named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Beechwood Family Apartments
Development of 54 new homes across 21 buildings on vacant sites in the Beechwood neighborhood, including 12 units of supportive housing for families in need of services.
Community Investment Trust
Resident-led investment vehicle to acquire and manage community assets, promoting long-term economic stability and anti-displacement.
Connect Lab
Dedicated space supporting neighborhood businesses with training, resources, and capital to strengthen commercial corridors in EMMA and Beechwood.
Landlord Fund Program
Provides forgivable loans of up to $7,000 to landlords in EMMA and Beechwood for maintenance and repairs in exchange for a five-year affordability guarantee and compliance with tenant protections.
Wealth Demonstration Project
Community-owned asset initiative aimed at building resident wealth and economic equity through local investment and ownership models.
activities · 12 groups
What they do
-
Neighborhood Revitalization Initiatives 2 activities
- Co-create and implement community-driven neighborhood plansCo-created the Comprehensive Neighborhood Plan with residents of Beechwood and EMMA as a community-driven blueprint for equitable development, building on initiatives like the City's Focused Investment Strategy and research such as the IBM Smarter Cities Challenge report.
- Community quarterback and collaborative revitalization leadershipServes as a community quarterback for ten years, guiding collaborative efforts in housing, education, wellness, and economic empowerment in the Beechwood and EMMA neighborhoods through resident partnership and equitable resource coordination.
-
-
Community Space Provision 2 activities
- Operate a neighborhood hub with access to essential servicesOperates a neighborhood hub providing access to essential programs, services, and opportunities within walking distance for residents, including free printing and faxing (up to 10 pages), and serves as a community gathering space for events, nonprofit meetings, and resident-led initiatives.
- Operate co-working and shared workspace for entrepreneursOperates a co-working space at 360 Webster Ave. and provides shared workspace amenities including high-speed Wi-Fi, kitchenette, off-street parking, business center services, and restrooms; reviews membership applications based on business readiness, mission alignment, and community engagement.
-
-
Financial Literacy Education Programs 2 activities
- Provide financial education for community investorsProvides free, mandatory financial education to participants in the Community Investment Trust to support investment management and long-term financial health.
- Support wealth-building and financial stability for residents and businessesProvides tools and resources to residents and businesses to build wealth and improve financial stability, including financial empowerment workshops, business support through expert partners, and a Community Investment Trust enabling residents to purchase shares ($10–$100/month) in a portfolio of local commercial properties.
-
-
Neighborhood Civic Engagement 1 activity
- Compensate residents for participation in revitalization effortsEngages and compensates residents for their participation in neighborhood revitalization efforts in Beechwood and EMMA, ensuring community leadership and ownership in transformation initiatives.
-
-
Local Food Systems Development 1 activity
- Conduct feasibility study for nonprofit or cooperative grocery storeReceived a grant to conduct a one-year feasibility study for establishing a nonprofit or cooperative grocery store in the Beechwood neighborhood, including ongoing community outreach and facilitation by internal staff.
-
-
Community Resource Navigation and Support Services 1 activity
- Connect residents to health, wellness, and financial servicesConnects residents in EMMA and Beechwood neighborhoods to essential services and resources supporting physical, mental, and emotional well-being through community partners, and offers financial empowerment workshops to promote stability and independence.
-
-
Public Benefits Navigation and Enrollment 1 activity
- Connect residents to local services via MyWayFinderProvides direct referrals and onboarding support for MyWayFinder to connect residents with local services including food pantries, job training, education, and youth programs.
-
-
Capital Infrastructure Funding 1 activity
- Fund commercial property improvements for local businessesProvides grant funding for façade, interior, accessibility, and safety upgrades to brick-and-mortar businesses in Beechwood and EMMA neighborhoods.
-
-
School and School-Community Events 1 activity
- Host youth engagement activitiesHosts youth engagement activities designed and led by local organizations for young people in the Beechwood and EMMA communities.
-
-
Early Childhood Education & Development Programs 1 activity
- Implement cradle-to-career education modelImplements a cradle-to-career education model supporting youth from early childhood through adulthood, including kindergarten readiness support, priority enrollment and coordinated transitions from neighborhood childcare to Elementary School #33 and East High School, with community school frameworks and aligned curriculum.
-
-
Affordable Housing Development and Management 1 activity
- Provide housing stability and developmentOffers mixed-income housing options including affordable rental and homeownership opportunities, develops 54 new homes across 21 buildings in Beechwood (including 12 units of supportive housing), and operates a grant program funding landlords for maintenance and repairs in exchange for a five-year affordability guarantee.
-
-
Local Business Financing and Incentives 1 activity
- Support local entrepreneurs through commercial property ownership pathwaysTransforms 256 Webster Avenue into a pathway for local entrepreneurs to build wealth by operating a business with a future opportunity to purchase the building; enables a selected entrepreneur to operate there with the option to purchase after one to three years, while actively securing funding for renovations to prepare the property.
-
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$4.35M
Contributions & grants$4.29M99%
Program service revenue$34K1%
Investment income$19K0%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$1.33M
Program expenses79%
Admin / overhead17%
Fundraising3%
Salaries & benefits$887K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$4.45M
Cash$1.69M
Investments$0
Liabilities$513K
Net assets$3.94M
Liquid reserves15.3 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +382.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| LASHUNDA LESLIE-SMITH | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $154K |
board members · 18
- ANNIE CANON — DIRECTOR
- CHANTZ MILES — DIRECTOR
- CLAYTON JONES — DIRECTOR
- CYNTHIA COLE — DIRECTOR EMERITUS
- JAMES HIGHSMITH JR — DIRECTOR
- JAMES LAUGHLIN — DIRECTOR
- JILL RATHBUN — DIRECTOR
- JOSH GEWOLB — DIRECTOR
- KEVIN KELLEY — DIRECTOR
- KEVIN RAILEY — CHAIR
- KYLE CRANDALL — SECRETARY
- MARILYNN PATTERSON-GRANT — DIRECTOR
- MARLENE BLOCKER — DIRECTOR
- SARAH HENDRICKS — DIRECTOR
- SHANAI LEE — TREASURER
- SHANE WIEGAND — DIRECTOR
- SHANTERRA MITCHUM — DIRECTOR
- WANDA COOPER — VICE CHAIR
relationships · 29
Who they work with
- 441 Ministries Partner — Recognized for leadership and commitment to fostering a thriving community.
- Beechwood Partner — Neighborhood where Connected Communities implements collaborative initiatives in housing, education, wellness, and economic empowerment.
- Beechwood Neighborhood Coalition Partner — Public/private partnership member collaborating on neighborhood revitalization in Beechwood
- Beechwood neighborhood residents Partner — Co-creators of the Comprehensive Neighborhood Plan and ongoing partners in community revitalization efforts
- Block Ambassadors Partner — Local residents working in partnership with Connected Communities to promote safety and community engagement.
- City of Rochester Government — Public partner in the revitalization initiative and funder of earlier neighborhood strategies
- Community Bank, N.A. Partner — Presenting sponsor of the Connection Experience, supporting neighborhood revitalization and lasting community impact.
- EMMA Partner — Neighborhood where Connected Communities implements collaborative initiatives in housing, education, wellness, and economic empowerment.
- EMMA Business and Neighborhood Association Partner — Public/private partnership member collaborating on neighborhood revitalization in EMMA
- EMMA neighborhood residents Partner — Co-creators of the Comprehensive Neighborhood Plan and ongoing partners in community revitalization efforts
- East High School Partner — Partnership with 6th-12th grade public school for priority enrollment and curriculum coordination to support student transitions
- Economic Empowerment Committee Partner — Guides the competitive selection process for entrepreneurs in the Wealth Demonstration Project.
- Farash Foundation Funder — Philanthropic partner providing support for neighborhood revitalization efforts
- Greenwood Project Partner — Collaborates on the Greenwood Project as part of economic empowerment and wealth-building initiatives.
- Hillside Partner — Partner organization in the public/private revitalization coalition
- Home Leasing Partner — Private sector partner in the public/private revitalization partnership
- Home Leasing, LLC Partner — Partner developer for the Beechwood Family Apartments project, with Connected Communities serving as the nonprofit development partner.
- JPMorgan Chase & Co Partner — Recognized for steadfast partnership and transformative investments supporting the launch and expansion of critical initiatives.
- Konar Foundation Partner — Recognized for early and sustained partnership in advancing educational equity.
- M&T Bank Partner — Recognized for leadership and commitment to community-first investment and holistic neighborhood revitalization.
- MyWayFinder Partner — Partner tool used to connect residents with local services and resources.
- NEAD Partner — Public/private partnership member supporting holistic neighborhood revitalization
- PathStone Partner — Provides free home energy assessments for properties participating in the Landlord Fund Program.
- Reinvestment Fund Funder — Awarded a Neighborhood Market Planning Phase grant to support feasibility planning.
- Rochester-Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative Partner — Close partner organization collaborating on poverty reduction strategies
- School #33 Partner — Partnership with EPK-6th grade public school for coordinated student transitions and community school framework implementation
- St. John Fisher University Partner — Conducted a capstone project surveying residents about grocery needs in the Beechwood neighborhood.
- University of Rochester Partner — Academic institution collaborating in the public/private revitalization partnership
- local schools Partner — Partners with local schools to support cradle-to-career education initiatives.
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Community Quarterback Model for Cross-Sector Alignmentmethodology: community_quarterbackBy acting as a neutral convener that aligns residents, partners, and resources around a unified strategy, we produce systemic neighborhood change because fragmented efforts are coordinated into a cohesive, resident-driven vision with shared accountability.
- Community-Controlled Economic Developmentmethodology: community_controlled_asset_cyclingBy using tools like right-of-first-refusal agreements and community benefits agreements, we build generational wealth and prevent displacement because long-term community ownership of commercial assets ensures reinvestment stays local and entrepreneurs reflect community needs.
- Cradle-to-Career Educational Continuummethodology: cradle_to_careerBy providing continuous educational support from infancy through adulthood, we disrupt cycles of poverty because early and sustained intervention increases the likelihood of academic persistence, college enrollment, and career success.
- Place-Based, Holistic Neighborhood Revitalizationmethodology: holistic_revitalizationBy concentrating integrated improvements in education, housing, employment, health, and safety within a defined geographic area, we produce comprehensive community transformation because coordinated, localized investments create synergistic effects that address root causes of disinvestment.
- Resident-Led, Bottom-Up Community Transformationmethodology: resident_led_planningBy centering community visions and resident-driven planning—such as through the Comprehensive Neighborhood Plan—we produce sustainable neighborhood change because initiatives are grounded in local knowledge, ownership, and priorities, leading to higher engagement and culturally relevant solutions.