Programs & Training

AmeriCorps Program

​The Ohio CDC Association's AmeriCorps VISTA Project places full-time volunteers at nonprofit organizations across Ohio to build organizational, administrative, and financial capacity in efforts to alleviate poverty. These VISTA members focus on tasks such as program development, grant writing, and volunteer recruitment and training, rather than providing direct services.

Microbusiness Development Program

The Ohio CDC Association's Microbusiness Development Program provides funding to nonprofit members to support microbusiness development initiatives, aiming to enhance local systems that promote entrepreneurship, offer low- and moderate-income households access to business capital, and create sustainable private-sector jobs. Assistance through this program includes training, technical support, and direct business loans.

Empowering Communities

Funded by the Caresource Foundation, the Empowering Communities Grant Challenge opportunity provided funding for innovative solutions to unique community challenges that involve the social determinants of health.

Training and Technical Assistance

OCDCA offers a variety of training, technical assistance, and professional development opportunities throughout the year to both members and non-members. 

Savings and Match Programs

Ohio CDC Association operates two Savings and Match Programs. The first, the Homeownership IDA Program, is for homeownership only. The second, the Refugee IDA Program, is to help refugees purchase either a home for the first time, earn a post-secondary education/trade credential, open a small business, or purchase a vehicle. The Refugee IDA Program is limited to refugee and asylees who have been in the country no more than five years.

Peer-to-Peer Program

OCDCA members can apply to be TA recipients and/or providers and OCDCA will coordinate and convene strategic pairings of these organizations. This includes making introductions, conducting orientations, facilitating TA provision instruction, providing administrative assistance and oversight, collaborating with goal-setting, and providing financial resources. 

Book Club

For both members and non-members, OCDCA Book Club reads books related to community development topics of housing, food access, financial empowerment, economic development, and community engagement; place-based, urban/rural, and neighborhood issues; empathy; and leadership and other professional development skills useful to community developers.