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(Draft) June 6, 1968 Revised June 12, 1968 MEMORANDUM TO: 1J Local Coalitions THE NATIONAL COALITION PROGRAM OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Responding to the Emergency Convocation of August 1967 and to the critical urban crisis of our nation, many cities have formed local coalitions and many are or soon will be in the organizational phase. These local coalitions are becoming a vital forum for communication among different elements in the community. C They are a mechanism for assess- ing community problems, establishing priorities, coordinating efforts and initiating new programs. They are also extremely potent -vehicles for members of coalitions to individually and collectively speak out on national issues and to support, propose, or oppose legislation affecting urban problems and the resources needed for their solution. The National Urban Coalition, in an effort to maximize the aims and objectives of local coalitions, will make available through its s ta ff a broad technical assistance program at the request of the local coalition . This program is developed within the li mits of resources presently available to the national Coalition to meet needs of local coa litions. be e x panded and/or mod ifi ed as those needs change . It wi ll �- 2 - The National Urban Coalition's technical assistance program will range from assisting communities to organize and launch local coalitions to concentrated assistance for specific programs. To accomplish this assistance program, the national coalition has divided its staff · f our -{yboar -':,,._,,d, · units; · · · · · · into t h e Loca 1 Coa 1 1t1on Division, t he Program Development Division, the Communications Division and the separate Action Council Division. (1) The Local Coalition Division is the operational staff of the national Coalition. Its primary task is to explain the urban coalition concept and assist communities in organizing local coalitions. C It will also render general technical assistance on coalition programs and relate national issues to local coalition objectives. (2) The Program Development Division is the program specialist staff of the national Coalition. Its primary task is to provide expert assistance in specific program areas by its staff members and through its consultant resources. It will also be the major channel for the assembly and dissemination of technical program information relative to local coalition activities. (3) The Communications ~ivision (to be filled in by Brian Duff) �- (4) 3 - The Urb a n Coalition· Action Council is a s e parate unit of the nation al Coa lition . The p r i mary functions of its staff will be to promote social improvements in the nation's urban centers through its study of proposed legislation and its mobilization of community leaders across the country to support, propose and oppose legislation affecting urban problems and the resources for their solution. Local coa l i tions will addr ess requests for all forms of technical assistance to the Local Coalition Division. As the operational staff of the national Coalition, these staff members are assigned to e a ch of the local coalitions through out c. the country. They will either respond directly to the request or, if it require s extreme ly technical problems, refer it to the a ppropriate spe c i aliz e d d iv i sio n . Counc i l staff wi l l d e al direc tly The Urban Coalit ion Action with coalitions a nd coalition membe r s. Th e n ati o nal Coalition will provid e the f ol l owing f o rms of technical a s sista nc e u p on reques t : 1. Pr ovi d e assis t anc e to ne w communi tie s in i den t i fy in g a n d b ringing t oge the r loca l l eaders who might in the fo r mat ion o f a coal ition. 2. be inte r ested (loca l) Pr ovide assistanc e t o n e w communi t i e s in exp l a ining the philosophy and ob j e ctiv es o f The Urban Coa liti on and . i n t h e formation and r e prep entative character of o r g anizing a nd p e rmane nt ste ering committ e es . ~-

( l ocal ) �- 4 - 3. ·Provide speak er resou r ces through the national +Ldcc:\. \ ~ Steering Cqmmittee~ to assist in the launching of the local coalition. 4. (communic a tions~ loc_tll) Provide assistan ce to e x isting coalitions on improving the representative character of its steering committee and guid a nce on the composition, purpose and functioning of its task forces. 5. (local) Provide assistance to coalition on how they organize neighborhood groups for community leadership in coalition planning and policy making and for community generated social action projects which require no funds. (local, program development) C 6. Provide guidanc e on dealing with the diverse elements of the black community. (local, program developme nt) f 7. Provide assistance to local coalition staffing, funding, administration and program manag ement problems. (local , progra_m development) 8. Provide liai s on fo r local coalitions with Fe deral agencies on clar i ficatio n a n d mod i fic a t i on of policy and fo r their conside ration o f _ mer itor ious applications fo r grants . (local , prog r a m deve lopment) 9. Pro vide info rmat i on o n s ou rces of l oc a l , state, fe dera l and foundation funds t o emp loy staff and to i mpr ove e x isting programs o r start new onei t o mee t communi t y pri o rities. . ' (?) �- 10. 5 - Provide representation before.various national private organizations conducting programs locally to insure that their local counterpart organization cooperate with the coalition in its effort to coordinate all programs. 11. Provide assistance to help local coalitions analyze community problems, inventory existing programs aimed at the solution of those problems and identify gaps or duplication of effort. 12. (program development) Provide a periodic newsletter to include relevant national or local surveys and studies on urban problems, information on new program concepts, Federal program C guides, new national Coalition statements and policy, visual materials developed by local coalitions related to coalition goals. 13. (communications, program development) Provide a periodic proqram memo to include intensive case studies of successful programs of local coalitions. (program deve lopment) 14 ~ Provide assistance on a range of specialized programs (ghetto entre pre n e ur s hip, youth mobilization, manpower, housing , educ a tion, communications, etc . 15 . (program development) Provide a dv i c e to local coalitions on me chanisms by which t hey may coo r di na t e e x isting and new commu ni t y p r o grams . (loc a l, p rog ram d e v e lopme nt) �- 16. 6 - Provi~e assistance in the writing of applications for state, federal and fo~ndation funds. (program development) 17. Provide assistance in developing projects and materials on attitudinal change and methods on increasing communication between the black and white community. 18. (communications, program development) Provide advise on the programmatic implementation of the Kerner Commission Report by local coalitions. (communications, program development) 19. Provide information and guidance to aid local coalitions in interpreting local, state and national legislative issues and relating them to the coalitions goals and priorities. 20. (Action Council) Provide periodic legislative reports on the status of pending national legislation of interest to coalitions and to outline significant features of newly passed legislation concerning urban problems. Council) .. (Action �