Working Together for Strong Communities
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Working Together for Strong Communities Annual Report 2011 Working Together for Strong Communities Table of Contents 2 Letter from the Board Chairman and the CEO 3 2011 Highlights 4 Working Together for Strong Communities 6 Education and Training 8 Affordable Homeownership 10 Rental Housing 12 Community Stabilization 14 Foreclosure Solutions 16 Building Impact 18 Measuring Impact 20 2011 Donors and Partners 24 NeighborWorks Organizations 26 NeighborWorks District Offices 27 Officers and Directors 28 2011 Audit 1 From the Board Chairman and the CEO Dear Friends, Once again, we put our shoulders to the wheel and were gratified by the results. Our work in communities around the country is more important than ever. NeighborWorks continues to play a vital role in our communities. Our efforts are bolstered by a great team of partners, and the more than 235 local and regional nonprofit organizations that make up the NeighborWorks network. This was a year in which we celebrated several key milestones, including the successful completion of our five year strategic plan for 2007 to 2011. We were heartened by our achievement, particularly in light of the recent economic environment. In 2011, NeighborWorks America and the NeighborWorks network generated $4.2 billion in public and private investments, and assisted 263,000 low- and moderate-income families with their housing needs. Through the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling Program, we continued to provide counseling to thousands of homeowners at risk of foreclosure. We have assisted 1.24 million families since the program’s inception. The value of our efforts was reaffirmed by an independent study by the Urban Institute, which found that homeowners who receive counseling are more likely to receive better loan modifications, cure a serious delinquency or foreclosure and stay current, and avoid a foreclosure completion altogether. We also focused on stabilizing and growing communities – keeping people in their homes, restoring communities hard hit by foreclosure, and preparing people to manage their economic futures wisely and independently. We led efforts to provide training and best practices to community development professionals serving the nation. 2011 marked the opening of our 100th HomeOwnership Center. HomeOwnership Centers promote sustainable homeownership by providing new homebuyers and current homeowners access to counseling, education, and a range of services at one-stop locations. And, in an era of increasing demand for affordable rentals, we can report that 90,000 affordable rental homes are under the ownership or management of NeighborWorks organizations, providing safe, decent, rental housing for the families and individuals who live in them. We would be remiss if we did not acknowledge outgoing Board Chair Thomas Curry, and sincerely thank him for his dedication and commitment to NeighborWorks America’s mission and vision as a board member for seven years and Chairman from June 2005 through April 2012. He was instrumental in our efforts to prevent foreclosures where possible, create more affordable housing and stabilize communities around the country. As we look to the future with a new and ambitious strategic plan already underway, we know that there remains much to be done and we are energized by the possibilities that lie ahead. With your support and partnership we will continue with the challenging and rewarding work to build and restore communities that all are proud to call home. The Honorable Christiane Gigi Hyland Eileen M. Fitzgerald Chairman, NeighborWorks America Board of Directors Chief Executive Officer Board Member, National Credit Union Administration NeighborWorks America 2 2011 Highlights NeighborWorks America believes in the power of community development to provide opportunities to change lives. Combining energy, passion, and expertise, NeighborWorks America’s efforts create opportunities for people to live in affordable homes, improve their lives and strengthen their communities throughout all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. NeighborWorks America Impact: Families assisted by Training certificates awarded NeighborWorks Network to Community Development organizations in 2011: Professionals in 2011: 263,000 22,085 Local investment leveraged by Families counseled through NeighborWorks Network organizations National Foreclosure in 2011: Mitigation Counseling $4.2 billion (2008-2011): 1.24 million Social Media growth by the numbers for FY11: NeighborWorks Alert NeighborWorks e-newsletter America channel Twitter followers YouTube views Facebook fans 33% 83% 169% 200% 3 Working together for strong communities Seacliff Highlands, South County Housing, Gilroy, California 4 NeighborWorks® America is one of the nation’s leaders in affordable housing and community development. Our mission is to create opportunities for people to live in affordable homes, improve their lives and strengthen their communities. In the last five years, with the support of our nationwide NeighborWorks network of more than 235 community development organi- zations, we have assisted nearly one million low- to moderate-income families in purchasing, preserving or improving their homes and finding secure, safe, affordable rental hous- ing. During that same time, NeighborWorks organizations have leveraged more than $16 billion to invest in America’s communities through their work in more than 4,400 urban, suburban and rural communities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. NeighborWorks organizations deliver proven and innovative solutions efficiently and effectively. We strive to be responsive to lo- cal needs and to leverage public and private sector resources to better the lives of millions of families. Seacliff Highlands, South County Housing, Gilroy, California 5 Education and Training “NeighborWorks training has given me the tools to lead my organization. The success of my organization is, in large part, a result from the training I have received through NeighborWorks. It has helped us better serve our community.” – Kelly Walters, Executive Director, Parkway Senior Center, Utica, NY NeighborWorks America is one of the largest providers of training for professionals in the affordable hous- ing and community development field. In FY11 our trainings offered housing and community development education to more than 13,000 housing and community development leaders and practitioners. NeighborWorks provides intensive core and specialized training in affordable housing development, finance and management, homeownership counseling and community lending, nonprofit management and finance, community engagement and revitalization, green building and more. In FY11, NeighborWorks America: h Awarded more than 22,000 training certificates to practitioners from more than 3,400 nonprofit organiza- tions, municipalities and other government entities. h Offered four five-day Training Institutes where nearly 8,000 community development and affordable housing professionals received vital professional development and skill building and attended cutting edge symposia. h Provided professional certification in eight content areas that raise the bar for excellence in affordable housing, as well as specialized training for underserved populations including certification through the NeighborWorks Center for Home Ownership Education and Counseling (NCHEC) for nonprofit home ownership education and counseling and foreclosure mitigation counseling. h Offered 20 e-learning courses with more than 5,800 certificates awarded. h Conducted more than 150 courses in a range of topics integral to community development and affordable housing. h Hosted a successful Community Leadership Institute with more than 800 community based volunteers attending from across the country. 6 Education and Training NeighborWorks America Training Institutes, held around the country, have become widely acknowledged as the nations leading source of training and information for professionals in the housing and community development field. 7 8 Affordable Homeownership In 2011, Erika Graves followed her dream and became a homeowner. Erica attended homebuyer education classes and counseling to assess her readiness for homeownership and the steps necessary to achieve her goal. And when homes renovated by NeighborWorks Great Falls under the Neighborhood Stabilization Program became available, Erica qualified for a first mortgage and found a home that met her family’s needs. NeighborWorks America is committed to strengthening communities by creating opportunities for low- and moderate-income families to purchase, maintain and retain their own homes. We believe that homeownership gives families a vested stake in their communities and provides them with an asset-building tool that is critical to achieving economic prosperity. The NeighborWorks network works to ensure the long-term success of the families we serve. To strengthen their chances to achieve success, the NeighborWorks Full Cycle Lending approach consists of a comprehensive set of pre-purchase and post-purchase services. It includes homeowner- ship education and counseling for potential buyers and assistance to the borrower at every step of the loan process. Financing opportunities include property rehabilitation, technical assistance with property inspectors and rehabilitation services, post-purchase counseling and early intervention delinquency counseling. To assist in this process, NeighborWorks has several areas of support, including