodemocracy.org/


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Organization: DePaul University Steans Center for

Community Based Service Learning

Role: Workshop Facilitator

The Steans Center for Community-based Service Learning provides educational opportunities

grounded in Vincentian community values to DePaul students. The Center seeks to developmutually beneficial, reciprocal relationships with community organizations in order to develop asense of social agency in our students through enrollment in CBSL courses, community internshipsand placements, and community-based student employment. Ms. Leonard worked with local NorthLawndale organizations to provide new students with an overview of the conditions of the NorthLawndale community, including its history, and snapshots of housing, education, employment andeconomic development in preparation for their studies.

Organization: Students of Urban Planning and Public Affairs

University of Illinois at Chicago

College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs

Role: Workshop Facilitator/Advisor

The College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs is a nationally recognized innovator in education,research, and engagement in support of the nation's cities and metropolitan areas. The school'sadherence to its unique blend of basic research, university-community engagement, policy analysis,and profession-based graduate programs attracts the best and brightest students and reinforces theconnections between its research centers and academic programs.

The purpose of the Students of Urban Planning and Affairs organization is to create awareness ofurban issues; encourage interested students to volunteer; take active part in the public decision-making process and participate in various conferences related to urban and social issues. Ms.

Leonard prepared an overview of the social and business climate in North Lawndale in preparationfor their development of a comprehensive capacity building effort for emerging businesses in thecommunity.

Organization: The Monroe Foundation, Westside Ministers Coalition

Small Business Boot Camp


Ms. Leonard facilitated a workshop for small businesses and emerging nonprofits. With a theme ofNavigating the Winds of Change, Positioning Your Organization for Success, Ms. Leonarddeveloped a presentation outlining the similarities and differences between strategic plans andbusiness plans. Participants were provided sample business plans for a nonprofit and for-profit

business; resources for new business startups and organizational capacity assessment tools. In-class exercises included the development of SWOT analyses for participating organizations andwriting business plans on the back of an envelope to help participants focus on the most relevantparts of their plans and to communicate ideas succinctly. Ms. Leonard also negotiated discounts of20%-40% for Business Plan Pro software for workshop participants. Citibank, one of the eventsponsors, has approached Ms. Leonard regarding the possibility of hosting a similar workshop forthe Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce.


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Organization: Ask the Expert Webinars

Role: Webinar Co-Facilitator

In 2011, over 18,000 Illinois tax exempt organizations lost their exempt status for failure to fileform 990 for three consecutive years. At the same time, the IRS substantially redesigned Form 990

to require more disclosure from board members, among other changes. Ms. Leonard teamed upwith Terrance Harrington, CEO of HOPE, Inc., to provide a webinar on nonprofit compliance.Thissession provided basic, useful information about the filing requirements and information needed toprepare Form 990, e-postcard, and 990-E-Z, as well as other annual reports and filings required bystate agencies.

Participants learned

The roles of the IRS, Attorney Generals Office, Secretary of States Office and Departmentof Revenue in regulating nonprofit organizations and helping them to succeed

The roles and responsibilities of board members and key organizational leadership inrecord keeping, financial reporting and maintaining compliance

What to do if you lose tax exemption The consequences and penalties of late filings and registrations Which forms you need to register nonprofits and professional fundraisers Which forms you need to file on an annual basis, including annual reports, form 990s and

AG-990s and 941s (payroll taxes) The relationships between good board governance, fundraising, and regulatory compliance

Organization: Citizens to Elect Valerie F. Leonard

Role: Candidate, Alderman of the 24thWard, Chicago

Ms. Leonard recently ran for Alderman of the 24th Ward in Chicago, finishing 4th in a field of 18candidates. Running on a platform, Building Community, Restoring Trust, Ms. Leonard developed

a 5-week series of town hall meetings on the following topics

Education Economic Development, Workforce Development and Job Creation Public Health and Safety Housing Chicagos Budget and Finances

Ms. Leonard used the results of a public opinion poll she designed for 24 thWard voters, to identifythe issues and conduct relevant research to develop the content. Each meeting included guestexperts, an outline of key issues voters deemed important, and Ms. Leonards proposals to address

the issues. The question and comment segment of the meetings were used to incorporate publiccomments in the platform going forward. The town hall meetings were reinforced with meeting

notes that were posted on Ms. Leonardscampaign blog, as well as a 5-week talk show24thWard Talk with Valerie F. Leonard on CAN TV 21.


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Organization: Housing Action Illinois


Housing Action Illinois mission is to increase and preserve the supply of decent, affordable,accessible housing in Illinois for low and moderate-income households. Housing Action Illinoisprovides technical assistance and training to community based developers and CHDOs on thedevelopment process and how to work with their communities. This work is made possible byfunding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Illinois HousingDevelopment Authority.

Ms. Leonard facilitated a two-day workshop on the development process. The topics included anoverview of becoming a Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO), an overview ofdeveloping housing needs assessments; understanding the competitive environment; developingstrategic goals and objectives; an overview of the development process; putting together a realestate development budget and cash flow projections; and review of other sources with which toleverage HOME funds. Ms. Leonard developed a case study based on the East SpringfieldNeighborhood so that participants could apply lessons learned from the workshop.

Organization: Westside Ministers Coalition

Role: Workshop Facilitator, Theres No Place like Home,

Workshop on Developing Community Housing

Development Organizations (CHDOs)

The purpose of the Westside Ministers Coalition, WMC of Chicago INC., is to work with otherorganizations sharing similar values in accomplishing its goal of initiating self-help efforts toimprove the Westside communities of Chicago in the areas of housing, health, energy, education,economics and community development.

In an effort to increase the capacity of faith-based and community organizations to develop

affordable housing on the West Side of Chicago and Cook County, the West Side Ministers Coalitioninvited Ms. Leonard to provide an overview of the HUD sponsored HOME Investment PartnershipProgram and to assess their readiness to take advantage of the HOME program. Program contentincluded definitions of Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDOs), board and legalstructures for the entities, allowable program expenditures; program requirements and activities;and an organizational assessment tool to assess participants readiness to start a CHDO.

Conference: City of Chicago Department of Children and

and Youth Services Conference

Role: Facilitator, Workshop on Government Funding

Ms. Leonard delivered a workshop on public funding for the City of Chicago Department of Childrenand Youth Services conference, Partnerships in Quality: Voice, Cultivate, Impact. Co-sponsorsincluded After School Matters and Out of School Time Project. The conference was designed toprovide capacity building for the Citys delegateagencies. Ms. Leonards presentation and resourceswere designed to help participants

Develop their program concepts utilizing a program logic model Identify sources for demographic and socioeconomic data Write a compelling needs assessment


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Develop realistic goals and objectives Design a program using sound methodology Identify potential public funding resources Garner community support for their ideas Develop a program budget and evaluation plan

Position their programs for long term sustainability

The interactive workshop included handouts from the Power Point presentation, an organizationalself-assessment, a checklist for nonprofit regulatory compliance, a list of free and low-costresources and examples from government grant proposals that were actually funded. Materialsfrom this workshop have also been distributed to affiliates of the Chicago Area Project as part oftheir ongoing capacity building efforts.

Conference: Breakin It Down Conference

Role: Facilitator, Workshop on Government Funding

Ms. Leonard delivered a workshop on public funding during the recent Breakin it DownConferencesponsored by Loyola University of Chicago and Polk Brothers Foundation. Co-sponsoringorganizations included Blacks in Development, Chicago African Americans in Philanthropy, ChicagoLatinos in Philanthropy, Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy and Latinos inDevelopment. The conference was designed to allow representatives from emerging minority-lednonprofits an opportunity to interface with members of the philanthropic community and to gainvaluable insights into fundraising and proposal writing techniques. The presentation and resourceswere designed to help participants

Write effective proposals for government funding Locate statistical, empirical and spatial data to support their cases for funding Access the federal governments clearing house for over $400 billion in grantfunding Access an interactive grant writing tutorial provided by the federal government Find samples of proposals that have already received federal funding Understand the types of supplemental documentation that may be required Locate publications provided by the state and federal government to guide them step by

step through the proposal planning, development, writing and submittal process for publicfunding opportunities

These documents provided participants with all the necessary tools to get started writing effectiveproposals to government agencies. The Power Point Presentation and workshop handouts havebeen uploaded to www.valeriefleonard.com.

Organizations: Steans Family Foundation,


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Congressman Danny K. Davis

Role: Meeting Facilitator, Visioning Process for Fannie Mae

American Dream Communities Application

Ms. Leonard was retained by Steans Family Foundation and Congressman Danny K. Davis to

facilitate a series of meetings to develop a vision for a proposal to be submitted to the Fannie MaeFoundation in connection with their American Dream Commitment. The scope of work for theengagement included the facilitation of 4 work group discussions to establish project boundaries,explore potential resources, propose a project scope and establish strategies for communityinvolvement; and the design of a survey to get community input on the proposed project. Datagleaned from the meetings were compiled and distributed to the project leaders, who finalized theproject scope and developed the proposal. Work products included the following:

Development of worksheets to focus discussion, and to facilitate decision making Detailed meeting notes summarizing key decisions and task assignments Project team list serve to facilitate effective communication between meetings Community survey to gauge demand for housing products Comprehensive project data binder Research for funding sources, relevant articles, community maps, demographic data,

housing statistics and other raw data.Technical assistance for work team members as theycompleted research assignments between meetings

Organization: Blocks Together


Blocks Together (BT) is a multi-issue, direct-action community organization made up of residents,schools, and churches in the West Humboldt and North Garfield Park communities of Chicago. Forover 11 years, BT has been dedicated to developing grassroots leadership and empoweringresidents to create systemic change. Its mission is to increase the communitys capacity to takeaction to address important issues; challenge members to develop skills to advocate for theircommunity and themselves; address the root causes of inequality; create neighborhood stability byensuring that needed resources are invested in the community; and unite residents on the basis ofequality to engage in building a social and economic justice movement.

Ms. Leonard was invited to present a workshop on effective strategies for TIF advocacy at thegrassroots level. Topics covered included an overview of the TIF approval process; a Power Pointpresentation outlining lessons learned from Lawndale; a financial report for the Chicago CentralPark TIF; and pointers for hosting effective TIF Town Hall meetings. Commissioner Mike Quigleyalso provided a presentation on the need for transparency and accountability for Cook Countys

TIFs. Immediate outcomes from the workshop include an invitation from a member of the DouglasPark Advisory Council to share information as to how to access TIF funds for improvements in thepark; and an invitation from a member of the Little Village Community to make a presentation inthat community.

Organization: University of Chicago


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SSA CPOD Program


The University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration (SSA) is dedicated to workingtoward a more just and humane society through research, teaching, and service to the community.As one of the oldest and most prestigious graduate schools of social work, SSA prepares workingprofessionals to handle society's most difficult problems by developing new knowledge, promotinga deeper understanding of the causes and human costs of social inequities, and building bridgesbetween rigorous research and the practice of helping individuals, families, and communities toachieve a better quality of life. SSAs programming includes the Community Planning, Organizing,& Development (CPOD). This sequence of recommended courses is designed to enable studentsto acquire the conceptual and substantive knowledge base underlying professional practice in:

Community Organizing, Planning, and Development, by which professionals help communitygroups engage in purposive, collective change.

Ms. Leonard hosted a workshop highlighting a number of issues impacting the North Lawndalecommunity, including the dwindling supply of affordable housing; the need to improve the qualityof public education and the need to expand economic and workforce development opportunities.The audience included students from a number of disciplines who were studying the impact of thenonprofit sector and leadership development upon various communities across the City of Chicago.

As a result of this workshop, Ms. Leonard has been invited to present another workshop for theSummer Links Program at the University of Chicago.

Organization: University of Chicago

Summer Links Internship Program


Summer Links is an intensive 11-week, paid internship program for 30 returning College andgraduate students committed to public service, community building and social change. Started in1997 and sponsored by the Dean of the College, Summer Links has placed over 300 students insubstantive internships with more than 125 organizations throughout the city of Chicago.

Ms. Leonard facilitated a workshop on North Lawndale educational issues for a delegation of 35students. Invited guests included representatives from Dvorak School, CPS, and DePaul Egan UrbanCenter to discuss the latest developments surrounding the creation of a new technological hub forneighboring schools; a science teacher from North Lawndale College Preparatory High School, toshare her varied experiences in educating North Lawndale children; a former LSC Member, CollinsHigh School, to share her experiences with transition in the building, from a single school facility toa 3-school facility; and an instructor from the Cook County Detention Center. Ms. Leonard shared

trends in performance statistics for schools in North Lawndale and identified issues of concern.Each panelist discussed his/her career paths, and related experiences.

Organization: North Park University Axelson Center


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For Nonprofit Management

Role: Consultant

North Park Universitys Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management serves theeducational needs ofnonprofit professionals through undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificate programs, on-site training, and an annual symposium series that addresses contemporary issues and challengesconfronting nonprofit organizations.

Ms. Leonard participated in the speed consulting session of the annual symposium and has beeninvited to prepare a half-day workshop on the strategic planning process as part of the AxelsonCenters series of workshops for nonprofit leaders.

Organization: North Park University Axelson Center

For Nonprofit Management


Ms. Leonard presented a workshop on strategic planning, Building Organizational Effectiveness

Through Strategic Planning. This workshop provided participants with the tools to develop astrategic planning process that would enable them to position their organizations to meet thedemands of a changing environment. Utilizing a combination of classroom instruction, interactiveexercises and case studies, the ultimate goal was to help participants enhance their strategicmanagement skills. Participants were exposed to the entire strategic planning cycle, frompreparation to evaluation. Participants learned:

What a strategic plan is, its major components, and how it is similar, yet different from business planning. How to prepare for a strategic planning process How to engage a variety of community and organizational stakeholders to increase buy in

and maximize team performance.

How to align programs and management systems with the organizations mission, goals,objectives and strategies.

How to develop and monitor work plans How to conduct ongoing evaluation to measure progress and ensure continuous

improvement.

Project: Capacity Building Blocks

Role: Developer, Facilitator

Capacity Building Blocks is a 10-part series of workshops for nonprofit practitioners. Theworkshops are held on the client site, or mutually-agreed upon location. The interactive workshops

provide a balance of instruction, case studies and group activities designed to help participantsstrengthen their organizations infrastructure, and position it for long term sustainability.Participants learn how to

develop effective boards discern the differences and similarities between strategic plans and business plans, and

when it is most appropriate to use each

develop and implement program evaluation plans


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write effective funding proposals for private foundations, technology and governmentsubmittals

develop budgets that support the overall mission of your organization and programseffectively communicate your organizations mission, goals and accomplishments toenhance accountability

comply with state and federal government regulations as they relate to nonprofitsWorkshop participants also have access to an online bulletin board to post answers to follow upquestions and to hold one another accountable to make progress on their respective goals andobjectives.

The Capacity Building Blocks:

Capacity Building Block 1 TM: Starting a New Organization Capacity Building Block 2 TM: Developing Effective Boards Capacity Building Block 3 TM: Strategic Planning vs. Business Planning Capacity Building Block 4 TM: Program Development Capacity Building Block 5 TM: Budgeting and Forecasting Cash Flows Capacity Building Block 6 TM: Proposal Writing Capacity Building Block 7 TM: Marketing and Communications Capacity Building Block 8 TM: Program Evaluation Capacity Building Block 9 TM: Technology Planning for Nonprofits Capacity Building Block 10 TM: Regulatory Compliance

Organizations that have sponsored employees or training for other organizations include CampButterfly, Carey Tercentenary AME Church, Chicago Area Project, Chicago Urban League, GarfieldPark Conservatory Alliance, and the Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corporation. Thecurriculum is being adapted for use at the Harold Washington College.

Organization: Greater Chicago Food DepositoryRole: Workshop Facilitator, Consultant

The Greater Chicago Food Depository, (GCFD) Chicagos food bank, is a not-for-profit fooddistribution and training center providing food for hungry people while striving to end hunger inour community. The Food Depository distributes donated and purchased food through a network of600 food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters to almost a half million adults and children everyyear. Pantry University, created in partnership with GCFDs network members, is dedicated tocontinually strengthening the capabilities of the Food Depositorys member agencies by providingtraining and educational workshops on topics such as food safety, nutrition, fundraising, grantwriting, creating and maintaining budgets and information technology.

Ms. Leonard was retained by GCFD Pantry University to provide board training for the GreaterRoseland/West Pullman Network. The Network had been working collaboratively for several years,and is in the process of formalizing their working arrangement to increase the impact of their workin Roseland and West Pullman. Ms. Leonard developed and facilitated a specialized boarddevelopment retreat, taking into account issues specific to the Network. The interactive workshopwas structured with a combination of a classroom discussion and breakout discussions. Thisincluded developing a Power Point presentation outlining roles and responsibilities of the boardand staff; the differences between advisory boards and governing boards; the various growth


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stages of informal groups and organizations; compliance issues and board recruitment andretention.

Ms. Leonard also developed a case study written especially for the group, highlighting their specificissues with the dynamics of collaborating with other organizations while maintaining loyalty toones own organization; the pros and cons of developing a membership organization and

developing the optimal organizational structure. The notes from the interactive workshop wereused as a foundation for future board development and strategic planning. As a result of her workwith the Network, Ms. Leonard was referred to work with Hope Community Services. Ms. Leonardhas been invited to prepare workshops on board development and conduct strategic planningsessions for a select cohort of GCFD affiliates.

Organization: Hope Community Services


Hope Community Services (HCS) began twenty-five years ago as an ecumenical collaboration toaddress issues of hunger in Harvey, Illinois and neighboring communities. The organization has

recently undergone a change in executive and board leadership, and is in the process of re-affirmingits mission, goals and values.

Ms. Leonard was retained by HCS as a result of her previous work for the Greater Chicago FoodDepository. At HCSs request, Ms. Leonard developed a specialized board development retreat,taking into account issues specific to the Hope Community Services organization. This includeddeveloping a Power Point presentation outlining roles and responsibilities of the board and staff,the role of staff and board in fundraising; issues of risk management and directors and officersinsurance, regulatory and programmatic compliance and board recruitment and retention.

Ms. Leonard also developed a case study specially written for the group, highlighting their specificissues, and to allow the board and staff to discuss them in the abstract before dealing with them

directly. HCS has invited Ms. Leonard to facilitate a strategic planning process.

Organization: ARISE Program

Salem Baptist Church of Chicago


ARISEwhich stands for To Actively Raise and Inspire Women to Successfully Build Businesseswith Excellence was a project launched in 2004 by the Salem Baptist Church of Chicago, under theleadership of Pastor James T. Meeks and the direction of First Lady, Mrs. Jamell Meeks. Her visionfor the ARISE program is to help men and women overcome barriers to the successful launchingand sustaining of their businesses. This is achieved through mentorship and offering a 5-weekcourse for new entrepreneurs. Each year, more than 150 students enroll in the course. The

participants final project is toprepare written business plans and showcase their businesses to thepublic during an Expo sponsored by Salem Baptist Church. Cash prizes are awarded to the top threefinishers.

As a second place finisher in 2005, Ms. Leonard was asked to mentor a group of participants fromthe 2006 class. Her cohort included men and women who were interested in starting nonprofitorganizations or consulting businesses. Ms. Leonard maintained contact with the students for the


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duration of the course and beyond, serving as a resource for market research, developing thebusiness plans and other resources that could be of use.

Ms. Leonard was also asked to facilitate a workshop for participants who were interested instarting nonprofit organizations. The subject matter included an overview of the steps to beginninga nonprofit; the key similarities and differences between starting nonprofits versus for-profit

organizations, roles and responsibilities of board members and budgeting for nonprofits. Ms.Leonard prepared a Power Point Presentation and provided free and low cost resources to assistjob seekers.

Organization: Idealist.org, DePaul University


The Idealist.org Chicago Nonprofit Career Fair is generously hosted by the DePaul University CareerCenter, and is co-sponsored by the IT Resource Center, the Axelson Center for NonprofitManagement at North Park University, YNPN Chicago and The Chicago Reader. Each year, the fairprovides a forum through which where job seekers can distribute resumes and speak with

organizational representatives about current and future employment, internship and volunteeropportunities. There is also a series of free information sessions offering career advice for nonprofitjob seekers.

Ms. Leonard was invited to facilitate a workshop, Careers in Organizational Development andProject Management. The subject matter included an overview of capacity and organizationaldevelopment; typical organizational development activities; major disciplines and requisite skills

and training for organizational development and project management consultants; employmentoutlook; key characteristics employers look for in candidates for organizational developmentconsultant positions; and an overview of the project management industry.

Community/Civic Engagement

Project: Committee to Save North Lawndale Schools

Role: Facilitator

The Committee to Save North Lawndale Schools (CSNLS) is comprised of North Lawndalestakeholders who have come together to provide an alternative plan to avert school closings.Members of the ad hoc committee include elected officials, local community-based organizations,and engaged individuals. Under Ms. Leonard's leadership, the group advocated against schoolclosings by hosting press conferences and co-producing cable television call in shows; making guest"appearances" on radio shows; provided written and oral testimony at school closing hearings on

the federal, state and local level and published op-ed pieces and blog articles. The group alsodeveloped an alternative plan to school closures. The plan provided community basedalternatives to school closings and laid the foundation for a dialogue between communitystakeholders, the Chicago Public Schools and the philanthropic community to find win-winsolutions that will positively impact academic outcomes for our children and the quality oflife for North Lawndale residents.


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Project: North Lawndale African American Heritage Quilting Project

Role: Project Manager

The North Lawndale African American History Quilting Project engages North Lawndale residentsin the research of the history and culture of African American residents and express their findings

in a community quilt. Subject matter can include family trees, family traditions, poems, stories,famous quotes, neighborhood traditions, church or organization traditions, famous people fromNorth Lawndale, North Lawndale icons, the relationship between African American and Jewishexperiences in North Lawndale; the Civil Rights Movement; the African influence in Mexico; theMigration of African Americans from the South, etc. Local partners include the Better BoysFoundation, Urban Art Retreat, and the K-Town Historic District Committee.

Ms. Leonard is the Project Manager. In this capacity, she is responsible for the day to day operationsof the project, ensuring securing volunteers, resource development, marketing and communityoutreach and public relations. Ms. Leonard has also developed a blog to document the projectsprogress, share lessons learned from the quilting project; document the African Americanexperience in North Lawndale and to share quilting resources. The blog may be accessed at

http://northlawndalequilting.blogspot.com

Organization: CHA Resident Owned Credit Union

Role: Volunteer

CHA is undergoing rapid transformation. As a part of the CHAs Plan for Transformation, localresidents were encouraged to develop resident-owned businesses and create other mechanisms foreconomic development, including a resident-owned credit union. Ms. Leonard served as avolunteer, assisting CHA residents in the implementation of a marketing and outreach strategy tocreate a resident-owned credit union. In this capacity, she participated in strategy meetings,canvassed CHA developments and surveyed residents. Data gleaned from these processes wereincluded in the application for the credit union.

Organization: United Way of Metropolitan Chicago

Role: Co-Chair, African American Outreach Committee,

Ambassador

The African American Outreach Committee (AAOC) of the United Way of Metropolitan Chicagoraises awareness of United Way among African Americans; enhances the presence of AfricanAmerican leadership and volunteer positions throughout United Way of Metropolitan Chicago;boosts African American involvement in fundraising; and strives to increase the investment ofdollars into the African American community. The AAOC also provides input into the developmentof grant making programs targeted to agencies that serve the African American Community, and

provides technical assistance to prospective United Way grantees as they prepare for site visits.Ms. Leonard was appointed Co-Chair for a two-year term, beginning January 1, 2007, and served asa s a United Way Ambassador. In this capacity, she accompanied senior staff to prospect meetingsseeking donations and volunteer resources from high level corporate executives and affinitygroups. She has also completed Project Blueprint, the United Ways comprehensive Board Training program geared to place United Way volunteers on nonprofit boards throughout the City ofChicago.
http://northlawndalequilting.blogspot.com/http://northlawndalequilting.blogspot.com/http://northlawndalequilting.blogspot.com/


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Organization: Lawndale Alliance

Role: Co-Founder, Convener

Ms. Leonard is the convener for the Lawndale Alliance, a task force of Lawndale residents who havecome together to address issues of importance to local residents, including community planningand development. The group is most noted for its work on issues surrounding the Ogden-PulaskiTIF, including the need for grassroots community input in community development decisions; theneed to mitigate the effects of displacement of low-moderate income residents, and elimination oferrors in the list of properties potentially displaced by the implementation of the TIF.

Ms. Leonard led the group in the development of a comprehensive education and awarenessstrategy that included articles in the print media, blogs, and websites; direct mail to over 1,000residents; petition and voter registration drives impacting over 1,000 voters; appearances on a call-in cable television show; weekly strategy meetings; workshops on TIF education, the Ogden-PulaskiRedevelopment Plan, and tax reduction strategies; a town hall meeting to discuss issuessurrounding the Ogden-Pulaski TIF that attracted 400 people; public testimony at the Mayorsbudget hearing; public testimony at a hearing on the Proposed Ogden-Pulaski TIF; a press

conference highlighting the potential negative impact to local residents; a lecture at a localuniversity; targeted e-mail blasts to 600 community stakeholders; telephone calls to over 400residents at a time; distribution of flyers and door to door canvassing impacting up to 1,200 peopleat a time.

As a result of the campaign, the number of homes potentially displaced was reduced from 317 units(potentially displacing 1,200 people) to 24 units (potentially displacing 100 people); TIFs havebecome a household name in a community that heretofore knew very little about the subject. (Itshould be noted that 6 TIFs were created in the community prior to the creation of the Ogden-Pulaski TIF). A local steering committee has also been created to solicit input from local residentsinto the redevelopment plans for Ogden Avenue.

The Lawndale Alliance also developed a series of town hall meetings to address the impact ofmortgage foreclosures upon the community; the pros and cons of Chicago hosting the Olympics;funding from the HUD Neighborhood Stabilization Program and a report of progress made on 7commercial, industrial and residential TIFs that impact the North Lawndale community. Themeetings were recorded and run on CAN TV (Cable Access Network Television in Chicago).

The Lawndale Alliance worked with State Representative Arthur Turner, Jr., Commissioner RobertSteele, other legislative leaders and a coalition of regional and community-based organizations toconduct community outreach and training for local residents. The coalition includes the IllinoisCampaign for Accountable Redistricting, Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent PrecinctOrganization (IVI-IPO), Open Door Foundation, Empowered Citizens of North Lawndale (ECONL),and the North Lawndale Community News. We will offer a series of three 2-hour workshops each

Thursday, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on April 21, April 28 and May 5th at the 10th District PoliceStation--Community Room, 3515 West Ogden Avenue. Please note the date change.

The workshops provided insights into the relationships between the Census and the redistrictingprocess; the redistricting process and calendar; the parameters within which redistricting mustoccur; an overview of current legislative maps and proposed changes; the impact of theredistricting process upon local communities, and how citizens may get involved at the grassroots


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level. This will include Congressional districts, and State legislative districts that impact the WestSide of Chicago.

The Lawndale Alliance held a town hall meeting and training in preparation for Mayor RahmEmanuels TIFReform Task Forces public meeting. The presenters included local residents whoprovided an overview of what TIFs are and how they work, as well as a facilitated discussion to get

a sense for how the Citys TIFprogram could be improved. The brainstorming session results wereused to develop a set of recommendations that were presented to the Mayors TIF Reform TaskForce on July 28, 2011.

The Lawndale Alliance worked with Blocks Together, Carey Tercentenary AME Church, theUniversity of Illinois At Chicago Institute for Policy and Community Engagement and West SidersAgainst All School Closings to develop School Pictures", a public town hall meeting series featuringsnapshots of West Side Schools, on November 18, 23 and 25, 2013. The 3-day series explored issuesof concern to all schools, particularly those on the West Side of Chicago. We looked at a number ofissues impacting children and students ages 0-21 to gain a better understanding of how the groupscould work together as a school communityalong with public agencies and elected officialstoimprove public schools schools. The subject matter was broad, and included access to earlychildhood education, school performance, dropout rates, school finances, TIFs, school policies andparent engagement.

By the end of the series, participants had a very good sense for the state of West Side Schools'performance and finances, and had an opportunity to provide real input into grouprecommendations to be presented to CPS, elected officials and other stakeholders to drive schoolimprovement at the community level. More than 75 attendees attended the event. The LawndaleAlliance is in the process of compiling a final report and survey results, which will be shared withcommunity stakeholders and elected officials.

Communications

Medium: North Lawndale TIFs Blog

Role: Member of Team of Publishers and Moderators

North Lawndale TIFs is a site developed to track North Lawndale TIFs, including their progresstowards financial and programmatic goals and expenditures. Visitors will find copies of reportsand other relevant documents from the City of Chicago, articles, presentations and links toresources to increase your understanding of how TIFs work and to keep you posted on the latestdevelopments. This site is not affiliated with the City of Chicago, Cook County or State of Illinois.The site is maintained by three North Lawndale residentsTerrance Harrington, Jimmy Lee Lard

and Valerie F. Leonard.


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Medium: In the Loop Electronic Newsletter

Role: Publisher

Ms. Leonard is the publisher of In the Loop, an eclectic compilation of e-mail transmittals that shereceives during the week prior to its publication. From time to time, the newsletter includes findannouncements of events, grant opportunities, job postings, links to websites and articles ofinterest or notes of encouragement. The newsletter is distributed to 1,500 nonprofit professionals,engaged community residents, foundations, state, federal and local government agencies, electedofficials, small business owners and financial intermediaries in Chicago and several cities across theUnited States.

Medium: Valeriefleonard.com Website

Role: Designer, Webmaster

Valeriefleonard.com provides information about Ms. Leonards practice, and provides access to freeand low-cost capacity building resources for nonprofit professionals and small business owners.Visitors may 1) learn more about Ms. Leonardsservices; 2) post blogs concerning special events, or

articles highlighting best practices in nonprofit management; 3) download brochures and flyersfrom capacity building workshops; 4) purchase reference books and accounting software fordiscounts ranging from 10% to 30%; 5) review and post job announcements; download back issuesof In the Loop and Community Development Milestones newsletters; 7) link to other resources.More than 90% of the website consists of free and low cost resources enabling visitors to increasetheir capacity, regardless of whether they choose to use Ms. Leonards services.

Medium: Staying in the Loop Weblog

Role: Publisher, Moderator

Ms. Leonard also moderates Staying in the Loop, a weblog that allows one to comment on articlesfound in In the Loop. Users may also feel free to post events, or submit articles that may be of

concern to local nonprofits, small business owners or elected officials and policy makers. Thecombined traffic for valeriefleonard.com and Staying in the Loopsurpassed 19,000 visitors in 2007and exceeded 30,000 visitors for the year ending December 31, 2008.

Medium: North Lawndale Community Newspaper

Role: Resident Journalist

Ms. Leonard is an occasional contributor to the North Lawndale Community News, a community-based weekly newspaper. Ms. Leonard has written a number of articles and letters to the editorsanalyzing the impacts of the City of Chicagos budget, the Olympics, education policy, tax incrementfinancing districts (TIFs) and the HUD Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) to the local

community. Ms. Leonard has also written articles on various topics surrounding best practices fororganizational development and capacity building.

7/29/2019 Statem

statement of qualifications 71913

Documents