Mt. Washington CDC completes organizational assessment, sustainability report

POP City

With an eye toward long-term sustainability, the Mount Washington Community Development Corporation (MWCDC) has just wrapped up an organizational assessment completed by Carnegie-based management consulting firm The Hill Group, Inc.

Encompassing seven “dimensions”—from mission andboard governance to external relations and financial management—the assessment evaluates the organization’s effectiveness, identifies areas for improvement
Photograph copyright Brian Cohen and establishes short- and long-term sustainability goals. “We’re trying to be progressive up

here—there’s alot of low-hanging fruit we can implement. We’re a unique neighborhood and we strive to keep that,” says Chris Beichner, with the MWCDC. “I'm looking at best practices and how we can be the best CDC. In terms of taking a snapshot of what we do right now, this would be the first of its kind for us.”

This month, the MWCDC’s board reviewed the assessment’s 70 recommendations, which were crafted using data from interviews, focus groups, online surveys, and consultations with MWCDC partners, funders, board, staff, and community stakeholders. “Most recommendations fell under updating and implementing policies to shore up the organization,” adds Beichner, who’s looking closely at the MWCDC’s current policy of electing board members. “If you don’t have a sound organization, you can’t provide sound services—that’s critical for moving forward.”

The report also looks at how the organization can more effectively engage the Mount Washington and Duquesne Heights communities it serves. “Our board retreat on February 21st was very exciting because there was a lot of consensus with the recommendations, and a clear sense of priorities,” adds Beichner. “We didn’t spend money to put another report on the shelf. It’s all about diving into the recommendations and hammering them out one by one so they make sense and fit within the overall organizational structure.”

Source: Chris Beichner, executive director, Mount Washington Community Development Corporation