Section I: Organization Information

Name of Agency: Community Design Collaborative        

Name/Title of Contact:  Beth Miller, Executive Director

Address:  117 S. 17th Street, 2nd Fl, Philadelphia PA 19103        

Phone Number: 215.587.9290

Email Address:  beth@cdesignc.org
     
Web Address:  www.cdesignc.org

Total Number of Staff Members: 5        

Total Agency Budget:  $1.09  million, $590,000operating, $500,000 in-kind

Agency Mission:  Building neighborhood visions as communities and volunteer design professionals work together. The Community Design Collaborative (Collaborative) is a volunteer–based community design center that provides pro bono preliminary design assistance to nonprofits throughout greater Philadelphia. Founded by a handful of volunteers in 1991, the Collaborative 1) provides nonprofits with access to pro bono preliminary design services; 2) offers design professionals unique volunteer opportunities; and 3) promotes best practices in community design and development.

Fellow’s Job Title: Communications Associate

Section II: The Nitty Gritty

1. Will fellow be working at the same address listed above? If not, please list the address for the fellow’s worksite.

The Collaborative will be moving in March to 1216 Arch Street home of the new Center for Architecture.  We will have temporary accommodations from Jan 1- Feb 28.

2.  Will the fellow have:   

A. ___Own Office?              __x_Shared Office?            ____No Office?  

B. _x_ Own Desk?               ____Shared Desk?              ____No Desk?

C. __x_Own Computer?       ____Shared Computer?      ____No Computer?


3. Please state name and title of fellow’s immediate supervisor.

Linda Dottor, Program Manager

4. Please approximate the percentage of time fellow will work:

__40%__Independently      __40%__As a team member in a group setting   

_20%___As a team leader in a group setting


5. Will fellow be expected to travel as part of his/her position?

If so, will travel be: __x__Within Philadelphia?  ____Outside Philadelphia?

How often will they need to travel?

Will fellow need: ____a car?   ____a transpass?  __x__occasional tokens?

Will the agency provide or reimburse for these expenses?  yes


Section III:  Community Need
Please submit a one paragraph response for each question.

1. Please state in measurable and quantifiable terms the specific community need that the Philly Fellow will address, including the number of people in the community directly affected by the problem.

As conversations concerning neighborhood transformation, education reform, and public open spaces continue to be at the fore of the public agenda, it remains critically important that all communities have access to the expert advice and resources that will enable them to participate in these conversations and ultimately have some say in what happens in their own communities. The Collaborative plays a critical role in providing community- based nonprofits with such resources.  

2. Describe how your agency addresses this need, and how the new capacity created by this fellow will help alleviate the problem.

Expert design assistance and advice provided to a nonprofit early in the physical
development and construction process greatly enhances the quality of projects such as affordable housing development, commercial corridor revitalization, or other building project.  The unfortunate reality is that many of the nonprofits that serve as catalysts for change in the region’s older communities are undercapitalized. Because funding for preliminary design is extremely scarce many nonprofits bypass this crucial step in the development process.  This is where the Collaborative steps in to leverage professional services.  For nonprofits in the Philadelphia region with big ideas but little up front money,
the Collaborative is the only option for expert, early, pro bono design services.  

3. Describe the level of community involvement in the fellow’s project.

The Collaborative’s active volunteer pool of 700 design professionals is a multidisciplinary blend of architects, landscape architects, engineers, preservationists, contractors, cost estimators, and interior and graphic designers.  In many cases, volunteer design professionals introduce the facilities planning and development process to an organization, helping a nonprofit to better understand the scope of a proposed project, the potential costs, and time frames associated with the design process. This work is all toward the goal of helping to build the capacity of nonprofit organizations to make informed decisions about organizational and community development, and revitalization.


Section IV:  Job Description

1. Please outline in list form the fellow’s duties and responsibilities.

Design Matters, Volunteer Support (50%)
o        Prepare and submit Firm project profiles for 1% Solution Web Site (20)
o        Prepare volunteer profiles for E-The Philadelphia Architect  and web site
o        Work with D-Tours committee, a unique set  of  volunteer tours of neighborhoods
o        Make recommendations for volunteer recruitment using new media (Web 2.0 etc)
o        Represent the Collaborative and its programs to selected audiences
Core Services, Case Studies (40%)
o        Prepare  core project summaries for use on web site and marketing materials
o        Prepare case studies that highlight “clustered” (e.g. commercial corridor, affordable housing, open space, child care)
o        Track and prepare program statistics and document program accomplishments for Project Evaluation Committee

Organizational, Admin (10%)
o        Update and maintain program materials
o        Participate in staff meetings, committee meetings, board meetings, and events, as needed
o        Provide, track and administer continuing education credits for design professionals

2. Please outline in list form the skills/qualifications a fellow should have to succeed in this position.
o        Demonstrated interest in community design, civic engagement, a design discipline and community development
o        Ability to work independently as well as work well with others
o        Excellent communications skills – verbal, public speaking, writing
o        Knowledge of MS Word, Excel, Access, Adobe InDesign, Contribute

3. Please outline your agency’s plan to orient and train the fellow.

The fellow will be oriented by the Executive Director Beth Miller for the first few days after which they will begin working with the Program Manager Linda Dottor on independent assignments. In addition the fellow will be encouraged to participate in Philly Fellow meetings, AIA Events and Collaborative meetings.

Section V:  Supervision/Resources

1. Please briefly describe plans for supervision of fellow.

The fellow will work directly under the Program Director Linda Dottor.  Much of the fellow’s work will be completed independently, with regular reviews and progress reports to their supervisor and presentations/participation in Staff Meetings, Project Reviews, occasional site visits, at least one Board Meeting, and Volunteer Recruitment sessions.

2. What methods, information, or data will you use to evaluate the fellow’s success in their position?

We will rely on feedback from coworkers, volunteers, client groups and board members.   
In addition, we will track:
o        the number of project profiles created and posted onto our website or other media outlets
o        the number of volunteer profiles created and highlighted through E-TPA and websites
o        the number of “Firm” presentations made

Section VI: Project Plan
Please outline goals and results you expect the fellow to achieve and the measures you will use to evaluate performance. These goals must address the community need stated above.

1. Please describe the proposed project goal you expect the fellow to achieve.

The Communication Associate will help the Collaborative document its work and tell its story – about the people and communities it connects - for a broader audience, demonstrating that design matters in every community. To that end, the Communications Associate will support Design Matters, a civic engagement initiative that fosters productive partnerships between architects and community-based nonprofits, encouraging emerging design professionals and to become lifelong leaders in community design.


2. Please list significant milestones for this project and dates by which they will be accomplished:

o        Bi-monthly Volunteer Profile in The Philadelphia Architect (6, Oct, Dec, Feb, Apr, Jun, Aug)
o        Bi- annual Article featuring current project in Collaborative Calls Newsletter, (Apr/Oct)
o        Quarterly presentation to Firms (Nov,  Jan, Apr, Jul)
o        Two D-Tours (Feb, May)