1. Telling Your Story March 13, 2018

2. The National Association for County Community and Economic Development (NACCED)
The National Association for County Community and Economic Development (NACCED) was established as an affiliate of the National Association of Counties (NACo) in 1978 to develop the technical capacity of county government practitioners that administer federally-funded affordable housing, community development, and economic development programs benefiting low- and moderate-income households.
NACCED provides information, training and representation to counties receiving direct assistance from the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD’s) Community Planning and Development (CPD) programs, including the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME), and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) programs.
NACCED serves as voice in Washington on budgetary, programmatic, and regulatory issues pertaining to community development, economic development, and affordable housing.
As mentioned, prior to working for NACCED I worked for the State of Nebraska under Steve Charleston as the Consolidated Plan Coordinator and the Community Development Coordinator. I’ll go over some of the things Nebraska does to tell their story a little bit later. I also come with a perspective from the Hill as I previously worked for Congressman Brad Ashford from Nebraska as his Legislative Assistant on Housing and Community Development issues. I sat in dozens of meetings, attended events, and received mail and handouts on these issues. I’ll touch on some of the things that work and do not work with your elected officials.

3. Getting the attention of elected officials
❶Developing Educational Materials
❷ Community Development Week
❸ Meeting with your Member of Congress

4. Educational Materials: Working with Grantees
Giving your grantees and program partners the right tools to tell their stories is essential. Here I have shown a few examples of Nebraska’s impacts and investments Brochures. Steve Charleston was also nice enough to bring copies for you to look at. These materials provide a glance at what programs are being utilized, where, who they are serving, and what kind of impact they are making.
It’s important to keep data gathering at the forefront of your mind throughout the year. Gather grantee data under the assumption that you are going to be putting together something like this. It’s a good idea to gather data to put together graphics and stats. Keep this type of data compilation in mind and some different ways that might highlight this data. You can see Nebraska splits their stats into program categories and sub categories. Try not to get too technical though. We have heard time and time again, elected officials want to see the human side to these programs. The stats are important, but they want to see how these programs affect their constituents on a daily basis.
Ask your grantees for success stories! Most organizations and communities love showing off when they have a good program or project. You can even make some sort of awards program among your grantees…it’s a great way to gather even more success stories.
Make sure the grantees document before and after stats…especially pictures. This is the perfect way to add the humanity factor to your educational materials.
Work with your partners. Interview some of the groups and grantees you work with and get some great attention getting quotes. Also interview people at the community level that were impacted by the program. Again, bringing the humanity back into these programs.
Once you get all this information gathered, share your materials around! We live in an age where sending a brochure is pretty much free via the internet. Make sure all your partners, stakeholders, members of the community, and elected officials see this information. It takes a minute to share, and it can make a huge difference. It might even inspire your stakeholders to create their own materials. When your community is aware of the impact you’re making, they’re going to fight for you and continue to tell the story. This is so important in a time when HUD funds are in the balance. We need everyone out there sharing this information and we need our communities behind us.
Again, this is not the time to reinvent the wheel! (unless you have some great ideas not being utilized) Look at your peers that have done this before. Copy their methods and ask them questions! We’re all in the same boat and fighting the same fight, so why not work together and learn from one another.

5. Educational Materials: Working with Your Team
Work with the resources you have: Marketing, graphic designers, public information officers, etc. one of our members even used the parks department to design big novelty checks for all their grantees. Get your entire department involved and invested in this initiative.
Make sure all the elected officials are included from the top to the bottom. It’s a great way to highlight the work you’re doing and they will want to take some credit for the development happening in their state or community.
Once you get all this information gathered, share your materials around! We live in an age where sending a brochure is pretty much free via the internet. Make sure all your partners, stakeholders, members of the community, and elected officials see this information. It takes a minute to share, and it can make a huge difference. It might even inspire your stakeholders to create their own materials. When your community is aware of the impact you’re making, they’re going to fight for you and continue to tell the story. This is so important in a time when HUD funds are in the balance. We need everyone out there sharing this information and we need our communities behind us.
Share on social media—I’m sure your states and departments have social media pages. See if they’ll share your announcements, pictures, brochures…anything you have!
Put this stuff on your website too. That makes it easier for others to share as well
Send out press releases to local newspapers and entities the put together newsletters.
Any stakeholder you can think of …share this information!

6. Community Development Week
April 2-6, 2018
The 2017 National Community Development (CD) week will be celebrated April 2-6. This is a wonderful time for CDBG and HOME grantees to meet with their members of Congress, showcase projects and programs, and involve the local community including businesses, citizens, and community groups in the week-long celebration.
In FY 2001 the CDBG program received $4.406 billion in formula funding, its highest funding level ever. That level now stands at $3 billion. Additionally, the HOME program has been reduced to $950 million from $1.825 billion in FY While there have been great strides in the last few years to protect this funding, CDBG and HOME grantees need to get behind the National CD Week Campaign to show their elected officials how important these grants are to the communities they serve.
This annual campaign, is designed to focus local as well as national attention on the numerous remarkable accomplishments of CDBG and HOME and the programs’ importance in the lives of low- and moderate-income citizens. You can showcase projects, educate the community on program benefits, and most importantly, by inviting members of Congress and other elected officials to attend CD week activities so they are made aware of the benefits of the programs to the local economy and to the families served by the programs. The week is conveniently scheduled when the members of Congress are at home, so this is the perfect time for them to see what’s going on in their district! They also love the opportunity for a photo opp, or time with constituents, so the bigger the better with these events.
Start Planning your 2017 CD Week Activities Now!
• Get your community involved. Invite members of Congress and other elected officials, neighborhood groups, local businesses, and other CDBG and HOME stakeholders. You can even ask local businesses and banks to sponsor activities.
• Invite the media. Create press releases on your CD week activities. Invite the press to your events and ask them to write an article on CDBG or HOME during CD week.
• Choose the right venue. Select venues and locations that showcase CDBG and HOME funded projects and programs.
• Announce your events. Provide press releases and informational materials to the media as soon as possible. Announce planned events to state and local media, community groups and your congressional delegation. Consider low-cost promotional materials for events such as running a PowerPoint or video showing before and after photos of projects.
Event Ideas:
• Hold a proclamation signing with local officials to kick off National Community Development Week.
• Sponsor tours of CDBG and HOME projects. This is a good time to highlight successful projects that have already been completed, but also projects that are still in development. Show attendees the plans for future development and get the community excited about future businesses, housing projects, and public facilities.
• Host a community appreciation dinner.
• Plan events working with downtown business owners to promote area businesses.
• Plan ribbon cutting ceremonies for completed projects.
• Hold groundbreaking ceremonies.
• Host a lunch highlighting the successful projects in your community.
• Release a brochure highlighting success stories and the impacts of CDBG and HOME investments in the community.
• Plan meetings with your members of Congress at their district offices. CD week is always planned for a week when Congress is not in session, so your elected officials should be in their home offices ready to meet with constituents!
• Start a letter writing or calling campaign to members of Congress to share achievements and express the importance of CDBG and HOME funding to community development projects.
Need more ideas? Use your peers, COSCDA or any groups you belong to. Hundreds of communities and organizations participate in CD week, so there is no need to reinvent the wheel. Get some ideas on what has worked and what doesn’t.

7. When you get in the room
Keep in Brief—Especially when you have the actual member of Congress in the room. They often have to rush off for votes or other meetings, so it’s really important to leave a lasting impression on them in the few minutes they have.
Prepare an elevator speech—In some meetings you’ll obviously have more time to expand on your asks, but be able to share the highlights in a few minutes. Think of this time as a teaser for a book or a movie trailer: share the most attention getting points and leave them wanting more. There will be time for questions and more elaboration if you capture their interest.
Framing your story. Show them the positive effects these programs have on their district, and why it’s necessary to continue support for these programs. Draw them a picture of what they can do at the legislative level to support the programs. Put a face to the story as well! Show the human impact of these programs as well as the statistics.
It’s ok to just come out and ask for what you want! Members of Congress and congressional staffers are expecting this “ask” with each meeting. Be clear and direct about what you want. If they say no, that’s ok too. You’re building a relationship with these folks and it is possible to build their support. Continue to communicate and work with their staffers. It’s very important to maintain a positive relationship even if they can’t commit to what you want.
There are many ways to communicate with your representatives other than having meetings or one on one contact.
-Invite them to groundbreaking ceremonies, award presentations or other events that highlight your projects. They’ll love the photo opp and you will have the opportunity to show them the great work you’re doing.
-Take any opportunity to put out press releases, use social media, and work with the media to highlight your projects. Keep your grantees involved in this process and get them in on it too. Members and staffers receive daily clips about what’s going on in the district, and these positive news pieces are another way to grab their interest.
-Make sure you arm stakeholders and grantees with good information. Make brochures, highlight projects on your website, and keep good statistics about the programs in your state. That way if any entities go on their own visits, they know where to turn to get great information to hand over to the elected official.

8. DO DON’T Know Your Audience Bring Local Data Maintain Relationships
Tell the Truth
Assume Prior Knowledge
Complicate Things
Use Jargon or Acronyms
Make sure you know what committees the members of Congress are on. If they’re on appropriations, it’s going to be a much different conversation than if they are not. Know what they’re interests and focuses are. Is the member interested in veterans issues? Show some data about how CDBG has helped veterans in your state. Is the member focused on children’s health? Show data about how HUD programs are creating safer water, homes, community centers, etc. for low-income communities. This can really help a member of Congress latch on to your asks.
Bring in local data. Although you deal in state numbers, see if you can feature a project in that Member’s district. Or if it’s a Senator, find a project in their hometown. They’ll feel more connection to the story.
Follow up after the meeting and try to create a long-lasting relationship with the office. Even if you think it’s an office you don’t have a lot in common with…it’s so important to find common ground and keep in contact.
Finally…not that it needs to be said, but always tell the truth. If you fib or fabricate data or information, you will immediately lose trust with that office. And if you don’t know…that’s ok! Just say you’ll follow up. Perfect excuse to the office following a meeting.
Don’t assume the office knows about HUD or CDBG or HOME or any programs. Even if they are the “HUD” staffer. There is a lot of turnover on the hill and you might be getting someone will little background on your issues. It’s a great opportunity to educate this person and be a resource for them. Don’t complicate things though. If they have no prior background, don’t try to teach them everything in one meeting. Give them the basics and follow up and be their point of contact on any issues related to your programs. Also, don’t use jargon or acronyms if they’re not familiar with the programs. It’s easy to forget this and we all do it, but they’ll have a hard time following and will likely be to embarrassed to ask you to spell out everything. You can always ask: “Are you familiar with CDBG?”

9. Contact Heather Voorman NACCED Policy Director
Phone: