Selected papers and proceedings from a conference held in Edmonton, Alberta, November 19 – 20, 1982. This document summarizes the major themes and reproduces a variety of papers representing each theme of a 1982 conference entitled Community Profit, which drew together some two hundred people from across the country to discuss experiences of community economic development and to provide an opportunity to familiarize new people with the concept thus gaining it wider recognition and application.
Download The Nuts and Bolts of Community Economic Development
Community Profit began with a phone call to the Edmonton Social Planning Council from Gerri DeHoog of the Calder Action Committee. In her capacity as regional representative of the Federation of Community Development Corporations, Gerri wanted to explore the possibility of holding a western Canadian meeting to stimulate and share ideas about community development corporations.
Community Profit provided an opportunity for organizations committed to the mmunity Development Corporation (CDC) concept, as well as those new to it, to re-examine the issues and renew their commitment. Groups working on their projects in isolation had an opportunity to make contacts with others who were aiming for similar goals and facing similar challenges.
This paper summarizes the major themes of the conference and reproduces a variety of papers representing each theme. Throughout the literature, the terms CDC (community development corporation) and CED (community economic development) appear to be used almost interchangeably. For the sake of clarity, in the summaries the term community economic development has been used in a more general sense when referring to the process of revitalizing communities and the term community development corporation has been used (or its abbreviation CDC) when referring to the specific vehicle by which this development is accomplished.
Table of Contents
Conference Resources Introduction
The Theory
Evolving a New Economic Perspective – Stewart Perry
Community Control – Greg MacLeod
Community Power and the Community Development Corporation – Leslie Bella
The Model
Community Self Reliance in the Age of Six and Five – Susan Wismer and David Pell
Community Economic Development – Harold R. Baker
The CDC and the Municipality – Jan Reimer
Funding
Excerpts from the panel discussion Funding: The Buck Starts Here – Dal Brodhead and Stewart Perry
Community Future: How Can Government Employment Programs Help? – R. W. Crowley
People
Excerpts from the panel discussion “People: The Greatest Renewable Resource” – Leslie Bella and Hayden Roberts
Volunteers: How to Get Them and How to Keep Them – Karen Hill
The Future
Bibliography
Appendix A – The Conference Agenda
Appendix B – The Conference Speakers
Appendix C – The Conference Participants
Appendix D – Survey Results Summary
