Osborn Neighborhood Alliance
When was it organized?
2011
Who is completing this survey? Name and role with organization:
Quincy Jones, Executive Director
Choose one category that best fits your organization:
Community Development Organization (not sponsored by a church or agency or company) — neighborhood alliance, business association and place making
Does your organization have paid staff?
Yes
If yes, how many?
4
What is the annual budget of your organization?
$350,000.00
Describe the streets or locations that define your organization’s overall focus area (north, south, east and/or west):
- 6 Mile and Gratiot
- 8 Mile and Gratiot
- 8 Mile and Van Dyke
- 6 Mile and Van Dyke
- 8 Mile to Van Dyke
Describe in detail the work your organization does, within the role categories below, along with the specific geographic area in which the work is done. Refer to the definitions below of the community development roles we are inquiring about. Include any partner organizations you work with, and how the work is funded or otherwise resourced. Use extra pages if necessary. If your organization doesn’t do work in one or more of the role categories, just skip that portion of the survey.
Please Describe The Work Your Organization Does In Community Development:
Convening/Facilitating/Collaborations: General Description
- In the realm of development, we were able to partner with Greening of Detroit to establish the first outdoor learning garden (The Outdoor Learning Center) which was a place where you can learn about the environment. We had to partner with Greening of Detroit and Department of Neighborhoods and the City because a building had to get tore down.
Development takes time and can’t be rushed even if you want to. It’s a marathon not a sprint.
- We convene residents through the business association that moves entrepreneurs from informal and formal markets.
- We convene parents through early childhood development.
- We partner depending on the event, but we will partner with various organizations.
- Our mission is around collaboration and facilitating partnerships; we don’t try to lead or to go citywide.
- Work with entrepreneurs to develop their business provide resources to support their business
Convening/Facilitating/Collaborations: Partner Organizations
- Greening of Detroit
- Black Family Development
- Matrix Center
- Mission Continues (national volunteer group)
- Boys and Girls Club
- Youth Connection
Convening/Facilitating/Collaborations: Funders
- Skillman
- Kruse
- Kellogg
- New Economy Initiative (NEI)
Convening/Facilitating/Collaborations: Important Outcomes or Lessons
Outcomes:
- For the early childhood piece, there are activities and resources for kids 0–5.
- For business, we provide resources to business entrepreneurs to go from the informal market to the formal market.
- For housing, our goal is to renovate 50 homes in the next five years. We want to stabilize and increase the population.
Lessons:
- It’s stressful.
- You can’t do it all.
- One thing we do well is collaborate; wherever there’s a gap we’ll fill it if need be. We’re too small to do it all and there aren’t enough resources.
- Development takes time and can’t be rushed even if you want to. It’s a marathon not a sprint.
Resident Engagement/Empowerment: General Description
- We engage residents through events that are happening including work by volunteers and community members.
- Our board members are elected by the community residents.
You have to make sure that you engage and do it right with the goal of co-facilitating and co-designing
- People on the board are residents.
- Our youth group does midnight basketball and other activities to create a safe space.
Resident Engagement/Empowerment: Partner Organizations
Greening of Detroit
Resident Engagement/Empowerment: Funders
- Skillman
- Kresge
- Kellogg
- NEI
Resident Engagement/Empowerment: Important Outcomes or Lessons
Outcomes:
- We’re able to engage residents by bringing information to them.
- We co-facilitate and design by getting their input.
- The residents get to elect people to the board.
- Residents get agency.
Lessons:
- You have to make sure that you engage and do it right with the goal of co-facilitating and co-designing.
- Trust is important and you can’t skip engagement.
Economic Development: General Description
- We do rehab more so than new construction. There’s a lot of housing, but the condition of the housing is bad and you can’t tear them down.
Community hubs need to be activated as do anchor institutions. We need to figure out what is the institution that needs a community hub.
- We do beautification, clean ups, plant flowers, board ups, murals and artwork and paint.
- We’ve renovated three parks.
- Place making is huge. We need place making and development (i.e. we need the kitchen sink).
- People get excited to see the change. Economic development has helped ONA build credibility.
Economic Development: Partner Organizations
- Kaboom
- Mission Continues
- City of Detroit
- Friends of Caliermere Park
- Friends of Josephe Park
- Friends of Bland/Madding
Economic Development: Funders
- Skillman
- NEI
Economic Development: Important Outcomes or Lessons
Outcomes:
- We’ve renovated three parks.
- We’ve created a safe place and housed family fun activities.
- We use our green spaces for block parties, etc.
Lessons:
- Neighborhoods like Osborn need to identify anchor institutions like the library or the Matrix Center and create spaces and hubs. We need a youth center and a business center.
- Community hubs need to be activated as do anchor institutions. We need to figure out what is the institution that needs a community hub.
- Money is important. To do a decent rehab is 50–60 thousand.
- We can create a strategy around parks and get people excited about further development.
Resident Support: General Description
- We give the big picture and help co-facilitate ideas and co-design. We get residents to help with our designs.
- We may send some residents for trainings. For example, Ms. Riddles is really into development and she was sent to workshops and trainings.
- We give food and incentives to residents when they participate in activities.
Resident Support: Partner Organizations
Matrix Human Services
Resident Support: Funders
Various grants
Resident Support: Important Outcomes or Lessons
Outcomes:
- We share our time and knowledge.
- Our entrepreneurship program helps informal entrepreneurs become formal ones.
- Our outdoor learning garden wouldn’t be where it is without resident involvement.
- We wouldn’t produce the Osborn Voice.
Lessons:
You have to appreciate your residents by having food, incentives, stipends, and certificates.
Community Planning and Advocacy: General Description
Community Planning:
Volunteers meet with staff and partners and give their ideas (e.g. Live in Osborn) around stabilizing neighborhoods and then we roll it out to the residents and ask for their ideas on how to get it started. It helps because when you go out with a raw idea it may take a while for the idea to be shaped. For Live in Osborn, our community development plan focused on the community hub and we’re strategizing around that area to stabilize it. Our strategy is how to capitalize on where people are going to walk towards the hub. We’re getting input on how to engage and what street to target.
Advocacy:
- Anyone can advocate for the organization by just saying that we do good work.
- Our board advocates somewhat well. ONA board gives time and support.
We’re trying to establish community assets like the school and the libraries. The libraries have changed; they’re becoming a hub where people meet.
- We get everybody to advocate for Osborn.
- We advocate for housing development and for entrepreneurs.
- We advocated for the school to help keep it open; we have a parent mentor program.
- We advocated reducing the number of dispensaries in the area. We passed the marijuana law on a state level. The city didn’t act so the dispensaries popped up fast. The city had to catch up.
- We advocated for restrictions on strip clubs.
- We advocated for slowing the traffic on Gratiot.
Community Planning and Advocacy: Partner Organizations
- Matrix Center
- Boys and Girls Club
- Department of Neighborhoods
- City of Detroit
Community Planning and Advocacy: Funders
- Skillman
- Kresge
- Kellogg
- NEI
Community Planning and Advocacy: Important Outcomes or Lessons
Outcomes:
- We’re trying to establish community assets like the school and the libraries. The libraries have changed; they’re becoming a hub where people meet.
- We’re identifying community assets and also doing infrastructure work. We’re creating a business corridor on Gratiot.
- We kept Osborn open.
Lessons:
- You can’t do it alone. You have to know what you’re advocating for and have to show the adverse effect of a certain policy. For example, the green card requirements were too vague.
- You have to be on your A‑game.
Finally, please rank each role 1 to 5, with 5 being the most frequent role, and 1 being the least frequent role carried out by the organization.
Convening/Facilitating/Collaborations: Frequency Rank
5
Resident Engagement/Empowerment: Frequency Rank
4
Economic Development: Frequency Rank
5
Resident Support: Frequency Rank
4
Community Planning and Advocacy: Frequency Rank
4
Do we have your permission to publish this information?
Yes
Can you please point us to other organizations in Detroit — especially in your immediate neighborhood — that are doing community development work? (Organization name, contact name, email, phone)
- Mohican Regent (George Presley), Detroit Solutions (formerly DCI) — Tony Mussel
- Turn of Life Christian Ministry (Pastor Hares)
- Matrix Center
- Black Family Development
- Youth Connection
- the Boys and Girls Club
- The Wiles Club (Pastor Lighter)
- Osborn Youth Alliance
This information is current as of 5/22/17