INTRODUCING
A NEW COMMUNITY BUILDING WORKBOOK

from
Asset-Based Community Development Institute
Bethel New Life, Inc.
Chicago Association of Neighborhood Development Organizations (CANDO)

COMMUNITIES FACE NEW THREATS. The old strategies for community development don't always work when confronted with:

• Gentrification: We finally attract the new development we thought we wanted, only to find that our people are getting pushed out by higher prices and outside control.
• Economic Crisis. We've been helping small businesses succeed in industry, but then the entire industry is turned upside down.
• Institutional Abandonment. Just when we learn how to develop partnerships between the community and large institutions, those institutions close up shop and leave the area.

TRANSFORMATION: NEW APPROACHES FOR A NEW DAY. You are not alone. People and organizations in communities and situations similar to yours are struggling too. But we can handle change. In fact, we can lead change. To spread the word, this publication brings together some of the best and most exciting stories of community transformation, including:

• Turning Untapped Talents into Opportunity
• Turning Traffic into Opportunity
• Turning Disinvestment into Opportunity
• Turning a White Elephant Building into Opportunity
• Turning Buried Culture and History into Opportunity

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED? Community transformation isn't magic. It can be frustrating and difficult work. So the authors pull these stories apart and show where the blood, sweat, and tears were shed. And then they go deeper, and show how the obstacles were overcome.

NEWS YOU CAN USE. You're busy. So the stories and sections in this book are short, simple to read, and packed with useful information. Read this book for inspiration, then read it again for ideas, tips, and advice. Use the reference section to get a sample of a first-source hiring agreement, or for grantwriting advice, or for the contact information of a colleague you can share with. Or copy and hand out a relevant section at a community meeting or workshop. And spread the word about your own efforts: We can handle change. We can transform our communities.

GET YOUR COPY. The book is distributed exclusively by ACTA Publications in Chicago (800) 397-2282. Please use the order form to obtain your copies.