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January 3, 1968 ORGANIZATIONAL PROPOSAL INTRODUCTION The Steering Committee of the Urban Coalition will decide January 8 the future nature of the Coalition . Essential to this is a decision on the organizational structure to be utilized for reaching Coalition goals. Currently, the Urban Coalition is an ad hoc steering committee loosely related to some 1,200 individuals who attended the August Convocation. The Steering Committee has spawne d seven task forces and created a small profe ssion al staf f wh ich serves the tas k fo r ces under t h e direction of two national coordinators. Functionally, there are two elements comprising Coalition activities. One is catalytic and the other is direct action. These two elements must be reconciled in the organizational structure. PROPOSAL It is proposed that two companion structures be created: one to conduct the direct action activities, the second to undertake the catal y tic role. Ca t a lyti c Structure The organ i z a t ion al structure o f t h e catalytic element would b e a non- profit corporation directe d by a Board of Governors. It would have a mode r ate service a n d support staff headed by an e xecutive di re ctor. The t a sk forces of t he p resent Steering Committee would become the program commi t t ees o f t he non-pro f i t c orpor ati on. The o bjectives o f th is o rganization would be to identify the pro blems fo r which it would un dertake r esear ch and s tudy; deve l op so l utions and program ideas; a nd prov i de res our c e s a n d service t o l ocal c o alitio n s . The o rganizat i o n' s f u n di ng capab il ity should be substantial eno ugh to all ow i t to pro vide matching g r ants for local projects undertaken by local coalitio ns. This organization should be funded for at least a three or possibly five-year perio d at a n annual rate o f $5, 000 , 000 . St aff support would require appro ximately $5 00 , 000 . The balance would be used for matching funds to local coalitions which would conduct action projects and for supporting contracts with existing organizations to do special research projects. �( 2) Membership on the Board of Governors would be available to all of the current members of the Steering Committee. The Board of Governors would elect the officers. The president or chairman should be a person of national reputation. The Action Organization The organizational structure would be an ad hoc Steering Committee, just as now exists, with committees where required and no staff. Its funding requirements would be minimal. Staff support would come from the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National League of Cities. Its activities would encompass taking positions on national policy matters and making efforts to insure that the national policy decisions became those of the government. �