ABSTRACT
Community economic development institutions are organizations whose central mission is building the individual and collective assets of poor communities so residents can enter the economic mainstream. This chapter focuses on community development corporations (CDCs) because they were the first publicly supported organizational innovation to challenge the traditional economic development paradigm giving voice and representation to poor communities. CDCs are widely accepted and supported across the political spectrum. CDCs represent an important advance and reflect recognition that the voice and interests of poor people and places are central to the development process. The difficulties in building a plural base of community leaders who understand nonprofit management have produced uneven patterns of strength in the CDC model. The regional economy has made a transition over the last decade to low-wage service jobs and transfer payments as the economic base for families and communities.
